BAI Report Reveals Public Transport Passengers Want Continuous Connectivity

November 17, 2021

A new study from BAI Communications reveals an intensified need for continuous connectivity on public transport systems amid the global COVID-19 recovery.

In 2021, global transit passengers indicated record levels of support for government investments in wireless and fiber network infrastructure (93 percent), 5G networks (89 percent) and technology applications and services designed to make transport safer and a more connected journey.

BAI’s Connectivity outlook report 2021 highlights findings from a recent study commissioned by BAI which surveyed more than 2,500 rail, subway, light rail, bus and ferry transit passengers across five major cities: New York, Sydney, Toronto, Hong Kong and London. In its third year, the report is designed to provide cities, transport operators and governments with information to help understand passengers’ expectations and support sustained, long-term growth in public transport system use.

This year’s report indicates that passengers want three core things: improved safety and cleanliness; advanced technology to support high-quality connectivity on-the-go; and increased spending on communications infrastructure to improve the overall transit experience. Among the report’s findings:

91 percent of passengers think seamless mobile coverage above and below ground is a feature of a world-class city.

81 percent would consider switching mobile carriers to get better service on transport systems, a 12 percent increase since 2019.

Around three-quarters of working respondents would use public transport to get to and from meetings more often if they had fast, reliable connectivity to work and access the cloud on-the-go.

83 percent are comfortable with their anonymized data being used to improve public transport systems; 91 percent are comfortable with their data being used to deliver customized alerts about service changes, disruptions or delays.

52 percent say contactless payment options have inspired them to increase their use of public transport.

BAI’s research suggests that passengers recognize the critical role of transport networks as an enabler of connectivity across cities and increasingly support government spending toward improvements.

Most passengers (93 percent) support government investment in new and reliable wireless and fiber networks for transport. Further, 89 percent would support their city investing in a 5G network, up from 83 percent in 2020.

Nearly all (95 percent) believe network evolution using connectivity and data AI could deliver better transport services.

49 percent would pay more for public transport that offered uninterrupted mobile coverage and high-speed internet across the entire trip – a consecutive increase during the past three years.

Approximately 88 percent would take advantage of a fast, secure and robust internet or data connection during their trips. Almost half (49 percent) would use their connection to stream video while 37 percent and 36 percent would use the network to upload documents to the cloud and participate video calls and conferences, respectively.