创新的多机构Wi-Fi公交车概念证明使用Aruba SD-Branch Gateways，Wi-Fi和Central提供了与数字沙漠的连接

With schools, workplaces, community spaces, and public transit adjusting to public health guidelines during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) began considering how it could help close the digital divide at a time when a reliable internet connection became even more essential to daily life.

“在加利福尼亚州，大约五分之一的学生缺乏高速互联网接入，近一半的所有低收入家庭都没有在家中拥有宽带服务，”加尔加达创新的移动解决方案的副秘书劳里··佩珀解释道。“我们希望找到一种实用且具有成本效益的方式，可以在这些日子里带来数字沙漠的高性能Wi-Fi连接，为我们的居民服务。”

Agencies Team Up to Develop Innovative Mobile Super-Hotspots

CALSTA要求萨克拉门托市和萨克拉门托区域过境区（萨克特）在一个60天的概念证明（POC）的60天证明之前，在创建户外移动超热点的合作伙伴中。

叫做Wi-Fi巴士网络，多机构的努力由萨克拉门托公共图书馆，公共卫生部门和谷视野市民组织以及卡斯塔，城市和萨克特的代表领导。本集团的主要目标是安全地启用远程学习，支持远程工作并提供远程保健机会。

With the public library committed to providing Wi-Fi Bus parking at its branches and robust online resources for students to access when connected, the steering committee reached out to various cellular service providers, such as AT&T. The providers helped assemble a consortium of project partners including Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Aruba的SD-Branch权力Wi-Fi公交车概念证明

在广告dition to supplying Wi-Fi connectivity, key project goals included determining the services users required, creating policy guidelines, and establishing the specific technologies necessary for successfully delivering, monitoring, and evaluating wireless access.

在项目的设计阶段，Aruba和其他技术合作伙伴考虑了满足多种要求10个Sact Transit总线的多种要求的选项。这包括广播Wi-Fi，足以鼓励社交偏移并利用有针对性的邻域内的可用蜂窝网络进行连接。

Delivering outdoor connectivity and collecting analytics up to 1,800 feet

在三辆Wi-Fi总线上，Aruba SD-Branch解决方案是基于Aruba ESP（Edge Services Platform）基础架构的设计。它由Aruba的370系列户外Wi-Fi接入点（APS），9000系列分支网关和云本机管理组成，统一网关管理是Aruba ESP（边缘服务平台）内的所有解决方案。此外，来自两个不同合作伙伴的LTE路由器为三个主要的本地蜂窝网络提供了无线上行链路。

With the design specifications calling for APs to be mounted externally, selecting the 370 Series APs ensured Aruba could deliver Wi-Fi up to 1,800 feet away from the buses. Another key AP attribute was the location awareness required for gathering the proximity analytics that were key to the initiative’s evaluation phase.

Aruba Central Proves Key to Initiative Success

使用Central部署和管理Aruba ESP的总线简化了实现和操作的所有方面。精益项目管理团队在AT＆T技术人员将Aruba AP贴在每个总线的侧面后，插入分支网关并连接LTE路由器后，从他们的家庭办公室安全地奏效。

连接档位后，项目管理团队使用中央的零触控配置功能来自动化设置，应用和管理。中央还创建了适当的隧道和传播的路由，以建立灵活和安全的Wi-Fi网络覆盖拓扑。

中央智能不仅减少了配置每个总线到秒，而且还消除了整个PoC的任何进一步的分支配置或管理干预。

故障排除也是中央端到端可见性的微风。在主动发生期间发生的两个网络连接事件中，中央快速识别与LTE路由器故障相关。

粒度报告有助于评估结果并建立持续需求

中央也是自动的每周报告，确保团队可以用几次点击收集统计数据。粒度报告包括带宽利用率，无线数据使用和与Wi-Fi总线的最长连接距离。此外，中央产生的位置感知分析，例如靠近总线的设备数量，以及连接到Wi-Fi的百分比。

Via Central, it was discovered that approximately 50 percent of the devices within proximity of an Aruba-enabled Wi-Fi Bus connected to the Wi-Fi and the longest connected distance was 300 yards.

其他主要发现包括访问的顶级应用程序以及数据流量类别，例如内容传递网络。

ClearPass Unifies Experiences, Boosts Security and Delivers Critical

由于剩下的七个公共汽车利用来自其他项目合作伙伴的Wi-Fi技术，多机构指导委员会迅速确定用户体验不一致。访问安全性也不足，并缺少所有公共汽车的报告。

通过添加Aruba的lexpass，一种与其他网络打开和互操作的网络访问控制解决方案。清除所有10个Wi-Fi公交车的统一Wi-Fi体验，允许自定义的Guest门户的快速和平稳地实现。它还改善了安全性和家具的颗粒状连接故障排除。

Clearpass还提供基本的设备利用数据。关键信息每日，每周和聚合设备连接以及用于学校，工作和个人目的的设备的百分比。

Celebrating Success and Considering Next Steps

During the execution phases of the initiative, SacRT transit buses traveled to multiple locations throughout the Sacramento area.

Although the primary deployment focus was schools, libraries, parks, and neighborhoods within digital deserts, the Wi-Fi Bus program was also instrumental in providing much needed connectivity for regional events that provided support for job-seekers, health and wellness, and mobile Census registration.

“我们为自己的公共汽车以创新的方式使用我们的公共汽车来帮助萨克拉门托地区的社区获得高速互联网连接，以解决他们的教育，远程健康和远程工作挑战所需的高速互联网连接，”Henry Liacht总经理/首席执行官表示。“我们很高兴萨克特能够通过Wi-Fi公共汽车服务受大流行影响的人。”

Evaluation gives initiative two thumbs up

Following the POC, CalSTA conducted an evaluation to determine the long-term viability and potential use cases of turning vehicles into mobile hotspots and assembled recommendations for other agencies and communities to follow.

“COVID-19 put a spotlight on a critical need in our community,” says Louis Stewart, Chief Innovation Officer for the City of Sacramento. “We worked quickly with our partners to bring this Wi-Fi bus proof of concept to life to help students, workers and residents who needed broadband access. I am thrilled that we were able to provide this important tool to bring vital internet connection to our neighborhoods.”

该倡议还吸引了美国对美国其他州和地方政府的关注，“这加强了我们计划的成功以及在创新方式中利用现有资产的重要性。我们的工作必须持续超越这种概念证明，“胡椒说。

Creating a Mobile Hotspot Playbook

鉴于面积居民和POC的整体成本效益积极招待，CALSTA乐观地持乐观地，可以根据需要部署类似的举措。为了帮助他人，它发表了公开的Mobile Hotspot Playbook详细的信息和策略。

“我们很高兴提供从我们概念证明的最佳实践和经验教训，以帮助其他司法管辖区创建自己的课程来服务他们的社区，”胡椒说。

“Access to a high-quality, secure broadband connection is a critical piece of everyday life,” she continues. “Lack of this access by the general public has been emphasized during the COVID-19 pandemic. By using existing resources, such as transit buses, we’re able to provide mobile, temporary solutions to fill those gaps, as the state continues to work toward more permanent solutions in Governor Gavin Newsom’s Broadband for All initiative.”