04/17/2024 – 11:21
Line 5 (Lilac) of the São Paulo Metro – which runs from Capão Redondo to Chácara Klabin, in the south of the city – will see a significant reinforcement in the 4G and 5G mobile internet signal within the stations and tunnels in the coming months. The concessionaire responsible for the line, ViaMobilidade, reached an agreement with the infrastructure company IHS Brasil and the operator Vivo to install and activate a set of specific antennas for data traffic in closed environments.
With this, the internet connection will be improved throughout the network. Until then, the signal from external antennas, placed at street level, was unable to fully reach users in underground transport.
The first installation will be at Campo Belo station and replicated at all remaining stations within 12 to 18 months. When ready, the new system should serve around 630,000 people daily.
“Line 5 of the São Paulo Metro has 17 stations, 12 of which are underground, with 12 kilometers of tunnels where the mobile signal cannot reach without a dedicated antenna system”, commented the operational director of IHS Brasil, Cassio Futuro. “We are implementing a state-of-the-art system using 5G and 4G so that mobile network operators can provide their services to end users throughout this transport system”, he added.
The model chosen for the operation was the DAS (Distributed Antenna System), which allows operators to connect their equipment and provide fast internet to large indoor environments such as subway stations, airports, shopping centers, hospitals, buildings corporate, among other places where there are physical barriers to signal propagation, such as concrete walls and metal structures.
The solution is considered by technicians to be one of the most modern DAS model projects in Latin America. The value of the investment was not revealed by the companies. The DAS infrastructure is owned by IHS Brasil, which will also be responsible for its operation, maintenance and monitoring through its Network Operational Center.
The set of internal antennas will be strategically positioned and connected by fiber optic cables, which will help provide and/or expand 4G and 5G cellular network coverage. Once installed, the infrastructure will be available for use by all operators. Vivo was the first to join the project with voice and data. TIM and Claro are also on the way.
The director of ViaMobilidade, Antonio Marcio, stated that the need for connection within the line's internal facilities made the company look for a solution that would meet the growing demands of metro users.
Vivo's Director of Network Planning, Elmo Rocha, emphasized that the telecom will be the first to join the project, offering 4G and 5G. “This project is an example of the commitment to offering the best connectivity to customers even if they are in coverage-challenging environments, such as tunnels and metro stations,” he said.
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