Significant technological developments, particularly in cyber warfare, electromagnetic spectrum operations (EMSO), and precision fires, are fast becoming more accessible to opponents, thereby threatening to change the delicate landscape of global security and power dynamics.

According to Comtech’s Chief Strategy Officer and President of the Company’s Satellite Network Technologies business, Daniel Gizinski, today’s threat landscape looks wildly different from five to 10 years ago.

“There’s been a dramatic adjustment, both in terms of the capabilities and how and where they’re being deployed,” he explained.

“We’ve seen some pretty significant developments as a result of innovations and change, and over the last several years, we’ve had the opportunity to look at very different levels of what’s possible and what can be done. And from a product development and program fielding perspective, this change has put a lot of emphasis on how we design and develop products that can last over a long-term period in the field,” he continued to describe.

According to Daniel, the pivot towards strategic competition presents an “enormous challenge” to the US Department of Defense (DoD) and its international partners as they look to build and design products capable of being fielded for the next 10 to 25 years.

To support the warfighter both today and in the future, Comtech continues to focus on upgrading legacy systems as well as the development of emerging, next-generation technologies.

“The net result of this change has been a shift away from the development of bigger, more expensive, more hardened systems including advanced wideband waveforms and satellites capable of tolerating levels of spectral interference towards enormous investment in building out resilience in connectivity,” Daniel explained.

“Resilience on the battlefield lies in the diversity of multiple networks capable of providing the necessary levels of connectivity to route traffic via the best available network. Ultimately, the goal isn’t necessarily to keep a network running at all costs—it’s to keep data getting to the right place at all costs. And there are sometimes more efficient ways to do that, and you must bake in that headroom and that ability to adapt via software updates to maintain pace with a rapidly changing threat,” he added.

Uniquely Positioned

Consequently, Comtech continues to focus efforts on a series of technology areas of interest to support DoD and international partners.

Focus areas include Assured Communications and EMSO, with Daniel explaining how the company remains “hyper-focused” on the transition away from heavily stove-piped satellite systems towards digital satellite ground infrastructure and other capabilities that allow the warfighter to rapidly reconstruct networks based on the requirements of any given day.

Similar sentiments were shared by Comtech’s Executive Vice President of Business Development and Sales, Roly Rigual, who explained how Assured Communications can support operations against near-peer adversaries today and in the future.

“It’s been a long time since the major powers have had to ‘fight to get to the fight’ so assured and protected communications are more important today than ever,” Roly explained, highlighting the proliferation of multi-orbit (LEO, MEO, and GEO) constellations.

“It’s just starting, but there’s a lot of technology that still needs to be developed and deployed alongside the relevant standards supported by the ground infrastructure. I believe Comtech is in a very good position to help the customer solve these challenges,” he said.

In terms of EMSO, Comtech has focused on developing new understandings and techniques over the past decade, particularly relating to improved coordination of electronic attacks and electronic support through communications.

Dual Use Expertise

As it continues to support DoD and international partners, Comtech benefits from expertise in both commercial and defense markets.

“As a company that’s got its roots in dual-use technology development, we design a lot of cutting-edge commercial technologies with a unique set of abilities and capabilities to develop defense articles,” Daniel explained.

“I wouldn’t necessarily say one is universally ahead of the other, but having a foot in both camps allows us to take clever commercial innovations and bring them to the defense market and vice versa.”

Daniel highlighted satellite and troposcatter communication solutions as two of the most relevant dual-use capabilities that, when stitched together, can offer DoD and international partners significant value across a battlespace.

Specific Comtech successes include the US Army’s Enterprise Digital Intermediate Frequency Modem (EDIM) program, which has its roots in commercially developed technology. Awarded a contract in October 2023, Comtech is on track to deliver an initial tranche of systems to the army in the coming months.

Elsewhere, Comtech continues to support a resurgence in Troposcatter technologies across the US Army, Marine Corps, and international partners.

“Troposcatter was viewed as legacy technology-heavy, expensive, and hard to deploy. But it’s been fun to see the look of realization and appreciation that sets in with certain customers when they realize the art of the possible with modern solutions,” Daniel said.

