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3.6Gbps Needed for Local Train Connectivity by 2025 – Says Ofcom

(17 Oct 2018, BWCS Staff)

UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has issued a report defining what it believes needs to be done in order to meet the government’s demands for much greater connectivity on the UK rail system.

According to the report, within seven years, crowded commuter trains in and out of major British cities will require up to 3.6Gbps of mobile data connectivity to keep passengers happy. The dossier stems from a request made last December by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). In its letter the DCMS tasked the regulator with providing technical analysis of the likely future demand for wireless data along rail routes.

In response, Ofcom has gone into great detail as to the likely level of data required per train as well as examining what radio spectrum might be needed to best meet demand.

Ofcom aggregated demand from all passengers using their devices simultaneously on board different trains. In assessing the likely demand the regulator assumed that passengers have access to free on-board WiFi or their own mobile data service.

On this basis, the report found that an 8-carriage commuter train carrying 800 souls needs 120Mbps today to offer decent connectivity. This will increase to 2.4Gbps in 2025. Meanwhile, an “overcrowded” 1,200-capacity, 12-coach commuter train needs 180Mbps today, rising to 3.6Gbps by 2025.

The 2025 figures relate to the highest usage scenario and reflect a requirement of 1.5Mbps per passenger averaged over all travellers, as well as what the average monthly mobile data consumption per person might be, given anticipated growth in data-hungry applications, uplifted to reflect the propensity of consumers to use much more data on a WiFi connection than on a 4G LTE connection.

The Ofcom report states that only the millimetre-wave spectrum bands truly have the capacity to meet a demand level of 1Gbps or more. The upper 26GHz band (26.5-27.5GHz) should be straightforward to press into service as it is already expected to be widely used for future 5G mobile deployments; the lower 26GHz (24.25-26.5GHz) band contains less potential as there are already a number of bodies using it extensively for fixed links with individual licences; and the 66-71GHz band is currently vacant and in the process of being made available on a licence-exempt basis, although this may be less suitable for rural lines because transmit power will be quite low, requiring more trackside base stations.

The 26GHz band seems to emerge as an early favourite in the spectrum stakes, according to the report. However, it is very likely that others in the industry will disagree.

As ever, on-board WiFi, trackside networks, the growing market for passenger WiFi services and on-board entertainment will be the main subjects of BWCS’s WiFi on Trains Conference 2019. For more information on next year’s conference please contact Ross.Parsons@BWCS.com

The 2018 conference (www.Traincomms2018.com )was sponsored by Icomera, Nomad Digital, Fluidmesh, 21Net, RADWIN and BAI Communications.

 



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