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Showing posts with label 4G. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 4G. Show all posts

Sunday, 6 March 2016

15:50

BSNL:16 lakh new customers in July and 15 lakh in August due to mobile number portability

BSNL:16 lakh new customers in July and 15 lakh in August due to mobile number portability

Reliance Jio foray: BSNL to launch 4G services, unveil competitive tariff plans

'We will launch competitive tariff plans to match Reliance Jio and other private telecom service providers’ pricing, be it 4G or 3G, by the end of this year'

NEW DELHI: State-run telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited plans to unveil cheaper tariff plans by the end of this year and launch full-fledged 4G services by March 2016 to take on private players including Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio Infocomm.

"We will launch competitive tariff plans to match Reliance Jio and other private telecom service providers' pricing, be it 4G or 3G, by the end of this year," BSNL chairman-cum-managing director Anupam Shrivastava told ET.

BSNL will close watch Jio, which has announced launch of 4G services by the end of the year, and it will use airwaves in 2500 Mhz band to launch competitively priced 4G services at select locations before the end of current fiscal, Shrivastava said.

Jio, in addition to pan-India BWA spectrum in 2300 MHz band, has acquired airwaves in 800MHz and 1800MHz in the recently-concluded auctions. Ambani had earlier announced that the company will launch services around December at tariffs ranging from Rs 300 to Rs 500 per month.

Shrivastava further said, "We are taking Wi-Fi route for our 4G services and also talking to telecom operators for spectrum sharing."

Wi-Fi technology connects through 2G or 3G network and acts as a 4G hotspot to delivers high-speed data services to consumers.

"We have spectrum in 2.5 Ghz across 15 Licensed Service Areas (LSAs) in the country and we are planning to launch 4G services by the end of the current fiscal year," the BSNL top executive said.

BSNL's discussions with Russia's MTS India arm, which has spectrum in 800 MHz band, have however not materialized, Shrivastava said.
The state-run operator is also evaluating device-bundling options for 4G services and is currently in talks with various device manufacturers for consumer-friendly schemes.

"We compete with each other and share infrastructure with Reliance Jio as well. In today's scenario, it should not be seen as a competition as the objective is to serve consumers," Shrivastava said.

In 2014, Jio had entered into a pact with BSNL for telecom infrastructure sharing and is currently using the state-run operator's 4,000 mobile towers.

As a part of its revival strategy, BSNL, which has the largest 3G footprint in the country, is looking at aggressive marketing plans and also boosting broadband internet speed of all data plans staring at Rs 545 to 2 Mbps from October 1.

It has recently started free night calling facility between 9 pm and 7 am to all operators and free incoming on roaming, which, according to the company, is helping in growing its subscriber base.

BSNL is the only operator to offer free incoming calls while roaming, Shrivastava said.

He said the company added 16 lakh new customers in July and 15 lakh in August due to mobile number portability.

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Thursday, 2 July 2015

09:53

Digital India: Cisco aims to propel Digital Revolution in Indian Railways with 15 New Products

Digital India: Cisco aims to propel Digital Revolution in Indian Railways with 15 New Products

New Delhi:  Cisco – a Information Technology giant has launched its Internet of Things (IOT) system based on six technology pillars which, when combined together, should help to reduce the complexity of digitalisation for the railway industry.

Within the six pillars, Cisco has also launched 15 new products. These include the IW3702 wireless access point to connect mass transit systems and city WiFi networks, the IR 909 and IR 908 series industrial routers with WiFi and 4G/LTE connectivity, the Mobile IP Gateway for connected rail solutions, and a range of cameras with 360o view for situation awareness and audio and digital sensors.

Cisco estimates that 50 billion devices and objects will be connected to the internet by 2020, even though today more than 99% of objects in the physical world remain unconnected. Digitalisation is complex, and devices and objects are being connected and unrelated networks converged at an increasingly rapid pace. Cisco says that the benefits of these connections can only be realised through the application of advanced data analytics, which often requires the creation of intelligent applications capable of accelerating new business models or increasing productivity.Cisco’s new system is designed to address these challenges. 
The six pillars comprise:

network connectivity including purpose-built routing, switching, and wireless products
fog computing to enable data to be analyzed and manage locally security to unify cyber and physical security ,data analytics management and automation, and an application enablement platform offering a set of APIs to enable users to design, develop and deploy their own applications based on internet of things capabilities.


