Vodafone to Expand 5G Coverage to High-Speed Railways in Spain

Vodafone announced that a joint venture between Vodafone Spain and SEMI, a Spanish industrial group, has been awarded a five-year, €25.5 million contract by ADIF to enhance the high-speed train routes from Albacete to Alicante and Barcelona to Figueras with reliable 5G coverage. This initiative is part of the European Union's Recovery and Resilience Facility. 

The RRF is a crucial component of the European Union's plan to address the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It provides funding to support countries in implementing significant reforms and investments, which will aid in the creation of sustainable and resilient economies and societies that can adapt to digital and green transitions.

Spain's investment plan aims to speed up the shift towards a sustainable and low-carbon economy while reaping the rewards of digital transformation. The project also focuses on enhancing connectivity, improving the labour market, increasing innovation, and making public spending more effective and sustainable.

Julia Velasco, Director of Network for Vodafone Spain and Core & Services for Europe at Vodafone Group, said, "The deployment of our 5G network in Spain's high-speed infrastructures is another step in our strategy to digitise the regions in which we operate. Our technology will facilitate advanced logistics services and more efficient freight and passenger traffic management, favouring the ecological transition towards more sustainable transport."

The Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and the Urban Agenda's public company, ADIF, has received funding from the RRF to establish a smart railway system suitable for the current competitive and sustainable technological landscape. 

The contract won by Vodafone Spain and SEMI will assist ADIF in offering equal access to infrastructure, creating a modern railway system that incorporates cutting-edge technology (such as 5G), is cost-effective, and is environmentally friendly.

The collaboration requires designing, constructing, installing, and sustaining 5G infrastructures along these high-speed routes at 700 and 800 MHz frequencies. 

SEMI is responsible for the engineering and construction of the infrastructure, and Vodafone Spain will utilise Ericsson technology to implement the 5G network.

Governments worldwide face mounting demands to enhance public transportation safety, efficiency, and affordability. 

The solution lies in embracing technology to digitise travel, which can offer better visibility of transport services to providers, resulting in improved customer experiences.

In October 2022, we announced using self-driving trains on a 30km route from Bergedorf/Aumühle to Berliner Tor in Hamburg, Germany, relying on 4G network slicing. We've been testing the same capabilities using 5G technology too.

We aim to help improve our railways, making train travel more appealing and contributing to society's sustainability goals. 

We run Europe's most extensive 5G network, constantly enhancing 5G coverage and services.

5G is the newest and swiftest mobile network generation is 5G. It will enhance performance on smartphones and smart devices by eliminating lag and patchy connections and providing speedy, dependable downloads while on the go - such as travelling on a high-speed train.

The advancement of 5G technology will facilitate the expansion of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, allowing millions of devices to connect and share data through a single, high-speed network.

The digital future will be powered by 5G, and it will assist in constructing digital societies that are inclusive and sustainable across the globe.

Source: Vodafone media announcement