Rollout models for an internet service on trains

Internet on the train has gained more and more interest the last few years. Most railway companies involved in such real-time communication projects are envisaging the attraction of potential new rail customers, improvement of their image or optimization of some cost processes. A business case, applied to the Belgian railway network, is elaborated for analyzing the profitability of an Internet service on trains. As the rollout (both sequence and speed) of a new communication network for trains is a very decisive parameter in the model, several heuristics are compared and evaluated to improve the feasibility of the case.