Rikei Corporation (Head Office: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Satoru Isaka; hereinafter “Rikei”) is pleased to announce that it has begun selling TerraBridge, a new product from RADWIN (Head Office: Israel; President&CEO: Sharon Sher) that enables wireless connections between railway cars and between a railway car and the ground, in addition to high-speed data offloading* at a station.

*Data offloading: To eliminate problems caused by slow or bad connections due to increased data traffic from/to mobile phones, etc., data communication switches from a mobile phone network to a separate telecom network to distribute load.

Background of the market

The ubiquitization of smartphones, etc. has created an increasing need for passengers to use high-speed internet connections in conjunction with information delivery service apps, etc. In addition, along with the services for passengers, there is also an increasing need for high-speed communications environments enabling the real-time transfer of large amounts of data from monitoring cameras and security camera systems installed in trains and stations.

It is necessary to create an IP network to wirelessly connect the train cars. However, it is not easy to connect older train cars without IP connectivity, because of the difficulty of running new cables between the cars and securing installation locations while considering the restrictions placed on connection positions, the connection of different types of cars and wear and tear on the connections due to frequent attachment/detachment, etc. This means that currently there are significant labor and other expenses necessary for the preparation of special adapter devices and frequent maintenance, in addition to the designing of cars that consider connectivity.

Overview of new product

RADWIN’s new TerraBridge is able to establish high-speed 1.5 Gbps communications connections using 60 GHz-band millimeter-wave frequencies that require no licenses.
It is designed for railway services and enables wireless car-to-car connection and connection between a railway car and the ground.

The product has a small footprint and minimal visual impact, which enables flexible installation. Relative to Wi-Fi (5GHz/2.4GHz) wireless connections, there is no risk of interference with the other Wi-Fi systems. The car-to-car connection model disconnects the existing wireless link and begins scanning for a new connection when the connected car is changed. When it identifies a car to communicate with, a communication channel is selected automatically, enabling communication. It also aids high-speed data offloading and the transfer of monitoring video, etc. in train sheds and stations.

Rikei will sell the product to railway companies and also railway-related companies, such as car maintenance companies.

Features

・High-speed communications using millimeter-waves (60 GHz band), which require no licenses

・Total 1.5 Gbps throughput, 8-level modulation

・IP69K (high pressure steam cleaning)

・Performance superior to Wi-Fi (5GHz/2.4GHz) wireless communications

About RADWIN

RADWIN provides a complete suite of wireless point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and broadband mobility solutions. It supplies electricity to cars and ships for backhaul, broadband network connections, private network connections, and video monitoring transmissions and other applications.

About Rikei Corporation

Established in 1957, Rikei Corporation is a solution provider for the IT and electronics industries. Rikei offers a wide variety of solutions centered on the world’s cutting edge technologies and advanced products in the fields of system solutions, such as entrance exam and educational affairs systems and IT infrastructure, business strategy, and information security solutions. It also provides network solutions, such as satellite communication data transfer systems, digital video transfer systems, network systems for telecommunication operators and other private companies, wireless access systems, and disaster management information systems. In addition to solutions, Rikei provides electronic components and devices, such as high frequency components, high performance adhesives for industrial use, testers for automotive audio and navigation equipment, power grid analysis systems, defense-related machinery and security systems.

*Product and company names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.