Rail company Deutsche Bahn (DB), Ericsson, O2 Telefónica, and Vantage Towers are collaborating to develop 5G coverage along train tracks in Germany.
The project, called Gigabit Innovation Track (GINT), has received € 6.4 million funding from the German government to provide high-speed data and phone connections to train passengers from all rail operations.
A test area will be built in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, trialling tower designs to provide gigabit coverage along a 10km stretch of track. The project is anticipated to require 20,000 new towers across Germany’s railway network. Proposals for tower sharing are being discussed to reduce construction time, resources, and costs.
The project is anticipated to require 20,000 new towers
The project aims to explore alternative tower designs that can be securely attached without costly concrete foundations, reducing construction time and CO2 emissions. It will also conduct 5G testing on O2 Telefónica’s 3.6 gigahertz frequencies, which offer fast data transmission but have a shorter range than 4G.
The implementation of the Future Rail Mobile Communication System (FRMCS) will require additional towers operating on a dedicated 1900 megahertz band