01.01.07
The future is already here
The need for wireless technology in commuter trains has increased by leaps and bounds. Today people want to communicate everywhere – even in trains.
In the last few years, wireless technology has ceased to be just a niche market and has become an essential part of our modern way of life. This is not just because more sophisticated mobile radio networks provide an almost comprehensive coverage in the country and in towns but also WLAN technology has been growing at an amazing rate and is used in more and more public places such as airports, hotels, exhibition centres, shopping centres and railway stations. From these fixed points computer users can easily access e-mails, individual company networks and the Internet with a wireless-enabled laptop. Travellers’ demands for a virtual office on the train which will allow them to continue their work on the journey to and from work has prompted railway operators to offer such access as a value added service and as a potential source of additional income. In commuter trains in particular, passengers now expect to be able to use their mobile phones, PDAs and notebooks to make calls and access the Internet, their e-mails and infotainment services during the journey.
Demands of travellers
Train Radio, the new radio technology in trains, is paving the way for new applications. In the very near future GSM-R will replace the old analogue conductive radio. Communication technologies such as GSM-GPRS, WLAN and WiMAX are fuelling the demand for new train supported services with real time traveller information systems, online video monitoring and train monitoring during operation. A newly developed generation of antennas provides broadband connections in wireless technology for trains and will meet the requirements of the multiband systems of the future. Thus, for example, Huber + Suhner’s Sencity®Rail broadband antenna supports six technologies in one unit: GSM-R, GSM-P, UMTS, WLAN, WiMAX and GPS.
Huber + Suhner has developed a new data cable called RADOX® RailCat to add to this antenna to supply the carriage with high speed broadband connections, WLAN and GSM. The most flexible ultra broadband antennas work in the 870 MHz - 5.9 GHz frequency range and allow customers to choose which network they want to use. Upgrades will be possible later. With a six-in-one system you no longer have the problem of having to fit more than one roof antenna. Such a system can be upgraded more quickly and cheaply and can easily be adapted to cope with new technologies. Less cabling is needed in the carriage which means more power and simplifies maintenance which is, consequently, cheaper.
High speed broadband technology is now available: some operators, such as Southern Trains, are already using it on a trial basis. In the next couple of years it will take a great step forward as railway operators invest heavily in new infrastructure to meet the demands of travellers and the universal implementation of WiMAX will connect the high speed network more closely.
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