Sprint: Connected Transportation

Sprint: Connected Transportation

Posted by Sam Churchill on January 14th, 2011

Sprint CEO Dan Hesse, at the Detroit Economic Club, today unveiledthe company’s M2M Connected Transportation initiative and shared examples of M2M solutions reducing environmental impacts, increasing public safety, and supporting the energy/smart grid.

“At Sprint, our vision goes beyond connecting millions of cars. We want to provide ‘Connected Transportation’ to trucks, buses, subways, taxis, planes, police cars and ambulances so that they can be instantly linked through voice, data and images,” said Hesse.

Connected Transportation helps companies optimize, schedule, monitor and track deliveries, personnel and vehicles and enables drivers to waste less fuel looking for delivery destinations, gas stations and other locales. Some of Sprint’s partners include:

• Aeris Communications, a Sprint partner, will leverage Sprint’s national network to provide cellular connectivity to Hyundai Motor America’s Blue Link connected vehicle program launching in 2011. Hyundai worked closely with ATX, a telematics service provider, and Aeris to build Blue Link to incorporate safety and security, entertainment, productivity and convenience features.
• PACCAR, parent company of Peterbilt and Kenworth Class 5-8 commercial vehicles, is working with Sprint to introduce a new integrated mobile computing, telematics, navigation and business system, branded as SmartNav for Peterbilt and NavPlus for Kenworth. It provides diagnostics/logistics, back-office, GPS/location-based services and other functionality to truck operators.
• Sprint is also working with ECOtality, to provide comprehensive wireless connectivity to more than 15,000 residential and commercial electric vehicle (EV) charging stations throughout ECOtality’s nationwide Blink Network. ECOtality has begun installing the first of nearly 15,000 Level 2 EV charging stations along with more than 300 DC Fast Chargers at public and commercial sites throughout 2011.
• Police cars in San Jose, CA and ambulances across the United States are using technology from Feeney Wireless to create increased access and GPS/location-based connections to facilities, databases, dispatchers and fellow staff members for enhanced public safety, communications and reporting capabilities. Feeney Wireless helps companies and public agencies develop M2M and connected transportation solutions such as the mobile WiFi in Portland’s WES commuter rail.
• DriveCam developed a device which turns on a camera when g-forces indicate a driver is driving dangerously. The camera records the dangerous action and notifies the parents or fleet manager.
• Continental Airlines and Amtrak are already working with Sprint to install Wi-Fi, as well as digital signage and other applications.

Sprint’s Emerging Solutions Group develops M2M and embedded solutions. Sprint helps partners through their Sprint M2M Collaboration Center and the Sprint Command Center.

Sprint is currently the leader in 4G — at least for now. Their WiMAX service is available in 70 markets and counting, and the company sells three 4G handsets, the HTC EVO, the new HTC Evo Shift 4G ($149), and the Samsung Epic 4G. A new Samsung 7″ Galaxy tablet will likely include built-in WiMAX (and mobile hotspot options).

In other news, SoloPower, announced yesterday that they will build a CIGS thin film factory in Wilsonville, Oregon, about 15 miles south of Portland. The factory will have a capacity of 300MW and employ approximately 500 people. A SoloPower panel weights 13 pounds and can produce 260 watts.

The efficiency, flexibility and ruggedness of CIGS technology might be ideal for solar-powered femtocells and WiFi hotspots on bus stops. San Francisco rolled out their first solar-powered bus stop in the summer of 2009. If you can generate 1000 watts a day, then powering a femto/WiFi hotspot using just 15-25 watts, would seem to leave plenty of power left over for lighting or ETA maps (with ads) using color Nooks, ruggedized tablets or micro-projectors.

source : dailywireless.org