Those who sit on the train often work or have time to surf the Internet, chat or stream films. Poor internet and poor cell phone reception are therefore a nuisance for many travelers who travel by train throughout Germany. On the other hand, the railway now wants to take action with the help of lasered window panes, the company announced on Sunday. A pilot project is running for the first time in two regional trains in Bavaria, Berlin and Brandenburg.
Expectations are high, as are the company’s promises. Deutsche Bahn announced up to “100 times better mobile phone reception” through the so-called frequency-permeable window panes. And that too in a way that conserves resources, according to DB Board Member for Digitization and Technology Daniela Gerd tom Markotten in a statement: “We don’t need a single new train disc. Once lasered, the discs allow mobile communications signals from all providers and all current and future mobile communications standards to enter the train almost unhindered Train.”
The fact that the train windows worsen the reception at all is due to a wafer-thin metal layer with which the panes are coated. This keeps the heat from the high levels of solar radiation out of the trains, explains the railway company – but it also shields the mobile phone waves. The laser is used to work a fine network structure into the metal layer, which means that mobile phone signals can get through better. The heat protection is changed only minimally.
Passengers are currently benefiting from regional transport on the Südwestbayernbahn and the Elbe-Spree network, with more trains to follow. According to Deutsche Bahn, new trains in long-distance traffic should already be equipped with mobile phone-permeable panes, such as the ICE 3neo or the ICE L.
Sources: Deutsche Bahn, DPA
