1. Future Railway Mobile Communications System (FRMCS)
What
Follows
GSM-R?
Clive Kessell
& Paul Darlington CK

2. GSM- R Built on 2nd generation (2G) GSM technology.
Huge success for both European and international railway systems.
35 different GSM-R systems in Europe alone.
Used internationally - China 33,750 km of GSM-R.
Support for GSM-R has been agreed until 2030.
Features still be exploited and developed.
However, the search for a successor to GSM-R has begun, likely to be based on LTE 4G/5G and or Wi-Fi. CK

3. Future of GSM-R
GSM-R predominantly for operational voice communications with limited data.
Vision for next-generation system is to address:
Operational services, voice and data.
Business applications e.g. measure asset performance.
Market applications e.g. passenger Wi-Fi. CK

4. Mobile generations PD
Photo Shutterstock/Pompom

5. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
 2G
 3G
 4G LTE 5G
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Data rate
Voice only.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming. PD

6. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
 2G
 3G
 4G LTE 5G
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Digital phone calls. Subscriber Identity Module SIM.
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Secure (ish), mass adoption.
Data rate
Voice only.
SMS (text)
9.6kbits/s
GPRS 171kbits/s
EDGE 384kbits/s.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming.
Very limited data capability. PD

7. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
 2G
 3G
 4G LTE 5G
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Digital phone calls. Subscriber Identity Module SIM.
Circuit switching (voice) Packet switching (data).
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Secure (ish), mass adoption.
Better internet experience.
Data rate
Voice only.
SMS (text)
9.6kbits/s
GPRS 171kbits/s
EDGE 384kbits/s.
3.1Mbits/s
HSPA 14Mbits/s
HSPA+ 168Mbits/s.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming.
Very limited data capability.
Failure to meet internet access demands.
HSDPA 1.8 Mbits/s and 14.4 Mbits/s (3.5G.) HSPA+ 42, 84 and sometimes 168 Mbits/s downloads and up to 22 Mbits/s for uploads PD

8. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
 2G
 3G
 4G LTE 5G
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Digital phone calls. Subscriber Identity Module SIM.
Circuit switching (voice) Packet switching (data).
All IP services (including voice). Flat architecture.
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Secure (ish), mass adoption.
Better internet experience.
Faster broadband.
Data rate
Voice only.
SMS (text)
9.6kbits/s
GPRS 171kbits/s
EDGE 384kbits/s
3.1Mbits/s
HSPA 14Mbits/s
HSPA+ 168Mbits/s.
2 to 12Mbits/s with potential for 100 to 300Mbits/s.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming.
Very limited data capability.
Failure to meet internet access demands.
Latency - 10ms. battery life,
scale. PD

9. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
 2G
 3G
 4G LTE 5G
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Digital phone calls. Subscriber Identity Module SIM.
Circuit switching (voice) Packet switching (data).
All IP services (including voice) Flat architecture.
IOT - many thousands of IP connected devices. Very wide spectrum.
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Secure (ish), mass adoption.
Better internet experience.
Faster broadband.
Even faster broadband, even lower latency - 1mS. Device to device.
Data rate
Voice only.
SMS (text)
9.6kbits/s
GPRS 171kbits/s
EDGE 384kbits/s
3.1Mbits/s
HSPA 14Mbits/s
HSPA+ 168Mbits/s.
2 to 12Mbits/s with potential for 100 to 300Mbits/s.
1 to 10Gbits/s.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming.
Very limited data capability.
Failure to meet internet access demands.
Latency - 10ms. battery life,
scale.
Will there be a market for all the 5G services? PD

10. Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobile generations
Generation 1G
FDMA
 2G
TDMA/CDMA
 3G
WCDMA
 4G LTE
OFDMA 5G
CP- OFDMA
Key
features
Analogue phone calls.
Digital phone calls. Subscriber Identity Module SIM.
Circuit switching (voice) Packet switching (data).
All IP services (including voice) Flat architecture.
IOT - many thousands of IP connected devices. Very wide spectrum.
Key benefit / difference to previous version
Mobility in communication.
Secure (ish), mass adoption.
Better internet experience.
Faster broadband.
Even faster broadband, even lower latency - 1mS. Device to device.
Data rate
Voice only.
SMS (text)
9.6kbits/s
GPRS 171kbits/s
EDGE 384kbits/s
3.1Mbits/s
HSPA 14Mbits/s
HSPA+ 168Mbits/s.
2 to 12Mbits/s with potential for 100 to 300Mbits/s.
1 to 10Gbits/s.
Weakness
Major security issues. No roaming.
Very limited data capability.
Failure to meet internet access demands.
Latency - 10ms. battery life,
scale.
Will there be a market for all the 5G services? PD

11. GSM-R spectrum GSM-R – 4 MHz of GSM band 876-880 MHz (up)
MHz (down)
GSM-R builds on existing GSM mobile standards, using the frequency bands MHz (uplink) and MHz (downlink

