ANALYSIS & OPINION: FTTH IN EUROPE
ON THE
RIGHT TRACKS
Why the UK’s nationwide rail network should be a strategic component of Digital Britain
MARK WELLER O
nce implemented, Network Rail’s new £2bn state-of-the-art signalling system should improve operating safety and achieve interoperability
with other European countries. Named ERTMS, it will also allow the rail network to run many more trains, and closer together, thereby accommodating significant additional rail capacity – without laying new rail tracks. Tis will be music to the ears of train
companies and the many thousands of hard- pressed rail passengers and commuters. But they won’t be the only ones. Hopeful telecoms providers and operators will be taking note too, but for altogether different reasons. Network Rail has the UK’s third largest
telecoms network. Along with a footprint accounting for 75 per cent of the UK rail network comes 17,000km of trackside fibre, and 2,700 mobile cell towers. Te network also offers a key strategic advantage by definition of it being first and foremost, a transport network. By tapping into core fibre along key rail routes, telecoms operators could potentially bring full-fibre services within
24 FiBRE SYSTEMS n Issue 26 n Winter 2020
easier reach of customers, especially under- served communities and businesses around the country. Mobile operators upgrading their radio access networks for 5G could also gain valuable additional capacity.
Negotiating roadblocks However, the hard truth is that gaining access to this veritable treasure trove is not going to be that easy. Tere are a few significant roadblocks that need negotiating before going any further. For one, Network Rail needs all its existing fibre for itself; to manage safety- critical systems including signalling, trackside maintenance, CCTV monitoring, telephony and more. Understandably, this is their priority. Terefore, new and totally separate fibre
would be a prerequisite for carrying telecoms traffic. Unfortunately, for many fibre network providers and wholesalers, the upfront investment cost will likely be too high, and return on investment will take too long. For a few, however, with the specialist
trackside fibre rail expertise and significant capital investment behind them, it’s a different
www.fibre-systems.com @fibresystemsmag
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