Outdoor Network Extensions
Outdoor network extensions provide connectivity to an existing network infrastructure, which is often based indoors. Some typical examples where outdoor network extensions are critical are shipyards, airports, and military bases. Outdoor network extensions allow personnel and remote assets to use the network for the same types of applications that those in the buildings can access. The existing network may be nearby, or in a geographically remote location. Information must flow in both directions.. Information gathered outdoors, such as video or details of the arrival of a new ship, needs to be sent back to the fixed network for review. Similarly, information stored on the fixed network often must be accessible to outdoor users. Outdoor networks are typically deployed for an extended period of time, so equipment needs to be rugged to withstand weather changes. There may be a requirement to allow temporary or visitor access to users as they move into the area, such as the passengers and staff on board a ship. The solution must be able to work with any required end user devices. Security is a serious concern, therefore proper authentication and data confidentiality is essential. To mimic equivalent user experience to an indoor network, the performance of the outdoor network must be comparable, and the network must scale easily when required. US Future Army Combat Systems 20 Mile Secure Wireless Link
Technical Requirements
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Although there are several options available when it comes to deploying an outdoor network extension, not all solutions are equally effective. Public wireless networking solutions, such as cellular networks, are one possible solution where available. However, they do not guarantee signal quality and bandwidth for the critical traffic of an outdoor network extension because the resources are shared and may not be deployed adequately in the desired location. Installing new base stations is expensive and would require licensing frequency spectrum. Satellite technology is poorly suited to this application because of the high link cost, round-trip delay, varying performance due to changing transmit power/receive sensitivity, and the need to provision several satellite links. Wireless mesh networks have emerged as the best choice for this application because of the following reasons:
Fortress Technologies is the leading supplier of outdoor wireless network extension solutions to the US Army, US Marine Corps, US Air Force, US Coast Guard and other government organizations. Customers relying on Fortress for outdoor network extensions include:
Fortress Technologies has worked closely with military and government organizations to develop a solution that delivers superior performance at a reasonable cost. Some of the key distinguishing features of the Fortress outdoor network extension solution include: