Trenitalia deploying latest Icomera passenger Wi-Fi technology on high-speed Frecciarossa fleets
Trenitalia has entrusted Icomera, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ENGIE Ineo, to deliver powerful and reliable passenger Internet on board its fleet of high-speed “Frecciarossa” ETR1000 and ETR700 EMU trains.
As part of Trenitalia’s commitment to an unrivalled passenger experience, a trusted and robust solution is required to meet increases in data availability, demand, and usage. Icomera’s award-winning X-Series mobile router platform will allow Trenitalia Frecciarossa passengers to enjoy high-performance Internet surfing using onboard Wi-Fi, keeping them productive and entertained throughout their journey.
Icomera’s cutting-edge X-Series platform offers unrivalled LTE-Advanced connectivity and presents a future-proof solution through state-of-the-art modular hardware. The solution is deployed in conjunction with Trenitalia’s custom-designed cellular antenna arrays for high-speed trains, strictly following the ST376575 Trenitalia specification. Icomera’s powerful X-Series routers will allow Frecciarossa fleets to also take advantage of mobile communication improvements such as LTE-Advanced Pro and 5G solutions, as they become available. This ensures that Frecciarossa’s passengers have, and will continue to have, access to industry-leading mobile communication solutions now, and in the years to come.
The work to retrofit the Frecciarossa 1000 fleet will be overseen under Trenitalia’s control, by Icomera’s new Italian office - The latest base of operations to be opened by Icomera in Europe, following the recently established office in Germany. With this ongoing expansion throughout Europe, Icomera continues to build on its reputation as the continent’s leading provider of mobile connectivity.
Paolo Attanasio, Director of Trenitalia’s Long-Haul Passenger Division, commented: "The competitive context of the High-Speed market and the goal of satisfying the needs of different customer targets, make innovation a primary element of our corporate strategy. A fast and reliable Wi-Fi connection is one of the keys to improving the Customer Experience of the journey: recent market research shows that customer satisfaction is growing thanks to the innovation path which, in 2019, will also see an increase in the range of services available on the onboard portal.”
Marco Caposciutti, Technical Director of Trenitalia's Rolling Stock Division, comments: “Trenitalia has invested many development efforts to implement this advanced passenger Internet service on its existing high-speed fleets during planned maintenance stops, without impacting on the whole fleets’ availability. The design collaboration with Icomera, HRI and the other technological partners involved in the project, has achieved one of the highest levels of global system efficiency, also guaranteeing very high performance for future developments."
Danilo Gismondi, Trenitalia CIO, commented: “It is Trenitalia’s goal to always offer the very best experience to passengers throughout their journey by providing a frequent, reliable service which entertains as it shortens distances. We are very pleased to be working with Icomera, whose long-established industry experience and powerful solutions will help to ensure that our passengers will continue to get the best travel experience well into the future.”
Pierre Codis, Icomera’s VP Sales for EMEA region, said: “Icomera is proud to be working with Trenitalia to upgrade Frecciarossa’s overall passenger experience and strengthen their bond with their customers through this ground-breaking and forward-thinking collaborative project. Encouraging sustainable mobility through attractive onboard services is at the heart of Icomera’s mission and we are extremely excited to bring these services to passengers in Italy.”
