Welcome mission for better connectivity on trains
-"It is very gratifying that the government has now taken the next step in improving connectivity on board trains," says My Bergdahl, industry policy expert at TechSverige.
Increased rail travel is an important component in achieving Sweden's ambitious environmental goals - not least in terms of work travel. More and more travelers are also actively choosing the train and see the benefits of being able to work during the journey. According to the Government's broadband strategy, by 2023 everyone should have access to stable, good quality mobile services wherever they normally are. However, there are technical challenges in getting mobile signals into the trains and in dimensioning the coverage. No single actor can solve these challenges on its own, but collaboration and cooperation between several actors is needed. The government proposal is therefore very welcome.
In this work, the Swedish Transport Administration will assist the PTS with expertise and in the formulation of proposals.
-"We welcome the fact that the government clearly states that the Swedish Transport Administration has an important role to play. This is also something we have been calling for," says Lina Lagerroth, industrial policy expert at Tågföretagen.
"We now hope that we can contribute to the work so that we have a long-term, future-proof plan for how we can jointly address this challenge. It is important that we relate to how our neighboring countries and EU Member States act so that we do not get a Swedish special solution that prevents easy border crossing for trains, Lina continues.
In its work, PTS will maintain a dialog with the Swedish Train Companies and TechSverige.
-"The government's decision must be seen as a clear recognition of the work we have done together with our colleagues in the Swedish Railways and member companies," concludes My Bergdahl.