Electric rail masts to carry mobile kit?

Antennas could be fixed to railway overhead electrification masts to improve mobile communications for rail passengers. The DfT is offering £200,000 for trials following a review of the concept by consultant Mott MacDonald. With more than one-third of the rail network having overhead electrification, fixing antennas to masts would reduce the need to build bespoke masts at the trackside, says the consultant. “To achieve ultra-high track-to-train data speeds of 1Gbps-plus, thousands of small cells may be required, potentially spaced every 300 to 500 metres (circa) along rail lines.” Use of GB mainland overhead line equipment support structures to house small cells and wireless antenna is available at https://tinyurl.com/y2z4ow2u