Cisco Connected Rail solutions help achieve a wide range of Safety, Mobility, and Efficiency objectives:

Keep passengers and employees safe
Provide onboard passenger Wi-Fi, entertainment, live scheduling, high-speed voice and video, and more
Converge multiple networks into a single IP network for greater interoperability, improved communications, simplified management, and lower costs
Meet governmental and industrial safety compliance requirements

 

As rail operators like to introduce new business models and value-added services to increase ridership, one can count on Cisco to deploy highly secure, flexible IP networks. Cisco’s ruggedized routers, switches, access points, and video cameras are being deployed at trackside, in stations, and on trains.

Cisco IOx: Real World Benefits for Railway Industry

Whether it’s a passenger train in a bustling city or a freight train slithering through the mountainside, news of derailment is a tragic story. You may have heard about the fatal train accident in New York City’s Bronxor the recent incident in Philadelphia where a train hauling crude oil was dangling over a river. The US federal government has seen more oil spilled in rail incidents in 2013 than was spilled in the nearly four decades since it began collecting data. The demand for preventative measures is greater than ever.
Train derailment is typically due to equipment failure, specifically in the ball bearings of a wheel. Today, train operators have routine schedules to swap out wheels and engines without fully knowing if the equipment is used beyond repair. Or in worse case scenarios, damaged equipment is not replaced in time to prevent failure and accidents. In addition to performance, train operators face fierce competition from alternative transportation providers and must find ways to offer better amenities and services to retain and attract new passengers.

With Cisco IOx, an 819 router sitting on a freight train can monitor the ball-bearings and monitor the utility of bearing to let you know if its overheating or has worn down to a lower-threshold of useful material. An alert can be sent to the train operator notifying him to pull over at the next available station or to stop and repair the wheel.

Cisco Transportation Smart Solutions for Railways

Cisco Transportation Smart Solution (TSS) for Rail is the underlying architecture for a set of highly secure validated network designs. Cisco’s building-block approach means one can start with any combination of solutions, and add others later. Validated network designs minimize deployment risk and speed time to market. TSS includes Cisco and third-party network products, and Cisco Services designed specifically for rail and mass transit. Today, TSS includes Cisco Connected Rail and Premium Mobile Broadband.

Cisco Connected Rail Resources

Cisco Transportation Smart Solution At-a-Glance and Solution Overview
Cisco Services for Transportation Smart Solution
Cisco Connected Rail At-a-Glance and Solution Overview
Cisco Positive Train Control At-a-Glance and Solution Overview
Cisco Premium Mobile Broadband At-a-Glance and Solution Overview
Cisco Validated Design (CVD)
Cisco Connected Rail Network Architecture
Key Products

Network Connectivity for Rail – Switching

IE 2000 Series Switches
3000 Series and 3010 Series Switches
Embedded Service 2020 Series Switches
2520 Connected Grid Switch
Network Connectivity for Rail – Routing and Mobility

819 Integrated Services Router
Connected Grid Router 2000/2010
Embedded Services Routers – ESR 5915, ESR 5921, ESR 5940
ASR 900 Series Aggregation Services Routers
ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers
Connected Mobile Experiences
Wireless Access Points for Rail

Aironet 3500 Series Access Points
Connected Safety and Security for Rail

Video Surveillance 6000 Series IP Cameras
Video Surveillance Manager
IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS)
More Cisco Solutions for Rail

Digital Signs for Stations and Trains
Unified Communications Manager (CallManager)
Debuting the Autonomic Train at Cisco Live

At Cisco Live, the train includes our Cisco IE2000 industrial switches (IP67 and non IP67 versions), Cisco-819 M2M router, our target application hosting server-PC with VSMS and an even smaller application hosting server – a Raspberry PI.

Every car also hosts our ruggedized Cisco-IPVSC-6050 cameras and a demo version of a passenger information system (PIS) with both outside-train LCD and top-of-seat LCD panels. This is built on a Arduino/Linux prototype platform. Cameras and PIS-devices are PoE powered from our switches.

This setup shows how Cisco IOS networking infrastructure can provide an agile platform for in-train convenience applications – PIS, Surveillance, Internet, Media Streaming, etc. With IP connected client devices, these business applications can be built as easily as web applications – and they can equally easily be expanded and adopted to changing requirements. Given how most train operators already use Web development for outside-train applications such as eCommerce/business-process/web presence/ticketing, this makes it easy for them to build out such convenience application in their trains.

A key component of making these business applications work automatically in a train environment is topology awareness of the train: Every time train cars and engines are being put together to form a train, the business applications need to adopt to the new train topology.

