Nokia has been tapped to deploy a railway communications network for Bangkok’s urban rail system.

In collaboration with Singapore’s ST Engineering and Thai ICT firm First One Systems, the European giant will deploy an IP/MPLS-based backbone transmission network (BTN) for Bangkok’s Orange Line. Due to be completed by 2030, the 22 mile-long metro route will connect the east and west sides of Thailand’s capital city.

The BTN is designed to provide a high-capacity and secure communication system to run all railway applications on the line, including CCTV, passenger information, public address announcements, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA).

As part of the project for train operator Bangkok Expressway and Metro Public Company Limited (BEM), Nokia will develop 10G and 40G BTNs for a total of two for the route. These will be deployed to handle high-speed voice, data, and video traffic between stations and the Operations Control Center (OCC).

The kit includes the Nokia 7250 Interconnect Router (IXR), which has been utilized by the likes of CoreSite, Netplus, Microsoft, and Empyrion Digital on various projects.

Nokia’s 7210 Service Access System and the Nokia Service Platform will also see deployment, with the solutions touted as providing real-time visibility into network performance on the Orange Line route.

“Together with ST Engineering and First One Systems, we demonstrated engineering excellence and solution leadership, giving BEM the confidence to move forward with our solution for this prestigious initiative,” said Stuart Hendry, vice president, Enterprise Sales, Network Infrastructure, Asia Pacific, Nokia. “Our strong track record and learnings from delivering similar railway projects globally enable us to anticipate challenges and deliver a world-class solution."

“We are honored to be part of this landmark project … contributing our local expertise and strong integration capabilities to support BEM’s vision for safer and smarter rail transport in Bangkok,” added Terdsak Kijjatikankun, chief executive officer, First One Systems. “Our deep understanding of the local landscape, combined with Nokia’s proven technology and ST Engineering’s system integration excellence, ensures that this mission-critical communication system will meet the highest international standards."

The Bangkok deal follows Nokia’s recent tie-up with Deutsche Bahn to deploy a 1900 MHz (n101) 5G radio network solution with a 5G standalone (SA) core on live railway test tracks.

The partnership expanded Deutsche Bahn's ongoing trials with the vendor's 5G SA core and 3700 MHz (n78) radio network, while upgrading to include new 1900 MHz equipment from Nokia's AirScale portfolio.