12. Future of GSM-R - spectrum
European Rail Infrastructure Managers (EIM) association and Community of European Railways and Infrastructure Companies (CER) suggest that the MHz/ MHz band should be reserved in addition to the current GSM-R band
Watch this space! PD

13. 4G LTE for Rail Use
A single track to train radio for operational, commercial and passenger services.
Can meet all ETCS communication requirements.
Simplified base station architecture with remote radio heads (RRH) eliminating long co-ax lengths.
Cyber security protection is ‘best yet’.
UIC focussing on 4G LTE under its Future Railway Mobile Comms System (FRMCS) study and Shift2Rail - MISTRAL. PD

14. 4G LTE distributed radio base stations
Broadcast Control Channel
RRH
Baseband Unit (BBU)
Remote Radio Head (RRH)
distributed base station technology (explain a bit about the concept - “split” of functionality and control intelligence between BBU and RRU, etc etc...) Distributed basestations is NOT RF over fibre, the baseband unit which has got a lot of the switching and processing couples to the radio remote unit by fibre. Broadcast Control Channel (BCCH)
The RRU has a small amount of processing and the RF components, in an environmentally sealed case, no REB required.
One BBU, which will be mounted at an autotransformer site (which has maintainers access) can connect to 6 if not more RRU over typically 20km.
And for redundancy a RRU can connect to a main and standby RRU.
With LTE a number of RRUs can use the same frequency, therefore you get an elongated cell – less handovers – important at high speed.

15. LTE distributed radio base stations
Antennas on OHL structures
Large virtual cells for handover
No equipment rooms required
Inherent dual redundancy
... the answer --- distributed base station technology (explain a bit about the concept - not rfof etc, “split” of functionality and control intelligence between BBU and RRU, etc etc...)
Distributed basestations is NOT RF over fibre, the baseband unit which has got a lot of the switching and processing couples to the radio remote unit by fibre.
The RRU has a small amount of processing and the RF components, in an environmentally sealed case, no REB required.
One BBU, which will be mounted at an autotransformer site (which has maintainers access) can connect to 6 if not more RRU over typically 20km.
And for redundancy a RRU can connect to a main and standby RRU.
With LTE a number of RRUs can use the same frequency, therefore you get an elongated cell – less handovers – important at high speed.

16. 5G - driven by three main requirements
Enhanced Mobile Broadband (EMB), with the promise of 10 Gbits/s connectivity
Massive Internet of Things (MIoT), facilitating the development of smart buildings and smart cities
Mission Critical Services (MCS), high-reliability, low-latency networks enabling applications such as autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, and drones

17. 5G soft core and cloud architecture
Cloud computing-based architecture - software-defined networking (SDN)
Centralised Radio Access Network (C-RAN) with flexibility where functions are carried out
Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), pushing core functions to cell sites
Network slicing - virtual private network capability - neutral host models

18. 5G spectrum
Mobile Network Operators (MNO) are prepared to invest heavily for spectrum they view as critical to 5G.
Straight Path – held 868 spectrum licences in 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands (millimetric 5G frequencies) in USA.
AT&T offered $1.6 billion = 162% of their value. 
Verizon Communications offered $2.3 billion and eventually $3.1 billion = 300% over value……

19. 5G New Radio Access Network (RAN)
User equipment (UE) attached to multiple cells, better reliability.
Small cell support – better indoor coverage, increased cell density.
5G NR (New Radio) in unlicensed bands – convergence with Wi-FI.
User equipment connected directly with no network - Device to Device (D2D) Vehicle to Everything (V2X).

20. SWIFT project (Superfast Wi-Fi in-carriage for Future Travel)
Innovate UK - Cisco Systems UK, Network Rail.
Using GSM-R masts several km apart between Edinburgh & Glasgow with a limited number of in-fills.
5GHz licence-free Wifi base stations.
Average 350Mbits/s with peaks at 500Mbits/s with a trackside spacing between 2 and 4km

21. Class 117 – circa 1961 - Oldest train with fastest Wi-Fi in the world?

22. 4G Rail experience to date
Huawei. 4G in use on 12 metro networks with 9 more contractually committed.
Ericsson. Already sells 4G LTE equipment and intends to expand into the rail sector.
Nokia. Trial of a LTE system on the Paris Metro.
Thales. Is working with Huawei to develop LTE.
Bombardier. Also working with Huawei.
Siemens, Alstom and Kapsch all working to develop 4G LTE systems for rail operation. CK

23. Agencies and bodies
European Agency for Railways / International Union of Railways (UIC) - established Future Railway Mobile Communications System (FRMCS) group.
Functionality Group (FRMCS-FU).
Spectrum Group (FRMCS-SP).
Architecture and Technology Group (FRMCS-AT).
Technical Committee for Railway Telecommunications (TCRT) of ETSI liaising with the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

24. Timescale realities
2018

25. Summary and recommendations
Recognition that GSM-R replacement has to be progressed
4G systems already in limited use
By time GSM-R is switched off, 5G systems may be commonplace
Wi-Fi option has to be carefully watched
Development of 5G is our recommendation.
Licensing bodies need encouragement for provision of common spectrum allocation worldwide.