GSM and UMTS on trains

[Amrando]

Originally Posted by inquisitor

When travelling by ICE or IC-trains make sure you take your seat in a car equipped with repeaters so you get a better signal (but don't expect too much 3G coverage, especially on ICE trains which pass many tunnels).

I am definitely familiar with poor coverage on trains. I am a frequent traveler to Japan, and phone and data service on the Shinkansen is similar. Unfortunately even on the vast majority of bullet trains JR and NTTdocomo do not offer network repeaters - only the very newest trains have them installed such as the brand-new N'Ex and Tohoku Hayabusa/Hayate. Otherwise it is very easy to see the train is passing through a city - you can watch signal strength climb from zero to full and fall back down in the space of a few seconds. Or you can try and make your calls during the lightning-fast station stops.