Kapsch is a Platinum Partner at the Middle East Rail 2012 international trade show in Dubai
Vienna, 23 January 2012 – The largest exhibition for transport technology in the Middle East takes place in Dubai between 30 January and 2 February, 2012. Kapsch CarrierCom, one of the world’s leading suppliers of GSM-R (Global System for Mobile Communications Railway) will showcase its solutions, services and applications based on technologies specifically adapted to railways.
“Middle East Rail is the perfect trade show to present Kapsch CarrierCom to the railway community in this exciting economic region. We have approximately 30 years of experience in analogue and digital wireless train communication and we continue to develop our solutions further. GSM-R technology, services and applications are not an “add-on” for Kapsch CarrierCom, instead they are a key business as this technology is integral for the further development of international railway networks, particularly in North Africa and the Middle East. GSM-R increases the cost effectiveness of the railway and creates an important competitive advantage for the railway operators against road traffic,” says Selim Bouri, Kapsch CarrierCom’s Middle East, Africa & Turkey Railways Sales Leader. “The largest European railway operators such as those in Germany, France, United Kingdom, Poland, Spain and Algeria rely on our expertise and our extensive experience. These customers chose Kapsch CarrierCom as a partner because we are able to deliver end-to-end solutions and act as a general contractor for the complete project. We can respond precisely and flexibly to our customer’s requirements. As a global leader and reliable partner, we are able to develop and implement future solutions together with the customer. We will present our extensive portfolio at the Middle East Rail 2012 exhibition,” concludes Selim Bouri.
First GSM-R railway-infrastructure implemented in Algeria
Kapsch CarrierCom successfully implemented a GSM-R infrastructure in Algeria and was confronted with extremely difficult desert conditions. The 2.5 million square km area has a starkly differing landscape with many valleys and mountains. Consequently, the Kapsch engineers had to precisely analyze the system’s requirements for each section. Despite these challenges, the 1,000 km route between Algiers and Béchar was implemented using the most modern wireless railway communications system. This network must withstand great heat, work over long distances and is also compatible with the international EIRENE standards. On 8 December, 2011 the first Algerian, and therefore African, GSM-R call took place. Kapsch CarrierCom is the first supplier to have this important reference on the African continent. Kapsch’s participation in all tenders for infrastructure development between strategic major cities in Africa and the Middle East also highlights the importance of these regions for Kapsch.
GSM-R enables borderless communication
GSM-R revolutionizes international railway traffic. With the inter-connection of the European GSM-R networks and using internationally standardized end-user terminals, cross-border communication using the same equipment is possible for international trains. In the past, trains had to be equipped with various wireless communication systems depending on the routing. Individual railway specific operating procedures also complicated the communication. Due to these complexities, GSM-R was defined as a uniform wireless communication system for the European railways as part of a European-wide convention (TSI-EIRENE). Numerous countries in North Africa and the Middle East also plan to use GSM-R because the unique system ensures that only one communication system is required on international freight and passenger trains. The time-consuming operation of different, national systems is no longer required. Freight and passenger trains are dispatched faster at the border and are more quickly handed over to the neighboring country’s railway operator.
Numerous additional functions for more convenience during rail travel
GSM-R offers the security of a well-proven technical system (GSM) as well as a number of additional functions such as the Gang warning system or electronic passenger information in a train. Many value-added applications such as ticket sales in the train, seat reservations as well as freight tracking can be implemented using GSM-R. Applications present an interesting growth market for Kapsch CarrierCom in the coming years. For this reason, Kapsch CarrierCom is permanently developing new solutions and enhancing existing ones. The applications are offered to customers as end-to-end solutions, which further expands Kapsch CarrierCom’s global GSM-R market leadership.
Kapsch CarrierCom is a reliable partner for leading railway operators
Kapsch CarrierCom provides its railway customers with the development and implementation of telecommunication solutions and the deployment of access, core and transmission networks. The worldwide supplier has successfully proven its expertise in the implementation of GSM-R solutions in Europe, USA and Africa. The leading company offers not only the implementation of GSM-R technology for network infrastructure, but also the development and maintenance of software for services and applications. Local customer support is an essential part of Kapsch CarrierCom’s project implementation and the establishment of an office in Abu Dhabi is currently being planned.
Kapsch CarrierCom expanded its customer base during the past years and its technology is present in multiple markets around the world. The close collaboration with the railway operators strengthens the company’s innovation, as new and individual solutions are constantly being created based on customer needs. Kapsch CarrierCom is one of the most important participants within the EIRENE process to introduce GSM-R Europe-wide and is a major contributor in developing applications in authoritative institutions such as ETSI TC-RT, GSM-R IG, UIC und ERA.
About Kapsch CarrierCom AG
Kapsch CarrierCom is a global manufacturer and independent system integrator of telecommunication solutions for railway operators and providers of access, core and transmission networks. In seven R&D centers in Europe and Asia, Kapsch CarrierCom develops applications and services for next generation networks and innovative OSS / BSS solutions. In addition, Kapsch CarrierCom provides an end-to-end service spectrum, which ranges from consulting, designing, installing and integrating, to maintaining, operating and supporting entire networks.
With 70,000 track-kilometers covered by GSM-R, Kapsch CarrierCom is an internationally recognized specialist and partner for railway operators such as the French railway RFF, the German railway DB and Network Rail in the United Kingdom. In the public operator segment, Kapsch CarrierCom’s customers include service providers such as the companies of the Telekom Austria Group and Chunghwa Telecom in Taiwan. Kapsch CarrierCom is part of the Kapsch Group and has its headquarters in Vienna. Additional information can be found on the Kapsch website www.kapschcarrier.com | www.kapsch.net.
For further information please contact:
Hans-Georg Mayer
Head of Products & Solutions PR, press officer
Phone +43 50 811 1706
Mobile +43 664 628 1706
Fax +43 50 811 3608
Kapsch AG | Am Europlatz 2 | 1120 Vienna | Austria
Verena Bibaritsch
Marketing & Communications
Phone +43 50 811 3601
Mobile +43 664 628 3601
Fax +43 50 811 98 3601
Kapsch CarrierCom AG | Am Europlatz 5 | 1120 Vienna | Austria
