NetComm scores key comms role in NSW public transport's $1.2B e-ticket project - UPDATED

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 21 September 2011 18:04

IT Industry - Deals

NetComm has scored a contract to provide 3G WiFi routers to support the NSW Government's $1.2b electronic ticketing system for public transport.

NetComm will supply it NTC-8000 product that it said had been "developed to meet the exacting specifications of the project," and which will be "used to establish 3G connectivity for the ticketing system which will be rolled out over the next four years." The company gave no indication of the volumes it expects to supply nor of the value of the contract, but are likely to be massive: presumably at least one unit will be required on every bus and ferry.

According to NetComm, the NTC-8000 "allows you to build wide area networks utilising the superior speeds of cellular 3G networks. Employing an embedded 3G module it offers downlink speeds of up to 7.2Mbps and uplink speeds of up to 5.76 Mbps'¦[and] features an integrated 802.11b/g Wi-Fi access point with multiple inputs and outputs to connect to Wireless LAN clients with data speeds up to 54kbps." Importantly for its public transport role, it also has integrated GPS support.

NetComm has been awarded the contract by US based Cubic Corporation, a member of the Pearl Consortium - along with Downer EDI and the Commonwealth Bank - that was awarded the contract for the project last year. Cubic's managing director for Australasia, Matt Cole, said: "NetComm's industrial grade broadband technology meets the stringent criteria needed to help us revive the state's troubled transport system with a world-class ticketing system." (The Government had originally promised to have a system in place in time for the Sydney Olympics in 2000!).

The contract for the current system was announced by the then Labor Government's minister for transport and roads, David Campbell, in May 2010. He said: "The total value of the new electronic ticketing system over 15 years is about $1.2 billion. It will deliver to greater Sydney a system comparable to London's 'Oyster' card'¦[It] will operate across greater Sydney's public transport network and will extend as far as Newcastle and the Hunter region, as well as Wollongong and the Illawarra and the Blue Mountains."

Customers will 'tag on' at a reader or gate with their smartcard at the start of a journey and 'tag off' at the end of their journey. The fare will be calculated and deducted from the money stored on the smartcard. They will be able to top up the money on their smartcard online or move money from a linked bank account or credit/debit card or  load money at a wide network of retail outlets.