Blackpool Council Selects Moovera In-Vehicle Wi-Fi for Mobile Classroom
UK local authority deploys broadband Internet access on community youth bus for health education, job advice.
Sittingbourne, UK (PRWEB) November 22, 2007
Moovera Networks, a leading developer of fixed and mobile wireless broadband technology, has announced that Blackpool Council have chosen Moovera to provide mobile Internet connectivity for its latest initiative to make vital health services more accessible to the city's young people. The Buzz Bus is a vehicle equipped as a mobile classroom with computer stations, seating area, kitchen and clinic staffed by youth workers and health professionals.
The bus will travel around the town visiting schools, community centers and teenage hangouts, providing advice on a range of topics including sexual health, contraception, substance misuse, alcohol and smoking. The bus is equipped with the Moovbox M Series mobile broadband gateway from Moovera to provide Wi-Fi services that connect to the Internet over a high-speed cellular data network, enabling users of the bus to get online wherever they are in the city.
"It was very important for our mobile classroom to have high-speed Internet access," said Graham Kerr, ICT Manager for the Children & Young People's Department at Blackpool Council. "We considered multiple individual 3G HSDPA (High Speed Download Packet Access) data subscriptions for each workstation and laptop but the recurring costs were high. With the Moovbox mobile broadband gateway, we can share one dedicated 3G HSDPA connection between multiple Wi-Fi devices thus consolidating access and minimizing our costs. At the same time we're able to support Wi-Fi-enabled devices that don't work directly with 3G such as Sony PSP, Nintendo DS and hand-held PDAs."
"Mobile classrooms are a perfect application for our mobile broadband technology," said Jim Baker, CEO and founder of Moovera Networks. "The Moovbox provides a bridge between Wi-Fi devices and carrier networks so that our customers can deliver Wi-Fi Internet wherever there's 3G network coverage. With 3G services particularly prevalent in urban environments, we expect more local authorities to start looking at the combination of Wi-Fi and 3G as an effective way of delivering public services such as those being pioneered by Blackpool."
Blackpool Council has selected Vodafone UK as the mobile data service provider for the deployment, taking advantage of Vodafone's next-generation 3G network that delivers download speeds up to 3.6Mbps.
Funding for the Buzz Bus has been met jointly by Blackpool Primary Care Trust, BSafe Blackpool and the Local Strategic Partnership.
The Moovbox M Series mobile broadband gateway provides a bridge between Wi-Fi access and carrier networks including 3G UMTS/HSPA, WiMAX and TD-CDMA and features built-in GPS. Moovbox also offers secure Ethernet for in-vehicle systems such as IP-CCTV, DVR and telematics equipment and provides remote in-bound access to on-board systems while in motion. Additional Moovsuite management tools provide real-time vehicle tracking, remote device configuration, and Wi-Fi portal and usage statistics. More information is available online at www. moovera. com.
About Moovera Networks:
Based in the United Kingdom, Moovera Networks is a privately-held manufacturer of industrial-grade fixed, mobile and portable wireless communications products that bridge Wi-Fi access with carrier-class cellular data networks including 3G and WiMAX. Applications include commercial hotspots, city-wide municipal and in-vehicle wireless, public safety, construction, events, and secure corporate communications.
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