Karel Foundation: reliable livestreaming in trains

Since 2020, the Karel Foundation from Drunen has been operating a special charter train, with all proceeds going to KWF. A unique project that allows everyone the opportunity to travel in a different way with a group rather than by bus. Charter train renters include both private groups (weddings, birthday parties) and businesses (transport to a meeting, staff outings, product presentations). According to Dennis Münninghoff, the reaction is always the same at the end, ‘’Are we there yet!’’ According to Münninghoff, travelling by train is a very social activity. ‘’In a bus, you sit still and are not allowed to move around. It’s very different in the train. You can get up, change seats, take a look in the cabin, or enjoy delightful catering, ‘’says the initiator of this project.

Since even broadcasters have discovered the train, with both Radio4 and Veronica broadcasting from it, the question arose whether it was possible to have a fast and stable internet connection on the train. Companies also want to stream their gatherings and require a connection. Through contacts at the broadcasting companies, Peplink solutions quickly came into view, and contact was made with Frontier. Münninghoff said, ‘’In a highly pleasant collaboration, a choice was made for equipment and antennas that work very well. There have been several trips where these connections were used, and they ran smoothly.’’

Following Frontier’s advice, a Pepwave MAX HD4 was deployed. It’s not the latest model, but it’s a modem that has proven itself. During the first test ride, it was clear that it worked well. Along with the MIMO 5G-ready antennas, there was more than enough bandwidth available along the entire route (across a large part of central and western Netherlands) to set up a live stream on the internet.

Now that there is a permanent solution on the train, the foundation is receiving more requests from parties wanting to make use of it. ‘’We expect that in 2024, the number of trips will increase, purely because we can offer more in this area than other charter trains. And that’s only good for KWF, as they benefit from every trip we make’’ Münninghoff said. Due to the pandemic, Karel had a difficult start, but last year, 41,000 euros were donated to KWF. This amount will likely go in the same direction this year.

The volunteers within the foundation are also considering sharing information during trips with interested parties, even if the client doesn’t need a connection. By sharing images, as well as the information about the train’s location and condition, more connections with the outside world will be established. This will only increase the awareness of Karel.’’