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Ed Yeates ReportingConnecting with your bus is about to take on a whole new meaning. The Utah Transit Authority has launched a pilot project to see how business commuters like having wireless access to the internet while they ride to and from work.
A UTA express bus is about to let Troy Fillerup clock in, on the job, the minute he steps on board. He sits down, opens his lap top, and connects to the internet.
Troy Fillerup: "It's really good. It goes really fast. I'm really pleased with it so far."
So far, it is looking good, not only for Troy, but a partnership involving UTA and a Utah based company called Parvus. Stops, starts, bumps, dust and more, this is the first wireless system built specifically for the rough environment of a bus. And other transit systems will be watching to see how it pays off here.
Andrew Hunt, Parvus Corporation: "Even at home, getting your internet to be stable is a challenge. So to do it on a moving vehicle is definitely a step beyond that."
Initially, Y-5 access will involve only four express buses. Users will fill out a brief survey as they sign in, telling UTA what they think, how it works, and do they want more.
Kyle Briimley, Utah Transit Authority: "If it's a positive outcome on the survey, we definitely will be putting this on our 40 plus express routes."
Troy Fillerup, Business Consultant: "I'm a consultant and so I bill by the hour. Well, if I can be working while I'm on the bus..."
So much the better, says Troy.
Four buses for now, then 40, then 200. The buses are only the beginning. By the middle of 2008, when the commuter trains zip along brand new rails between Salt Lake and Ogden, commuters will have high speed internet on every car. In fact, a single group of businessmen could sit at a table and hook up multiple computers.
For now, at least while this pilot project unfolds, commuters won't have to pay extra for the wireless access.
