Poland’s state-owned long-distance rail operator, PKP Intercity, will begin testing satellite internet on board its trains, with passengers taking part in the trials.
Passenger testing is due to begin in October on selected Pendolino high-speed trains, which operate PKP Intercity’s flagship long-distance services, Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said on Tuesday.
He added that, if successful, the technology could be introduced permanently.
“I hope the tests will go well and that we will be able to implement this solution systemwide, becoming one of the leaders in Europe—and, I dare say, in the world,” the infrastructure minister added.
Alan Beroud, chief executive of PKP Intercity, said the company is testing systems from several providers, including Starlink, the satellite-internet service operated by US company SpaceX.
Stable connection
He said PKP Intercity had previously tested the systems internally but not with passengers on a larger scale.
“Trials have been underway for some time. So far, we have used Starlink. We are now also working with other European companies,” Beroud told Polish state news agency PAP, without specifying the providers.
“We believe it is very important to have internet access throughout the journey, because it allows passengers, among other things, to work,” he said.
The move follows similar initiatives elsewhere in Europe. Italy’s high-speed operator Italo plans to introduce Starlink across its fleet after trials, while operators in the United Kingdom, including South Western Railway and ScotRail, have tested the technology. France’s SNCF has expressed interest in combining terrestrial and low-Earth-orbit satellite connectivity.
Most European trains rely on cellular networks for onboard internet access, and connection quality can be unstable as systems switch between mobile towers.
Satellite internet can help maintain connectivity in remote areas with limited mobile coverage, although performance can still be affected by obstacles such as tunnels and terrain.
Source: https://tvpworld.com/95300664/poland-pkp-intercity-to-test-satellite-internet-on-pendolino-trains
