How do transportation provider make sure drivers and dispatchers can reach each other at all times? This is often difficult, especially in rural areas, where distances are large and network coverage is poor.
RhönEnergie Verkehrsservice GmbH, based in the city of Fulda in Germany, has equipped its buses with the PTCarPhone from pei tel Communications GmbH. The traditional car phone features high reception quality and effective cancellation of echoes and ambient noise. This makes the PTCarPhone a good choice for even rural areas and loud driver environments, like those on buses.
“Traditional radio connections without a mobile radio connection reach their limit at some point. In 2011, our lines in the Fulda rural district were further expanded, and we needed an alternative to traditional radio technology,” says Thomas Lang, the managing director of the RhönEnergie transportation provider, who is also an engineer. After an initial test of ten units, the company ended up equipping 120 buses with the PTCarPhone. Communication between drivers and dispatchers becomes necessary, for example, when delays or other traffic issues need to be announced. But this can also be the case in an emergency, such as if a passenger suffers a health problem. “We have to be able to guarantee that we can reach each other at all times,” Lang explains. Since 2011, the fleet – which encompasses 207 vehicles in all – has been traveling approximately ten million kilometers each year.
The car phone that RhönEnergie Verkehrsservice GmbH is using is the PTCarPhone 3. Alongside a hands-free kit, it also has a handset that the driver can pick up for greater discretion when talking with the dispatch center. In addition to connectivity, Lang sees the ability to manage the phone book centrally as another advantage. “Our fleet is always changing. If we had to make the necessary updates individually on every phone every time, the amount of work involved would be huge,” the managing director explains. With pei tel’s car phones, by contrast, a single text message sent to all devices at the touch of a button is enough. The car phones then automatically download the updated version of their assigned phone data from an FTP server.
Lang is happy with the introduction and operation of the PTCarPhone 3. “We are delighted to have found a capable partner and a reliable solution with pei tel.”
