5G OPPORTUNITIES IN RAILWAYS
5G services demands are rising sharply across all the vertical markets. The smart railway now is not just a concept but real implemented projects. The railway environment generates a vast amount of big data, which used to improve passenger safety, bring forward the various trend services, improve the efficiency of station and freight operations.
Railway operators are rapidly adopting digital technologies and implementing smart digital platforms to improve passenger communications and attract new passengers.
The infrastructure is empowered by the IoT and big data analytics collected from lots of sensors installed in trains and along tracks. The information collected allows equipment, tracks and stations to operate more efficiently as well as improving safety and reducing costs. Mobile operators on rail networks worldwide seek to promote the highest levels of safety and reliability for the passengers, to provide the wide range of information and entertainment services. To ensure them the network planning process for GSM-R should provide continuity and sufficient capability of the signal alongside the whole railway line. Indeed, to satisfy the GSM-R requirements and bring the IoT 5G connection for passengers, devices and operations, 5G planning should be done in 500 m buffer zone along the railway. In case of complicated relief, the buffer should be expanded to take into account all the obstacles (natural and artificial) affecting the signal propagation. It is known that 5G networks provide increased speeds of signal and network capacity, but the signal is very sensitive to any obstacle due to short propagation distance. Any terrain features — building or tree — located near data transmitter has dramatic impact on signal propagation.
Visicom 3D Data tailored to 5G networks support the increasing communication requirements applying to railway services:
— Devices connection
— Operations connection
— Passengers connection
