Irish Rail derails plans for Wi-Fi on trains

dmeehan

There's an article in ENN today about this. Looks like some guy is going to offer it to Irish Rail for free. http://www.enn.ie/article/10124507.html

paulm17781

dmeehan wrote: »

There's an article in ENN today about this. Looks like some guy is going to offer it to Irish Rail for free. http://www.enn.ie/article/10124507.html

Aren't they great. :rolleyes: They clearly didn't even consider things like this when they decided against implementing it.

Red Alert

Another example of the general malaise that seems to be in Irish Rail from the top down. Sure didn't they spec out the 'flagship' Mk4's without laptop power sockets?

trap4

dmeehan wrote: »

There's an article in ENN today about this. Looks like some guy is going to offer it to Irish Rail for free. http://www.enn.ie/article/10124507.html

"Some guy" would be Evert Bopp, posting as mayhem# above

popebenny16

Yes, when I'm sitting with my knees against a toilet door, beside someone else doing the same, in a vestiuble shared with seven others, with another six in the next one and five standing the end ends of the carraiges - all the way from Thurles to Dublin - and all because IE booked out two carraiges, one to a school and one to an OAP outing (even though the site said no seats were booked ).... I'll so soooooo glad I'll have my wifi connection.......

Victor

http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/0616/wifi.html

Iarnród Éireann offered free Wi-Fi network
Monday, 16 June 2008 16:09

An Offaly-based technology company has offered to install a Wi-Fi network on Irish trains for free.

AirAppz is offering Iarnród Éireann a Wi-Fi network for passengers to use on their laptops, PDAs and mobile phones.

While there would be no cost for Iarnród Éireann, customers would most likely have to pay to surf.

The firm's Chief Executive, Evert Bopp, said passengers could use the service for around €1 an hour or pay a monthly unlimited subscription of €29.

Mr Bopp said his company is ready to roll out the service if it were given the go ahead.

There are several methods for delivering a Wi-Fi service to a moving train, but Mr Bopp said using existing fibre optic cables that run alongside main rail lines is the best solution.

By placing receivers on the trains to pick up the signal and repeaters along the tracks, Mr Bopp said a 2mb per second connection is possible. If the fibre optic option is not viable AirAppz has suggested a 3G network or a satellite connection.

AirAppz would make money from the venture through location-based advertising and ads would change each time the train passed a new station.

Iarnród Éireann spokesman Barry Kenny said it is planning to meet with AirAppz about the proposal.

Mr Kenny said it has had approaches similar to this one in the past, but cost has been the recurring issue.

'If it is beneficial to us and our customers we would consider it,' Mr Kenny said.

However, if AirAppz proposal is deemed viable, Mr Kenny said the contract would have to go to open tender.

Canada and several states in the US including California, Washington and New Mexico have installed Wi-Fi on their public transportation systems.

On the Iarnród Éireann website's Frequently Asked Question section, the company says it is not in the public's best interest to install the current wireless technologies for its customers to use on board its trains.

'Anything we install now is likely to be completely redundant within five years,' the website says.

Instead it advises passengers to obtain their own wireless solutions through mobile providers.

Mr Kenny said Iarnród Éireann has not put money into Wi-Fi because its priority is investing in more trains.

daymobrew

All opinions can be given to the IR Management tomorrow at Heuston.
http://www.irishrail.ie/news_centre/news.asp?action=view&news_id=391

Meet the Managers at Heuston Station on Wednesday 18th June 2008

Over the coming months Iarnród Éireann will be continuing its programme of face to face meetings of management team and customers.

The next of these meetings will take place in Heuston Station on Wednesday 18th June 2008.

Mr. Ciaran Masterson, Regional Manager for Mainline (Heuston and Cork Districts), along with his management team, will be available to meet customers on the afternoon of Wednesday 18th June 2008 between 4.30pm and 6.30pm at Heuston Station Concourse.

Customers are invited to come along and discuss issues of interest or concern to them with the management team.

monument

popebenny16 wrote: »

Yes, when I'm sitting with my knees against a toilet door, beside someone else doing the same, in a vestiuble shared with seven others, with another six in the next one and five standing the end ends of the carraiges - all the way from Thurles to Dublin - and all because IE booked out two carraiges, one to a school and one to an OAP outing (even though the site said no seats were booked ).... I'll so soooooo glad I'll have my wifi connection.......

You could send an email to the letters section of the Irish Times or the paper of your choice.

Frester

They could jsut research a bit. Wifibre is the new 1Gbps Wireless internet being tested. Before they didn't think it would be possible to get 1Gbps Wireless internet! So I doubt they can improve THAT much on that within the next 5 years. I feel they are just trying to make excuses to make themselves seem like real Business People! E.g. One person could say Wireless Internet but the other one would say "But you have to see the long term cost!" or something stupid like that!