INDUSTRY NEWS from National Bus Sales

Many public buses and other forms of transportation are testing public Wi-Fi, with the Vail School District now testing Wi-Fi on school buses.

Instead of sitting around chatting or listening to music, students are now quietly working on their laptops on the way to school. The students also have refrained from the rowdy behavior that previously took place on the bus.

“It’s made a big difference,” said JJ Johnson, No. 92 school bus driver, to the N.Y. Times that the system involves a $200 router, $60-per month ISP contract, and a trial run on a four-hour bus ride to a soccer tournament. Most students slept during the bus ride that departed at 4 a.m., but the Wi-Fi was used in between soccer games during the tournament. Students also utilized the rolling Wi-Fi hotspot on the trip back to the school.

It’s not uncommon that metropolitan and some larger suburban areas don’t require school buses, but Wi-Fi could help increase productivity in rural areas. Autonet Mobile, which offers the custom router for buses, has provided similar hardware to schools in Missouri, Florida and Washington D.C.

Some school districts face budget issues, but could be willing to make exceptions, if possible, to provide funding for wireless Internet on School buses. Some school districts have planned studies to gauge students interest and overall cost efficiency of supporting Wi-Fi on some buses.

National Bus Sales in Tulsa, Oklahoma leads the nation in providing quality, used, late-model, low-mileage buses at the lowest price. We offer the highest quality used, pre-owned and reconditioned buses available. We sell used school buses, activity buses, wheelchair lift buses, child care buses, church buses, passenger motor coaches, and shuttle buses. Whether you are a school district, bus contractor, or tour operator, we can serve virtually any need.