China finds way to connect mobile network on 1,000 km/h train

China is working hard to develop a new generation of high-speed trains that travel through near-vacuum tubes using magnetic levitation technology to reach speeds of 1,000 km/h, faster than commercial aircraft.

China is currently the only country making efforts to pursue 1,000 km/h maglev train technology. (Photo: Baidu)

Currently, high-speed trains in this country operate at speeds of 350 km/h and can connect to 5G services provided by telecommunications carriers, ensuring connectivity even in long tunnels.

However, maintaining a network connection between mobile phones and base stations becomes extremely difficult when trains travel at speeds close to the speed of sound.

The reason is that as the phone rapidly approaches and moves away from the base station, the frequency of the signal it receives changes, while high-speed data transmission depends heavily on a stable high-frequency signal.

In addition, installing and maintaining broadcasting stations in near-vacuum tubes is also very difficult. If an antenna falls out due to vibration, it can pose a serious danger to a train moving at high speed.

Recently, a research team at Southeast University (Nanjing, China) discovered that simply placing two parallel cables on the inner surface of the pipe can solve the problem of installing a broadcasting station.

These special cables can "leak" electromagnetic signals to maintain a continuous and stable connection between smartphones and carriers.

In addition, by using efficient coding techniques and adjusting some key signal parameters, disturbances caused by frequency changes can be better overcome. Initial computer simulations verify that this solution can maintain stable communication quality during data exchange under the current 5G standard.

China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation has built the world's largest research base on vacuum tube maglev in Datong, Shanxi Province, and begun high-speed propulsion tests on prototype vehicles.

Several Chinese cities are also seeking government approval to build the first commercial maglev lines.

This revolutionary ground transportation method, called “hyperloop”, was first proposed by billionaire Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX. Similar technologies could also be used to launch spacecraft into space at lower costs.

However, billionaire Musk abandoned the project late last year due to technological and financial challenges, leaving China as the only country currently developing maglev technology.

Hua Yu (Source: SCMP)

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