Superfast broadband set for planes, trains and boats
Superfast broadband set for planes, trains and boats
Superfast broadband connections could soon be available on boats and planes travelling in the UK and beyond.
Telecoms industry watchdog Ofcom has approved the future use of satellite technology for transport operators to provide internet connection speeds up to 10 times faster than those currently available.
Ofcom’s decision has authorised the use of ‘earth stations’ – equipment mounted to moving vehicles which connect to a satellite to provide the broadband connection. Although wi-fi and connections via smartphones are available on transport, Ofcom says speeds have been limited by the standard of technology in more remote areas.
The watchdog is opening up an area of high frequency spectrum for the new earth station-satellite connections, which it says will have capacity for a large amount of data. The decision was taken after improvements in the reliability of the earth station technology which has allowed the equipment to maintain a link with the satellite at even very high speeds.
Ofcom’s group director of spectrum, Philip Marnick, said: “We want travellers to benefit from superfast broadband on the move at the kind of speeds they expect from their connection at home.
“[The] decision means that operators of trains, boats and planes will soon be able to begin the process of making these valuable services available to their passengers.”
Ofcom will provide licences for transport that travels into other countries but domestic train services will be able to adopt the technology without a licence.
It is expected that the infrastructure to licence ships will be up and running by next month. Ofcom is working with the Civil Aviation Authority to set up the steps to licence planes, which it hopes will happen shortly afterwards.
The first earth station connections are expected to be up and running within the UK before the end of this year.
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