21Net
Rail-specific trackside radio + cellular bonding — joint Eurostar deployment with Icomera.
Provider Snapshot
Where you'll find it
About 21Net
21Net is a UK-based rail connectivity specialist that builds trackside radio and onboard cellular-bonding kit for high-speed rail. It is best known as the supplier of trackside connectivity along HS1 (the high-speed line from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel), used by Eurostar in conjunction with Icomera onboard equipment. 21Net's specialty is making rail WiFi work in the difficult-terrain stretches that ordinary public cellular does not cover well — high-speed cuttings, tunnels, viaducts — by deploying dedicated radio infrastructure along the right-of-way. Outside Eurostar / HS1 it has worked on Network Rail trial deployments and various European rail projects, but its footprint is much smaller than Icomera's.
History
21Net was founded in 2003 to build internet on trains. Its biggest deployment is on Eurostar e320 (Class 374) trains over HS1, layered onto Icomera onboard routers. Channel Tunnel itself remains a connectivity dead zone — passengers see a locally-cached Eurostar Entertainment portal during the crossing — but 21Net's trackside radio keeps coverage steady on the open-air sections of the high-speed line.
Operators using 21Net (1)
How 21Net Compares
21Net is a niche specialist. It does not compete head-to-head with Icomera — it complements Icomera by providing the trackside radio that Icomera's onboard router talks to in places where ordinary cellular does not reach. Long-term competition comes from public cellular operators upgrading the right-of-way (UK 4G/5G railway corridor projects) and from satellite-on-rail trials.
| 21Net | Starlink | |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit | GEO / ATG (high latency) | LEO (~30ms latency) |
| Typical Speed | 5–20 Mbps typical onboard | 100+ Mbps typical, 350+ peak |
| Latency | ~600ms (GEO) / 60–100ms (ATG) | ~20–44ms |
| Trajectory | Defending installed base | Rapid airline adoption |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 21Net?
A UK-based rail connectivity company that builds trackside radio and onboard equipment for high-speed rail WiFi, best known for the Eurostar HS1 deployment.
Which trains use 21Net?
Most prominently Eurostar e320 trains running London St Pancras to Paris/Brussels/Amsterdam over HS1 in the UK. Smaller European rail trial deployments exist but are not a large customer base.
Does 21Net work in the Channel Tunnel?
No — there is no cellular or 21Net coverage inside the Channel Tunnel itself (75 metres under the seabed). Eurostar provides a locally-cached entertainment portal during the ~25-minute crossing.
21Net vs Icomera?
They are partners on Eurostar, not competitors. 21Net provides trackside radio infrastructure; Icomera provides the onboard router and cellular bonding. Together they deliver Eurostar onboard WiFi.