Furthermore, Comtech is in the process of rolling out a next-generation of satellite modems capable of supporting exquisite platforms such as combat air aircraft.

“We recently received an award to bring some of the most advanced military jets into the overall network, so this is a pretty exciting growth opportunity and part of a new modem family we’re in the process of releasing over the next six or so months,” Daniel said.

Finally, Comtech remains dedicated to ensuring customers benefit from ‘Zero Trust Architecture’ as they move away from traditional network-centric infrastructures towards more data-centric models.

“One of the biggest challenges we see is bridging legacy and new networks together. I think everyone likes to imagine that we will flip a light switch and have zero trust architecture rolled out next year, but it’s going to be a 10-plus year roll-out process,” he concluded.

As the contemporary operating environment continues to change, so too must connectivity products and solutions over the long term to ensure the warfighter benefits from truly resilient communications.

Only increasing levels of investment and diverse inventories of products and concepts of operation will support those who need it most as they continue to observe uplifts in asymmetric warfare around the world.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain information in this blog post contains statements that are forward-looking in nature and involve certain significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results and performance could differ materially from such forward-looking information. The Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings identify many such risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking information in this blog post is qualified in its entirety by the risks and uncertainties described in such Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

Operations in Contested/Congested Satellite Environments

Intro

In our increasingly interconnected world, satellite communications have become a cornerstone of modern communication networks, enabling global connectivity for everything from connecting rural communities to navigation and surveillance. However, according to US Space Command (August 31, 2023), as the demand for satellite bandwidth grows and more actors enter the space arena, the once-uncongested satellite environment is becoming increasingly contested. The contention poses significant challenges to traditional satellite communications systems, leading to exploration of alternative solutions. One such solution that has gained renewed attention is tropospheric scatter, or Troposcatter, communications.

Contested Satellite Environment

Satellite communication has long been favored for its ability to provide wide coverage and high bandwidth connectivity across vast distances. This advantage, however, according to the European Space Agency (April 21, 2022), has led to an overcrowded space environment. A similar finding by the Union of Concerned Scientists (January 1, 2023), indicates that governments, militaries,  and corporations,  are launching more satellites into orbit, resulting in increased competition for radio frequency (RF) spectrum and potential interference issues. Moreover, the emergence of anti-satellite technologies and rapid evolution of satellite-targeted cyber threats have raised concerns about the reliability and security of traditional satellite communications systems.

Understanding Troposcatter Communication

Troposcatter communications is a technology that leverages the scattering of radio waves in the Earth’s troposphere – the lower portion of the atmosphere – to establish communications links over distances  beyond the radio horizon or beyond line of site (BLOS). Today, modern Troposcatter technologies send signals towards the troposphere, where they interact with atmospheric particles and scatter in various directions. A receiver located within the scatter region can pick up the signal enabling robust, resilient, and secure communications between the transmitter and receiver.

Advantages in Contested Environments

 Comtech’s next generation Troposcatter Family of Systems offer several advantages in contested satellite environments:

1. Resistance to Jamming: Unlike traditional satellite signals that can be vulnerable to jamming or interference, Troposcatter signals are more resistant due to their reliance on atmospheric scattering. Attempts to jam a Troposcatter link would require jamming a significant portion of the Earth’s atmosphere, making such efforts impractical.
2. Reduced Susceptibility to Cyberattacks: Troposcatter connections provide a smaller attack surface than broad area satellite beams, increasing the difficulty, cost, and complexity of launching a successful cyberattack. This inherent security advantage makes Troposcatter an attractive option for transmitting sensitive information.
3. Distributed Architecture: Troposcatter technologies are designed with distributed architecture, enabling multiple relay stations to create a network that can adapt to changing conditions. This flexibility is particularly valuable in contested environments where fixed satellite infrastructure might be compromised.
4. Lower Latency: Modern Troposcatter systems offer lower latency compared to satellite communications, as the signal does not have to travel all the way to space and back. This can be crucial for real-time applications like video conferencing or remote-control critical systems.
5. Spectrum Efficiency: As spectrum becomes a limited resource in contested environments, Troposcatter can make more efficient use of available frequency bands, potentially mitigating spectrum congestion.

