Page 52 - SAMENA Trends - March 2020

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Nokia and SBB Complete Next Generation FRMCS Frequency Trial for

Smartrail 4.0 Project

Nokia and Swiss Federal Railways (SBB, modernize the rail system. The result sets measurement instruments. The global
CFF, FFS) have completed a proof of concept an important direction in terms of FRMCS leader in GSM-R deployments, Nokia has
trial to help define radio frequency for the frequencies for the industry program’s worked with SBB for more than 20 years,
new Future Railway Mobile Communication goal to exploit the potential of new, delivering end-to-end communications
System (FRMCS) standard. As part of emerging technologies for the railways of solutions and services over multiple
the collaboration, Nokia carried out LTE the future.” When fully deployed, FRMCS technologies including GSM-R, IP/MPLS
1900MHz TDD (Time Division Duplex) radio will be capable of handling the huge and Optical networks. Currently, the
frequency testing with SBB in the cantons volumes of information that underpin new industry standard for rail communications,
of Fribourg and Neuchâtel, Switzerland. services such as improving the capacity of GSM-R does not provide the necessary
Due to be introduced in 2025, FRMCS will the existing tracks. Jochen Apel, Head of bandwidth to deliver all the benefits that
bring a host of benefits to rail operators Global Transportation, Nokia said: “SBB is FRMCS will offer. Apel added: “This work
and passengers. These include cost at the forefront of work to define the FRMCS is essential to enable a smooth transition
containment through increased utilization standard, which will provide a gateway to a to international deployment of FRMCS
of existing infrastructure, enhanced levels new generation of rail industry innovation. and is fundamental to unleashing the
of safety and security, and improved This proof of concept will also contribute potential that the new standard will deliver
rail network performance and reliability. to work that both SBB and Nokia are across security, safety and productivity.
Robert Badertscher, Head of Connectivity carrying out with other rail companies Nokia is also working with rail companies
at smartrail 4.0, SBB said: “This proof of to ensure all the benefits of FRMCS are elsewhere in Europe as they explore how
concept project is a major contribution to realized for operators and passengers.” 5G and digital transformation can enhance
delivering FRMCS as essential enabler for In this frequency proof of concept, Nokia customer services and operational
smartrail 4.0, which is an industry-wide deployed remote radio heads, with tests efficiency.”
initiative to prepare Swiss railways to using rolling stock specially equipped with

Singtel and Nokia to Trial 5G Network Slicing

Singtel and Nokia yesterday (2 March) year. TeleGeography notes that last second and third largest cellcos – StarHub
agreed to work together to develop and month telecoms regulator the Info- and M1 – handing over a joint bid for a
trial 5G network slicing capabilities, based communications Media Development concession. IMDA is currently evaluating
on a Network as a Service (NaaS) approach Authority (IMDA) confirmed that at the the submissions, and expects to award
that provides customers with ‘highly closing of its ‘5G Call for Proposal’ the spectrum by mid-2020. The regulator
customizable services for a variety of 5G deadline on 17 February, it had received will assess, among other things, telcos’
use cases and applications’. The network three bids from the city-state’s MNOs, network security design and ability to
slicing trials are the latest in a series of with Singtel and TPG Telecom (Singapore) achieve 50% island wide coverage by end-
initiatives that the Singapore telco and each submitting separate bids, and the 2022.
its technology partners are working on
to develop 5G use cases in areas such
as cloud gaming, manufacturing, and
maritime operations. In the joint press
release, Singtel said the NaaS platform,
enabled by the vendor’s next generation
operations suite and cloud management
products which ‘automate the creation
and delivery of digital services’, will give it
improved ‘control and visibility of services
across the network while addressing
specific 5G needs of enterprises with
speed, efficiency and flexibility’. The 5G
network slicing trials will be conducted
and tested with organizations later this

52 MARCH 2020