Icomera, a provider of integrated connectivity solutions for trains, trams, buses and coaches across Europe and North America, has developed a 5G-enabled technology platform that combines mobile connectivity and application routers. The SureWAN™ network aggregation protocol, and ICONIC cloud-based monitoring and management software, support digital applications focused on passenger services, safety and operational efficiency in public transport networks.
Icomera installed its first onboard passenger Wi-Fi service in 2003. In 2020, the company launched a rail-certified 5G mobile connectivity and applications router, the Icomera X5. The solution required 5G radio modems capable of delivering 4G LTE fallback in areas where 5G networks are not available.
To support this deployment, Icomera partnered with Telit, integrating the Telit FN980 data card into the X5 router. The FN980 operates across multiple regions and supports sub-6 GHz and mmWave (FN980m only) technologies, along with LTE, WCDMA and GNSS. The Icomera X5 leverages the Telit FN980 and Icomera’s SureWAN technology, which aggregates available cellular capacity across multiple modems operating in parallel. In a field trial conducted on an SJ X2000 train operating on the Stockholm–Gothenburg route, the X5 achieved throughput levels that exceeded the benchmark commonly referred to in the public transport industry as the “Gigabit Train.”
The X5 platform provides connectivity and computing capability to support multiple applications simultaneously. These include passenger Wi-Fi, onboard entertainment, vehicle telematics and digital video surveillance. By hosting applications directly on the router as software-defined solutions, the system reduces the need for additional hardware installations on vehicles.
Telit’s 5G series, including the FN980 and FN980m data cards, is designed for enterprise and IoT applications that require high-speed connectivity and support for next-generation wireless networks. Commenting on the integration, Mats Karlsson, Chief Technology Officer and Co-Founder of Icomera, stated: “The Telit FN980 integrated well within Icomera’s X5 hardware solution, helping us deliver the world’s first 5G-enabled router designed and certified for rail.”
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