Everyone was impatiently waiting for it, it's now done:free Wi-Fi is coming to TGVs today. Initially, only travelers on the Paris-Lyon line will have access to it, then in 2017, journeys to Marseille, Bordeaux, Strasbourg, Lille and Rennes will also benefit from the “TGV Connect” service. By 2020, the SNCF promises that 90% of travelers will be able to take advantage of free Wi-Fi on board trains.
To carry out this long-term project, the SCNF called on Orange and its 4G network. Relay antennas (200) have been installed along the tracks, every 2-3 kilometers, to ensure continuity of service. The 3G and 4G signal received is transformed into Wi-Fi by the SCNF from antennas installed in the bar cars of the trains, before reaching passengers via a fiber optic network. To equip a large part of the SNCF network, 18,000 antennas and 124 km of optical fibers will be installed and some 100 million euros spent. Yes, you have to put in the means to be able to benefit from Wi-Fi on board a TGV traveling at 300 km/h. So much for the technical part. In fact, Wi-Fi will indeed be free but not unlimited:first class passengers will have 1 GB of data and 2nd class passengers between 200 and 500 MB. !
