DUTCH infrastructure manager ProRail has awarded Nokia a contract to supply a fully cloud-native core for its GSM-R radio communications system. The value of the contract was not disclosed.
In what it describes as a global first for the rail industry, Nokia will supply, install and maintain the core cloud platform that includes a Nokia Assurance Centre, the packet core including a cloud mobility manager and cloud mobility gateway, registers, an intelligent network and data centre.
The project also includes upgrades for Nokia’s MantaRay NM single network management system for radio and mobile core system, Archive Cloud for automated network element back-up, and the Nokia network services platform for automating IP, optical and microwave networks.
The upgrade is part of a four-year project to extend the life of ProRail’s 2G infrastructure, which Nokia says will enable ProRail to reduce downtime and integrate new technologies as they emerge.
It will also cut long-term total cost of ownership, improve operational efficiency through real-time data exchange, and prepare for the introduction of the 5G-based Future Railway Mobile Communication System (FRMCS), now under development as the replacement for GSM-R as the radio and data communications backbone for ETCS.
“With the migration towards a cloud-native core network, we lay the basis for the next 10 years of GSM-R operation and prepares ourselves for FRMCS,” says ProRail mobile communications manager, Geert Laureijssen.
“By beginning the transition to a cloud-native architecture, ProRail is ensuring its communication systems remain secure, reliable, and open to future innovation,” says Emanuele Di Liberto, head of the global rail business at Nokia.
