Hughes Network Systems LLC (Hughes), the global leader in broadband satellite solutions and services, announced that it has successfully demonstrated wireless 4G/Long Term Evolution (LTE) transmissions over satellite backhaul at download speeds of over 10 Mbps and upload speeds of 786 Kbps, including video phone calls. The testing involved the combination of a Hughes satellite modem with JUPITER™ high-throughput technology and Lemko Corp.'s Distributed Mobility Wireless Network (DiMoWiNe).
"The growing need for the dissemination of real-time video to our warfighters requires the combination of wireless 4G/LTE and high-throughput satellite backhaul," said Rick Lober, vice president and general manager of Hughes Defense and Intelligence Systems Division. "The unique combination of these technologies eliminates the latency issues that can disrupt LTE traffic backhauled over conventional satellite links."
Deploying wireless 4G/LTE systems using a satellite backbone enables important applications for mobile broadband in tactical communications for both military and public safety markets. Warfighters will have the most advanced mobile communications available with rapid deployment capabilities, as will first responders in the critical minutes after a disaster.
"DiMoWiNe is a key innovation breakthrough needed to bring mobile 4G LTE networks to warfighters and public safety officers," said Chris White, executive vice president at Lemko. "LTE over satellite completes the 4G ecosystem. Because of the need to have interoperability across networks and devices, remote and rapid deployment applications can leverage the massive worldwide ecosystem for hardware and applications."
Hughes JUPITER high-throughput technology operates over ECHOSTAR(R) XVII, the company's next-generation Ka-band satellite. This satellite system employs an advanced multi-spot beam and bent-pipe architecture, and will provide well over 100 Gbps capacity in North America.
Lemko has efficiently connected hundreds of GSM, CDMA, UMTS and EVDO commercial and tactical wireless networks via satellite. Lemko's DiMoWiNe solution virtualizes the core, and all the switching and routing is moved to the network's edge, significantly reducing latency and jitter.