Internet technology firm that's on the right track

Mar 18 2010 by Karen Dent, The Journal

The online revolution has created a generation of internet users who demand high-quality access to the web wherever they are, and a North East company is leading the way on the world's railways.

SET UP in 2002 by entrepreneur and motor racing aficionado Graeme Lowdon and business partner Nigel Wallbridge, Newcastle-based broadband on the move company Nomad Digital has quickly climbed the ladder to become the world’s biggest provider of on-train internet systems.

Passengers across the UK and Europe, the US, Asia and the Middle East can now surf the web thanks to its innovative technology, which has to be designed to fit the specific demands of each different country.

The Newcastle-based firm has just won a £1.5m contract to fit its system to 50 new trains being built for the Norwegian market.

Nomad’s equipment will be an integral in the brand new FLIRT trains being built by Swiss manufacturer Stadler for the Norwegian national passenger rail company NSB.

Although Nomad already provides broadband equipment for NSB’s existing trains, this is the first time its technology has been built into new trains – and not simply as a browsing tool.

NSB will use the system to monitor its energy usage and Stadler will tap into it to keep on top of on-train systems and maintenance.

Nomad’s UK regional manager Ken Kyle said: “They are using our technology to identify anything before it becomes a problem. These are the first new trains where it is being built as an integral part of the train. It is a good trend for us, it is increasing demand and will be a growth area.

“We’re starting to see our technology, which was on the periphery, now become more mainstream.”

The Norwegian rail network provided a particular challenge because the country has a fluctuating mobile network and miles of tracks inside tunnels.

The trains will switch between a number of different mobile operators during their journeys and Nomad had to create a system that was able to provide a constant connection of up to 5MB per second.

“The clever bit is the router that goes on the train, which can use whatever 3G [mobile] networks that are available – public and WiMax, which is private.

“We are using the public network, WiFi in stations and WiMax – a wide area WiFi – in the tunnels. The longest tunnel is about 6km.”