SNCF is preparing to launch a tender to equip its trains with satellite-based internet connectivity, joining other European rail operators looking to satellite technology to improve onboard connectivity.
In a statement to Reuters on Friday, the French state-owned rail company emphasized its intention to pursue “a resolutely innovative approach to strengthen connectivity and resilience,” by combining terrestrial networks with low-orbit satellite solutions.
This strategy aims to ensure continuous service across the entire country, including remote areas, and to provide higher-quality internet access for passengers onboard trains.
“The combination of satellite and 4G/5G would eliminate dead zones, offering a stable and fast service suited to new uses such as streaming or videoconferencing,” SNCF said.
Elon Musk’s Starlink and the French company Eutelsat are among the firms being considered for the contract, a source close to the matter told Reuters.
When asked by Reuters, SNCF did not specify whether it was holding discussions with particular providers.
An Eutelsat spokesperson said the company is already in talks with SNCF to set up a pilot project, as it has done in other countries, notably in the United Kingdom and Kazakhstan.
“We intend to submit a bid for the contract with our French partners such as Orange,” the spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Gianluca Lo Nostro, French version by Elena Smirnova, edited by Sophie Louet)