Nokia has announced a new 5G radio solution which is designed to deliver high-quality and resilient real-time communications to rail operators around the world.

The mobile communications firm said the technology will set the foundation for the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS).

Nokia said that FRMCS will become the next-generation global standard designed for all railways.

Railways across the world currently run on 2G Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), technology which is over 20 years old.

Nokia said that the 5G-based technology has built-in security and high reliability which enables enhanced automation, new digital applications, improved passenger services and secure cross-border communication.

The telecoms business added that its new 5G radio is built for “mission-critical” communications, enabling railways to migrate to 5G alongside legacy systems like GSM-R with no disruption.

Other benefits that Nokia highlighted include providing real-time updates to passengers to improve their travel experience, as well as real-time control and monitoring of trains to improve safety and efficiency and decrease energy consumption and emissions.

The technology will also be tested under the EU-funded FP2-MORANE-2 project, which builds on earlier FRMCS initiatives to advance the digitalisation of rail operations across Europe.

Nolia added that it has “decades” of experience in deploying railway communications and the company has been actively developing FRMCS by collaborating with rail operators, governments, industry and standardisation bodies to help shape the standard and enable its global deployment.

“The drive toward digitalisation demands the kind of high-speed connectivity and data capabilities that legacy systems simply can’t provide, creating an urgent need for rail operators worldwide to modernise,” said Tommi Uitto, president of mobile Networks at Nokia. “Our commercial 5G solution, backed by decades of proven rail industry expertise, reflects our commitment to laying the foundation for the next generation of railway operations.”

---