By Cassandra Whitfield, Chief Technology Officer
One of the first directives I received when I became Chief Technology Officer from CEO Tiffany Gunter: get reliable WiFi on our buses.
She understood, post-pandemic, that connectivity wasn’t a nice-to-have anymore. It was essential infrastructure, and my job was to make it happen. SMART actually offered WiFi on our FAST fleet years ago, but it was short-lived because of the pandemic.
Post-pandemic, we realized connectivity had shifted from luxury to necessity. Riders expect it and make decisions about where to go based partly on whether WiFi is available. We also knew that inconsistent WiFicreates a worse experience than no WiFi at all, so we invested in more powerful devices for reliable connections.
The potential benefits extend beyond rider convenience. Reliable WiFi attracts new riders who need to stay connected during their commute to work, school, or managing daily life. When people can use transit time productively, transit becomes more valuable.
More Than Just Internet Access
Each bus gets a router with a unique identifier, installed and tested by our in-house electronics team. The system runs on T-Mobile’s 5G networks with high multiband capability to minimize dead zones.
We made the rider experience simple: connect and you’re online. No complicated logins or time limits. We currently have 5G routers installed on 50 buses as of April, with a goal of 175 devices fleet-wide.
It’s a phased rollout because we have to pull buses out of service for installation while keeping routes running. Here’s where WiFi becomes foundational infrastructure for our entire operation.
It enables our automatic vehicle locator system, which powers the real-time tracking riders depend on. It supports our camera systems and livestreaming for safety and incident management. It keeps our operations team connected to drivers in real time and helps with emergency response. All of this produces data we use to improve service. We better understand delays and on-time performance.
We can plan our fleet more strategically and even use connectivity for predictive maintenance, catching problems before they cause breakdowns. This isn’t surveillance, it’s smart operations using real-time information to make better decisions. For many riders, reliable internet access still isn’t a given, and that reality shows up in everyday ways.
Bus WiFi can help bridge that gap, whether it’s a student finishing homework, someone applying for a job, or a rider managing appointments and daily responsibilities. In that sense, we’re doing more than moving people from point A to point B. We’re helping people stay connected to the opportunities and services that shape their lives.
SMART is advancing this work with a clear commitment and sustained investment. Expanding WiFi across the fleet takes time and coordination, especially when installations have to happen alongside daily service. But we are steadily building toward a fully connected system, one that reflects how essential connectivity has become for our riders and for our operations.
This is the future of transit. It’s not just about getting from one place to another, but about making that time count. It’s about a system that works smarter, serves people better, and stays connected to the needs of the communities it supports. WiFi is one piece of that future, and as we continue to expand it across our fleet, we’re delivering a service that is more useful, more responsive, and more aligned with how people live today.
