Looks like Wi-Fi is finally coming to the JUTC
(Jamaica Urban Transit Company) as I'd predicted in my blog article
entitled “Wi-Fi
on JUTC Buses in September 2015 - How extended 2015 Summer Promotion will
increase revenue by JA$4 million daily”.
On Friday January 12th 2016, the JUTC
launched their long-awaited Wi-Fi service as reported in the article “JUTC
Riding High On WIFI”, published February 13, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
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The launch took place that the Half-Way-Tree
Transport Center with Minister of Transport Dr Omar Davies and the Minister of
Science and Technology Phillip Paulwell being present. Also present at the
launch was Managing Director, Colin Campbell and CEO of the Universal Service
Fund, Hugh Cross.
The rollout is a test run with Wi-Fi Internet, will
eventually be coming to all 452 buses operated by the JUTC come September 2016
as declared in the article “Full
Roll Out Of Free WiFi On JUTC Buses Come September”, published Friday
February 12, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.
The Wi-Fi routers and the Internet access is being
provided by Telecom Provider Digicel Jamaica at no cost to the JUTC, which
implies that it may be free to customers. If you're on these pilot routes, count
yourself as being very lucky to try it out:
1) 24
Express, which travels from Spanish Town to the University of the West Indies
2) 130
Premium Express, which travels from Longville in Clarendon to downtown Kingston
Already it's being hailed as a game changer, they
have to make sure that the high school children don't use the free Wi-Fi to
access pornography as pointed out by Deputy Managing Director in charge of
operations, Kirk Finnikin, quote: “Our IT department has been looking at ways
the service can be used. They are exploring some of those avenues to introduce
some restrictions in relation to X-rated sites and pornography in particular”.
So how exactly will this work?
Wi-Fi
coming to JUTC buses September 2016 - Digicel 4G Broadband powers free Wi-Fi
Apparently the Wi-Fi Network is being provided using
Digicel MiFi routers, which are a part of their 4G Broadband service.
Most likely six (6) or seven (7) of them have being
installed in each JUTC bus to allows some thirty two (32) passengers to access
the Wi-Fi at any given time. The MiFi Routers then tap into the 4G Broadband
service, possibly drawing power either from Solar Panels mounted on the bus or
extra batteries installed specifically to supply the routers and not tax the
JUTC bus’s electrical system.
No matter how its configured, the idea will
definately be a hit with passengers, as they can get work done while commuting
to work, as pointed out by Kirk Finnikin, quote: “Wi-Fi access will allow
commuters who spend possibly an hour and a half in traffic going to work and an
hour and a half in traffic coming back home to have a more productive experience
on the bus”.
The Wi-Fi, which is provided free of cost to
passengers, will most likely have the access controlled via a special token
printed on their JUTC Prepaid SmarterCard tickets as reported in my blog article
entitled “How
JUTC will earn JA$30 million per day from JUTC Prepaid SmarterCard Launch”.
This new innovative Wi-Fi Internet Service will
allow many commuters to not only enjoy using WhatsApp and Facebook but also
check out the JUTC buses running on their route via the Google Transit App as
explained in my blog
article entitled “Why
@JUTCltd @Google Transit from @UWImona Computer Science Department is the next
AVL”.
JUTC bus routes have been on the Google Transit app
since August 2015. So what more can we expect by September 2016?
Free
Wi-Fi on all JUTC buses – Boosting passenger numbers and sending schoolchildren
home
So what does all this mean for customers?
With free Wi-Fi, customers can now access this
information in real-rime to quote Kirk Finnikin: “Passengers have always been
interested in finding out what time the buses run, so it is only fitting that
we launched our Google Transit application last year August, where customers
who are interested in finding out where they want to go ... can input their
location and their destination using the Internet. What that app would return
is the JUTC bus number and where they need to pick it up. The Wi-Fi provides
customers access to this information at no cost to them”.
Good to note here that adult fares are set to go up
by March 2016 as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “Why
JUTC's JA$100 fare hike in March 2016 as Wi-Fi and Checkered Taxis coming”.
Hopefully when this rolls out fully by September
2016, the presence of Wi-Fi would have boosted passenger loads significantly.
In fact, the JUTC may even begin making that extra JA$4 million per day from
increased passenger loads as described in my blog article
entitled “Wi-Fi
on JUTC Buses in September 2015 - How extended 2015 Summer Promotion will
increase revenue by JA$4 million daily”.
Best of all, it'll get the school children to take
the JUTC bus and go home instead of loitering around the Half-Way-Tree
Transport Center and possibly end up having sex as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “How
Jamaican Children are having Sex in JUTC Transport Center - How Free Wi-Fi and
CCTV Cameras can help”.
JUTC
AVL on the horizon – Digicel Mobile Money Guinea Pigs by September 2016
I'm hoping that by September 2016, the JUTC would
have also launched their AVL (Automatic Vehicle Locator) App as well so that
passengers can track the JUTC buses in real time as noted in my blog article
entitled “JUTC's
AVL and Chaos on Back to School Day – How JUTC's Automatic Vehicle Locator may
placate Smartphone toting Commuters who ask Are we There Yet”.
Knowing that Digicel is providing this for free, no
doubt they plan to also use this service to negotiate with the JUTC to
introduce their mobile money Platform as predicted in my blog article
entitled “Why
Digicel's purchase of Paymaster means Mobile Money is launching in 2016”, making
the JUTC their first customer,
Expect to see decline in the JUTC bus fare as more
passengers will start riding the JUTC bus just to get a taste of Free Wi-Fi.
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