Government targets 2030 for full 5G on railways, with satellite boost for rural routes

"The government has given itself until 2030 to build out reliable 5G phone coverage across the UK's railway network. However, it is exploring the use of low-earth-orbit satellites to enhance Wi-Fi services inside trains in rural areas where standard 5G coverage may be limited. In a written response to an enquiry from the Liberal Democrat Spokesperson, Clive Jones MP, the government's response was that their "ambition is for all populated areas to have higher quality standalone 5G by 2030." A full decision on how and where coverage will be boosted is expected by the end of next year, giving phone companies just four years to roll out coverage upgrades in the selected key locations."

"Kanishka Narayan MP, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology) added that the Department for Transport (DfT) also recently secured funding to introduce low-earth-orbit satellite connectivity on all mainline trains, which will significantly improve both the availability and internet data connection speeds for Wi-Fi connected passengers. As it happens, the UK government is a minority shareholder in the low-earth-orbit operator, Eutelsat OneWeb, having invested £500 million in July 2020 to buy OneWeb out of bankruptcy. It later merged with Eutelsat, leaving the UK with a 10% stake in the firm. The tender document for the satellite connectivity was issued in August and indicates that, as part of a wider project to upgrade train Wi-Fi services, they want to include low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite internet connectivity to enhance the existing mobile network operator connections."

The government set 2030 as the target to deliver higher-quality standalone 5G across populated areas and to extend reliable 5G coverage along the UK rail network. A decision on which locations will receive coverage boosts is due by the end of next year, leaving network operators four years to implement upgrades in selected key locations. The Department for Transport secured funding to add low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite connectivity on all mainline trains to improve Wi‑Fi availability and speeds. The UK holds a minority stake in Eutelsat OneWeb following a £500m investment, and a tender for LEO-enabled train Wi‑Fi was issued in August. HS2 train Wi‑Fi upgrades are excluded.

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