IP on Location

Whatever the area of work e.g. Newsgathering from remote parts, Emergency Maintenance or Inspections of remote infrastructure, oil and gas exploration, remote medicine (surgery or field hospitals) or Temporary Events in rural areas, the need for remote two-way connectivity is required. Often, these area fall outside mobile phone coverage areas and can be miles away from any fixed infrastructure but there is still a need for a reliable, high speed data link to cover internet access and access back to the “Office Network” for file transfer.

Traditionally this has been the realm of the low power VSAT terminal. A cheap, low power, uplink terminal usually consisting of a low priced fixed VSAT antenna typically 1.2m-2.4m in size, a low power (few watts) BUC and the data modem. This type of infrastructure was OK when datarates were only 64-128kbit and the terminal was used for RC&M or low datarate text based messaging. Also, the equipment was cumbersome, needing mechanical assembly, which in itself could take over a day.

However, these low datarates are no longer acceptable. Typically, the user requires speeds in excess of 2Mbps in order to access the relevant files and information from the office and the office also requires faster access to on-site data or video imagery in order to make decisions. These higher speeds also allow the professional to be based back at office rather than having to waste days travelling to on-site locations.

A solution to this problem is to use a high performance satcom antenna system that has the sidelobe performance and cross-polar discrimination to enable use of the higher transmit powers required for these remote high datarate applications. A second factor would be to use a vehicle mounted system or for really remote cases to use a system that was truly portable and could be checked as airline hold baggage and be deployed on a hire vehicle or at site within one hour of arrival.

Vislink News and Entertainment manufacture and supply systems specifically designed for this application. With Modems or Video Exciters and other relevant pieces of equipment housed in 1RU half width packaging, with the lightest antenna systems of their type available, VN&E can supply the specific needs of the customer in this area.
The example below shows a 1.2m AFD120 FlyDrive Antenna System which is airline checkable in two IATA compliant sub 32kg cases deployed with a 180W Ku Band TWTA (which is sub 11kg when packaged and is attached to the AFD body) and a single AFC5000 lightweight half rack-width flightcase housing a ADM5000 L Band IP Modem and AUC5800 BUC (which could optionally be housed within the AFD120 base to minimise X-Site cabling requirements).

Occasionally, such operations required the use of live high quality feeds. In such cases a DVE5100 SD-HD MPEG2/MPEG4 Exciter can be added to the half rack-width flightcase enabling higher datarate true broadcast quality contributions. The DVE5100 is also able to encapsulate the encoded DVB-ASI signal into IP which can be fed to the ADM5000 or be sent via an alternate route if available thus keeping the contribution signal in IP for routing at the receive site. A IRD5000 Integrated Receiver / Decoder can receive ASI encoded video from off-air or from a return path and this could be a useful addition.

A further lightweight half rack-width unit is the AMR5000 which is a Voice-Data Multiplexer which can be used as an Ethernet Bridge-Router or for the multiplexing of 2-wire/4-wire Voice channels with aggregated datastream then being fed to the ADM5000 for transmission. Alternatively, the AMR5000 can be enabled for Voice over IP.

Furthermore, the 5000 series equipment include integral web browsers which eases setup in remote applications such as this.

VN&E can provide alternative IP on location solutions using permanent vehicle mounted Antenna Systems e.g. The Advent NewSwift Antenna System or for even further remote applications a 1.9m or 2.4m lightweight Mantis Flyaway Antenna system operating at C band may be considered.