Kansas Department of Transportation's Experience with Procuring Wi-Fi at Rest Areas

In 2005 the Kansas Department of Transportation embarked on a public-private partnership to acquire wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) services at Kansas rest areas. The effort is now reaching fulfillment, in that initial installations are in place and functional. A long-term contract with a Wi-Fi provider has been established, a web portal has been developed and implemented, and assessment of the operation is about to commence. This paper reviews several aspects of the project, including stakeholder interests, objectives, procurement method, impact on rest area operations, lessons learned, and projected benefits, such as an expanded communication infrastructure and outlets for local and regional travel information.