b'SPECIAL REPORTSchool Bus Wi-Fi: A Turning Point In Transportation TechnologyWritten By Julie MeteaA s the next generation of mobile networksAs school buses and other areas of transit become emerges, school transportation is still comingmore connected with more applications, the need for 5G around with onboard bus Wi-Fi. It has beenwill grow. There is great potential for 5G networks in the about a decade since the first 4G networkslong term, as school districts start to incorporate more appeared in the U.S., and they have been fast enough tocameras on buses, explained Dan Clem, a product man-support real-time GPS and tracking applications on someager at Zonar. 5G will be the best way to stream driver fleets of school buses. coaching, stop-arm violation capture, security inside The networks also have been strong enough to sup- and outside the bus, or any other number of use cases.port widespread disruption in transportation throughCurrently, the majority of school bus operations needs ridesharing applications. With 5G networks emerging,are met with existing 3G and 4G capabilities. School there are expectations of greater advancement in aug- districts that have invested in Wi-Fi on buses are now mented-reality shopping, virtual presence at live events,receiving a lot in return.telemedicine and self-driving vehicles.Keeping Students on Track5G is on the Rise All 71 school buses used by Raytown Quality Schools, Student transporters can expect a wide range of 5G ap- located about 10 miles southeast of Kansas City, Missouri, plications to emerge by 2021 or 2022, according to AT&T,are now equipped with Wi-Fi. The fleet-wide installation T-Mobile and Verizon. The now big-threefollowingfollowed a successful pilot program that started with six Sprints merger into T-Mobileare currently investing inbuses. Technology companies Synovia and Kajeet provided 5G networks through initial programs in larger U.S. cities,the hardware and software to help the districts transporta-from Los Angeles to New York City. tion team track 53 daily routes via GPS in real-time.In the United Kingdom, FirstGroup and Blu WirelessUsing an app called Here Comes the Bus, students launched a project in February on the South Westernknow exactly when the bus will show up at their stop, Railway, to boost connectivity on trains through 5Gand parents receive real-time notifications that their technology. The new technology can process data 100children were picked-up and dropped-off at assigned times faster than 4G technology, meaning it will belocations. The district has set up about 1,500 users on easier for riders to enjoy consistent and fast Wi-Fi con- the app, which secures the data transmission from nectivity during their trip. unauthorized users.5G will be the best way to stream driver coaching, stop-arm violation capture, security inside and outside the bus or any other number of use cases. Dan Clem, Zonar20School Transportation NewsSEPTEMBER 2019'