Overview of the APRR Group
With more than 24 billion kilometers traveled annually across its 2,300-kilometer network, APRR and its subsidiary AREA rank fourth among European highway operators. The Group’s 3,500 employees work 365 days a year, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day to make every travel desire and need a reality, with the primary missions of ensuring safety, providing support, and facilitating mobility.
For more information, visit https://voyage.aprr.fr/
Project Background
The APRR Group wanted to offer free internet access to customers at rest areas along its APRR and AREA networks.
The company therefore set out to find a partner capable of deploying and operating WiFi infrastructure across its entire network.
It decided to partner with Wifirst to manage and implement a managed WiFi service at its rest areas.
The Challenges Faced
- Create network architectures tailored to the different types of rest and service areas to be equipped on the APRR and AREA networks
- Manage the deployment and operation of networks at rest areas and/or service areas in coordination with the client’s teams
- Ensure Internet connectivity for rest areas located in areas with very limited coverage options (fibre, radio links)
- Deploy outdoor WiFi infrastructure with varying levels of complexity: work at heights, civil engineering, etc.
- Strictly adhere to the safety protocols issued by APRR for on-site operations (planning, deployment, and maintenance)
Tangible Results
- Wifirst is the sole connectivity provider for the APRR/AREA networks, serving more than 120 rest areas and/or service areas across metropolitan France
- Several rest areas located in areas without internet coverage have been connected to high-speed internet
- This fruitful collaboration, which has been in place from the outset, has resulted in the APRR Group’s continued loyalty since 2016
“Along the APRR Group’s 2,300 km of highways, 124 rest areas—completely renovated, including restroom facilities, furniture, play areas, and lighting—now offer free high-speed Wi-Fi delivered via fiber optics.The ‘Wi-Fi as a Service’ solution implemented with Wifirst has enabled us to quickly launch this highly anticipated service, as well as to closely oversee and monitor it. As a result, the implemented solution allows us to adapt it rapidly to the evolving needs of highway users. This service also addresses our safety concerns: No smartphones while driving! Whether you’re taking a break at these new rest areas—even in the middle of woods, plains, or valleys, where 4G coverage can sometimes be slow to appear—you’re guaranteed to stay connected!”
Stéphane Dunaigre
Head of the Equipment and Systems Projects Department, APRR Group
