Full speed ahead: Rail and mobile communications sector take a step forward towards improved connectivity along the tracks
Rail passengers in Germany can expect high speed internet - gigabit connectivity during their journeys thanks to a joint research project known as “Gigabit Innovation Track XT” (GINT XT).
GINT XT is Germany’s first project to bring together Deutsche Bahn and all four national mobile operators: 1&1, Deutsche Telekom, O2 Telefónica and Vodafone. Together with partners like Vantage Towers as the radio mast operator, Ericsson as the 5G network technology provider, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the infrastructure manager Regio Infra Nord-Ost (RIN), the GINT XT project strives to advance high-speed internet on trains and will conduct field-tests in Germany’s first gigabit test track along a 12-kilometer route in Mecklenburg–Western Pomerania.
The project builds on the success of the previous GINT initiative intending to make uninterrupted gigabit-capable connectivity a reality for rail passengers. With increasing demand for reliable and high-performing internet on the move, GINT XT addresses a critical infrastructure challenge. The joint research and development project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digitalization and Government Modernization (BMDS), is testing different options of shared mobile infrastructure such as antennas, software, and base stations, supporting gigabit-speed data delivery using 5G technologies.
The research and development project also examines how this shared infrastructure can integrate with the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the future telecommunication system designed by the international Union of Railways (UIC), which is set to replace the current Global System for Mobile Communications – Railway (GSM-R), based on 2G, by 2035. The compact, modular masts installed along the tracks are designed for dual use. This means it can support both rail operations and public mobile coverage with a design that reduces construction time and enables faster deployment.
Results from the GINT XT test track will help to decide upon the eventual use of FRMCS infrastructure for mobile communication services along the Hamburg–Berlin rail corridor, a designated innovation route for high-speed rail connectivity. A declaration of intent signed in October 2024 between DB, the mobile providers, and the federal government sets the path for a scalable and tech-neutral approach to “5G on the Track.”
Dr. Karsten Wildberger, Federal Minister for Digital and Government Modernization (BMDS) of Germany says: “High-speed Internet on trains must not remain a dream of the future. For a modern country, it must be a matter of course that people can also use the internet on trains to work, stream and make phone calls without any limitations. For this to succeed, complex technical challenges must be overcome. With the 'Gigabit Innovation Track XT' project, the Ministry of Transport and the companies involved are doing real pioneering work and showing what can be achieved when joining forces. This is also the most important signal for our mission. If everyone pulls together, we can move from planning to implementation!”
Dr. Daniela Gerd tom Markotten, Board Member for Digitalization and Technology at Deutsche Bahn AG: "Last year, the GINT partners set up a test track with mobile phone masts close to the rails in record time. Now, for the first time, all German public mobile communications companies are investigating how gigabit coverage can be achieved along this test track. Because that's what people want: working, participating in video conferences or making phone calls while travelling by train. We will work together to fulfil this demand!"
Daniel Leimbach, Managing Director of Ericsson GmbH: “For the first time, the GINT XT project enables the active sharing of radio network resources between all four mobile network operators in Germany. Ericsson is providing the technology foundation for this - including a preconfigured 5G core network infrastructure from our Ericsson R&D Center Eurolab in Aachen, Germany.”
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