First Group and Blu Wireless roll out Europe’s first commercial deployment of true gigabit internet on board South Western Railways

The implementation on Britain’s busiest railway section heralds a new era in passenger internet connectivity

Bristol, UK: Blu Wireless, the leading mmWave technology specialist, has today announced the launch of its gigabit internet connectivity on board South Western Railway (SWR), Europe’s first commercial installation of true Gigabit train technology. The solution was successfully deployed and trialled at Network Rail’s Rail Development and innovation Centre (RIDC) and the Island Line on the Isle of Wight.

Passengers on the busiest commuter section of Britain’s railway network – a 70 km stretch of track into London Waterloo, from Basingstoke to Earlsfield – will benefit from multi-gigabit connectivity onboard more than 200 South Western Railway trains, enabling best-in-class, on-train Wi-Fi services. Current passenger connectivity is provided by feeding data from 4G/5G mobile networks to in train Wi-Fi access points. However, this approach typically only delivers ~30 Mbps per train, which is then shared between all passengers travelling. By comparison Blu Wireless mmWave solution delivers true Gigabit Grade connectivity – more than 2000 Mbps (2Gbps) per train – thus enabling rail passengers to enjoy the same level of connectivity as domestic broadband. This represents a step change for robust and reliable internet on board trains, without having to rely on other more costly solutions such as 5G masts or LEOs (Low Earth Orbit) satellites.

Peter Williams, Customer and Commercial Director for South Western Railway, commented:

“We’re thrilled that our customers travelling between Earlsfield and Basingstoke are the first to benefit from this unprecedented superfast Wi-Fi.
“Customers can now stream, download files, video call, and much more – without worrying about their connection.
“Whether travelling for work or leisure, having access to a strong and reliable internet connection will make their time on board more productive and enjoyable.
“We hope this will make travelling by train an even more attractive option, helping to get people out of cars and onto the rail network.”

David Statham, FirstGroup’s Rail Commercial Director, said:

“Improving services for passengers through superfast and reliable connectivity – especially on-board Wi-Fi services – is a key step in rail becoming the transport mode of choice.
“The Rail-5G solution we have installed on SWR can dramatically improve connectivity on passenger trains and the technology allows passengers to have constant, uninterrupted and consistent internet 20 times the average speed of today’s mobile connection.
“We are very excited to have completed the installation of the project with SWR and Network Rail and we are sure that customers travelling on this stretch of the network will notice a real difference.”

The SWR deployment showcases the sophisticated capabilities of Blu Wireless’ mmWave solution, which exploits the 14 GHz of spectrum available between 57-71 GHz. This is the largest, single continuous block of wireless spectrum available today, which is also licence exempt in Europe and North America – hence FirstGroup can gain full merit of this spectrum without having to invest in a spectrum licence.

The commercial rollout, notionally named rail-5G by First Group, takes a ‘plug and play’ approach, making use of existing infrastructure wherever possible to further improve the economic case. Each roof mounted train node contains two modems designed to connect to trackside units. These trackside units are connected to the core network using a combination of industry standard fibre and switching equipment. Using a sophisticated “make before break” protocol capable of exploiting multiple wireless links, the system provides seamless multi-gigabit connectivity even when the train is travelling through a deep cutting or tunnel, thus providing a consistent and continuous connected experience for passengers.

Anthony Murray, CEO at Blu Wireless, commented:

“Passenger demand for reliable, high-quality connectivity is continuing to rise, driven by the growth of data-intensive applications and especially the insatiable appetite for video content. With the ‘LightningBlu’ mmWave system, Blu Wireless is addressing the connectivity gap on trains and paving the way to passenger experiences of the future. This first European commercial, true gigabit deployment is a major milestone for us, and a springboard onto further deployments worldwide.”

The UK regulator Ofcom has assessed that the demand post-2025 on a busy mainline train will exceed 1 Gbit/s for a typical train, which for a crowded commuter train or on-train operational systems would further increase to 2-3 Gbit/s. Ofcom further concluded that only mmWave spectrum (defined as that above 30 GHz) has sufficient bandwidth to support this level of demand.