We’ve all cursed our cell service providers when the signal peters out. But what if there’s no signal at all because you are so remote or the network has been knocked offline by a disaster? Now there’s a turnkey 3G cellular network-in-a-box that emergency agencies and commercial businesses are using to bring a signal to where none exists.
I live near the Texas Gulf Coast. While most people in the U.S. call this time of year “summer,” we along the coast call it “hurricane season.” In recent years we’ve had several major storms with winds in excess of 100 mph. Needless to say, that kind of force is devastating to everything in its path.
In areas prone to hurricanes, tornadoes or other natural disasters, it’s critical that people, rescue agencies and first responders be able to communicate. Unfortunately, the expensive smartphones we all carry may be pretty useless because the cell towers they depend on may be destroyed or otherwise rendered inoperable.
LOCKDOWN: How would you handle emergency network operations?
First responders to a disaster zone really need cell service. Not only do they need to report what is going on, they also need data support to transmit images, access health care information or provide medical assistance.
Harris Corp. has come up with a solution: a temporary, turnkey 3G cellular network-in-a-box. The KnightHawk, which was originally developed for the battlefield, is now available commercially for emergency services agencies as well as commercial business interests.
KnightHawk is a ruggedized portable 3G cell station that is about the size of a briefcase and is easy to setup and get going. You need a power source, an antennae, a license to operate on a cellular frequency and of course a backhaul link to connect to outside networks. If the backhaul is an issue Harris provides satellite options. A single box can provide cellular coverage in a three to five mile range. Multiple boxes can be deployed to cover a broader area.
The management software that comes with the KnightHawk allows the operator to determine what handsets can utilize the service. Authorization can be restricted to specific handsets — for example, those issued to police or fire departments — or it can be open so the service is basically an extension of regular commercial cellular service.
There are other commercial use cases for the KnightHawk. Some companies, for example, use the device in remote locations, such as offshore drilling rigs, ships and mine faces. In these instances, the companies are typically looking for a mobile but permanent communication station so employees can make calls or use their phones for email and other business applications.
This solution has been in use for a while in war zones like Iraq and Afghanistan so that soldiers and contractors can communicate on the battlefield. While you might not think about it, even the soldier in the field needs to use his iPhone, iPad, Droid or other device. There’s nothing so sweet as the voice of a deployed soldier calling home to talk to family.
Get more information about the KnightHawk communications solution here.
Linda Musthaler is a principal analyst with Essential Solutions Corporation. You can write to her at LMusthaler@essential-iws.com.
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About Essential Solutions Corp:
Essential Solutions researches the practical value of information technology, and how it can make individual workers and entire organizations more productive. Essential Solutions offers consulting services to computer industry and corporate clients to help define and fulfill the potential of IT.
