Vanu has been awarded a development contract from the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command Research, Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC) to build and deliver a prototype mobile GSM cellular system for secure, rapid, field deployable applications.
Marking Vanu, Inc.'s second contract with CERDEC, the "Type 1 Secure GSM Infrastructure for Dismounted Communications" demonstration supports the company's growing presence in the wireless communications industry. "Our involvement in many leading edge technology projects with the U.S. Government underscores the importance of our software radio technology," stated John Chapin, Vanu Inc CTO. "We believe the future of flexible and agile communications systems resides with software radio."
The demonstration will use encrypted GSM handsets, supported by a vehicle-mounted Vanu Software Radio Base Station to provide communications between dismounted soldiers. The system also employs a Globalstar satellite link to enable communications back to a remote tactical operations center.
"The lack of appropriate dismounted communications on the battlefield has proved to be a substantial risk to both mission objectives and soldier safety," comments Laura Stich, director of government programs at Vanu, Inc. "A key feature of our solution is the ability to remotely monitor and manage the network. At critical moments, users can be added or deleted if phones become damaged, lost or fall into enemy hands."
The Vanu Software Radio Base Station will run on a system consisting of standard commercial off-the-shelf equipment enabling a less expensive solution and contributing to a significantly smaller footprint than is required by traditional GSM base stations.
Furthermore, the base station is designed to permit operation while the vehicle is mobile and requires zero setup time through the use of omni-directional satellite antennas that do not require manual alignment.
Receiving this most recent CERDEC award allows Vanu, Inc. to further develop and enhance its wireless technology offerings. The demonstration system will use the core technology employed by the company's commercial base station system modified to enable encryption and mobility requirements of Army soldiers.
"We are extending the capabilities of our commercial wireless infrastructure technology to push the envelope for future military communications requirements," said John Winn, Vanu, Inc. vice president of sales and marketing. "We see our government and military business growing over the next few years as software radio becomes the dominant wireless technology."
Posted to the site on 8th November 2004
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/11293.php