4GE LTE Modems for Bus Transport System

4GE LTE Modems for Intelligent Public Transport Monitoring

Västtrafik in Sweden is responsible for the public transport in all of Västra Götaland. They have 2,700 buses, trains, trams and ferries as well as 22000 stop locations.

All vehicles combined will be driven 390,000 km on average every day. This makes Västtrafik the second largest public transport company in Sweden. They also organise the transport, compile the timetables and decide upon routes and lines.

Business Challenge

There were legacy IT systems installed in every bus, train, tram and ferry to connect with passenger information system, driver safety system etc., and a GPRS modem was used for network connection. However, during years of running, Västtrafik was experiencing problems with narrow band and unstable GPRS connection, especially in rural areas. Due to these issues, the Swedish operators were also considering leaving the GSM/GPRS network for M2M communications.

Västtrafik realised that in order to achieve reliable, consistent 3G/4G LTE connectivity, they would need to upgrade to a more ruggedised modem. So they decided to choose a modern path with 3G/4G LTE compatible hardware.

Because of 3G/4G LTE’s instant handover time, high bandwidth, they could maximise the network availability, and provide seamless communication for in-vehicle IT systems for the future.

Solution

The LTE modem is used not only in the buses but also trams, trains and ferries across the country.   Each application has to undergo appropriate certifications to meet all the fireproofing and railway standards regulation demands.

Västtrafik tested solutions from several leading vendors and finally selected Robustel M1000-U4L LTE modem because of its sturdiness, network compatibility, and seamless connectivity performance during the trial.

Key Benefits for Customers

Robustel M1000-U4L LTE modem running provided Västtrafik in Gothenburg with the following

• CE, EN45544-2, E-mark certified
• 4G LTE and backwards 3G/GPRS compatible communication path
• Ruggedized lockable power connector
• Rugged Metal housing
• Wide range power input 12-36VDC
• GPS optional

For more information on Robustel modems available visit HERE.