Public Transportation Connectivity

A busy public transportation rail corporation based in the Asia Pacific region wanted to provide Internet connectivity for travelers.

Challenge

Due to the expansion of a new rail line, the public transportation company was looking to provide Internet connectivity for travelers taking their services. Especially since the locations can be very rural and without wired connectivity. Thus, they were looking for a solid solution that can implement LTE-A connectivity due to the increased band support and carrier aggregation. In addition, GPS fleet tracking and device management are mandatory since there are a large number of trains and carriages per fleet, as well as stations.

Solution

Peplink worked together with this corporation in tailoring a solution that would work for them efficiently. Due to the scale of the project, they had to deploy over a thousand MAX Transit duos. And with InControl 2, Peplink’s Cloud-based management system, remote management for the devices can be done remotely.

Each carriage deployed a MAX Transit Duo, providing dual-band Wi-Fi via it’s 2×2 MIMO antenna setup for passenger Wi-Fi access. Each station also deployed a MAX Transit Duo statically, providing CCTV return feedback to their control center. What makes the MAX Transit Duo perfect for such deployments is the various certifications such as Shock and vibration resistance (EN 61373:1999, IEC 61373:1999), Railway applications (EN 50155), and Electromagnetic Compatibility (EN 61000).

Result

This solution exceeded all expectations in providing passengers with a peak download speed of up to 170Mbps over Wi-Fi. This also provided a stable CCTV return feedback to their control centers. By implementing the InControl 2 API into their existing system, features such as GPS tracking and Captive Portal support allows for connecting to an advertising server to enhance business requirements. Compared to other tested devices, the performance has been unmatchable thanks to the dual embedded LTE modems with redundant SIM slots. Because of this, a range of carriers can be used to cover the entire journey and spectrum.

Deployment

  • Deployed in stations statically, providing consistent connectivity for CCTV feeds.
  • Used on moving trains due to the lack of wired connectivity, utilizing various LTE-A carriers when signals change. 
  • Rugged metal enclosure with various certifications, made suitable for railway applications. 
  • Optional DIN rail mounts for securely installing onto a train.
  • Providing a centralized management platform so that all Peplink devices can be configured and managed remotely.
  • Manage the Wi-Fi network and Captive Portals.
  • Provide useful insights into the network status, ensuring everything is in good order.
  • Generate GPS information within their own network platform via InControl 2 API.
  • Improve scheduling efficiency with user data from InControl 2.