EchoStar Corporation’s SATS subsidiaries, Hughes Network Systems and Boost Mobile, have jointly demonstrated a groundbreaking network management system for the U.S. Navy. This demonstration, conducted earlier this year, focused on optimizing connectivity for the Navy’s operations, even when personnel relocate between bases. The key feature of this system is its ability to maintain secure communication in challenging environments, particularly when users move between bases.
The demonstration, which took place at the U.S. Navy Air Station on Whidbey Island, WA, and a base in Hawaii, evaluated the capabilities of EchoStar’s Private 5G ORAN network. This network allows devices connected to the Whidbey Island NAS 5G network to securely access applications located at Whidbey Island, regardless of their physical location. This secure internet access is critical for Navy missions that involve relocating users between bases.
Boost Mobile’s advanced Open-RAN-based 5G networking technologies, designed for nationwide public network deployment, were instrumental in creating secure, standalone 5G networks at each naval base. This forms the foundation for the secure network connectivity. Meanwhile, Hughes Network Systems deployed their intelligent network orchestration capabilities, including Smart Network Edge mission-planning technology and Network Management System (NMS). These technologies work together to ensure reliable communication even in challenging environments.
The network facilitated Automated Primary Alternate Contingency Emergency (PACE) planning by leveraging Hughes’ NMS and SNE technologies. These technologies dynamically use multiple transport paths, including geostationary equatorial orbit, medium-earth orbit, low-earth orbit and 5G systems, to enhance situational awareness and optimize capacity, quality of service and resource allocation. This automation allows for faster changes and access to SATCOM resources.
The command-in-the-loop capability of Hughes’ technology enables the processing of new service requests in under five seconds, allowing for rapid response to emerging threats. This allows for the automatic distribution of information across orchestrated paths, ensuring efficient and reliable communication even under pressure.
Earlier this month, Hughes Network Systems LLC achieved a significant milestone by shipping over 5,000 HL1120W electronically steerable antenna LEO terminals. This highlights their leadership in delivering top-tier, enterprise-class satellite terminals for the Eutelsat OneWeb LEO constellation.
The successful demonstration highlights EchoStar’s commitment to providing advanced network solutions that cater to the unique needs of the U.S. Navy. This demonstration proves the efficacy of their secure, multi-transport network management system, which will be invaluable in ensuring reliable communication and supporting critical missions in challenging environments.