Comtech’s Troposcatter Family of Systems

Comtech’s portfolio of defense and security technologies, including the company’s Troposcatter FoS, are uniquely positioned to deliver capabilities that will enhance Combined Joint All Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) operations. The company has extensive experience developing and deploying customized, interoperable, robust, and resilient communications systems for all branches of the DOD and coalition forces. Comtech’s expansive portfolio of defense and security technologies is designed to continuously evolve over time to meet emerging Command, Control, Computers, Communications, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C5ISR) use cases and enhance mission effectiveness in future all domain command and control operations.

This article is the fifth in a series that will focus on important Troposcatter use cases including: Relay Link Replacement, Troposcatter Communications on the Move, Obstructed Line of Sight Communications, Operations in Contested/Congested Satellite Environments, and Extension of Services.

Comtech’s Troposcatter FoS meets the CJADC2 communication needs. Contact a Comtech representative at contact us, to discuss how Comtech’s Troposcatter FoS can increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your organization

 Learn more about the Troposcatter Family of Systems below.

1. Introduction

2. Relay Link Replacement

3. Communications on the Move

4. Obstructed Line of Sight

5. Operations in Contested / Congested Environments

One approach could be to build specific networks for specific needs which, however, could mean high network costs (both CAPEX and OPEX) and would demand a certain minimum number of clients to justify the business model.  With “Network Slicing,” 5G is geared to solve this problem by enabling the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to design and operate multiple dedicated logical networks over a common platform.

Industry Requirement Use Case: Public Safety

The concept of having a customized network for a specific use case was first realized within Public Safety. In the United States, the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) was created as part of the Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act (Public Law 112–96), which was signed into law on February 22, 2012.  The law allocated 20 megahertz of spectrum and $7 billion to establish a broadband network dedicated to the nation’s First Responders, and gave FirstNet the mandate to build, operate and maintain that network.

The initial objective of FirstNet was to have a dedicated network for First Responders to communicate during a crisis, especially when the existing commercial networks were overwhelmed with high volume traffic. Since then, the number of subscribers, data traffic needs and use cases has increased and evolved, which has continuously put pressure on FirstNet to not only increase the capacity, but also to evolve its product offerings.

The advent of Internet of Things (IoT) brings in a huge advantage to First Responders. Data from devices and sensors will provide better situational awareness and Responders will be able to act faster and more efficiently.

The High Capacity, Low Latency 5G network will not only provide the incremental advances to Public Safety applications with IoT-based situational awareness, but also enable the MNO ecosystem to quickly deploy dedicated “Emergency Slices” within and outside of FirstNet, as needed. 5G capabilities will improve the ability of First Responders to render help both to citizens and other First Responders in the area under distress:

In order to quickly deploy a customized “Emergency Slice” to realize such use cases as depicted in Figure 1, MNOs will need to dedicate and/or share resources, for example, in terms of processing power, storage and bandwidth and that has isolation from the other network slices.

Planning Considerations for MNOs

From an implementation perspective, MNOs could deploy a single “slice” (for example, an IoT-only slice) for multiple industry verticals (for example, Public Safety, Automotive, Manufacturing), and also bundle different slices (such as IoT, Broadband, Low Latency) to provide an end-to-end functionality to one specific vertical.

Each of these slices have specific attributes (latency, throughput etc.) associated with the performance of that specific and logical part of the network. As a first order of task, MNOs can create slice templates which can define the network interconnections, configurations which can deliver a certain performance, as defined by Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP TS 28.531).

These slice templates are mostly generic and enable the MNOs to quickly create a specific service. Thus, there could be only three specific slices across every MNO as shown in Figure 2. For vertical industry requirements however, for example, Public Safety, there are further tasks involved. The use case (as shown in Figure 1) will guide the MNOs to create the concept of a “Private Slice” or in this case a “Public Safety Slice.”

