Huawei and Southern African Railway Association (SARA) to build railway network

During the 2023 Southern African Railway Association (SARA) summit, Huawei signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOU) to build a railway network inland and ports with seamless connectivity, efficient tracks, and low-cost railway services in Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries.

SARA CEO Babe Botana and Huawei’s Southern Africa Transportation System Minister Li Mingqun signed the MOU on behalf of both parties.

The signing was witnessed by SARA Chairman Eng. Agostinho Francisco Langa Junior and Southern Africa Enterprise Business Minister Guo Guoqing, as well as all SARA members and member railway operators.

SARA chairman Eng. Agostinho Francisco Langa Junior said that FRMCS is crucial to the digital transformation of the railway industry. The Southern Africa region rapidly need to implement standardized technical guideline based on FRMCS on a single technology a truly integrated regional rail system.

Both parties selected LTE-based FRMCS technology as the guideline for railway train-to-ground wireless standards in Southern Africa.

FRMCS-LTE has long-term evolution capabilities and it can smoothly adapt 5G-based FRMCS. Simultaneously, the railway ecosystem of the entire solution also has commercial capabilities and can be taken as the best choice for relevant railway operators.