Dubai Metro
2009
The new Dubai Metro, billed as the most advanced urban rail network in the world, is run by the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). It opened on the 9th September 2009 and will consist of 47 stations and 79 train sets to run on its Red and Green Lines. In full operation, Dubai Metro is projected to carry around 355 million passengers per year.
A key passenger service for the new Metro is passenger WiFi. The RTA selected Dubai's new mobile operator, du, to supply the passenger WiFi service on all trains and stations. For their WiFi service du wanted to provide a seamless connection for users between stations and trains without loss of connection at any point, so that passengers could enjoy a high-speed experience at all stages of their journey.
du ran a competitive tendering exercise to find a partner to provide the Metro WiFi service and who could meet their demanding technical requirements. Largely due to the proven ability of the Nomad system on multiple projects worldwide, Nomad was selected as the partner to provide the WiFi network.
Nomad's ability to provide a seamless connection between multiple-bearers, and knowledge of trackside WiMAX, meant Nomad understood the technical challenge presented by du for delivering a high-speed transport solution. Considered a world first, Nomad has provided du with an end-to-end solution for passenger WiFi delivering a seamless train and station network.
Nomad has worked with Motorola, who have installed the trackside WiMAX network, to produce the world's first full 802.16e WiMAX network for train to shore communications. The system will offer guaranteed WiMAX speeds of 2Mbps, in practice achieving much higher bandwidth. The system uses a deployment of Cisco CAPWAP technology, a world first for deployment in a mobile environment.
The launch of the Dubai Metro marks a major milestone for Dubai. As the world’s longest and the Middle East’s first fully automated, driverless rail transport system, Dubai has achieved a phenomenal feat. Built in only four years, the Metro has been designed to connect strategic points in Dubai, enabling Dubai’s citizens to now move freely within the city.
As a combined effort, Nomad, Motorola, Cisco, Dubai’s RTA and du have all collaborated to complete the system for launch on the 9th September, enabling connectivity to all train-sets, trackside and operational stations.
