Emerging Market Communications

1 Emerging Markets Communications is a global satellite and terrestrial communications company

specializing in delivering network services.

2 Advantage of satellite communication:

2.1 In isolated areas / areas without other type of communication coverage.
2.2 The large bandwidth, allowing big data volume transmission (video conferences,
remote training, easy access for all personnel to technical data in real time, etc)

3 Disadvantages:
3.1 They DON'T have their own backbone, the (optical fibre cable) connections between
various places on the field. They “rent” the backbone from an existing network. So they
cannot work in areas without existing physical network.
3.2 High cost of this type of communication (generally, it is aiming the satellite based
users).

4 Possible use at SRO:

4.1 Tracking freight wagons on line 2. Taking into account the fact that SRO may use
public communication (back-up with his own GSM-R future updated network) for this
functionality, it result that the EMC systems could be rather a back-up solution. To use it as
back up, may lead as un-reasonable report cost/performance. More, for being able to transmit
their position via satellite, the devices mounted on the wagons may request stronger emitters /
batteries / power supply than in the case of using GSM-R.
4.2 IF the EMC systems are already in place, they could be used also for
4.2.1 Train-driving assistance software
4.2.2 Video-conferences
4.2.3 Remote training
4.2.4 Remote assistance for maintenance or operational intervention
4.2.5 Fast synchronising needs
4.2.6 Fast access of SRO staff to any available data

5 The above SRO functionalities can be achieved either by EMC systems (or similar) or by GSM-
R. They both can ensure the fulfilment of the SRO needs.
For the areas where SRO has to use existing non-SRO networks as backbone, an internal
financial analyse shall be made between those 2 tools (EMC / similar to install versus GSM-R to
develop). It is possible that the GSM-R solution to be more cost-effective, if compare:
5.1 Cost for satellite communications plus using non-SRO network as backbone. Cost has
the characteristic of renting a service.
5.2 Cost for upgrade of SRO GSM-R system, including SRO communication network.
Cost has the characteristic of an investment in SRO assets.

6 The volume and the “geographical positioning” of data used at SRO are not really justifying a
satellite communication infrastructure, for the moment.

7 EMC is not the only company in the field, but it seems to have a relevant experience. It is
recommendable to keep it in the SRO database and be open to presentations that they intend to
do, with focus also on the financial aspects of the proposed systems.