Case Study: SBB achieves seamless railway communications modernization with Ericsson IMS/VoLTE integration

Ericsson– Integrating GSM-R with IMS/VoLTE for Swiss railways

SBB, Switzerland's national railway operator, faced a critical challenge when Swisscom announced the decommissioning of its 3G network, which SBB relied upon to maintain communications outside GSM-R coverage. This shutdown threatened to disrupt railway operations, so SBB needed to migrate its legacy GSM-R system to a future-proof solution within a tight two-year timeline. They partnered with vendor Ericsson to implement an IP Multimedia Subsystem with Voice over LTE (IMS/VoLTE) to address this complex integration.

Ericsson delivered a seamless IMS/VoLTE solution that was integrated with SBB's existing GSM-R network, ensuring continuous service without operational disruption. The project was completed on schedule, achieving regulatory approval and successful field tests. As a result, SBB migrated hundreds of trains and devices to the new technology well ahead of the 3G shutdown, ensuring reliable future communications and setting a benchmark for digital transformation in critical rail infrastructure.

SBB