Tactical Broadband was originally envisioned in 2008 as a turn-key companion service for remote television productions in the field. The company would uniquely fuse mobile/overland systems with Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) satellites and emerging digital video technologies as a go-anywhere solution.
In a broadcast marketplace of semi-trucks and busses, our Tactical Broadband Deployment Unit (TBDU) was touted as being:
‣extremely mobile to support rapid deployment via highways and remote operability off the road, providing a truly tactical communications asset
‣equipped with a stable, low-latency satellite Internet connection at a whopping 3Mbps!
‣capable of providing Wi-Fi to the surrounding site
‣capable of supporting IPTV telecasting with Standard Definition and HD encoding
‣capable of establishing other IP-based communications (e.g., SIP video conferencing, VOIP telephony, Instant Messaging, and E-mail access)
‣completely self-contained with all networking and video equipment plus a 10kW generator onboard for continuous, quiet 12-hour operation by a two-person crew
Beyond mobile: Tactical Broadband
Apart from news gathering and creative services, the value of this tooling to public safety and emergency management agencies was also apparent from the beginning. Indeed, it would continue to inform the evolution of what is today referred to as the Type III Hardened Electronic Assets Transport (HEAT) development program.
And while technology has rapidly advanced with the introduction of Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellations, mobile broadband connectivity, Ultra High Definition and volumetric video, and “Internet of Things” (IoT) applications, the principles behind our origin remain. Resilient broadband connectivity and communications are crucial, and Tactical Broadband is uniquely positioned to deliver these capabilities when and where they are needed the most.