Microwave Journal
www.microwavejournal.com/articles/34435-rfs-expands-underground-footprint-with-presence-in-41-percent-of-metros-worldwide

RFS Expands Underground Footprint With Presence in 41 Percent of Metros Worldwide

August 12, 2020

Radio Frequency Systems (RFS) announced that major project wins in H1 2020 have brought its metro footprint to 41 percent worldwide.  

RFS has a long history of providing high-tech in-tunnel solutions, including working on global projects such as the Beijing Metro, London Underground and New York Subway. It also set the world record for in-tunnel download speeds in the FolloBahn deployment in Norway in 2018.

RFS’s metro deployments in numbers:
- 82 metros worldwide use RFS RADIAFLEX cable for in-tunnel consumer and critical communications
- Metros using RFS’s radiating cable have a combined daily ridership of 134 million
- This includes a presence in 60 percent of North America’s subways and 49.25 percent of all metros across Europe

All deployments take advantage of RFS RADIAFLEX® radiating cables, patented by RFS in 1972, they form the communication backbone for some of the world’s busiest metros. RFS has constantly evolved the capabilities of its radiating cable with the latest version supporting all mission critical and commercial wireless services, working in all 3GPP bands up to 3.8 GHz. RFS’s unique mode suppression technology allows the ultra-broadband cable to work with no stopbands. This enables 4G connectivity today, whilst also anticipating future requirements. This gives customers the flexibility to migrate to 5G without further infrastructure investment.  

The cable is technology agnostic, giving complete flexibility to customers, supporting mixed configurations and multi-operator or shared infrastructure deployments. It is also specifically designed to meet the challenges of MIMO deployments. Using a combination of horizontally polarized and vertically polarized radiating cable, RFS enables the capacity and throughput needed for commercial 5G deployments. Additionally, the cables are designed to meet the highest fire safety requirements and are certified according to European Construction Product Regulation (CPR) and UL 2196.

Product Manager Indoor Solutions Business Unit Cables, Axel Schroeder, commented, “In-tunnel is one of the most challenging environments when it comes to RF coverage. It speaks volumes that even after nearly 50 years, our RADIAFLEX cable is still the go-to solution for tackling that tough environment. It has constantly evolved to overcome new challenges and continuously and consistently deliver reliable connectivity for consumers and emergency comms alike. As the world continues to move in the direction of connectivity everywhere, we’re delighted that when it comes to in-tunnel environments, municipalities across the globe know RFS has it covered.”