Politics & Government

DMV Adds Wi-Fi While You Wait

Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Adds More Wireless Access As Part of Increasing Online Services for Customers

A press release from the state DMV:

DMV now offers wireless internet service in all its major branch offices around the state for customers.

The agency has expanded customer wireless to all branch locations following an April start-up in the Wethersfield office.

"This is part of our continuing improvements with online services for customer convenience," said DMV Commissioner Melody A. Currey. "We know it's useful to customers and it allows them to keep up with activities."

Another recent feature in the rollout of improved online DMV customer services is its automated wait-time log. Customers can go to ct.gov/dmv to check wait times at branch offices throughout the state.

The agency also plans other announcements through the fall to add its growing roster of online services.  Under Online Services at ct.gov/dmv, customers can find links for:

 *   The vehicle registration form online. Customers print and bring the already completed form to DMV to save time.
 *   Scheduling and paying online for a learner’s permit knowledge test.
 *   Renewing a business license.
 *   Commercial Vehicle Operations Credential System.
 *   Canceling lost or stolen license plates.
 *   Online registration renewal.
 *   Infraction ticket processing.
 *   Registration status lookup.
 *   Vanity plate lookup.
 *   Downloading a change of address form.
 *   Download a dealer/repairer complaint form.

In addition, DMV is also streamlining its web pages to be read faster and easier by tablets and smartphones.

Forrester Research, in a report on technology uses, found that about half of U.S. adults going online now own a smartphone and two-thirds even own multiple connected devices. Tablet adoption doubled since 2011 and is now at 19 percent. It also looked at how many adults go online at least daily. Last year that number was 78 percent of U.S. adults, this year it jumped to 84 percent going online at least once per day, according to Forrester. One reason focuses in the growing numbers of smartphones and tablets.

The use of mobile phones and tablets to access the internet is growing in record numbers. For instance, a DMV analysis in December showed a significant increase over two years in mobile and tablet users visiting the DMV website. In its analysis visits to the DMV website in 2010 and 2012, the agency found mobile and tablet users jumped by 450 percent. These devices today account for nearly 25 percent of the 6.1 million visits to the website in 2012.


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