Elon Musk's Starlink lined up to solve train Wi-Fi rage
Elon Musk's Starlink satellites are being looked at as a potential solution to solving the issue of patchy Wi-Fi on Britain's trains.
Train operators in England and Wales are examining whether the satellite-based internet provider could be used to boost connectivity after a six-month trial of the technology began in Scotland last month.
Starlink's constellation of more than 7,000 low-Earth orbit satellites could help maintain connectivity on the mainline when trains lose contact with a mast.
In addition to minimising lost internet connections, satellite connectivity would also allow passengers and staff to make Wi-Fi phone calls and allow accurate GPS-based tracking of trains.
Clarus Networks, based near Glasgow, is spearheading the push after securing regulatory approval to fit trains with Starlink equipment that was originally developed to provide inflight Wi-Fi on aircraft.
Jamie Duncan, the company's marketing manager, said: 'We're in discussions with a number of potential users. It's much quicker to implement than masts and much more reliable.'
While the cost of satellite Wi-Fi can be higher in some cases, Mr Duncan said it was generally competitive with installing cellular masts, especially in remote locations, and can sometimes match the cost of broadband fibre networks.
It comes as the Government prepares to unveil plans to improve on-train Wi-Fi through a collaboration between track owner Network Rail and private network providers.
While the initiative will focus on improving ground-based infrastructure, it is expected to leave room for satellite-based systems to eliminate remaining gaps in coverage.
Clarus is trialling Starlink technology for ScotRail on lines from Inverness to Wick, Aberdeen and Kyle of Lochalsh that often divert many miles from the nearest mast. The company said it was working with a number of train operators elsewhere in the UK.
Those include Transport for Wales (TfW), which runs trains for the Welsh government and plans to commence testing later this year after consulting with Clarus and ScotRail. A TfW spokesman said the trials were likely to be held on services from Cardiff to Holyhead and Manchester.
Mr Duncan said Clarus had also held discussions with FirstGroup about satellite connectivity and said the Department for Transport (DfT) had expressed an interest in the Starlink technology.
Tackling tunnels
While FirstGroup is set to lose its West Coast and Great Western contracts as a result of the nationalisation of the network, it plans to remain in UK rail via so-called open access operators including Hull Trains and Lumo, which operate on the East Coast main line.
FirstGroup said it had held 'exploratory conversations' with Clarus. The group's South Western Railway arm became the first operator in Europe to introduce superfast 5G Wi-Fi last month, days before the line was taken under state control.
Moves are also under way to address the loss of connectivity when trains enter tunnels, putting them beyond the range of both satellites and conventional masts.
LNER, which runs trains on the East Coast Main Line, said last month that in a first for the railway, a complex of tunnels outside King's Cross station had been fitted with a custom-built antenna system, boosting Wi-Fi links for passengers using the O2 and Three networks.
A spokesman for Network Rail described the Scottish experiment as 'an exciting innovation' and said satellites were likely to be 'part of the answer to securing decent mobile and Wi-Fi connectivity for passengers across Britain'.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: 'We are supporting train operating companies' trials to assess the suitability of satellite technology to deliver significant connectivity benefits for the railways.'
Separately, The Telegraph has learnt that BT has held talks with Starlink over a deal that could see it resell satellite dishes to consumers.
The tie-up has been under discussion for months as Starlink seeks to expand in the UK and sign more customers up to its broadband service. It also hopes to serve customers around the world with mobile phone signals from space.
For BT, a deal with Starlink could help deliver signals to hard-to-reach rural areas that are not cost-effective for fibre cables. The former telecoms monopoly already uses its satellites to carry signals to mobile masts to improve speeds and reduce so-called not-spots.
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