Nov 14, 2017   SOURCE: BusinessWire

Klas Telecom Selected as Supplier for Project SWIFT to Enable World’s Fastest In-Carriage Wi-Fi for UK Rail Passengers

Klas Telecom announced today that the TRX Connected Transportation Platform was selected by Project Superfast Wi-Fi In-Carriage for Future Travel (SWIFT) to provide the onboard communications gateway/server, switching and software-defined wide-area network (SDWAN) technology for the endeavor’s initial phase. Project SWIFT is a collaborative, multi-company UK rail initiative led by Cisco Systems, Inc. to deliver high-speed in-carriage Wi-Fi that improves UK passengers’ experience, enhances commercial opportunities and improves train management. Project trials have seen an average speed of 300 Mbps connectivity to the train, the fastest in the world at this time. A complete rollout of the project’s trackside and onboard proof of concept will take place on ScotRail running services between Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Project SWIFT selected Klas Telecom’s TRX R6 and TRX S10 as key components of the onboard passenger Wi-Fi system that connects to the project’s new type of trackside fibre. During Project SWIFT trials, TRX R6 served as the modular, multi-modem onboard communications gateway and server that delivered reliable, high-bandwidth and low-latency connectivity to the train. TRX S10 provided the switching platform that afforded connectivity to in-carriage access points and onboard train event recording devices. Another key component of the passenger Wi-Fi system was the SDWAN feature of the TRX operating system, KlasOS. KlasOS SDWAN aggregated WAN links and managed multiple wireless bearers in order to provide the train both higher throughput and availability of the off-board WAN link.

Klas Telecom’s advanced SDWAN technology leverages any available Internet connection, whether high-speed trackside wireless or legacy 3G and 4G connections. KlasOS SDWAN seamlessly routes traffic over uncongested links to ensure that passengers stay connected at all times whether updating social media, teleworking over VPN or making Skype calls.

“Leveraging 300 Mbps connections while on the move is difficult and requires high-performance hardware,” Klas Telecom Chief Technology Officer Frank Murray said. “We rely on and leverage the latest technology from industry-leading partners such as Cisco and Intel to provide the optimum passenger experience.”

Project SWIFT was initially implemented on a full scale train and test track near Stratford-upon-Avon. The project will utilize existing trackside fibre to backhaul data from trackside masts. The masts will use an unlicensed Wi-Fi spectrum to connect trains to this fibre, with a lossless session handover between masts as low as 2 milliseconds. A combination of both existing and newly installed masts will be used along the Edinburgh-Glasgow route to ensure that consistent coverage can be trialled along the line, regardless of tunnels and cuttings. When the train is on a section of track not enabled by Wi-Fi, data connectivity will be maintained using the onboard cellular modems.

More About Klas Telecom

Klas Telecom is an engineering and design company with over 25 years of experience developing innovative communications solutions for the network edge. Klas Telecom delivers connectivity to remote and austere environments where low size, weight, power and ruggedization are required. The company specializes in integrating enterprise networking capabilities from global IT leaders with in-house hardware and software platforms designed to meet market demands and the most stringent environmental requirements. Klas Telecom leverages the latest technology to stay on the forefront of the deployable communications industry. Klas Telecom operates in the public safety, transportation and U.S. and international government and defense markets. The company employs staff across four offices located in Washington, DC; Herndon, VA; Tampa, FL; and Dublin, Ireland. www.klastelecom.com.