From today’s New York Times:
http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/06/03/travel/wi-fi-and-amtrak-missed-connections.html?ref=technology
I saw this elsewhere, too. Not a big user of the cell phone and computer to live by, I’m not sure what these people expect. First, if they drive anyplace, they know there are deadspots, some short, some very long. But second, too, is what did Amtrak expect? A continuous, even signal for cell phones and computers from Boston to Florida, and especially on the Corridor? Even if they didn’t expect it, they should have assumed the public would. There are plenty of conductors (not people train conductors) like catenary, rails, signal and data circuits, along the route…I’m not an electrical or radio engineer, but would think someone could come up with WiFi sub carriers along the line to feed the frenzy without fear of providing free WiFi for everyone within even a mile of the Amtrak right of way. In radio I have used carrier current and all sorts of sub carriers on all sorts of circuits, so I would think there must be something Amtrak can do that would work and still be cost effective.
I saw this elsewhere, too. Not a big user of the cell phone and computer to live by, I’m not sure what these people expect. First, if they drive anyplace, they know there are deadspots, some short, some very long. But second, too, is what did Amtrak expect? A continuous, even signal for cell phones and computers from Boston to Florida, and especially on the Corridor? Even if they didn’t expect it, they should have assumed the public would. There are plenty of conductors (not people train conductors) like catenary, rails, signal and data circuits, along the route…I’m not an electrical or radio engineer, but would think someone could come up with WiFi sub carriers along the line to feed the frenzy without fear of providing free WiFi for everyone within even a mile of the Amtrak right of way. In radio I have used carrier current and all sorts of sub carriers on all sorts of circuits, so I would think there must be something Amtrak can do that would work and still be cost effective. Why not have a system designed, installed, and operated by contract bids?
WiFi is a major passenger marketing tool. Megabus touts it . If you can do more than just drive for hours during business travel it enhances your productivity.
Is there such a thing as being over productive? I’ve seen people with two, three, four cell phones, pods, laptops, etc. How can anyone do so much multi tasking as to be effective much less accurate and sensible? I know nothing is going to change, we have come to believe that we must be in touch with everybody else and everybody must be able to be in touch with you. At any given second. In any given place. I’ve been with several bosses who went berserk when being out of cell phone signal range! All these things certainly make us look feel important and look important. But is everything that important? Notice how when such contrivances are new you don’t put them down. Soon you can’t put them down. And soon you don’t miss them when you misplace them? As an old saying goes, “and this too, shall pass”. Maybe it will not pass, and maybe it shouldn’t. But it will eventually be brought into perspective.
WiFi on the buses is badly oversold and very slow. We’ve used WiFi on the NEC to watch Netflix, even though it’s supposedly blocked. The Netflix client is really good at reconnecting.
A little over 2 years ago I purchased a Virgin Mobile Broadband modem to use with my Netbook when I travel by train. This modem lets me buy a short-term plan for, say, $10 or $20 and then use my Netbook anywhere (for the 10 or 20 day period covered by the plan).
In those 2 years I have successfully used my Netbook on Amtrak’s long-distance and NEC trains. I am delighted by the reception I get, whether in the wilds of Colorado or across upstate New York. Sure, in some very remote areas one has no signal for a while, but generally speaking it’s fine. Because it’s not WiFi I have no fear of my data being compromised. It’s pretty fast, too.
I think that to expect people not to use, or not want to use, their devices in today’s world is wishful thinking. Amtrak needs to work on their delivery of this proffered service. The thrust of the Times piece was that people are angry when they can’t access an advertised and promoted service; that leads them to feel ripped-off.
Riding, especially after dark, with my Netbook is a wonderful way to stay informed and in-touch. It isn’t all that much different from reading a book or a magazine. I think when people riding trains can have dependable internet service they will have even more reason to not drive themselves, but instead take the train.
It blows my mind that people that “need to be connected” are dependent upon free wifi. The one story I read was some guy who claimed to be the head of IT for a company, and he was whining about not having wifi.
