ADVA demonstrated Europe’s first 5G rail deployment that delivered multi-Gbps connectivity to fast-moving trains.
The demo was conducted by ADVA, Blu Wireless Technology, CNIT, COMSA Industrial and the local railway operator and infrastructure manager, Ferrocarrils de la Generalitat de Catalunya (FGC).
Deployed across three stations of the FGC network in Barcelona, the 5G-PICTURE railway testbed interconnected a variety of end-user devices and compute resources using the most advanced optical and wireless network technologies. The deployment used ADVA’s G.metro passive optical technology and FSP 150 edge aggregation solution. Millimeter wave (mmWave) access points (APs) were used to maintain track-to-train connectivity as well as programmable mobility functions for seamless onboard services. The APs were connected to passive WDM add/drop nodes built with ADVA’s low-latency G.metro system and each mmWave AP was capable of dedicated 10Gbit/s connectivity. All the traffic from the trackside was further aggregated to the railway operator’s core network based on ADVA’s 100Gbit/s Ethernet aggregation technology.
“With this demo, we’ve presented the blueprints for the future of rail telecommunication networks. We’ve shown how a combined optical and microwave 5G architecture can carry both critical and non-critical communications, dramatically simplifying deployments and delivering significant cost reduction,” said Jim Zou, senior engineer, advanced technology, ADVA. “Unlike traditional railway telecommunication networks that rely on separate infrastructures, what we’ve proposed with this demo is a unified, automated network able to support every application and prevent service interruptions. It delivers high-bandwidth internet access to passengers on the move, while also providing train operators with driver-to-control connectivity, access to surveillance cameras and mission-critical onboard applications. Now a single 5G network can provide all telco services for train companies, freight operators and passengers.”
“This project is about completely transforming on-train connectivity for the digitalization strategy of the railway sector. It’s about providing massive high-quality wireless capacity to trains to enable cloud-based applications that improve performance and security in the railway sector. It’s also about being able to support new business and passenger applications,” said Manuel Alfageme, head of smart systems innovation, COMSA Industrial. “At COMSA, we have a formidable record of leading the way with rail innovation. By jointly demonstrating the technical and commercial viability of this technology in a live operational environment, we’re showing train operators and railway infrastructure managers that open, scalable and agile 5G networks are now possible in the railway vertical. The time has come for a new generation of integrated railway infrastructure.”
