AT&T Plans To Launch Information Kiosks And Smart Bus Shelters With Free Wi-Fi

The City of Chicago and AT&T is working together to introduce a number information kiosks and smart bus shelters in the city. Reports indicate that this project will be completed within the first quarter of this year. In addition to that, AT&T has also promised that free Wi-Fi service will be available at these smart bus shelters and information kiosks.

Officials from AT&T further said that the smart bus shelters would have digital displays and intelligent lighting. The digital display feature will help the riders to know when their next bus will arrive, whereas the touchscreen information kiosks will provide details on tourist spots. The booths will also have USB charging ports.

It is reported that AT&T is also planning to put up a few digital display boards in O’Hare International Airport. The primary purpose of this installation is to offer real-time ground transportation information to the passengers. However, AT&T has confirmed that these display boards will not offer Wi-Fi.

Chicago’s chief information officer, Brenna Berman, recently stated that two or three connected smart bus shelters and five information kiosks would be installed in a few months. She added that they would reveal the locations of the tests by next month.

The general manager and executive director of the AT&T Smart Cities program, Mike Zeto, said that the cost of the pilot will be covered by the Smart Cities program, which will last for a period of 3 to 12 months. “All the pilots we’re doing are designed to keep the residents more productive and engaged as they move about town. The goal is to help the city try out tech that will provide benefits,” Zeto said.

Berman added that another Smart Cities Chicago project by AT&T is underway and it will be completed within a couple of months. She stated that AT&T has already started to acquire information on the movements of passengers at O’Hare.

“We’re leveraging big data to look at the flow of people throughout the airport to help us understand where people are coming from and where they are going,” Berman said. “That kind of data will help the team that manages O’Hare better understand how to help the travelers at O’Hare. For example, is there a better way to manage the taxi queue?”