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Nomad Goes Underground – in Canada
(20 Apr 2018, BWCS Staff)UK-based on-Train WiFi company Nomad Digital has won a major contract to supply wireless internet kit to a Canadian Metro operator. The deal comes on the back of Nomad’s parent company, Alstom, signing a landmark deal with the Canadian capital’s transport agency. According to Nomad, it will provide the kit to enable passengers to access the internet via mobile phones, tablets and laptop devices while travelling underground.
Historically, providing WiFi services on urban underground train systems has been fraught with difficulty – largely due to the wireless signals being blocked while underground. According to Reece Donovan, Nomad’s CEO, “In essence the way you get round that is you lay an infrastructure in the tunnels. There are only three or four metros in the world with connectivity. Alstom have won a deal in Montreal and we will be working with them to provide equipment and solutions on that metro. The project has started but it will take some time.”
Alstom officially acquired Nomad in January of last year. At the time, Nomad said the deal would bring them access to bigger contracts and support from a much larger business. The French transport giant also recently signed a deal to purchase 21net, an independent firm that provides WiFi and infotainment to passengers on train.
In 2017, 21net, boasted a turnover of around €16 million. It supplies on-board connectivity solutions based on multiple technologies such as satellite, cellular and high-speed wireless from trackside antennas. The company is headquartered in the UK and has subsidiaries in Belgium, France, Italy and India.
At the time of the take-over it was reported that the two offerings would complement each other as the companies do not share any clients.
The expanding market for on-board WiFi services as well as the problems of intermittent mobile coverage, proposed trackside solutions and other issues will all be covered in this year’s WiFi on Trains Conference hosted by BWCS. For more information on this year’s event please see www.Traincomms2018.com or contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com .
This year's Train Communications System Conference will be sponsored by Icomera, Nomad Digital, Fluidmesh, 21Net, RADWIN and BAI Communications.
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