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Internet on trains: A multi-criteria analysis of on-board deployment options for on-train cellular connectivity

A train journey could be an ideal moment to answer a phone call, read an e-mail or browse the Internet on a personal device such as a smartphone, tablet or laptop. Unfortunately, a train is a very challenging environment to provide a mobile network service to due to attenuation and bad coverage leading to dropped phone calls and unreachable Internet services. Improving mobile network service on-board trains, however, is costly and should be planned carefully. A multi-criteria comparison of different deployment options is therefore essential toward an optimal investment decision. But, the impact of the choice of on-board distribution system is often overlooked. This article compares three types of on-board signal repeaters side-by-side: IP-based data access points, wideband repeaters and small cells. The differences in terms of network coverage, human exposure, deployment cost, revenue model and telecommunications policy are analyzed for each of them.