Nokia is laying tracks for railway operators with the most advanced 5G rail technology. This is reported by the railway transport news portal Railway Supply.

Nokia Unveils First Commercial 5G System for Railways
Nokia is offering new commercial FRMCS tech. Kub The Shadow Simple Man/Shutterstock

Nokia launches its first commercial 5G mobile radio for 90 MHz configuration for South Korea. At the same time, this will ensure faster, more secure and data-rich operations ahead of the FRMCS standard.

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The launch marks the transition from pilot programs to real-world use. As a result, railway operators can begin planning gradual and scalable integrations to new systems, noting that the outdated GSM-R technology can now be phased out, while important safety and operational services are still supported.

Transforming Railway Communications with Nokia

The 5G network offers the low-latency and high-capacity connectivity required for safety-critical operation. What’s more, with Nokia’s cloud-native core, you can continue to run GSM-R in parallel with GSM-R to avoid business disruptions, and migrate at your own pace over multiple national rail networks.

Meantime, this technology is facilitating advanced digital applications including predictive maintenance, real-time video surveillance and autonomous train control. It also helps consolidate the framework of the European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS).

European Trials and Industry Challenges

EU-funded FP2-MORANE-2 project will test the commercial system. Nations such as Spain, France and the UK are readying pilot programs to verify performance and interoperability prior to deployment.

However, introducing FRMCS in Europe is not so easy. Infrastructure improvements, inter-inoperability, and rolling stock retrofitting will require substantial investments and highly coordinated planning between rail operators, regulators, and technology suppliers.

Source: www.railtech.com

Why is Nokia’s 5G offering notable for the railway sector?

With solutions like Nokia’s 5G network, the rail operations can now benefit from the first commercially available railgrade 5G standalone LTE RAN that helps them migrate away from outdated systems, deliver faster rail communications, enhance safety and efficiency and fast-tracks integration with new rail digital applications.

When can we expect Nokia’s 5G to be in working order?

The testing starts with the FP2-MORANE-2 program in different countries in Europe. Close to a decade seems to be a reasonable target to reach full operationally readiness, coincides ideal with the migration strategy in Europe from GSM-R to FRMCS.

What steps does Nokia take to facilitate a seamless transfer from GSM-R?

The system is dual operation capable, meaning that rail infrastructure operators can continue running on GSM-R and 5G in parallel. This agility allows you to move easily and with minimal disruption of service during the migration.

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