Ericsson manages Wi-Fi connectivity for high-speed trains in Germany

NEW DELHI: Since July 2016, Icomera and  Swedish telecom equipment maker Ericsson have been implementing and supporting a mobile Internet connectivity solution onboard 386 of Deutsche Bahn's high-speed ICE trains in Germany, including the new ICE 4 trains which will enter service in the next years.

The Wi-Fi networks onboard the trains are connected to the radio access networks of all three of Germany's mobile network operators, thereby ensuring excellent connectivity for Deutsche Bahn passengers as they travel at speeds up to 300 km/h.

Icomera provides a mobile Internet connectivity platform comprising of Wi-Fi hardware such as antennas and routers, as well as virtual application servers for selected entertainment services, while Ericsson provides network gateways and services such as managed network operations, field services and training for Deutsche Bahn employees.

Ericsson will draw on its extensive experience gained from providing managed services for networks that serve more than 1 billion subscribers worldwide. Ericsson networks transport more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic and the company supports customer networks that serve more than 2.5 billion subscribers.

Dr. Karsten Kemeter, Head of Product Management ICE/IC at DB Fernverkehr, says: "Icomera's Wi-Fi connectivity platform, with its proven record of high-speed performance, is well-complemented by Ericsson's extensive experience of providing managed services to customers with a well-established global reputation for quality. This well-crafted partnership is facilitating an excellent extension to our passenger experience."

Saeed Bashirian, Managing Director of Icomera Germany GmbH, says: "We are pleased to utilize Ericsson's professional managed services to extend the high-quality passenger experience that Deutsche Bahn is known for with our proven technology that connects tens of thousands of vehicles and millions of passengers to the internet every week. The partnership also establishes the framework and foundations required for developing a truly interconnected eco-system of onboard services and systems in the future."

Andrea Petti, Head of Intelligent Transport Systems at Ericsson, says: "Together with Icomera, Ericsson is providing an operator-agnostic Wi-Fi service that ensures all Deutsche Bahn have access to excellent connectivity - regardless of which mobile network they subscribe to. Our services professionals in our network operations center in Hamburg will ensure that the Wi-Fi networks perform at their peak. We believe everything benefits from being connected, and see great potential for our communications technology and services to transform the transport industry."