Supercharged 5G Connectivity for Onboard Systems and Passengers
Gothenburg, Sweden, Sept. 28, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Icomera’s new X7 router is a gateway to a powerful centralised connectivity platform, supporting multiple, resource-intensive applications including Passenger Wi-Fi, Onboard Infotainment, and Digital Video Surveillance & Analytics. A wholly owned subsidiary of Equans, global leader in the energy and services industry, Icomera is the leading provider of integrated connectivity solutions for public transport and contributes to a low carbon and resilient world by making public transport more attractive.
“Nowadays, a plethora of onboard systems installed on vehicles require ubiquitous, reliable connectivity”, explains Roger Matthews, Icomera’s Chief Commercial Officer. “The X7 delivers exceptional speed, storage and performance for both operational and passenger-focused services, ushering in a new era of cutting-edge connected applications.”
The X7 utilises SureWAN™, Icomera’s industry-leading connectivity technology protocol for intelligently aggregating multiple communication technologies (5G, 4G, satellite, trackside networks etc.) in parallel, to ensure the fastest, most reliable connection available to a moving vehicle. Network traffic can be monitored and managed using IcoShape, Icomera’s data traffic shaping tool, empowering transport operators to make best use of all available Internet bandwidth and control their data costs.
“One or multiple X7 units can be installed on a single vehicle or train consist”, adds Mats Karlsson, Icomera’s Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder. “By distributing network traffic between two routers, load balancing helps ensure optimised performance, while redundancy adds further resiliency to an onboard connectivity solution.”
The X7 router will be available in various models at launch, each optimised to meet specific business requirements:
- For digital video surveillance deployments, in addition to providing real-time data offload, the X7 can be configured with up to two externally accessible SSDs. This is useful when the physical storage and/or removal of video surveillance footage is a requirement, and reduces the need for an external Network Attached Storage (NAS) device. In many cases, the 32TB (2 x 16TB) SSDs allow transport operators to store up to a month’s worth of video footage.
- Some X7 models contain up to two built-in dual band Wi-Fi 6 cards, each capable of operating as an access point to provide high-quality passenger Wi-Fi.
- The X7 contains up to five 5G modems for industry-leading connectivity.
Details of the X7 follow Icomera’s announcement of the world’s first Wi-Fi 7 access point purpose-built for public transportation – the Icomera A2. By leveraging the increased throughput and reduced latency that Wi-Fi 7 offers, the new access point will facilitate faster and more reliable web browsing, streaming, downloads, and video conferencing for passengers, allowing them to stay connected more effortlessly while they travel.
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Tom Bates Icomera tom.bates@icomera.com
