Ericsson presents the concept of Online Bus Stops for Public Transport: Screens will display information about bus movements in real time, providing access to interactive maps, while the integration of a camera and two-way communication system will ensure direct contact with assistance services
At the UITP World Congress and Exhibition - the world's largest public transport event - Ericsson is presenting the concept of a connected bus stop that integrates 3G, LTE or Wi-Fi small cell technologies.
The small cell infrastructure of the connected bus stop will offer public transport companies additional revenue, as it can be leased to telecommunications providers for better coverage of their networks.
In addition to its conventional use for providing broadband services, the connected bus stop will support functions that are particularly useful for commuters.
This could include screens that display information about bus movements in real time and touch screens that provide access to interactive maps, local news, tourist information and advertisements.
Additionally, a CCTV camera, a panic button and a push-to-talk function could be integrated to increase security and make it easy for people on the move to contact emergency services or the police.
In dense urban environments such as shopping, business, financial and entertainment centers, network capacities are often tested and many of these networks cannot consistently offer high downlink speeds. The connected bus stop mitigates this problem by creating a separate small cell access network, integrated into the telecommunications providers' transmission networks.
No one can say for sure whether this idea is possible in our country, nor when it will finally be realized. All we can do is hope that… the next bus will arrive soon…
