The UK Government estimates that over 2 Gbps per train is required to support a commuter train with a typical passenger capacity of 1,000 people, a recent paper reports . Therefore, providing Gigabit track-to-train connectivity is essential to transform how we experience rail travel. Only mmWave wireless spectrum has the necessary high bandwidth – using the 57 – 71 GHz unlicensed band – to efficiently deliver this service. Gigabit communications requires gigahertz of spectrum and this is the largest contiguous block of spectrum freely available in UK, EU and USA. Wireless solutions which can exploit this wireless spectrum, such as the Lightning solution from Blu Wireless, are providing the unique ability to deliver Gigabit connectivity for the connected commuter.
As our professional and personal lives become more connected, there is a clear demand for quality connectivity and experience for passengers opting for train travel. Causes of intermittent internet access, due to tunnels, reflective surfaces and high speeds are all mitigated by Lightning – a resilient, high performing and quick to deploy, complete solution.
Seamless commuter connectivity is already a reality for some, namely over the 44-mile stretch of one of Britain’s busiest commuter lines into London Waterloo station on the South Western Railway (SWR). Moreover, the same mmWave system is also being deployment on the 65 mile CALTRAIN Silicon Valley commuter line from San Francisco to San Jose. Our Lighting solution for high-speed rail is proven to deliver seamless connectivity of up to 3 Gbps – even at speeds in excess of 300 kmph – over 10 x data rate compared to fastest Wi-Fi and 5GMobile services.
We believe integration should be straightforward.
That’s why we have delivered a world-first, track-to-train application using lightweight, low power, cost effective trackside infrastructure with industry standard IP network interfaces to build our multi-gigabit, small cell networks. The mmWave system provides a continuous moving connection from trackside access points to train roof receivers that are connected to in-train Wi-Fi access points for connection to passenger devices.
This makes the setup fast and un-intrusive and means barriers to entry are minimal. Blu Wireless offers the best performing system products on the market, that solves connectivity problems, boosting overall service and experience for all end rail users.
Learn about how we delivered a revolutionary solution to rail passenger connectivity, with LightningBlu mmWave technology.
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How does our technology work for high-speed transport? Find out more about our multi-gigabit connectivity rail-qualified mmWave modules for track-side and train-top deployment.
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Blu Wireless’s mmWave high speed transport solution addresses passenger demands for super-fast, reliable connections by delivering a track-to-train infrastructure.
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The transport sector is a key industry that can exploit the higher bandwidth, lower latency and improved resilience of mmWave. Read our whitepaper.
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