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yet inflexible services.

The Frequentis FTS BearerIndependent Communication(BIC) solution provides a roadmaparchitecture towards FRMCS andhas already been deployed by theFinnish Transport InfrastructureAgency (FTIA).

The Finnish GSM-R network, RAILI,has been used for operationalcommunications in rail transportin Finland since 2009. However, itsoperational cost and technicalissues (mainly interferences), dueto increased usage of 3G and 4Gbroadband radio technologies,saw the need for an alternativesolution and subsequently theFTIA turned to Frequentis.

Frequentis created the UnifiedRailway Communication andApplication (URCA) for FTIA, anend-to-end solution based on theFTS 3020, to fulfil its need for acost-saving transitional solution tothe future GSM-R replacement. Itis the first deployment of BICtechnology and enables the use ofa combination of TETRA andcommercial 3G Universal MobileTelecommunications System(UMTS) to create a hybrid networkcovering the entire country. SinceFebruary 2019 the Finnish railwayshas been able to use the FinnishPublic Safety digital TETRA radionetwork and public mobilenetworks for all railway-specificcommunication functions. Thisallows greater flexibility to followthe future evolution of suchnetworks, as well as ensuring lessdependency on one specificcommunication standard. Thisdemonstrates a world-firstevolution from GSM-R towardsthe world of FRMCS.

In June 2019 Frequentis’ railway-specific BIC solution in Finlandwon an International CriticalCommunications Award (ICCA) in

As the definition for afuture IP-based telecomssystem for railways(Future Railway MobileCommunications System(FRMCS)) starts todevelop as the successorto the current GSM-R(Global System forMobile Communications– Railways), a cleardemand is emerging foran interim solution whichallows railway networkoperators to takeadvantage of alternativebearers before 2030.

Frequentis is at the centre of thisdevelopment with the evolution ofits fixed terminal system for voiceand data communication, FTS3020. It is used by many of theworld’s major railways as acomponent of the operationalcommunication system. Over thepast few years Frequentis hasevolved FTS 3020 to become amulti-bearer solution whichallows its simplified railcommunications application tooperate with not only GSM-R butalso TETRA and LTE (Long-TermEvolution) wirelesscommunications networks,therefore providing bearerindependence and unifying theexperience for the operator at thesame time.

Over recent years, the railwayshave realised that placing solereliance on a single radio platformfor their voice and data needs isnot the best way forward.Essentially because it createsdependency on one singletechnology, one single platform,and can result in deeply integrated

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Bearer-independent communications (BIC) issetting railways on the path for future mobilecommunications. Frequentis Head of PublicTransport Solutions, Markus Myslivec, and Solution Architect, Alistair McGill, explain.

GSM-R and the roadtowards FRMCS

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communication projects. He alsorepresents Frequentis within ETSITC RT and the UNITEL committeeof UNIFE.

Alistair McGill is the SolutionArchitect for Frequentis TransportSolutions in the UK. He is anexperienced telecommunicationsengineer having been responsiblefor the design and implementationof large-scale systems andapplications in the UK, Asia andAustralasia.

Head of Public TransportSolutions, Markus Myslivic,commented, “We are committedto developing our highlysuccessful FTS 3020 solutiontowards the future FRMCSstandard, but see a clear need forinterim steps in its evolution. Webelieve that BIC provides anenvironment which caters for theneeds of our customers today andgives them certainty in making aninvestment in the platformunderpinned by a clear, welldefined roadmap towards theworld of 2030.”

About FrequentisPublic TransportFrequentis Public Transportsolutions leverage more than

seventy years of cross-industryexperience focusing on safety-critical communications andapplications. With its strongposition in operationscommunication, as well asincident and crisis management,the company also holds thenumber one market share in GSM-R dispatcher terminal positions;more than 6,000 units arecurrently deployed in customercontrol centres in 25 countries.

Markus Myslivec is the Head ofPublic Transport Solutions atFrequentis head-quarters. He hasa long history in railwaycommunications, ranging fromsoftware development for GSM-Rmobile terminals to technicalleadership in fixed line operational

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communications, but also as atool to integrate other bearertechnologies into the railcommunications portfolio.As a result of the work done withBIC to date, Frequentis is nowseeing a clear demand for afallback solution in the event ofGSM-R outage and also as an infillsolution where GSM-R does notcover the entire track footprint.In its first evolution, BICcomplements GSM-R, allowingthe use of additional networktechnologies until 2030. This hasbeen achieved by evolving thesolution to a service-orientedarchitecture (SOA) within FTS3020, separating the railcommunications application fromthe core bearer. Radio gatewayshave been implemented andenhanced to utilise multiplebearers including TETRA,commercial 3G and 4G services.As the definition of FRMCS isformalised, the platform will befurther developed to support thenew standard.

the transport category, withjudges praising the solution’sinteresting and innovativeevolution from GSM-Rail toFRMCS. [related image provided]In addition, Frequentis isimplementing mission-criticalcommunications over a privateLTE / 4G network, with a publicnetwork as fallback, for a majortransport operator in the AsiaPacific region. This allows railwayoperators to replace legacy radionetworks with a single, unified LTEsolution which will provide afoundation for 5G in the future. The Frequentis network willdeliver a high-availability, high-capacity, redundantcommunication solution, whichincludes the user workingpositions and key technologyapplications such as mission-critical push to talk (MCPTT). The system is being delivered incompliance with the latest release of 3GPP specifications,which are being adopted by

global rail operators as the newstandard for FRMCS.

Moving to commercially availabletechnologies such as 4G and 5Ghas many advantages for railoperators, including betterperformance and increasedcapacity. On top of this, the use ofa commercial technology allowsoperators to leverage the benefitsof a solution which is continuouslyenhanced and updated by thetelecommunications industry, inline with latest-standard releases.This allows them to extendbeyond the life-cycle of GSM-R.Frequentis anticipates that manyrail operators will follow thisroadmap beyond the traditionalsecond-generationtelecommunication systems thatare in use today.

As with all industry sectors,financial motives are as much adriver as safety. But bearerindependence is not only seen asa step towards future railway

Florian Heiser (middle), Frequentis Regional Sales Manager,Singapore, receives the ICCA award from Robin Davis (right),TCAA Chairman, Transport Working Group