Each year, tens of millions of travelers choose PKP Intercity.
In record-breaking 2022, the number of passengers reached nearly 60 million, and according to the carrier’s forecast, this figure will climb to nearly 90 million in 2030. In order to meet passenger expectations, the operator has decided to implement a system of GSM repeaters in 554 PKP Intercity carriages.
Investing in technology
PKP Intercity is one of Poland’s leading railway operators, famous for a genuine openness to adopting new technologies. The company clearly recognizes that such an approach directly affects passenger comfort and safety and translates to increased ticket sales. For this reason, the carrier continuously increases funding for the modernization of its fleet. In the next 6 years, PKP Intercity is planning to spend as much as 24.5 billion PLN on achieving this goal.
Railway Mobile Repeater Network
In the context of systems for communication and data transfer, which are key to passenger satisfaction, PKP Intercity’s rolling stock includes 83 electric multiple units and 700 modernized passenger carriages fitted with WiFi fully controlled by the carrier. Further improvement to the quality of voice communication and data transfer stability in passenger devices is ensured by using
5-band GSM repeaters which guarantee dependable mobile service even on parts of the route with potential suboptimal cellular network coverage. These repeaters are modular which facilitates their future modernization and addition of more frequency bands.
Consortium of specialists
The implementation of solutions leading to the devices’ successful launch on trains was carried out with the help of a consortium established in 2021 between Ledatel and PKP Telkol. A close, bilateral cooperation of these companies resulted in various mutual benefits. Thanks to a series of training programs carried out by Ledatel, PKP Telkol gained specialist knowledge and experience. Likewise, PKP Telkol became a tried and tested partner for Ledatel in projects requiring expertise in demanding telecom services and maintenance for the railway industry.
Cooperation with partners such as Ledatel and PKP Telkol contributed to immeasurable change, especially for our passengers. The possibility to freely take advantage of cellphone and Internet access translates to an intrinsic rise in the quality of our services. We’re glad we could work alongside specialists in this process – says Tomasz Gontarz, Vice President of the Board at PKP Intercity.
Ledatel was the supplier of GSM repeaters for most PKP Intercity rolling stock projects. The company’s engineers were responsible for configuring and launching of these devices, as well as implementing a central management system for the 554 GSM repeaters.
