Eutelsat tested OneWeb Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity in Poland for the first time in a recent demonstration on PKP Intercity’s live rail network with a Kymeta terminal.
The Kymeta Kestrel u5 terminal was installed on a long-distance train traveling between Kozłów, Warszawa, and Tczew, and demonstrated switching between satellite and terrestrial technologies. Eutelsat did not report performance metrics at this time.
Systems integrator ACO Solutions led the demonstration, with Hispasat as the distribution partner and Eutelsat. Eutelsat explained that the solution interfaces with onboard and trackside systems. It supports passenger connectivity as well as operational communications and data services.
“We have a number of people running different data sessions to understand how the service works, to test the failover between satellite and cellular, [and] response times as we go through natural blockages in the region,” Drew Brady, Eutelsat director of commercial management, Land Mobility, said in a video about the test.
This comes after the Kestrel u5 terminal just received compliance with railway standards from European standards body TÜV Rheinland. Kymeta is now conducting connectivity trials with rail operators over the next 60 days and expects a full-scale rollout across European and global markets.
Joanna Siecińska, a member of the management board for finance and business development at PKP Intercity said the tests were successful and an “important step” toward connecting passengers.
“We were able to validate this solution under real operating conditions and explore technologies that could further enhance onboard connectivity, passenger comfort, and the overall travel experience in the future,” Siecińska said in a statement.