The PIS shows on every car the right logical car number and directions where the beginning and end of train are.  The surveillance application is able to display the right camera for every car. Online seat reservations are equally enabled with this IP connected train technology. PIS display shows how many seats are free in each direction on the train – which is different on every car.

When trains are known to drive in reverse order, renumbering of seats can take place. This renumbering could be intelligent and allows passengers to book a seat in or against the direction of the train, so the seat is guaranteed even when cars are turned around because seats will automatically be renumbered when this happens.

Most of these use case workflows are being shown at Cisco Live with the written demo/prototype application: purely web based, browser on a tablet as the user interface for passengers and train personnel.

To make the development of such convenience applications easier, we leverage a new common cross-market segment software architecture in IOS that is today unique to Cisco.

Autonomic Networking (AN). AN is already shipping on Service Provider IOS platforms and is currently being integrated into the IE and enterprise switch platforms to ship later in 2014/early 2015. Autonomic Networking is bundled within Cisco’s overall “Plug & Play” Software architecture. The core benefits of our Autonomic Networking infrastructure software are secure zero touch device/network bootstrap and automatically built reliable connectivity for ongoing provisioning, monitoring and troubleshooting. AN also enables intelligent autonomic network wide services.

The Autonomic Topology service is one of the first intelligent network-wide services that we plan to ship: Talking only to a single device in the network, a business application can retrieve the full topology of the (train) network including all the relevant information about connected client devices such as cameras or PIS client devices. This topology information is even available when parts of the network are either configured incorrectly, or not configured at all.
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07:35

Huawei, Alstom complete 4G LTE Multi-Services Pilot Test for Railway Signaling

Huawei, Alstom complete 4G LTE Multi-Services Pilot Test for Railway Signaling

Huawei and Alstom, one of the world’s leading energy solutions and transport companies, have announced completion of live pilot test of 4G LTE multi-services based on Communications-based Train Control (CBTC), a railway signaling system based on wireless ground-to-train communication

The train has long been a subject of romance and adventure for many, though for some it’s just an everyday way to get back and forth to work. Whether it’s romantic or strictly utilitarian, some have noticed that it could be greatly improved with new technologies introduced into its everyday operations. Alstom, a company that deals in both energy and transport, has recently made a move toward improving the rail experience with a live pilot test of multi-services on French railways powered by 4G LTE access.

The successful pilot, which covered the unified multi-service capabilities of several systems including CBTC, Passenger Information System (PIS), and closed-circuit television (CCTV), marks a major step forward in the LTE commercialization of CBTC services.

The test in question, according to reports, was based on the Communications-based Train Control (CBTC) concept, a railway signaling system that runs on ground-to-train communications over wireless means. But Alstom’s version went beyond that, taking Huawei equipment and using it on static train sets under lab conditions. The tests were said to be conducted near Valenciennes, in the northern part of France, and focused not only on CBTC but also on passenger information systems, closed-circuit television, and several other options.

Alstom is the world’s first train manufacturer to integrate LTE 4G into its signaling system solution, the Urbalis Fluence CBTC solution, which greatly improves the suitability of eLTE, providing a converged ground-to-train wireless communication network for metro operations.

Huawei and Alstom together, meanwhile, are set to bring quite a bit of value to the rail service; not only is Huawei bringing in a 100Mbps eLTE network, but also network planning capability, broadband data services, and even voice trunking for mission critical systems. Alstom, meanwhile, brought in key technology integrations and on-board equipment that would work with LTE systems, as well as a train to contain the entire system. Huawei notes that using eLTE with CBTC train signaling, the end result would likely be lowered operation costs, lowered maintenance costs, and better access to passenger information, meaning that trips would be safer and more serviceable. Given that Huawei has already reportedly set up 111 such network contracts, as well as 53 live networks in 30 countries, it’s well-placed to make such suggestions, as is Alstom itself.

The LTE pilot project was launched after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Huawei and Alstom in April 2014, which agreed to Huawei providing the eLTE network required for the pilot, and Alstom providing the train and LTE-compliant onboard equipment.

The pilot was carried out at metro lines near the Valenciennes commune area in France with Huawei optimizing the network planning, broadband data services, and mission critical voice trunking services, and Alstom providing the technology integration support. During the pilot, Huawei and Alstom jointly conducted several tests, including laboratory and static test on trains, dynamic test on metro tracks, and testing of eLTE multi-services capabilities.