Seriously? You are the head of IT and you are dependent upon someone else to provide you with internet coverage? That’s like running a pizza shop without dough.
What do you want for free?
You can always demand your money back!
Free WiFi should always fall under the category “nice to have”. If you have to have an internet connection, bring your own 3G or 4G device!
BTW, the airlines don’t give it away, they charge. Amtrak should think about doing the same, once they can insure they have enough bandwidth. Maybe charge half what the airlines do…and give it away in business class.
If anyone should be charging for an extra, given its annual losses, it is Amtrak.
With a little planning, I don’t need wifi on a train, plane or bus. I own a Nook and a Kindle that are wifi enabled. I make sure before travelling that I have the books and newspapers that I want loaded on the device(s). I don’t carry a laptop with me anymore because I am retired. However, it too could be preloaded with whatever I needed prior to travel. It is hard to understand why most people would need wifi during a three hour train ride or airplane ride. But if they do, they should pay for it.
On a recent trip to California, I tested my wifi connection on a Surfliner train between Anaheim and San Diego just see if it would work. It worked fine. No problem.
That’s not even close a good analogy. Internet connections are utilities, not raw materials. Its not like you can supply your own electrical connections.
To do work, reschedule things thrown off by delays, check arrivals and departures, arrange pickups, all sorts of things that you can’t do always do until you found out that you’re sitting dead on the tracks for 90 minutes.
I’m one of those people that’s always picking people up at the airport. They can email me from altitude while they’re orbiting waiting for thunderstorms to clear. They can’t call me and say “they’re saying we’ll be on the ground in an hour.”
I think the point is, if your very living depends on continuous connection, you will have one of those cellphone-company plug-ins, described above, and not rely on finding some free wi-fi hotspot to do your super-important work!
meh…
The only time I need wifi is when I am in a hotel room…if there is no hard connection.
Otherwise my laptop comes with me when I go doing any gigging…it has my sequencer and DAW on it.
Well, excuse me for not picking a perfect analogy. The point is (and always was) if you are that dependent on having continuous internet access, then you probably should have your own internets, and not rely on anybody’s free wifi.
I understand your perspective. In this day and age of “now” communication, disconnected even for a short period of time is stressful. I remember, however, believe it or not, when we did not have smart phones, laptop computers, etc. And we seemed to get along OK. If I wanted to know whether my spouses’s flight from New York was on time, I called the airport.
Don’t get me wrong. I am as gaget driven as anyone. I even got a cell phone, and although I would not admit it to my brother, who urged me to get it, I like it.
If being able to stay connected whilst traveling on Amtrak is important to its passengers
I am getting a kick out of the Verizon wireless commercial on TV where this poor lonley schmuck has nothing left in life but to talk to…and get computer generated response from…his Verizon wireless. It is more pathetic than spending hours at the computer…er…ahhh…yeah.
Realistically, good luck getting an employer to pay for it. I used to be engaged to someone who worked for one of the 900 pound gorillas of the internet. She was one of their field techs. Her work schedule was almost literally 24/7. Any wifi fees she incurred because she had to work remotely were repaid, but they wouldn’t spring for one of those dongles. But if someone (Amtrak) says they offer a service…well, then they should offer it and the customer has a right to be unhappy. That’s not the same as a guarantee and it shouldn’t be. But customers are well within reason to grouch over it.
Oh, I would have absolutely no problem paying for it, if it was reliable. So would a lot of people. I think free was a mistake on Amtrak’s part.
And, yes, that’s my alma mater.
And if your job means you have to have instant internet access, I think the small price to pay for your own internets is pretty small if it means being able to keep (and succeed at) your job. YMMV, of course.
Nice though, Zug. But I worked for a guy who wanted us to buy all our own office supplies, he didn’t want to invest a dime in his business, just take. A paper clip here, an envelope there, postage for all, cell phones or, at that time, pagers, etc. If one is in business he must assume the responsiblity of being in business for his own, his employee, and his customers interests.
I don’t see why Wi-fi or Hot-spots should be free on Acela trains, but if offered, they need to be reliable.