Wichita is a hub for the aeronautics industry, and the area's engineers have high expectations for a digitally-driven, civic experience. The city needs to provide a great wireless experience in order to deploy technologies that enhance lifestyles, provide better services, and save money all at the same time.
The city fleet’s idle policy is a great example. Technology allows fleet managers to finally enforce a long-standing policy that city's cars and trucks should not be left idling, needlessly burning fuel and polluting the city's air. T-Mobile for Business’ fleet management solution will help achieve this goal, leveraging vehicle diagnostics to save what the city estimates to be between $80,000 and $160,000 on fuel and contract costs on an annual basis—resulting in better services at lower costs.
The city's public transit system is another area of focus. Sixty buses now have free, T-Mobile backed Wi-Fi. Not only will this help encourage ridership, ease traffic congestion, and cut down on carbon emissions and smog, it will allow the city to experiment with new types of ticketing systems that make it easier for people to pay. It all starts with a proven network deployed in the right places at the right times.
A similar program connects over 170 of the city's police cruisers to the internet, making sure officers get the vital information needed for today's law enforcement to be effective. As an example, moving data from license plate readers to the cruisers equipped with this technology helps quickly locate stolen or Amber Alert vehicles.
Next up on this ambitious agenda is getting the city ready for self-driving cars. It's no longer if, but when. Having an always on, always reliable next generation network will be critical.
"What we're really trying to focus on in 2019 is being ready, which requires us to take chances and lean into our partner relationships to try new things,” says Mayta. “People talk about doing stuff they don't ever actually get around to doing. So, we're really trying to focus on putting these things in place. Let's see what happens, and then use the data we get back to make decisions. That's our big thing-actually doing it. And we’re going to work with partners like T-Mobile for Business who are actually doing it too."