TacBSR: Global Mobile Telephony … with Regular Cellphones … and Build It Yourself!
NetworkWorld has this fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) feature about a Global Military Telecommunications System that looks like a mix of satellite phone technology and commercial mobile phone technology (such as GSM).
LGS announced its Tactical Base Station Router (TacBSR), which was developed by Bell Laboratories, in February. The TacBSR is a single box that provides instant commercial cellular communications and serves as a gateway between cellular and VoIP networks.
“The whole principal of the TacBSR is to allow customers to take the phone they use every day, with its speed-dial features, and use it anywhere they go,” says Chris Stark, business development director for the TacBSR with Bell Laboratories. “Folks stationed in Iraq are using their cell phones daily in Baghdad, but they can’t use them in forward operations. Often, the military can’t deploy cellular because of the complexity of the standard cellular architecture, including towers and antennas. We’ve put all of that in a single box.”
You can think of this like femto cell technology. But, instead of using a regular broadband connection like DSL or Cable Internet as the backhaul, this uses a satellite backhaul technology. It is pretty clear that this would be an IP backhaul as voice-over-IP is said to be used. This can be a pico cell with satellite instead of terrestrial microwave backhaul. This is an extremely interesting use of mobile phone technology.
However, it is for US military use only. With the merger of Alcatel and Lucent, can the French government use this too? If you cannot wait for this technology to roll-out for you non-US government folk then build it yourself. Just get a regular femto cell device (and service) from a mobile network operator that offers this service already. Then, connect this femto cell device to a IP router with a satellite IP uplink (with good enough latency). Instant TacBSR for the masses … well not quite … satellite IP uplink latency must still be improved.
March 27th, 2007 at 3:01 pm
I don’t mean to be negative, but did you actually read the article? Or the press release? Does it mention satellite in any way? No.
You’ve only assumed this uses satellite for backhaul. It does not have satellite functionality. In fact, the system, availible in either macro or pico class by the way, is either standalone or connects through a VoIP gateway.
Satellite latency can’t be eliminated due to that pesky speed of light thing and the fact that geosynchronous orbit is 22,300 miles high. As Scotty would say, “I canna change the laws of physics, Captain!” Protocol spoofing can help, but it’s just not going work very well for VoIP. It’s better than nothing though.
March 27th, 2007 at 10:36 pm
You are very right. I just assumed it used a satellite backhaul. But doesn’t it? What would be the best way to get a broadband backhaul to Afghanistan or Iraq? I mean the broadband backhaul for your VoIP gateway?
Yup, that was precisely my problem with satellite communications. So it would be interesting to know what type of backhaul they plan to use.
April 1st, 2007 at 10:42 pm
Here is another article about the use of satellite communications as GSM backhaul. It appears that ip.access is getting into that game with their nanoCell technology.
I visited these guys both in Barcelona and them pitching their femtoCell technology.