3G UMTS RailLink Offers High-Speed Wireless Broadband in Trains

US : IPWireless announced UMTS RailLinkä, a new network solution that allows operators to offer high-speed broadband connectivity and WiFi access even in the world’s fastest trains. Passengers will be able to use their WiFi-enabled laptops or other devices to enjoy a broadband experience while they travel that’s as fast and easy to use as a regular hotspot. UMTS RailLink, which is based on IPWireless’s commercial UMTS TD-CDMA mobile broadband technology, was successfully proven to reach speeds up to 220 kilometers per hours in a series of recent road and rail demonstrations with a leading European GSM operator.

A True Mobile Hotspot
UMTS RailLink allows mobile operators to work with rail operators to provide passengers with uninterrupted WiFi hotspot access with similar or better performance than fixed hotspot services. The solution supports very low network latencies, which is critical for delivering real time applications, and handover, so the connection is never lost, even at high speeds. During the demonstration in Europe, uninterrupted megabit-plus access was provided to a train across multiple cell sites over 39 kilometers of track, including a bridge span.

The UMTS RailLink solution can be deployed over the existing unpaired IMT-2000 1900MHz spectrum owned by GSM operators, as well as any of the other commercially available TD-CDMA spectrum bands. Because UMTS RailLink is based on UMTS TD-CDMA, the 3G high-speed data technology designed for mobile operators, the solution integrates seamlessly with a GSM operator’s existing network, leveraging existing infrastructure to provide wide area seamless coverage for rail lines.

IPWireless is also working with operators in other European countries that are interested in providing the services enabled by UMTS RailLink. The UMTS RailLink solution is particularly attractive because unpaired IMT-2000 1900MHz spectrum is available across Europe, which would enable mobile operators to seamlessly support the many cross-border rail routes across the continent.

The UMTS RailLink solution is optimized to overcome Doppler shift and can currently support speeds of up to 220 kilometers per hour, including handover between cell sites at that speed, without losing the connection. In the future, IPWireless expects that the solution will support speeds of more than 400 kilometers per hour.

“We are very pleased with the feedback that we have received from operators on our UMTS RailLink solution for providing carrier grade connectivity to train passengers,” said Dr. Bill Jones, chief operating officer, IPWireless. “We believe that UMTS RailLink is the optimal solution that will allow mobile operators to serve the many rail systems that want to provide mobile broadband services right now.”