NSN strengthens Norwegian railway's network

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) will be providing its core network platforms with automatic traffic sharing functionality to Norwegian railways, for the up-gradation of its GSM-R (GSM railway) core network.

NSN will be enhancing the railway's existing core network elements at the primary site, and will deploy an additional core network platform. The additional network at distant location will carry the full traffic in case of any disaster or during maintenance activities at the primary site.

Under the contract, NSN will upgrade the railways' existing R99 core platform with its R4 core platform at the primary site in Trondheim. The company will also deploy an R4 platform to build a backup network at a distant location, which comprises mobile softswitch, mobile gateway, and circuit switched data server with load sharing functionality.

The vendor will also provide its Railway@vantage 5.0 intelligent network (IN) platforms with load sharing functionality, as well as its subscriber data management platform including the One-NDS subscriber profile repository, and the NT-HLR (New Technology Home Location Register).

It will be integrating its virtualized network management system, NetAct to provide consolidated configuration and monitoring in the GSM-R network.

''Our advanced core network platforms with load sharing functionality will ensure that the network elements work as an active as well as a backup system. This will help Jernbaneverket avoid overload in the network, reduce or eliminate downtime during maintenance activities or any disaster and strengthen reliability of communications,'' said Terje Hoemsnes, head of the Jernbaneverket customer team, Nokia Siemens Networks.