The subject matter of the contract is the implementation of a study to conclude on the potential feasibility for railway applications of current and future commercially available satellite communication services and products (equipment), as part of an integrated radio communication architecture with other radio communication networks.

In particular answers to the following questions have to be provided:

— Can unmodified (off-the-shelf) satcom services and products deliver solutions which can support voice and data applications for the following categories:

• as bearer for IP-based ETCS level 2/3 data application,

• as bearer for IP-based voice applications.

— When not or only partially: can modified off-the-shelf services and products deliver solutions for the abovementioned categories?

— On what geographical part of the European railway network could a satcom solution be used successfully?

— What are the conditions to create and implement suitable solutions?

— What could be the economic impact (cost savings) of satcom solutions compared with full terrestrial solutions?

With the results of the study, ERA will be better informed on the possibility to include satcom in the further discussions on the future railway radio communication system.