A slice template (Low Latency slice, or Broadband slice) with specific performance required for a use case combined with one of more different slice(s) will enable the fulfillment of “Public Safety Slice.”

An adoption of a Public Safety Slice rather than building dedicated networks not only saves cost, but also provides flexibility and options for Public Safety customers. Though Network slicing is scheduled to be standardized in Release 16 of 3GPP (scheduled in June 2020), yet MNOs can start to plan use cases like enhanced Public Safety right away.

Today’s model of MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) will be disrupted with Network Slicing; Enterprise customers can be offered a network as a slice with some guaranteed SLAs. The concept of “Public Safety Slice-as-a-Service” offered to counties, cities, etc., custom tailored to their specific needs, is very much within the horizon.

Challenges & Conclusion

The 5G network is the first generation of mobile network on the cloud. The concept of “Public Safety Slice-as-a-Service” is business oriented instead of technology oriented, while promising the seamless mapping of a public safety use case to functionalities, topologies, and policies of the specific logical part of the network.

There will be challenges around mapping the NFV architecture to specific slice preparation (Figure 3) for implementing such custom service models.

From an operational perspective, a Public Safety Slice will have one or more Network slice(s) which will need to be configured, monitored, and controlled. There could be instances where the Public Safety customer might need an Application Programming Interface (API) from the MNO to control the network service.

Operations Support Systems/Business Support Systems (OSS/BSS) will play an enhanced role towards the success of Network Slicing. Closed loop automation of the slice from design to deployment to assurance will be key from the OSS standpoint. Dynamic charging and billing, dynamic fulfillment across varied SLAs and pricing models will have to be managed by BSS.

In the 5G era, there is a clear merge of the operations domain and the business domain, allowing MNOs to evolve beyond that of connectivity providers, by offering customized network slices for vertical industries, such as Public Safety.

In the beginning of the mobile era, Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) needed to know the position of the mobile device in order to route the call to a specific base station to which the device was connected.

In 1999, US regulatory authorities mandated high accuracy positioning requirements to facilitate emergency services. Since then, each successive generation of cellular technology has expanded and evolved to provide precise location with different combinations of MNO’s fixed and mobile infrastructure along with external sources like Global Positioning System (GPS) and Wi-Fi. However, at the base level the primary use case has always been to locate the distressed caller during emergency.

“Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) have the opportunity to connect with other technologies like Devices/Sensors, Smart Cities, Vehicle Telematics, and automated alarms.”

APCO Project 43: “Broadband Implications for Public Safety

A New Demand

The need for high speed connectivity is now coupled with the need of high accuracy positioning. Coupled with that is the rapid penetration of Internet of Things (IoT), devices/sensors which are not only able to provide data but also location information. MNOs thus are challenged to provide not only highly precise location for emergency services, but also disrupt and monetize their enterprise markets with innovative Location Based Services.

5G inherently is a service-based architecture aimed to provide services based on a user’s need. The technology provides low latency connectivity to the plethora of devices/sensors which have entered our ecosystem today. This opens the door to improve upon the existing Public Safety application and introduce new Location Based Services with both Absolute and Relative Positioning with a measure of confidence.

Technology Advantage with 5G

Traditionally, 4G LTE systems use uplink and downlink signals to determine the position of end devices to determine their position relative to mobile network antennas. Typical procedures are Enhanced Cell ID (E-CID) and Time Difference of Arrival (TDoA).

In E-CID, end devices monitor their proximity to multiple base stations, measuring signal strength and approximate propagation time to the device. By combining these observations, a better estimate of device position is calculated.

TDoA is a multi-lateration method in which the end device measures the time difference between some specific signals from several base stations and reports these time differences to a specific device in the network to determine the position.

To meet the communication requirements (higher speed, low latency, more devices, IoT connectivity), 5G networks will operate with wider bandwidths at higher frequencies since the free spectrum is located at such frequencies (mm Wave above 24 GHz in addition to sub 6 GHz).

