Flat panel broadband promised for British trains

Henry Thompson, founder and director of 21 Net, already has several systems running on continental Europe high speed trains using bi-directional satellites to offer broadband access to passengers.

But one of the obstacles in the UK is that because of our legacy in developing the railway system, the type of satellite installed on the European trains isn't suitable here. That's because we have low bridges and the like. He said that next year 21 Net will be able to offer flat panel antennae on trains.

The satellites 21 Net offers to train operators is a modified maritime antenna designed to work on high speed trains to respond to conditions including the EMF generated by pantographs. The system is designed to switch seamlessly to other services when a train is in an "urban canyon" or in a station, so that people browing their spam won't notice the connect.

Services for passengers can be built into first class passengers' tickets, or paid for by second class passengers.

The satellite dish sits on front of the train and is connected to a router which then distributes the signal throughout the length of the train.

Virgin here in the UK is obviously interested in the idea, because the head of product development of the company is speaking at the Train Communications Systems conference in London this week.

Choo choo! µ

L'INQ
21 Net