Broadband internet via satellite aboard the Thalys
ESA TV Exchanges
Thanks to space technology it is now possible for train passengers to surf on the Internet. This week Thalys is launching the full commercial operations for a Wireless broadband Internet service on board high speed trains. This achievement is the result of the project ""Broadband to trains"" initially sponsored by the European Space Agency. It enables the international railway company to deliver true broadband Internet access to passengers travelling between Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Cologne.
For more info on this subject please check the script that is online as a PDF file under :http://television.esa.int/photos/EbS57131.pdf
A WMV preview clip is online under :http://esa.contentcoders.com/mphi/thalys_TV_10-05-08_wmphigh.wmv
The same set of files is also available on the e-vision ftp.

This is the updated version from 2008, replacing an old English version from 2005.
The old Gen2 BETA SP is taken away from Préférence and destroyed. The French version was NOT updated.
Broadband Internet via satellite aboard Thalys
10 00 42 Image: Aboard Thalys train equipped carriage
Aboard Thalys one can appreciate the comfort and the speed, look at the scenery, read the paper, have a drink, or work with or without a laptop. Thanks to space technology one can now surf on the Internet with a wireless connection. A project from the European Space Agency is now commercialised: the user can be connected to the web and benefit, while travelling at very high speeds, of all the resources offered on Internet!
Image: 21Net animation explaining satellite relay for broadband wireless access in Thalys
The principle is simple: a satellitetracking antenna on the roof of the train ensures a permanent link with a telecommunications satellite. The link is then relayed inside the