DART’s Free WI-FI On Buses Will Cost Over $100K Annually

DART, the Delaware Transit Corporation (DTC) has announced that it is now offering free public WI-FI.

Free Public Wi-Fi will be provided on all fixed-route buses statewide and at the Wilmington Transit Center, officials said earlier this week.

John Sisson, DART’s Chief Executive Officer stated, “Customers no longer need to worry about running out of data as they access our free Wi-Fi to catch up on work, connect with friends, access apps, or just sit back and stream their favorite music as DART gets them safely and quickly to their destination.”

DART spokeswoman, Julie Theyerl, said the cost of Wi-Fi to DelDOT is $91,440 per year and content filtering for security will add another $22,704 per year.

In addition to the annual costs, $10,100 in additional hardware was needed to connect to the existing modems and network already on the buses that support AVL, security, and fare collection systems. That hardware was installed by DTC staff, according to Theyerl.

The vendors chosen to provide the free WI-FI are Verizon for cellular service and  Zscaler for Content filtering.

Wi-Fi is becoming a public utility/necessity in the lives of Delawareans, including employees and school-aged children impacted by the pandemic, added Theyerl.

Riders interested in using the free WI-FI will need to do the following:

1. Select the Network – Go to your Wi-Fi settings and select the network name DART Wi-Fi.

2. Type in the Password – Once the network name is selected you will be prompted for the password, simply type in RIDEDART.

3. Enjoy the internet – Now you’re free to use the DART Wi-Fi.

To Experience Wi-Fi at the Wilmington Transit Center:

Select the Network – Go to your Wi-Fi settings and select the network name State-Guest-Net.
Type in the Password – No Password is required.
Enjoy the internet – Now you’re free to use the State-Guest-Net Wi-Fi.

Decals are also posted on buses with log in information.

 

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