Apeejay College

Of
Engineering

Satellite
Communication
Assignment
Number 2
 Parkirat Singh
Bagga
ECE, D1,
043054
8TH SEMESTER
Satellite Communications For Hostile Environments

Communication is central to managing situations in any hostile

environment, be such in the military sphere, in response to an emergency,
or when dealing with a major disaster. Must-haves for communication
solutions in hostile environments are reliability, robustness, security,
portability and ease of operation.

Improvements in the backhauling of picocells mean that GSM and UMTS

(2G and 3G) networks can now be established literally anywhere, and the
hardware allows for the fast and efficient establishment of ad hoc
sophisticated telecommunications infrastructures. These networks operate
in exactly the same way as a standard mobile phone network, with the
crucial difference that they are not dependent on any wired connections:
the picocell, which acts as the mobile phone mast, communicates with the
network operator via satellite.

System efficiency is the key enabler to the technology behind the new
GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS networks based on satellite transport.
Much of the pioneering development work that has gone into enabling
picocell backhauling has been based around optimization, including
compression of payload, IP Header and signaling.

The real benefit is when the optimization technology is combined with

miniaturization of the hardware, to the extent that it can be carried by one
person. It requires a power source, which can either be a battery pack or a
generator – the equipment only needs a 100W power supply, so a small
petrol generator is all that is needed.
The advances in technology have meant that the establishment of
GSM/UMTS networks in hostile environments is now a cost-effective
reality.
APPLICATIONS
The focus here is on the use of picocell backhauling to provide GSM and
UMTS networks in hostile environments.

Military
The use of a backhauled picocell technology is never going to replace
standard radio technology for military use. Radio meets the essential
requirements of military communications and does so securely, reliably and
cost-effectively. However, the ability to establish ad hoc 2 or 3G networks
using satellite backhauling technology anywhere at any time supplements
the options currently available.

The three main functions of military communications are:

1. Providing secure and reliable communications
2. Signals intelligence: intercepting and monitoring enemy communications
such as mobile phone calls, satellite phone calls and radio transmissions
3. Electronic intelligence: analyzing and tracking the location of
communications signals

Figure 1: Backhauled picocell in military use

The fact that a communications network can be set up anywhere at any

time is a clear benefit of using a backhauled picocell. In particular, the
700m radius of the network makes the use of a picocell suitable for remote
headquarters. In-built NATO-approved encryption can be used to ensure
privacy and security in all rejecting connections from unknown ones. A
further advantage is the point-to-point calls within the network, which are
not routed via the satellite, are free, making on-site communications simple.

Finally, a network based on a single picocell can handle up to 14

simultaneous calls. This means it can be used for both operational and
personal communications. must have priority. To that end, the network can
be set up to ensure the most important communications always have
priority for the use of the network. In addition, the technology is scalable:
further picocells can be added, thereby increasing the number of
simultaneous calls by 14 for each picocell added.

Emergency response
As is true with military operations, effective and efficient communications
are essential when dealing with large-scale emergencies. These
emergencies may be man-made or natural, such as terrorist activity,
flooding or widespread fires.
The second strength is that it operates independently of the terrestrial
networks—a small generator can supply power. That means that
communications will always be available, even if all other networks are not
working.

Figure 2: The control center

Disaster Recovery
When disaster strikes, coordinating a response is often hampered by a lack
of information and the inability to communicate to emergency services,
government and aid organizations. For example, when in 2005 an
earthquake hit Kashmir, as there was little information about what was
needed, or where it was needed. It was also difficult to communicate what
little information was available to the relevant people. That meant some
villages were visited by emergency services several times a day, while
others received no help at all.

Hostile environments require a communications technology that is wholly

reliable, portable and independent from any other form of communications.
Picocell backhauling technology is unique in being able to offer a complete
solution.