Clear CinCom-Cellular Network Services

As a first in Europe, Clear CinCom has performed an on-track measurement analysis of EoG (ETCS over [E]GPRS) packet switched performance data. Normally this type of data is tested in a static lab environment, but using a specially fitted testing train from Eurailscout, the engineers of Clear CinCom were able to collect live KPIs in accordance with the draft O-2475 packet switched test specification for GSM-R networks that support both GPRS and EDGE.

The tests were conducted on the Dutch “Hanzelijn”, an ETCS level 2 track between the cities of Lelystad and Zwolle, over a length of 50km which include a tunnel and six EDGE enabled GSM-R base transceiver sites.  The findings of the radio telecom consulting firm were used to verify the draft EoG standard.

According to Clear CinCom director Martijn Kuijpers, this assignment came with specific challenges. “We developed a bespoke RF QoS measurement application with a client mounted in our testing train and a fixed server on the land-side. The two entities measured the packet switched KPIs, which allowed us to deliver detailed reporting to ProRail, which is the Dutch railway network operator. We used our in-house developed cloud-based network analysis reporting software to deliver the results to our client, which significantly increased the speed of our reporting and gave us a more productive back and forth with the client to deliver the results in a way that was most useful to them”.

KPIs collected were taken from the draft Subset093 and O-2475 specifications and included PS mode service setup (PS-SS), Network Registration Delay (NRD), Attach Delay (GPRS-AD), PDP Context Activation Delay (PDP-CAD), Transaction Transfer Delay (TTD) and ETCS DNS Look-up Delay (ETCS-DLD). The part of the GSM-R network from which the KPIs were collected were based on Nokia’s Flex-BTS solution. The testing train used by Clear CinCom contained a Funkwerk MT5E Rel.04 radio module for the GPRS and EDGE networks and a TrioRail TRC5 for GPRS.