Wifi TGV: SNCF finally wants to end the galley… thanks to Starlink satellites

The SNCF is preparing a major technological offensive: finally offer a stable and fast internet connection in its high -speed trains. According to The lettershe is about to publish a call for tenders at the end of 2025 to equip the TGV with a Satellite Internet Access.

Two candidates are identified: Starlink, the American ogre piloted by Elon Musk, and Eutelsat-Oteweb, European operator of Constellations in Low Orbit. The challenge: effectively cover the 2,800 km of high speed lines, up to 300 km/h, including in white areas.

Wifi TGV: SNCF is preparing a tender to connect its trains to Starlink or Eutelsat-Oneweb

Today, the WiFi connection in TGVs is based on a terrestrial relay: 4G/5G antennas located along the tracks, captured by on -board modems and then redistributed to passengers. But this solution quickly reaches its limits: Faraday cage effect of oars, frequent interruptions in tunnels or rural areas, high latency. Result: an often unusable service, despite all the commercial promises.

The SNCF therefore wishes to switch to a satellite technology in low orbit (LEO), much more reactive than conventional geostationary satellites. The two offers on the table:

• Starlink, with a fleet of more than 7,500 satellites, already deployed in air and used by Scotrail in the United Kingdom. In 2025, The solution will also be deployed in Air France planeswith free and “as fluid as at home” wifi. A strong signal: the French group preferred Starlink to other competing solutions, for its low latency and its ability to connect several devices per passenger.
• Eutelsat-Oneweb, born from the merger between Eutelsat and Onewebwith around 600 satellites, supported by Brussels and more aligned with the challenges of digital sovereignty.

But this rocking requires heavy technical adjustments: installation of specific flat antennas on oars roofs, validation in high -speed mobile environment, interoperability with on -board computer equipment.

According to Clarus Networks, Starlink reseller, “Beyond passenger services, this solution can improve the exploitation of trains via diagnosis and remote monitoring in real time”. The SNCF also sees it as an industrial transformation lever. It remains to be seen if it will take precedence over gross performance or European preference.