Monday 3 May 2021

UIC, European Commission and rail infra owners to debate 5G-enabled FRMCS deployment

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Many railway infrastructure owners are now preparing to implement the Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), the sector’s new 5G-enabled communications standard. FRMCS is due to launch in 2025 and will replace the current GSM-R standard, which is expected to be phased out around 2030.

At this crucial moment in rail development, the International Railway Summit is organising a two-part webinar series, “ How can the rail infra sector implement FRMCS with maximum efficiency ?”, in association with Frequentis. The webinars will be moderated by Robert Sarfati, Chairman of UIC’s ERIG (European Railway Implementers for GSM-R) Group. Mr Sarfati is also Director Consultant at SYSTRA and Chairman of the Technical Committee on Rail Telecommunications at the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI).

The rollout of FRMCS is vital for the future of the railways. It will accelerate rail digitalisation, allowing infrastructure managers and rail operators to boost safety, optimise maintenance and improve service quality, sustainability, and multimodality.

In Part 1 of the webinar series, “ Managing a flexible and cost-effective transition to FRMCS ”, to be broadcast on 25 May at 13.00–14.30 CET, policymakers, rail sector leaders and experts will advise the audience on how rail can best transition to FRMCS. The pros and cons of bearer independent communication (BIC) will be debated during the session.

Expert speakers will include Keir Fitch, Head of Unit (Rail Safety & Interoperability), DG MOVE, European Commission, Camille Dierick, Head of GSM-R & Radio at Infrabel, Markku Voutilainen, Senior Inspector, Engineering and Environment, Track and Rolling Stock Technology, Finnish Transport Infrastructure Agency (FTIA/Väylävirasto), and Markus Myslivec, Head of Public Transport Solutions at Frequentis. Participants will enjoy an interactive discussion, which will also involve a representative from a mobile network operator.

The webinar is free to attend. To register or to find out more, please visit http://www.irits.org/irswebinars/part-1-managing-a-flexible-and-cost-effective-transition-to-frmcs/

Part 2 of the series, “ How can we ensure efficient FRMCS connectivity in rural areas? ” will debate the issue of connectivity following FRMCS deployment. More information on this will be available shortly.

To find out more about the webinar series, please visit http://www.irits.org/webinar-series/frequentis-frmcs-webinars/

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