UPDATED: Axell Wireless is Eurotunnel DAS provider
I was mildly intrigued by a story late last week stating that Eurotunnel was, thanks to “new technology” from Alcatel-Lucent, on the brink of bringing mobile services to the 30 odd miles of the Channel Tunnel. As the reports were very vague, most mentioning the same form of words — that Al-Lu had managed to “link mobile signals to an undersea tunnel” (say what?) — I wondered what this “new technology” would be. Well, today, Eurotunnel and its partners released further details.
Here’s the relevant parts of the release:
In line with its ambition to innovate and to improve customer service, Eurotunnel will install a 2G (GSM 900,DCS1800) and 3G (UMTS 2100) GSM-P telephone system which will allow Le Shuttle and high speed passenger train customers to use their mobile telephones inside the Channel Tunnel, in time for the Olympic Games.
Offering a wi-fi service 100 metres below the Channel, to the almost 20 million customers who travel through the 53km of the Channel Tunnel every year is a world first.
The installation, which will cost of €14 million, has been made possible by the signature of an agreement, on 06 March 2012, at the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industry by Eurotunnel and the telecoms operators in France, Bouygues Telecom, Orange SFR and Free.
The installation of this additional, mobile telecommunications service has been made possible as Eurotunnel is already in the process of installing the latest version of GSM-R1 railway signaling equipment. The choice of the same equipment supplier for both GSM-P and GSM-R, Alcatel-Lucent, will ensure the compatibility of the infrastructure and enable costs to be controlled whilst accelerating the installation.
The French operators will provide an extension of their 2G/3G coverage through the South running tunnel (running France-UK) via a radiating cable and repeaters positioned every 750 metres. The North running tunnel (UK-France) will be covered by British operators after the Olympic Games.
So, this “new technology” seems to be a result of deploying (fairly) traditional radiating feeder cable plus repeaters, with the added bonus of being able to use existing Alcatel-Lucent GSM-R signalling equipment, hence reducing the cost of installation.
Tell me in the comments if I’m wrong. I know you will.
(PS What’s also “quite interesting” about this is the multi-service (2G,3G,Wifi) aspect combined with the multi-operator part of the deal. It’s a model that many think could be a cost effective way of providing in-building and indoor coverage in other environments – effectively active network sharing where the active elements are owned by a third party (or proxy), such as a stadium or mall owner.)
(PPS: Also, I don’t understand why the France-UK tunnel is the south running tunnel. Shouldn’t it be the other way round?)
UDPATE: 12:25pm, 6/3/12: Axell Wireless is the DAS provider
We’ve had a note from Rob Bruce, Axell Wireless’ EMEA Sales Director, confirming that Axell is providing the DAS (Distributed Antenna System) to the project. Bruce told us, “Axell Wireless is using a fibre optic Distributed Antenna System (DAS) to propagate mobile signals, both voice and data, throughout the tunnel.
“Both the Northbound tunnel, for which mobile phone access is controlled by French mobile operators, and the Southbound tunnel, controlled by UK mobile operators, are being equipped with coverage equipment supplied by Axell Wireless. Timing regarding the provisioning and operation of services is under the control of the relevant operators.
“Consumer mobile services in the Eurotunnel will operate on a separate system to the specialist railway communications network, known as GSM-R, which is also being enabled using Axell Wireless technology.”
END OF UPDATE/