Ericsson will utilize 5G for Future Railway Mobile Communication Systems to improve rail operation
Ericsson has joined UNIFE Europe’s rail association to focus on developing critical network capabilities for the industry. As a member, the telecoms equipment provider will utilize 5G for FRMCS (Future Railway Mobile Communication Systems) to improve railway operation quality and efficiency, passenger experience and network and data security.
Manuel Ruiz, head of Mission Critical Networks at Ericsson, stated in a press release that 5G and mission-critical networks will “enable the rail industry to meet the challenge of digitalization and business transformation.”
“With the standardization of the Future Railway Mobile Communications Systems expected to be based on 5G, Ericsson is honored to join UNIFE,” Ruiz said. “Many communications service providers in Europe have already chosen Ericsson’s 5G technology. We look forward to helping the railway sector achieve their operational goals using this technology.”
Ericsson has already shown a prior commitment to the rail industry. In 2018, the company worked with Swisscom to use end-to-end network slicing to meet the needs of the railway sector. According to Swisscom’s CTO and CIO Heinz Herren, Ericsson’s network slicing functionality and complementing features allowed the carrier to leverage existing infrastructure and assets.
And further, Ericsson is in the middle of testing connectivity with national rail companies, including work being done in Nürnburg, Germany, in which Ericsson has built multiple 5G radio sites at the city’s switching yards to enable the use of drones and artificial intelligence (AI) in accident prevention.
In a live 5G test, drones transmitted high-resolution images from the freight yard over a 5G connection to an AI engine, enabling the detection of possible accident risks on the track. Future phases of the tests will have the AI checking the pressure threshold of hazardous goods transport and monitoring valuable goods.
Ericsson’s status as a UNIFE member also allows the company to participate in EU-funded innovation and research projects.
