evo-rail, part of
rail-5G powers the on-train Wi-Fi system with over a gigabit of internet data, which will allow passengers to experience unprecedented levels of connectivity, similar to what they would enjoy at home or work. The innovative new system will also offer continuous connection for passengers through tunnels.
Current bandwidth restrictions mean that customers are restricted to using on-board Wi-Fi for simple tasks such as email or web browsing. rail-5G will allow train operators to meet the ever-growing demand for connectivity on the railways by enabling passengers to enjoy activities such as 3D gaming, videoconferencing, live sports, streaming and superfast downloads from any device when travelling by train.
rail-5G requires a fraction of the power of mobile 4G or 5G but communicates data up to 100 times faster than mobile 4G. It will not only deliver a step change to the customer experience but also has the potential to offer an affordable and safe trackside and train system for key operational improvements.
Developed over the last five years and tested on several operational tracks, rail-5G underwent a large-scale pilot on the Isle of Wight's Island Line. This has proven that the rail-5G solution can consistently deliver over one gigabit per second (Gbps) throughput to a moving train, whereas currently passengers share a fraction of this capacity.
rail-5G is designed to work on the existing infrastructure with future deployments being self-powered through solar and wind energy, with the ambition of becoming the world's first
With the support of Network Rail, evo-rail will roll out rail-5G along 70km of the
The technology
The first incarnation of rail-5G came in 2016 when Professor
evo-rail delivers the end-to-end trackside-to-train solution using millimeter Wave (mmWave) radio technology at extremely high frequency for extraordinary bandwidth averaging a throughput of over 1Gbps to all trains. This is typically 100 times the available mobile data throughput such that all passengers can enjoy a similar connected experience as at home or work.
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