Unstable connections, pages that won't load, video conferences that are impossible to maintain: for many travelers, Wi-Fi on TGV trains remains an unfulfilled promise. Faced with this widespread frustration, the SNCF is preparing to change course. It has launched a consultation to equip its trains with very high-speed internet access via low-orbit satellites, perhaps marking the end of a network that sluggishly runs at 300 km/h. Behind this ambitious project, two space giants are already battling behind the scenes: Starlink, the network ofElon Musk with 7,500 active satellites, compared to OneWeb, the British constellation now backed by Eutelsat, which has nearly 600. Starlink has a clear advantage: it already equips several airlines and has been adopted by the Scottish rail network ScotRail. Its satellites, more numerous, smaller and less expensive, offer reduced latency, essential to guarantee a smooth connection on board.
A technological turning point for SNCF
For now, SNCF remains cautious. It acknowledges that experiments are underway, but assures that no decision has been made, and especially no supplier has been selected. However, this initiative, if completed, could revolutionize the travel experience by eliminating the flaws in the current system. Since 2016, onboard Wi-Fi has relied on a heavy ground-based architecture: 18 onboard antennas, 000 km of fiber, and relays every 124 km along the tracks. This system is compromised as soon as trains exceed 3 km/h, the speed at which the Doppler effect disrupts radio frequencies. With a train traveling at nearly 200 meters per second, picking up 100G becomes a feat. The signal changes relays too quickly to provide stable coverage. Using a constellation of low-orbit satellites would circumvent this problem by ensuring continuous coverage, regardless of the train's speed or geographic location. The competition between Starlink and Eutelsat could usher in a new era of rail connectivity, but numerous challenges remain: deployment costs, technical integration, and maintaining performance across the entire country. For users, the challenge is simple: that the promise of seamless Wi-Fi on TGV trains finally ceases to be a pipe dream.