In urban areas, Multipath Effects (signals traveling different paths, arriving at different times) cause erroneous results in computing signal time. Higher bandwidth signals will help resolve this issue since such signals will have shorter time. Added to that is the advantage of more base stations to maintain coverage, as high frequency signals are more prone to propagation losses. This Network Densification will increase the Line of Sight (LoS), enabling highly accurate Time of Arrival (ToA) estimation. Introduction of Antenna Arrays with beamforming capabilities will enable accurate enable of Direction of Arrival (DoA) estimation.

Evolution of Standards & Applications

3GPP (3^rd Generation Partnership Project) is focusing on enhancing not only the standards but also the including newer applications of Location Based Services.

As an example, Public Safety applications will be enhanced to include safety of first responders in the field by computing the data and location from their wearables. Device-to-device communication that may allow devices to determine their positions relative to each other will be another use case for autonomous vehicles.

The first set of specifications in Release 16 are due to be published in June 2020 by 3GPP.  A snapshot of the current considerations is indicative of the applications and enhancements.

Table 1: Source 3GPP TR 22.872 V2.0.0 (2018-05)

One of the biggest ways smartphones’ potential has evolved since the first iPhone was released involves location technology. Rideshare apps mean a driver can be sure of where a customer is to be picked up. Food delivery apps mean hungry diners can know exactly where their order is and when it will arrive. Map apps can help us on our commutes every single morning and evening.

With 5G mobile networks – and their increased speeds and bandwidths – arriving in the next year to many phones and markets, location tech will become even more significant.

But don’t think that these advances will be limited to telecom and the device in your pocket or purse. The Location of Things (LoT) – a cousin of the Internet of Things that will be worth $71.6 billion by 2025 – is coming to revolutionize several industries.

Here are three that will be affected the most by LoT.

Retail

Early in 2018, Amazon opened its first Amazon Go store in Seattle – featuring no cash registers and no lines. With the help of myriad cameras and sensors, customers walked out with what they wanted from the store to be billed by credit card instantly. Since then, the concept has expanded to nine more locations and two additional markets.

Of course, Amazon is Amazon and will be at the forefront of technology for many years to come. But retail brands as diverse and historic as Kroger, Ralph Lauren and Walgreens are all jumping on the LoT bandwagon, too.

Customer tracking capabilities and streamlined inventory processes are notable and intuitive ways retailers can use location of things technology. However, as Bryan Pearson writes in Forbes, LoT and artificial intelligence can also be leveraged to improve employee training and the consumer experience.

Government / infrastructure

Local governments and transportation authorities aren’t always known as the most tech-forward entities by a longshot. At some point, you’ve probably been frustrated by a pothole on a residential street that’s gone months without being fixed or a commuter train that’s habitually late.

Once LoT capabilities become widespread and more accessible, those attitudes could change. In some cases, change has already arrived.

Andy Berry writes in CIO, “Torfaen County Borough Council in Wales is a local government working to streamline, automate and share city data. They have developed informative, mobile-friendly interactive maps that save taxpayers time and money by allowing agencies across Torfaen’s government to pinpoint problems and act quickly to solve them.”

Location of things will also go hand in hand with advanced mapping and smart city technologies. According to Steve Isaac, writing for CARTO, cities like San Francisco have used open data projects and analytics to create traffic solutions that go beyond just standard gridlock.

Logistics

Obviously, locations are pretty important to supply chains. If a company is in the dark on the status of a key shipment or cargo, or if unforeseen circumstances have caused a delay, it could bring a small or mid-size business to its knees.

With better tracking sensors now available as well as 5G networks going nationwide in the next couple of years, logistics managers will not only know where ground shipments are at all times, they’ll be notified at any delay or problems with the contents.

Furthermore, even air and maritime supply chains that are traditionally less trackable at every single second will likely soon deliver location data, too. As Brian Straight reports in Freight Waves, this will be done through “low-cost, low-orbit satellites.”

LoT has the strong potential to change and modernize even more industries than these three. But retail, government and logistics will feel its effects first and the most.

If you would like to learn more about the Power of “Where” contact Comtech Location Technologies today. Our experts can solve your most complex business challenges or speak at your upcoming event on a variety of location technologies.