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Home > About Us > News Room > News Releases > TRLabs to Co-Develop Technology for China Railway TRLabs to Co-Develop Technology for China Railway
January 17, 2006 -- January 17, 2006 – Beijing – China Railway, the world’s busiest passenger rail network, will be offering advanced multimedia services to its passengers in future with the assistance of Canada-based (Edmonton-headquartered) TRLabs under the terms of an agreement signed today that will lead to the collaborative development and testing of a cost effective, wireless broadband solution for rail services.
The agreement between TRLabs, China Railway subsidiary China Railway Television Media Company Limited (CRSTV), and Pacific Telecom and Networks Limited (PTNet) will undertake the China Railway Train Digital Information System Project. The initiative, the first phase of which is expected to take one year to complete, aims to develop and implement a prototype rail car system that will provide passengers with access to TV and videos, phone and Voice over IP service, train and train station Internet access, and value-added services as diverse as online games, trading, shopping, banking, and advanced purchasing.
“The TRLabs team of researchers and a number of participating industry members brings strength to the significant technical challenge of bringing broadband wireless services to fast moving trains,” said TRLabs President & CEO Dr. Roger Pederson. “This initiative will enhance the strength of our research program as it continues to transition into market applications. TRLabs’ role as a technology partner of choice in this initiative also gives us a unique opportunity to serve as a commercialization connector for western Canadian companies participating directly in the project, or wanting to expand business operations and partnerships into China.” Pederson added, “We are appreciative of the support of Western Economic Diversification Canada and Alberta Innovation and Science in the exploratory phase of this project’s genesis.”
CRSTV Managing Director Wang Jing said China Railway’s network planning and railway information technology modernization plan is an aggressive plan. “This project, which caters to the advanced information needs of passengers, will accelerate our implementation of this ambitious plan. The cooperative partnership with PTNet and TRLabs is of strong value to us in addressing our technology implementation needs in railway trains and stations.”
"The China Railway Passenger Transport Services System has created a very unique enabling information infrastructure which supports innovative advanced technologies implementation, and will help create different business service models and cooperative structures with tremendous potential to capitalize for business along the China Railway right of way,” said PTNet Managing Director Stephen Lai. “PTNet is very pleased to have a project integrator role in this project, and to be working with strong project partners in bringing this project to life.”
Victor Doerksen, Minister of Alberta Innovation and Science, witnessed the signing ceremony during his 12-day technology mission to China and California. The framework for today’s agreement was created during Premier Klein’s mission to China in June 2004, when he signed a memorandum of understanding on scientific and technological cooperation with the Ministry of Science and Technology in the government of the People’s Republic of China. “This exciting project is the result of decades of strategic partnerships between Alberta and China,” said Doerksen. “The collaboration builds on TRLabs’ solid track record of developing technological solutions for industry challenges in a broad range of sectors, and it offers tremendous opportunities to Alberta companies.“
Collaborative research and development in Phase I of the initiative will include:
- Identification and agreement on the technological requirements to serve as the wireless backbone (i.e. Satellite or WiMAX technologies), and the service platform to be used in the trains and at the stations.
- Development of a cost effective, wireless broadband solution (a prototype) by the TRLabs Team, which includes participation by Alberta companies.
- Testing of the prototype by the TRLabs Team, and validation of the solution to be deployed, including the establishment of standards.
- Identification of currently available commercial and special content applications.
China has the world’s third longest rail network. Five thousand railway stations and 2700 passenger trains serve 1.6 billion passenger trips annually – a figure that is increasingly rapidly with increased living standards and new railway construction.
About China Railway Television Media Company Limited (CRSTV) (www.crstv.com.cn)CRSTV was set up with the support of the Railway Department and the Department of Radio, Film, & Television of the People’s Republic of China. CRSTV is devoted to providing train passengers with access to various entertainment and convenient communication by means of advanced technology and scientific management - satisfying passengers' ever-increasing demand for information, and providing useful data for national railway network construction and railway digital management.
About Pacific Telecom and Networks Limited (PTNet)
PTNet was founded in 1994 as a unique carrier-class service company and a leading project integrator of technology and business solutions, serving Telecommunications Service Providers throughout Asia. PTNet’s mission is to assist customers to maximize value and reduce risk by offering professional services and network solutions designed to realize business, technical and operational objectives. PTNet offers a spectrum of value-added services to carriers in strategy, business, financial and operational advisory, network planning and design, systems engineering and integration, project implementation and on-going customer support.
About TRLabs
TRLabs creates innovative technologies and trains students to enhance ICT expertise and improve Canada’s global competitiveness. Labs in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, and Winnipeg employ 250. With 49 partner members representing a unique synergy of industry, government, and university, research focuses on future network needs and demands: data networking, digital media, health, home technologies, network systems, photonics, and wireless communications. In its 19-year existence, TRLabs has trained 810 highly skilled university graduates, created 290 technologies adopted for use by companies, and generated 157 patents issued or filed.
About Alberta Innovation and Science (www.innovation.gov.ab.ca)
A department in the Government of Alberta, Alberta Innovation and Science coordinates research, science and technology activities, working closely with industry, research organizations and other levels of government. The department brings a unified focus to ensure excellent research in energy, information and communications technology and life sciences. The department’s priority is innovation. Support is focused on creating an environment that attracts skilled people, investment and initiatives to commercialize Alberta technology by connecting entrepreneurs to business mentors and investment capital, to help them develop ideas and research into viable products, within the province. These research and development investments build on Alberta’s strengths and are helping to develop a more competitive, knowledge-driven economy.