Critical communications systems are designed to provide maximum availability, from any location at any time. However, there are some circumstances in which a communications network may need to be extended, or even a new one quickly deployed. In these scenarios, fast deployment systems offer the best solution.
They are tactical solutions to respond quickly and flexibly to the most complex incidents and events, which require a reliable communications system in a short time.
These types of solutions allow the temporary expansion of the radio network coverage, for example, before a concert, a sports celebration or a large event that takes place in an area outside the area covered by the network. Similarly, it can also serve to provide coverage to remote regions where it’s no possible to deploy fixed equipment, such as small islands or forest and high mountain areas.
Another typical scenario for this type of solution is when the network needs extra capacity when traffic will be higher, such as during a demonstration or an event that mobilizes many people, since portable systems allow the addition of new radio channels.
In addition, they are a very useful tool for the military thanks to the ease of transport and fast start-up in operations in remote regions or extreme climates. Finally, the most common use scenario is as a communications infrastructure for personnel responding to emergencies in which communications equipment has become unusable, providing radio coverage to areas that do not have it due to an earthquake, a hurricane, large fires, etc.
Of course, these solutions incorporate all the communications services and functionalities of a fixed system such as NEBULA infrastructure, guarantee the privacy of communications and resist the most extreme conditions. In addition, they must be easily transportable and offer great operational flexibility: frequency band, power supply, RF power…
Proof of this flexibility is that these systems offer two modes of operation: integrated into a multi-site system, where it is incorporated into the network as another base station whose management is done through the Network Management System (NMS), or isolated, operating as an autonomous system whose management is done through its own NMS.
A COMMUNICATION SYSTEM ON WHEELS
To facilitate their transport, the systems can be installed in a van, pickup or a truck. The characteristics of these mobile units will be defined by the communication needs of the users, and by the operation model of the network, being just a transport vehicle for base stantions, or being configured as an integrated solution of critical communications.
In this way, within a truck, a work area can be configured in which there would be space for several operators and all the technical equipment, which would include a retractable mast for the antenna, a satellite antenna, a generator, air conditioning, monitors… In addition, the radio equipment would include all the elements necessary to start up a network infrastructure (TETRA, LTE and hybrids) including central node, base stations and even a control center solution such as CeCoCo.
This is a very appropriate solution for example for police units or emergency response agencies that have very good TETRA coverage in much of their work area, but sometimes have to move to more isolated areas where coverage is not available. A tactical unit fills these gaps by providing reliable communications to the troops in operation.
Teltronic has a wide expertise in the development of this type of mobile units, in which its NEBULA infrastructure offers all its guarantees of robustness and availability in a rapid deployment solution that adapts to the most hostile conditions.
.
