As one of the leading telematics providers in the world, Webfleet is ready to help Australian operators through an unexpected change that is fast approaching
It’s a change so unknown and beneath the hood that many would never expect it to affect them. Operators running thousands of buses and coaches around Australia may have no idea the change has happened until they return from a run and find their vehicle has no data to report.
The change is technological in the form of a disruption to mobile phone and data services when telecommunications providers turn off their 3G networks.
It will all start in December this year when Vodafone switches off its 3G mobile network, with Telstra following suit in June 2024 as both providers seek to bolster their 4G service capacity.
The changes will hit bus and coach operators with vehicle telematics hardware fitted to their fleet that relies on 3G to provide data such as vehicle location, man-down alerts, fuel consumption and performance or maintenance data.
It’s a change that telematics provider Webfleet knows only too well, and that many operators won’t know they’re affected until it’s too late.
“There are many Australian bus and coach companies that we’ve spoken to who are completely unaware of the change that is about to happen,” Webfleet Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) country manager Jonny Clarke told ABC.
“Even some of the larger operators don’t know how this will impact them and don’t know they need to upgrade solutions for hundreds or thousands of buses.”
Whether it be the larger operators or the smaller companies, Webfleet is already working with many bus and coach businesses to prepare for this change.
“Hardware will need to be replaced to report by 4G instead of 3G, it’ll be a big operation to do this smoothly, so operators need to get on the front foot,” Clarke says.
“Preparation is key. It can be a relatively easy process with the right project plan. On the other hand, it’ll be a monumental task for companies that aren’t ready for it – they will be left behind, disrupted and in the dark.”
Webfleet has plenty of experience in handling change, including hands-on involvement in the switchover from 3G to 4G technology in the United States.
Clarke says Webfleet’s involvement in this switch in the US highlighted the challenges faced by many operators who thought they were 4G ready and wouldn’t be affected, only to find out too late that they needed help, which meant last-minute disruptions to their day-to-day operations.
“Supply and demand in the latter stages approaching that 3G deadline was massive; installers were booked out for months and months,” Clarke says.
“In Australia, there’s a large pool of auto-electricians that provide services for telematics companies, and everyone will be asking for their work.
“It took months in the US for the dust to settle and lots of businesses were significantly disrupted, so Australian operators must be wary of this. They can’t wait until 2024 to do this, or else it’ll be too late.”
Clarke says Webfleet was able to win new business during the transition in the US by ensuring it had the right hardware and software stored locally for quick supply, instead of being shipped in from an international head office.
He says the same approach is being applied in Australia, where stock is being held to meet any forecast changes in demand.
“We’ve never let supply chain issues impact us, even with the chip shortage over recent years,” he says. “Our ability to pool stock globally means we’ve never had any issues.”
Although the looming deadlines to switch over to 4G appear to be a headache for many operators, Clarke says it’s a necessity. If operators don’t make the change, they won’t be able to report necessary data for on-time running to meet contracts, achieve KPIs or demonstrate service quality.
Yet when they do put the time, money and effort into the transition, Clarke says there’ll be many benefits. For businesses using older 3G units, new 4G hardware will be a noticeable upgrade when it comes to telematics.
As Europe’s biggest telematics company, Clarke says Webfleet is also able to meet the demand for devices and solutions that work on zero-emissions buses.
“The new technology on 4G units is already built for electric vehicle readings so customers can see energy consumption,” Clarke says.
“They’ll also be able to extract information on remaining driver distance, battery status, battery data and how to manage it to get longer battery life. By upgrading early, operators will future-proof at the same cost and gain plenty of new services on their devices.”
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Throughout Webfleet’s network of larger companies and smaller bus and coach operators, it is already helping customers plan for the installation of 4G hardware to get ahead of the curve.
Clarke says this preparation is helping many operators avoid disruptions when 3G is switched off around Australia, particularly when it comes to the companies who haven’t yet realised their ‘4G upgraded’ messages only apply to American devices and that the systems they have installed on their own fleets in Australia still require an upgrade.
It’s an important message that Clarke and the Webfleet team are sharing around Australia with many bus and coach businesses.
As a business, Webfleet has evolved and changed since 2019, when they were then known as TomTom Telematics and were acquired by Bridgestone for around $1.4 billion.
The acquisition and rebranding as Webfleet has allowed the business to flourish and enabled it to bring its full range of products and solutions to Australia when it previously could only sell a selection of what was being sold in Europe.
“The acquisition by Bridgestone saw a huge investment into the region,” Clarke says.
“In the four years since, we now have a full suite of products available, and any new products come to market in Australia and New Zealand either at the same time or even earlier than in Europe or the rest of the world.”
Clarke says Australia’s unique satellite scenario has also allowed Webfleet to grow globally as a heavy vehicle telematics provider.
“Australia is one of the few regions with a need for satellite communications due to the vast landscape we have, which is necessary for companies travelling out of signal to have satellite to still provide data and communication,” Clarke says .
“Australia proved the use-case and need for satellite-connected vehicle tracking and critical alerts – such as crash or man-down. With the launch of Webfleet SAT in 2022, we can provide this requirement for our customers.”
Clarke says Webfleet continues to receive strong focus and investment from Bridgestone, which is helping Bridgestone build its suite of products to offer the broadest and most sustainable solutions available to the local bus and coach market.
This range of solutions now includes Webfleet’s market-leading platform that showcases its live GPS, an AI camera solution, a live dashcam and many telematics devices. The strong line-up of products means Webfleet is perfectly placed to help operators move from 3G to 4G when the transition occurs.
“As one of many companies owned by Bridgestone, we’ve been able to build our offering to ensure sustainability is a key part of our bus and coach products,” Clarke says.
“We have multiple ways of lowering emissions, not just through sustainable tyre solutions but also through fleet management and telematics.
“Being part of Australia’s most trusted tyre brand gives us more to offer customers outside of just telematics – we can provide complete solutions for your journey.”