A single Wi-Fi network has been launched in the metro and on ground transport. Mosgortrans_Free: free Wi-Fi has appeared on four Moscow routes

Bus route between St. Petersburg and Helsinki. Speed ​​100 km/h. There is Wi-Fi on board the bus (and even outside). How does this happen?

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Technical and other details are revealed by Igor Ivanov, a service specialist at the Russian division of the international bus carrier Lux Express Group.

How does Wi-Fi equipment work on a bus?

This is a special device (you can call it a hub), which contains up to 8 SIM cards from operators of those countries in which our buses operate their routes. The equipment is equipped with special modems - they are responsible for connecting to the desired telecom operator using antennas located on the roof of the bus.

But that's not all. Other devices are connected to the main hub, providing direct Wi-Fi distribution inside the bus. They operate on two frequencies 2.4 GHz/5 GHz in the main wireless standards. These same devices (access points) collect and analyze information about the quality of the connection or interruptions that have occurred, monitor all connected devices, and distribute the Internet connection to multimedia systems installed near each passenger seat.

The final connection speed always depends on the user's device, so the speed of the connection (or downloading a file) can be very different between two people connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

Where is the main hub?

Depending on the model of the bus and the year it entered the line, the location of the main hub differs. As a rule, it is located at the beginning or middle part of the bus, but the essence or functionality of the devices practically does not depend on the location. The main thing when installing equipment is its privacy and possibility quick access for the driver or technical specialist. It also requires power for its various components. For example, due to differences in batteries, the voltage supplied in minibuses (12 V) is different from that supplied in large 54-passenger cars (24 V). And this also makes adjustments to the installation of Wi-Fi devices.

It's no secret that Wi-Fi does not work perfectly along the entire route. What factors can influence network outages?

It could be like this internal factors, both network failure or congestion, and external ones - for example, bad weather or interruptions at the telecom operator. You need to understand that when the bus moves, the operator’s base stations constantly change (it’s even difficult to name their exact number), and whether they all work equally well is another question. And, if we talk about really uninterrupted Internet on the bus, then you need a good telecom operator with a reliable signal along the entire route.

It is worth noting that over the past couple of years we have managed to ensure that passengers can watch videos and even live broadcasts. Previously, we had data traffic restrictions. They have now been filmed and streaming is open. Now you can safely watch videos in applications such as Youtube or Facebook. And recently, according to our employees, on the Tallinn-St. Petersburg route, some passengers watched a football match between Russia and Spain online.

The passengers of this bus watched the victorious football match of the Russian national team with Spain. The funny thing is that the country where the bus was produced is Spain.

If all 54 passengers connect to the network, how will the equipment react? Is it designed for such a load?

Yes, we select exactly the equipment that is designed for such a load. Although with 54 passengers on the network, the connection speed may slow down, especially if heavy data transfer begins. In this case, much depends on the telecom operator and the strength of the signal from its network. I can say for sure that in the city limits in a “everything online” situation there will be no problems, while outside the city you will notice a drop in speed. At the same time, we hope that our passengers will be reasonable regarding the use of traffic volume.

Are there any weak spots in the bus interior where the passenger's network connection will not be ideal?

There is no such place on the bus; most often problems arise from mobile devices when trying to connect. For example, it may not see the network, or give a connection error - in such cases, rebooting the user’s device or Internet equipment on the bus helps, or, as a last resort, changing the Internet access device, for example, a tablet or laptop instead of a phone.

What is the coverage area of ​​Wi-Fi from the bus?

For open space technical characteristics The equipment is set to a maximum communication range of 122 meters. Of course, this value cannot be applied to our buses, but within a radius of 10 meters from the bus you can definitely connect to the network. For example, often on the border between Russia and other countries, drivers of other buses or cars take advantage of this opportunity.

During the first half of this year, more than 10 terabytes of Internet traffic were used on our buses in Russia

Igor Ivanov

Are there any specifics to the operation of Wi-Fi on site? different countries? Or when moving at the border from one country to another?

The equipment switches automatically between telecom operators in different countries - up to three different operators can work simultaneously.

As for the border, for example, Estonian and Russian operators can work together as long as the bus is within the coverage area of ​​these networks. If for some reason, when crossing the border, switching to another network does not occur automatically, then the driver is simply required to reboot the device.

What further progress can be made in developing Wi-Fi on board the bus?

We are looking forward to the development of 5G networks, but, unfortunately, this does not depend on us. In principle, we try to follow the latest technologies in this matter as much as possible. As for the wireless Internet, perhaps the best progress in development will be if each user gets what he expected from Wi-Fi and is satisfied with its use. And it will be important for us if, while watching movies, reading or working, the passenger does not notice the time it takes to travel from one city to another. That is, he will feel teleportation.

Svetlogorsk city buses now have the opportunity to use the Wi-Fi network for free to connect to the global web.

Wi-Fi equipment is installed on more than 60% of buses involved in urban passenger transportation. So the opportunity to ride on a bus that distributes “free” Internet is quite high. So far, the buses do not outwardly reveal their technological content, but soon they should have stickers indicating the presence of Wi-Fi on each specific bus.

