GSM-R: Railways own mobile network

RailTel Corp, the 100 percent subsidiary of the Indian Railways, has decided to rope in private cellular operators to build a special mobile network — GSM-R — dedicated for railway officials.

GSM-R services will be available to a 2 lakh-strong CUG (Closed user Group) of senior railway staffers and will be available across its 63,000-km maze of tracks nationally. The GSM-R services will be available on a monthly rental basis and RailTel has decided to source GSM-R compatible handsets from leading cellular operators.

RailTel also plans to offer cellular coverage along its tracks to enable travelling passengers avail of mobile phone services seamlessly while on board.

It will also offer location-based addressing allowing loco drivers to dial a single number to contact the nearest station master depending on location of the train. GSM-R will enable one-way broadcast communication and allow calls to be established within small groups.

Source: isource updates