Japan's Shinkansen High-Speed Rail Upgraded: Supports 5G Windows, Noise-Canceling Carriages
Japan's Shinkansen is one of the earliest high-speed rails globally, reaching speeds of up to 285 kilometers per hour. However, after many years, some of its technologies have become outdated. Japan Railways (JR) is now beginning upgrades, bringing two major improvements: 5G and noise reduction. JR announced these technological upgrades last month, initially deploying them on six trains. The 5G window technology comes from Japanese company AGC, utilizing glass fiber conformal antennas embedded in the windows to connect signals to in-car Wi-Fi units.
Traditional methods rely on 5G signals being transmitted to the carriage and then reflected within, finally connecting to Wi-Fi. The new 5G windows and conformal antennas help enhance 5G signal strength, resulting in faster and more stable in-car Wi-Fi.
The second upgrade is noise-canceling carriages, with technology provided by Japanese company NTT, using their PSZ (Personalized Sound Zone) soundproofing kit. The technology works similarly to noise-canceling headphones, determining sound waveforms and inverting them to cancel out noise.
JR stated they adopted this technology because many passengers dislike wearing headphones. Therefore, with the PSZ noise-canceling carriages, passengers in premium carriages can freely watch videos or play games on their Switch without enduring train noise.
According to JR's description, the Shinkansen's 5G and noise reduction features are only available in select premium carriages, not a full upgrade of the entire train, likely primarily for high-end passengers.