| Cellular Digital
Packet Data and Remote System Administration
In the past few years, two communications technologies have been developed which offer unique advantages to mass transit fare collection operators: 1) wireless data communications based on cellular telephone technology, and 2) high speed communications services based on Internet technologies. The costs for these services have dropped steadily in recent years, while their availability, performance, and flexibility has increased. Both technologies can be used to simplify and lower the cost for the installation, management, and operation of computer systems and networks used to monitor and control fare collection equipment. Wireless Communications in Fare Collection. Fare collection equipment today is connected to station or central computer systems using several methods: 1) traditional "copper" cable, 2) standard telephone lines over either "switched" dial up, or dedicated leased lines, 3) in-house or third party fiber optic networks, or 4) in-house or third party packet switching networks. Each of these methods requires an initial capital investment in the data communications infrastructure, and a continuing obligation to the support and maintenance of this infrastructure. Cables, fiber optic lines, and telephone lines must be run, tested, and periodically repaired. These charges represent a major portion of the cost to acquire and operate a fare collection network. Wireless connection to fare collection equipment is now practical using Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) technology. CDPD is an overlay to the existing national cellular telephone system. CDPD supports low cost digital data communications over the unused, idle portion of the existing cellular telephone spectrum. CDPD uses the cellular telephone network to provide high speed, secure "on demand" communications. CDPD charges are based on the actual volume of data transmitted and received. There is no dedicated point-to-point dial up and connection, and no time based connection charges. All devices connecting through CDPD are continuously on line and available, but no charges are incurred unless, and until, data from a CDPD device is actually sent or received.
CDPD provides fare collection systems several advantages:
Remote System Administration. Remote System Administration (RSA) is a service offered by Agent Systems, Inc. to users of the Agent Transaction Manager (ATM). ATM is a full function network which provides its users with the ability to monitor and manage:
The ATM system runs on a central host computer (the "network controller") that is normally installed on the premises of the transit company operating the fare collection equipment. This local host computer is operated and administered by the transit company. Successful system administration of the local host requires a staff trained and experienced in sophisticated UNIX based server systems. By taking advantage of the high speed, low cost communications backbone now available through Internet technology, the ATM network controller function can be provided remotely to any transit property, in any city, through the high speed UNIX server system at Agent Systems' offices in Dallas, Texas. This server acts as the remote host for the fare collection network. RSA transparently provides all the functionality of the ATM system, without the burden of system administration.
Secure high speed connections for operator terminals are provided through Internet or Intranet gateways. In this way, Remote System Administration allows transit companies to benefit from the Agent Transaction Manager network, without the cost and burden of administration and support. RSA provides:
1997 has been a watershed year for data communications technologies. Wireless CDPD technology has reached critical mass and is now available in all U.S. metropolitan areas. In addition, the dramatic build-out of the Internet infrastructure has provided breakthroughs in the speed, performance, cost, and accessibility of data communications technology. Fare collection systems can use both of these technologies to lower the initial investment and on-going operational costs of fare collection networks.
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