I rode several city buses to test and understand how the innovation works. I will outline my experience of using it step by step to make it more clear what to do and in what order. Testing was carried out on an iPhone smartphone. Perhaps on Android devices some windows or steps will be slightly different from those presented in the article, but I think you will succeed!

How to connect to Wi-Fi on a bus (instructions with photos)

Step 1. If your smartphone has automatic notification of the possibility of connecting to a new Wi-Fi network, then the phone itself will offer you to connect. If you do not receive such a notification, you can go to the Wi-Fi settings and manually connect to the desired network. In all buses, the network we need is called the same - GomelAvto Free Wi-Fi.

Connection to this network occurs without a password. Therefore, if everything is done correctly, you will be redirected to the welcome page from Gomeloblavtotrans OJSC.

Step 2. On the welcome page we are asked to enter a number mobile phone to receive the access code. This procedure is completely free.

What is this for?. In Belarus there is a law according to which access to the Internet can only be obtained after personal identification. This can be done in several ways, including through a mobile phone number.

After entering the phone number, click the “Get code” button and after a few seconds you will receive a message from Velcom with a 4-digit digital code.

Step 3. A new window will open asking you to enter the received code. There shouldn't be any difficulties here. Enter the code and click the “Login” button. If for some reason it was not possible to receive the code (for example, you entered the phone number incorrectly), click the “Back to receiving code” button and repeat Step 2.

If this step is completed correctly, then you will again see the familiar picture with the greeting from Gomeloblavtotrans OJSC.

Step 4. At the top of the window, click the “Done” button. At this moment we see that the phone is disconnected from mobile transmission data (in my case it’s 3G) and switches to a Wi-Fi connection. The first website that you will see after connecting to Wi-Fi will be the official website of JSC Gomeloblavtotrans. (Apparently this increases the traffic and rating of this site)))

Step 5. ALL! You are connected to global network Internet. If you haven’t been online for a long time, you will start receiving messages from all instant messengers, notifications about likes on Instagram and other amenities. But to surf web pages, you need to minimize the connection window and go to the browser, because, unfortunately, you won’t be able to access your favorite site through the connection window.

In a browser or other applications, you can freely and normally browse the Internet, communicate on social networks and instant messengers. Also, at the time of testing, I could freely watch videos on YouTube. Of course, I was the only one in the cabin who knew about the availability of free Internet on the bus, and therefore the entire access speed (1 Mb/s per bus) was mine. If you divide the connection speed between at least 10 passengers, then enjoy high speeds It's unlikely to succeed.

Negative point

The only one negative point The problem is that equipment distributing Wi-Fi can take quite a long time to start working after turning on the ignition or starting the bus (up to 10 minutes).

How it looks in practice: the bus starts after stopping at the final stop, at which time the equipment is turned on. The bus can travel several stops or even half the route (in our city they are small) before Wi-Fi is fully operational. But I think the drivers themselves are interested in ensuring that everything works always and without interruptions). Practice will show.

Instead of a conclusion

The technology and connection method seemed quite convenient to us. I was also pleased with the fact that when moving from one bus to another, you can reconnect without unnecessary movements - Wi-Fi is picked up automatically as a familiar network (if, of course, the corresponding setting is activated).

The speed at this stage is quite enough to communicate comfortably on social media. networks to all bus passengers (but that’s if you don’t watch the video). The connection signal is strong and stable.

Anyway modern technologies They are slowly reaching our city, making the life of Svetlogorsk residents a little more pleasant and convenient.

Tested by: Grigory Polessky.

Passengers of the metro and ground public transport will be able to use a single high-speed free Internet from October 11. The seamless zone extends to the Moscow metro and also operates on all buses, trams and trolleybuses. Thus, the largest seamless Wi-Fi space in public transport in Europe has been created in the capital.

“Access to the network for passengers is provided throughout the entire journey, regardless of the number of transfers between the metro and ground transport. The formation of such a single space is an example of fruitful cooperation between business and the city, which is aimed at creating comfortable public transport in Moscow,” said Deputy Mayor of Moscow, Head of the Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure in Moscow Maxim Liksutov.

How to connect

To connect to free Wi-Fi both in the metro and in ground transport, you must pass identification. You need to confirm your mobile phone number or log in through the government services portal. At the same time, users who have already been identified on the Wi-Fi network will not have to do this again.

Every day up to three million connections, and 70 terabytes of traffic per day are transmitted through the network itself. Each train is connected to the network at speeds of up to 100 megabits per second - there is no such service in any city in the world. Internet access points are located in each carriage. Thus, over five thousand cars were equipped. There are 900 base stations installed in the metro tunnels and 880 kilometers of fiber optic cable laid.

Where does he work?

Free Wi-Fi in the capital's land-based city passenger transport already used by more than one million unique users. In total, since the launch of the project, access to the network has been provided in 7,250 buses, trolleybuses and trams of the State Unitary Enterprise Mosgortrans. By the end of the year, the Internet will work in all rolling stock of the city.

You can also connect to Wi-Fi in Moscow at 450 ground transport stops. They are located near metro stations, bus stations, railway platforms and other objects popular among Muscovites.

Free wireless network in the Moscow metro is recognized International Association wireless operators Wireless Broadband Alliance the world's best implementation of Wi-Fi technology in urban areas in 2015.