Icomera has announced that it has executed a contract with Amtrak to supply next-generation passenger Wi-Fi to select trains in the United States of America.
The contract is for five years with the option to extend for an additional two years. The first Task Order focuses on 20 trainsets on the popular high-speed Acela Express route which runs from Washington, D.C. to Boston via Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Icomera’s Proof-of-Concept was implemented on the first train in early March, and installation on the remaining vehicles will begin later this month.
Amtrak is the largest inter-city passenger rail operator in North America. More than thirty million passengers travelled on Amtrak in FY 2015, with a third of passengers travelling in the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Amtrak awarded the contract to Icomera through an RFP process in which it was seeking a company that provides an on-board Wi-Fi solution with a clear roadmap for future development and enhancement.
Stellan Ohrn, president of Icomera US, said, “Icomera is a global, rapidly-expanding technology company, with mobile Internet solutions connecting tens of thousands of vehicles and millions of passengers to the Internet every day in over 40 countries. Icomera’s tailored solution provides Amtrak with an advanced and technologically flexible plug-and-play on-board network.”
Lenetta McCampbell, senior director of passenger experience at Amtrak said, “Amtrak wishes to provide customers with an improved industry-leading Wi-Fi service of the highest possible quality throughout their journeys, making their experience more productive and enjoyable. Experience has shown that our riders will continue to place a significant and growing demand on our on-board Wi-Fi service. Icomera’s connectivity solution meets our performance requirements and offers us a suite of cloud-based tools for managing operations.”
