Challenge

Many passengers nowadays leverage travel times to get work done, surf the web, or catch up on their favorite entertainment. With this in mind, Flix sought to incorporate a reliable free Wi-Fi service across its fleet of vehicles. However, they were faced with a logistical hurdle as the travel routes often crossed different countries.

This meant that physical SIMs from local carriers would need to be installed in the routers, which was resulting in dozens of differing configurations that were a nightmare to manage considering the dynamic route requirements of Flix. Additionally, Flix wanted a streamlined deployment method which would allow them to apply consistent configurations to all vehicles, including future additions to their fleet.

Solution

Flix collaborated with RebelRoam, a Peplink partner and distinguished expert in transport connectivity solutions, to address this challenge. Around 1700 Peplink devices were installed across their vehicles in Europe and America by the summer of 2024. All devices were configured and are regularly monitored through InControl. Each device provides the bus with free Wi-Fi connectivity, accessible through a custom captive portal.

At RebelRoam’s datacenter, over 700 SIMs from various carriers were prepared for use across the fleet. All Peplink devices are connected to a central management system, allowing RebelRoam to virtually control and manage SIMs for each router on the vehicles. Network preferences, failover, and load balancing policies are established centrally for the entire fleet. The system automatically switches between carriers, without physically swapping SIMs, as vehicles travel between countries, ensuring uninterrupted service.

Result

RebelRoam’s expertise was instrumental in implementing this seamless solution, delivering a single software configuration. The centralized InControl platform enables Flix to remotely configure routers across their operational areas. This resulted in significant time and cost savings for maintenance and support, without compromising free Wi-Fi for passengers.

The efficiency of this solution has led RebelRoam and Flix to an expansion, set to implement the solution in up to 2500 vehicles. This expansion reflects the confidence in Peplink’s scalable technology which enables Flix to maintain their high standards of service and operational efficiency.

Deployment

Peplink Router

• Dual cellular router deployed on Flix vehicles for free Wi-Fi
• Connected to the FusionSIM server for SIM management
• Configured and managed centrally through InControl

InControl

• Central management platform for all devices
• Automatically switches to best available network for each bus
• Reduces maintenance time and operational costs