JR East will promote 5G coverage by developing an “infrastructure sharing” business in which a single 5G antenna is shared by multiple mobile carriers. By developing 5G infrastructure facilities along railroad lines and providing them to multiple mobile carriers, JR East aims to improve convenience for station and rail users.
Compared to 4G/LTE, 5G has features such as high speed, high capacity, low latency, and the ability to connect many users simultaneously, but it also has issues such as short radio propagation distance in some frequency bands and being greatly affected by obstacles. JR East will provide 5G infrastructure facilities as an infrastructure sharing company, taking into account the characteristics of stations and the distances between stations, such as the many structural restrictions and the large number of users who move between stations.
Currently, 5G infrastructure facilities are being developed between Takanawa Gateway Station and Shinagawa Station on the Yamanote Line, and 5G services are scheduled to begin sequentially from summer onward, starting with mobile carriers that are ready. In addition, 5G infrastructure facilities were in place at a total of 21 stations, including Tokyo and Akihabara stations, by the end of March. In the future, the company will continue to promote the expansion of 5G coverage, mainly between stations within the Yamanote Line and at major stations and Shinkansen stations in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
© Source travel watch