Huawei first developed the eLTE broadband trunking solution with a focus on multimedia applications, voice trunking dispatching, and broadband data services based on 4G LTE standards to satisfy growing demands from the rail transportation industry.

Huawei’s eLTE solution enables metro operators to ensure safe train operations by leveraging eLTE-based CBTC train signals while providing mission critical voice trunking dispatching and broadband data services such as live video streaming of CCTV images and Passenger Information System (PIS). With the eLTE solution, metro operators are able to effectively reduce operation and maintenance cost as well as quickly obtain passenger information, therefore greatly improving the serviceability of trains.

Alstom, for its part, called the tests a big step toward putting LTE to work in commercializing CBTC services. Given that Alstom now represents the first ever such firm to use 4G LTE technology in a CBTC signaling solution, that’s a reasonable assessment. The use of such technology, Alstom noted, makes Huawei’s eLTE broadband trunking option an even better fit, as it was developed with the rail sector in mind, and focused on multimedia applications as well as voice trunking and broadband services.

To date, Huawei has signed 111 eLTE network contracts and established 53 eLTE commercial networks in more than 30 countries. Huawei’s eLTE solution has also been successfully deployed in a number of railways around the world.

Huawei’s eLTE solution, incorporating PIS and CCTV capabilities, has provided Zhengzhou Metro Line 1 with bidirectional, real-time and reliable wireless transmission channels for its ground-to-train voice, data and video services, improving the Line’s overall communication efficiency and operation capabilities. As a result, since beginning services in 2013, Zhengzhou Metro Line 1 has never encountered any major LTE equipment malfunctions.

In addition, by deploying the Huawei eLTE solution, the Shuo Huang Railway (SHR), approximately 600 kilometers in length, has been upgraded to deliver services including multi-locomotive synchronous control, train-to-ground wireless data communications, voice trunking dispatching and on-board video surveillance. As a result, Huang Shuo Railway has greatly improved its transport efficiency and increased its annual transport capacity from 200 to 350 million tons.

These are both heavy hitters in the transport and communications industries, so seeing the two work together means that something big is likely afoot. It’s hard to fault any move that means better overall service at lower operational and maintenance costs, so it’s just as likely that plenty of rail lines will have an interest in this technology when it’s finally ready for prime time. Given that it’s already been seen in several places—Huawei has already reportedly been at work on the Shuohuang Railway, a major link in China’s “heavy haulage network”—the time required to get it ready for other rail lines may not be all that long.
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Wednesday, 3 June 2015

07:46

Vijayawada Railway station set to go Wi-Fi by June-end

Vijayawada Railway station set to go Wi-Fi by June-end

Vijayawada (BZA): Vijayawada railway Station will join the elite club of A-1 category stations in the country offering the facility With the move, after the Pandit Nehru Bus Station (PNBS), the city railway station is all set to offer Wi-Fi facility to passengers by the end of June.


Passengers can avail 4G (fourth generation) services, once the facility is commissioned for which arrangements are going on at a brisk pace, according to official sources.


So far, only seven stations in the country – Agra Cantonment, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, New Delhi, Secunderabad and Varanasi — are providing Wi-Fi facility to passengers.

Vijayawada station will be the first in Andhra Pradesh to provide the facility free of cost up to the first 30 minutes and charge for the subsequent usage is being worked out. The service will be rendered by RailTel Corporation of India, which has almost completed the works on the Wi-Fi base station, a senior official of the Vijayawada Division told.

The Ministry of Railways has planned to offer Wi-Fi facility at nearly 400 A-1 and A category stations having successfully implemented it at some most important stations as pilot projects.

It was also targeted to provide Wi-Fi on premium trains like Rajdhani, Shatabdi and Duranto Expresses.

RailTel has the exclusive Right of Way along the country’s railway tracks for its optical fibre cable network, Railway officials say.

The Wi-Fi roll-out work at important stations has gained pace after a provision has been made for it in the Railway Budget. South Central Railway General Manager P.K. Srivastava, during his recent visit here, has said that making stations Wi-Fi enabled was a priority and it was high time that Vijayawada station was equipped with it.

Meanwhile, the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) is in the advanced stages of providing Wi-Fi on the M.G Road as part of the Smart Cities programme . A survey has already been done and the OFC work is under way.

It is a pilot project that will be replicated in other prime areas in a phased manner, VMC Commissioner G. Veerapandian says. He said top officials of the service provider discussed the modalities two days ago.
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