Study on feasibility of SATCOM for railway communication

Final Report
packet and circuit switching cores and the databases required for mobility and security management
(such as the VLR and HLR). The SANs are interconnected between them to form the ICONET 9 .
Main elements of SANs are:
- 5 antennas
- Gateways that connect ICO network with external networks
- Packet and circuit switched nodes to correctly route traffic on the ICONET
- Databases to provide mobility and security...
6.2.3.5 Remote terminals
ICO provides several types of terminals, including handhelds and specialized terminals (such as those
ones for vehicles).
6.2.4 MEO C-band
6.2.4.1 System Overview
This MEO SATCOM solution operating in C-band described within this section is not an underway or
planned system. However, it is kept within this study since it was the most suitable candidate of the
Satcom4Rail study [RD-02], due to its good behaviour expected within the railway domain.
The main features of this system are summarised below:
Reduction of transmission delay and power regarding GEO satellites
Less complex solution than LEO systems (e.g. lower number and speed of satellites)
Although this solution requires several satellites, elevation angles can be improved regarding
GEO solutions reducing in this way multipath effects.
C-band has more bandwidth available than other low frequency bands like L or S.
C-band requires larger satellite directive antennas than higher frequency bands (e.g. Ku and
Ka). However, it is also considered the use of omni-directive antenna in the remote terminals
when only providing narrow-band services
This SATCOM system under study is a long-term solution which implementation is not planned at this
moment. Therefore, this solution is described within this section and it will be evaluated against
SATCOM criteria (if considered appropriate), but considering that its deployment is not assured at all.
At this point it is worth to mention that, currently, a similar solution (a MEO/S-band solution - ICO) is
implemented and in operation, although it is arriving to its end of live (see section §6.2.3 for more
information). It means that, technically, the solution is feasible and deployable.
9
The ICONET is the the name used to refer to the ICO network, which consists of the SANs, the links between them and the mobility
databases (i.e. the HLR (Home Location Register) and VLR (Visitor Location Register) using the GSM terminology)
Doc.Nº: SRAIL-FNR-010-IND
Edit./Rev.: 1/1
Date: 16/02/2017
Page 73 of 285