Skip to main content

GSM-R market coverage grows nearly 50 per cent

GSM-R has been used in Europe for more than ten years to provide voice and data communications for railway and acts as a radio bearer for train control messages. Mandated by the European Commission and supported by the dynamic railway industry in the region, the GSM-R system has established a significant market in Europe. Over the past few years the market extended to regions outside Europe including Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. Led by Nokia, Kapsch CarrierCom, and Huawei, GSM-R track coverage
December 19, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
GSM-R has been used in Europe for more than ten years to provide voice and data communications for railway and acts as a radio bearer for train control messages. Mandated by the 1690 European Commission and supported by the dynamic railway industry in the region, the GSM-R system has established a significant market in Europe. Over the past few years the market extended to regions outside Europe including Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa.

Led by 183 Nokia, 81 Kapsch CarrierCom, and 6787 Huawei, GSM-R track coverage is growing to 190,000 km by 2020, according to 5725 ABI Research.

Despite being the latest technology that caters to railways needs, GSM-R itself is based on 2G GSM which is now a declining technology. However, in the absence of strong alternatives, GSM-R continues to be the technology of choice for many new railway projects. System evolution and the development of the next-generation networks go hand in hand creating a transition period over the 2020’s. “GSM-R structure is migrating to an IP-based transmission network to improve performance, and lower OPEX, and is a step towards the next generation network,” comments Ahmed Ali, research analyst at ABI Research.

LTE is emerging as a strong candidate to succeed GSM-R considering the growing adoption in the commercial sector and the support from the majority of equipment manufacturers. Embracing LTE-based networks introduces new areas of growth and new market players to the industry.

“One interesting scenario is the collaboration between public network operators and railway operators to create a converged network and reduce cost. With LTE, providers like 4054 Alcatel-Lucent and 5650 Ericsson can further improve the railway solution market and drive competition,” continues Ali.

I’ll send the news to Natalie next week. Have a great Christmas and best wishes for 2015.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Connected car devices market predicted to grow at 16.3 per cent by 2021
    April 6, 2017
    The latest research report from MarketsandMarkets indicates that the connected car devices market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 16.3 per cent from 2016 to 2021, to reach US$57.15 Billion by 2021. Some of the major factors responsible for the growth of the market are government regulations for safety and increasing electrification of vehicles. Connected car devices with dedicated short range communication (DSRC) as connectivity use short range communication technologies such as radar and Lidar, which
  • Half of new vehicles shipping in North America to have driverless capabilities by 2032
    August 28, 2013
    According to a new study by ABI research, the first driverless vehicles will appear in North America in the beginning of the next decade, evolving to more than 10 million robotic vehicles shipping in 2032. “While the technological feasibility of autonomous vehicles is being demonstrated by Google, Audi, Volvo, Bosch, and Continental, obstacles such as high costs and lack of legislation remain. On the other hand, the benefits of autonomous vehicles in terms of safety, cost savings, efficiency, and posit
  • Full electric vehicle shipments to exceed 2 million by 2020
    October 11, 2013
    According to ABI Research, the number of full electric vehicles (EV) shipping yearly will increase from 150,000 in 2013 to 2.36 million in 2020, representing a CAGR of 48 per cent. Asia-Pacific will exhibit the strongest growth, driven by mounting pollution issues in its many megacities; however, true mass-market uptake will only start happening in the next decade.
  • Connected car market expected to reach US$131.9 billion in 2019
    February 3, 2014
    The latest report from Transparency Market Research, “Connected Car Market – Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 2013 – 2019,” provides in depth analysis, market size estimates, market shares, and forecast covering the period 2013-2019 for the connected car market across the globe. It discusses market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and market trends. The global connected car market is primarily driven by the changing consumer preference and growing awareness about sa