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Seamless WiFi System Introduced by Chiltern
(25 Jul 2016, BWCS Staff)Chiltern Railways has today launched what it is calling “seamless” passenger WiFi. The new service, provided by long-time collaborator Icomera and new partner WiFiSpark, enables passengers to skip from train WiFi to station WiFi (or vice versa) without missing a beat, or having to reconnect their devices.
According to the Arriva-owned train operator, passengers using any of the 28 stations along the Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone route can now log onto the WiFi service whilst waiting for their train and not have to go through the process again once on-board. When the train approaches a station, the on-board WiFi temporarily hands over to the station WiFi to give the passenger the best connectivity, saving network costs. According to Chiltern, passengers should not experience a loss of connection.
Unsurprisingly, Kevin Ives, Digital Transformation Director at Arriva UK did not mince his words, when describing the new service: “This really is next generation WiFi’, he said. “Passengers want to be continuously connected to fast and reliable WiFi as they move through every step of their journey. This collaboration with WiFi Spark, Icomera and EE provides Chiltern Railways customers with a seamless service from the moment they arrive at the station.”
The single authentication service is provided by a “SPARK ® controller” which then allows logged on travellers to roam between the station system provided by WiFiSpark and the on-train WiFi provided by Icomera, using EE 4G connectivity.
In February of this year, Chiltern Railways and Icomera announced they had signed a deal with UK mobile network operator EE to boost on-board WiFi and mobile coverage along the London-Birmingham route. The Arriva-owned company said its goal is to eliminate so-called mobile black spots where connectivity drops off. EE is doing this through a mixture of adding new base stations and building some trackside masts. The deal marked one of the first cases of mobile companies stepping up to improve wireless links along train lines, which have historically suffered from poor connectivity.
It is widely believed that the upgrade to Chiltern’s service will act as a test-bed for parent company, Arriva, who are looking to roll out similar initiatives to its other franchises – including Northern Rail – if the project is a success.
The problem of how to improve trackside coverage was one of the main topics addressed at the recent WiFi on Trains Conference hosted by BWCS in London. There were several new announcements made during the Conference, all of which can be found at www.Traincomms2016.com .
For more information about next year’s Conference, including speaking and sponsoring opportunities, please contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com .
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