Rome’s metro network will be equipped with 2G and 3G mobile coverage by the end of 2012, according to wireless coverage company CommScope.
CommScope said it has been chosen by Italian operators Telecom Italia, Vodafone, WIND and H3G to provide and install a multi-operator, multi-band cellular solution throughout the Rome Metro that will extend coverage to passengers and staff throughout the system’s stations and passenger trains. The project will enable 2G and 3G voice and data services for customers of Telecom Italia, Vodafone, WIND and H3G utilizing the GSM900, GSM1800 and UMTS frequencies utilized by the operators. The three-phase project is expected to be completed in late 2012.
The CommScope solution will include its ION-M optical distributed antenna system (DAS) and HELIAX transmission lines.
“CommScope has an extensive history of providing wireless coverage and capacity solutions for metropolitan railways worldwide, including several in Italy,” said Samuel Buttarelli, sales director, Wireless Innovations, CommScope. “We are pleased to support the Italian mobile operators with the technology and expertise to enable them to deploy much-needed wireless coverage for their customers on the Rome Metro.”
Wireless operators are faced with many challenges in providing service along railways, including tunnels and stations that block or restrict signals, high speed trains that complicate cellular hand-offs, and smartphone users who expect constant access to data services while onboard. Such demands typically require dedicated coverage and capacity solutions to ensure access for commuters and sufficient network capacity for operators.
“Multi-operator, multi-frequency band, and multi-technology standard are common scenarios when working on train projects such as these,” Buttarelli said. “Despite the complexities of providing wireless coverage in moving trains, narrow tunnels and enclosed stations, CommScope expects to quickly implement a successful solution with minimal impact on the existing infrastructure—resulting in greater passenger satisfaction and more loyalty to our operator customers.”
CommScope previously completed a similar project that brought reliable wireless coverage to the metro system in Turin, and furnished equipment for wireless coverage in the Milan metro.
ION is a fiber-based coverage and capacity solution for indoor and outdoor applications, available in multiple power levels with a multi-band, multi-operator platform. CommScope’s off-air repeaters include pico and micro class RF enhancers and macro class digital nodes.