evo-rail has today announced that they have signed a contract with leading Spanish infrastructure provider COMSA, and subsequently successfully installed its innovative rail-5G solution in mainland Europe.
Following successful trials in the UK, evo-rail’s rail-5G solution has been installed on the High Speed Llers-Figueres-Perpignan (LFP) line in Northern Spain. Results have been far better than expected and demonstrate how rail-5G will revolutionise the passenger’s experience by meeting demand now and long into the future. Using mmWave technology and a revolutionary non-conductive composite trackside antenna mounting system, the rail-5G solution was delivered in weeks rather than months or years. We are now seeing more than 1Gb/s of broadband internet access to trains on this High Speed railway that is powering the on-train Wi-Fi at a fraction of the cost of using mobile data.
Trackside infrastructure comprises a series of catenary mounted composite poles fitted with bi-directional antennae that connect to similar antennae fitted to the front and rear of the train. This unique approach ensures there are two independent links to each train most of the time. This guarantees 100% coverage and a gigabit, or more, of broadband throughput. The rail-5G solution applies a technique called beamforming which means that despite applying ultra-high mmWave frequencies, rail-5G achieves amazingly long ranges up and down the track.
South Western Railway (SWR), the UK’s busiest railway, is currently deploying the industry-leading rail-5G technology for customer use. With over 200 trains already fitted to accommodate the solution, the technology will initially cover the busiest section of the SWR network ready for launch starting shortly and running through to the end of 2023.
Simon Holmes, Managing Director, evo-rail, said: “We are delighted to be working with COMSA to bring our solution to mainland Europe. This deployment is a great example of how effective rail-5G can be while proving the deployment of our revolutionary composites pole that speed deployment and enhance rail safety.
Rail-5G will delight customers who can rely on uninterrupted throughputs like home or work. This will enable passengers to enjoy a range of activities on their mobiles, laptops or tablets and create the flexibility for people to use their journey as part of the working day or as part of the leisure experience.”
Richard Graham, Chief Engineer, evo-rail, said: “The results from our trial over the past 18 months have been exceptional. Our patented composite catenary mounted poles allowed us to deploy in weeks rather than months and years whilst guaranteeing continuous connectivity at the fastest internet speeds seen anywhere in the world. We’re delighted to be continuing to deliver this revolutionary technology in support of COMSA and eventually Spanish customers.”
Image credit: iStockphoto.com
