MDV-Funded Project to Establish 5G Network along Germany’s Railway

The Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) in Germany is providing funding for a project aimed at establishing a 5G network along the country’s railway, according to the railway portal Railway Supply, citing railway-news.

Deutsche Bahn, Ericsson, O2 Telefónica, and Vantage Towers are collaborating to test technologies that will enable 5G mobile phone coverage along the railway tracks.

The project partners are working together to develop a concept for implementing 5G mobile communications infrastructure along the railway lines. This initiative will enable train passengers to benefit from high-speed gigabit transmission rates for phone and data connections, while also facilitating the digitalization of rail operations through advanced transmission technologies.

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On June 13, the project partners received funding notifications from the BMDV to conduct tests of relevant technologies along the railway tracks. The “Gigabit Innovation Track” (GINT) project will receive approximately 6.4 million EUR in federal funding.

With this financial support, the project partners aim to determine how to achieve high transmission rates and establish the necessary infrastructure in a resource-efficient manner. The project targets completion by the end of 2024.

To test the technological approaches, a ten-kilometer test field will be established in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Ten different radio masts, including designs that can be securely attached to the ground without concrete foundations, will be set up and tested along this stretch of track.

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The project will also evaluate 5G mobile communications using the 3.6 gigahertz frequencies provided by O2 Telefónica. While these frequencies enable fast mobile data transmission, their range is shorter compared to current 4G mobile communications. As a result, each radio mast will only cover approximately one kilometer of railway line, potentially necessitating around 20,000 new masts throughout Germany.

Considering the future implementation of the railway’s Future Rail Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the project is developing proposals for cooperation models between the railway, mobile communications industry, and cell tower operators. These models aim to facilitate joint usage of cell towers to optimize resource allocation and reduce costs.

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