Connectivity Technology Blog

Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom are radically improving mobile reception on trains: in future, passengers using the Deutsche Telekom (DT) mobile communications network are to be able to make calls and surf the internet on all routes without interruption – in much better quality than currently available. A press release from DT said: By 2026 at the latest, coverage gaps along all railway lines in long-distance and regional services are to be eliminated. Both companies have agreed that Deutsche Telekom is to build out its mobile communications network along Deutsche Bahn’s railway lines, close any gaps, and significantly increase its network’s performance. Together, the two companies are investing a sum in the hundreds of millions in order to achieve this goal.  Deutsche Telekom will specifically provide Deutsche Bahn’s entire rail network with gap-free coverage in its mobile communications network by the end of 2026. The planned investments will be made to build out many routes ...

China is bringing 5G to not just people but even to the trains. While the subways already have fantastic 5G for the commuters, 5G can do a lot more than just B2C (often referred to as 5GtoC as opposed to 5GtoB, which is generally called B2B).   In a recent video, Huawei provides a glimpse of first 5G-enabled metro system in Nanjing and also 5G powered helmet. Quite a few use cases have been explained. Video as follows: The project has been ongoing since 2019 as you can see from the tweet below The 5G era has come! After the setup of more than 2,000 5G base stations in downtown and Jiangbei New Area, the Nanjing Metro Line 4 has also achieved full 5G coverage since 22 Dec, marking that the no-blind-spots 5G network will be around the corner. pic.twitter.com/BKW93PS7X2 — Discover Nanjing (@DiscoverNanjing) December 28, 2019 For people who may be curious on how connectivity is achieved in the metro, we are making a tutorial on that soon.  Related Posts :  Telecoms Infr...

SoftBank announced that it will start promoting the deployment of Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN) solutions that provide connectivity from space and the stratosphere. For those who may not know, we made an introductory tutorial on NTN here .  The press release explained: SoftBank's NTN solutions will encompass the Geosynchronous Earth Orbiting (GEO) satellite NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) services provided by Skylo Technologies, Inc. (“Skylo”), which recently agreed to partner with SoftBank to provide satellite connectivity services in Japan. SoftBank's NTN solution portfolio will also include Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite communications to be provided by OneWeb Ltd. (“OneWeb”) and High Altitude Platform Station (HAPS)-based stratospheric telecommunication platforms to be provided by SoftBank subsidiary HAPSMobile Inc. (“HAPSMobile”). The respective services of Skylo, OneWeb and HAPSMobile in SoftBank's NTN solutions lineup will offer unique advantages to meet the diverse needs ...

Vodafone’s 5G is completely transforming production at Ford’s E:PrimE (Electrified Powertrain in Manufacturing Engineering) facility in Dunton, Essex, UK. GSMA produced a case study to explain the details. The following is from GSMA's case study The Ford Motor Company is using a mobile private network to enable an electric vehicle plant in the UK to enhance production quality in real-time. A combination of 4G and 5G connectivity provided by Vodafone UK enables Ford to analyse and control the new laser welding machines used to manufacture batteries and electric motors for vehicles. Although automotive plants are highly standardised with repetitive processes for assembling parts to tight tolerances, Ford still sees variations that can impact the efficiency of the plant and the quality of finished products. These can be as subtle as changes in temperature, or even sunlight affecting the cameras used to detect issues on the production line. Low latency connectivity is required to enab...

We have looked at the Finnish public safety network on The 3G4G Blog here . State Security Networks Group Finland (Erillisverkot) safeguards the Finnish society by offering authorities and critical operators engaged in critical infrastructure and services secure and reliable ICT services.  At the core of the Virve 2.0 project is the secure and seamless transition from the current Virve to new services. Critical communication and mission control between authorities and other mission critical operators will be safeguarded under all circumstances. A recent update stated: The highly tuned current Virve network for authorities will continue to work seamlessly alongside new services during the migration phase between 2023-2025. At the same time, the development of Virve 2.0 will proceed strongly in the areas of radio networks, information systems, devices, and application services. Our desire is to conduct the development, testing and piloting of new services in close collaboration with...