Survival UK Forums

I was interested to see that Vodaphone/Telecoms Sans Frontiere
has deployed a portable Cellphone network contained in four suitcases weighing 100kg

I would be fascinated to learn what this comprises and how much!!

Would be nice to have when STF

Allons-y

who would you ring? post shtf

have a look at http://www.rivanetworks.com/nano/nano.htm and look at some of the Applications

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is this what your on about? http://www.gizmodo.co.uk/2013/11/pop-up-...-rescuers/
it says Enclosed within a military standard rugged hard-shell case are all of the components required to facilitate a private GSM network. The Rapid Deployment Unit (RDU) has the means to transmit and receive calls over GSM by utilising an integrated GSM Base Transceiver Station (BTS). This works in conjunction with the Private Mobile eXchange (PMX) software platform that contains the individual software components that would normally make up a macro mobile voice/SMS network – a Base Station Controller (BSC) and Mobile Switching Centre (MSC), which incorporates an SMS switching centre.

the specs are SPGN Delivers Significant Military
• GUI driven Operations & Maintenance Center (OMC) for
Communication Advantages: ease of administration, subscription management and
network troubleshooting
• Man-portable, easy to use. ruggedize d units enabling
• Mountable into standard 19” or 23” rack
calls anywhere, anytime
Network Options:
• Light weight < 35 lbs, Size = (30”x1 8” x12”)
• GSN node for GPRS support
• Setup < 5 minutes
• SMC-C for Short Messaging (text) support
• Voice, SMS, GPRS, Data using GSM handsets
• Secure Calling (Type 1) Remote Gate way Technical Specifications:
• Support for 7 simultaneous calls
• Loca ll y switche d calls – no backhaul required Cellular BTS
: Supports a single Base Station Transceiver, 8
• Flexible backhaul options timeslots (TS0-7), single static RF channel for C0, which operates on
• Air/Land/Sea configurations
one of the following PCS/Cellular spectrums:
• 900 MHz
• 1800 MHz How It Works:
• 1900 MHz
Supports adding or dais y-chaining multiple Base Station Transceivers
Altobridge ’s SPGN platform employs an innovative split Base Antenna
Station Control ler architecture that permits very cost effective On-board 0dBi omni-directional (nominal)
use of IP-based backh aul resources such as satellites for Optional external antenna connections & power amplification for
cellular communications. An Altobridge Ground Gateway
extended coverage (optional)
Dimensions & Weight
(GGW) application runs in the Gateway Controller located at
• 28.3”(H) x 11.0”(W) x 3.0”(D)
the Central Site and supports a standard GSM A interface for
• 5.9 lbs (2.7kg)
communication with conve ntional Mobile Switching Center
Power
(MSC) as well as a standard Gb interface to a GSN for packet
• Power consumption: 13W
data traffic. The GGW optimizes GSM signaling and voice
• Input supply: 38 – 50 volt DC
traffic so that a network provider achieves the best possible
quality-to-cost ratio. Ruggedized Laptop PC
Altobridge’s patented Access Management™ Remote Gateway
An Altobridge Remote Gateway (RGW) is located at the
software runs on a ruggedized PC i.e. Panasonic Toughbook CF30:
remote locatio n and is comprised of a pico cell Base Station
• Full magnesium alloy case with handle
Transceiver (BTS), a server (in most appl ications a r • Mobile broadband and GPS capable uggedized
• Wireless-ready PC), and a satellite modem/antenna. It uses standard GSM
• Intel® Core™ 2 Duo Mobile Processor Abis to communicate with the BTS. The RGW manages much
• 80GB shock-mounted removable HDD
of the Abis signaling and provides speech transcoding to
• Sealed all-weather design
compress voice traffic. Unlike other solutions, the RGW does
• Fully-rugged MIL-STD-810F tested
not require a constant persistent satellite signal. This greatly
•
reduces satell ite bandwidth requirements and costs to the
Dimensions & Weight
network operator because only voice/message traffic and
• 2.8"(H) x 11.9"(W) x 11.3"(D)
essenti al mob il ity man agement traffic use the satellite link
• 8.4 lbs (3.8 kg)
(e.g.; initial LU to register the MS). Because satellite Power
bandwi dth is managed so efficiently, the RG W can host • Lithium ion battery pack (10.65V, 8550mAh)
additional user applications su ch as video an d imag e • Battery operation 7 hours
processing.
• AC Adapter: AC 100V-240V 50/60Hz
Satellite Antenna Ground Gateway Technical Specifications :
(Note: only one of many backhaul options available. Contact
Altobridge for a list of other IP based options)
Altobridge’s patented Access Management™ Ground Gateway
software runs on an HP DL 360 with the following characteristics: Inmarsat BGAN
• Thrane & Thrane Explorer Series
Processors: (2) Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processor 5000 300, 500, 700
Memory: 32 GB of memory COTM 527, 727
Storage Controller: HP Smart Array 256MB Controller (RAID 0/1/5)
• Hughes HNS 9501
Slimline media bay supporting DVD, CD or Floppy drive COTM under development
Network Controller: Dual NC373i Multifunction Gigabit Network
• Addvalue Sabre
Adapters with TCP/IP Offload Engine COTM under development
Form Factor: 1U Rack form factor
i.e. Thrane &Thrane Explorer 500
Dimensions: (H x W x D) 1.70 x 16.78 x 27.75 in Simultaneous voice and data communication • High-speed data
Weight: Maximum 37 lb (16.78 kg)
transfer up to 464 kbps • Seamless global coverage • Support for
Power: 110 – 240 VAC
streaming video or audio at up to 128 kbps • Flexible connections
with Ethernet, USB and Bluetooth • Easy system setup and
Mobile Switching Center (MSC) Specifications : operation • Lightweight, splash and dust proof
Dimensions & Weight
• 8.5"(H) x 8.5"(W) x 2.1"(D)
• Up to 5000 subscribers per switching node (HLR)
• 2.9lbs (1.3kg)
• Standard Primary Rate ISDN interface to users PBX
Power
• Optional Interworking Function (IWF) to support Secure
Battery pack (10-16v DC), 110-220v AC
calling to and from Type 1 encryption GSM cell phones

I've seen something like this before where the villagers have a local exchange which their cellphones link to and they an call anyone on their local network.

Basically reusing existing cheap technology. phones are thrown away nowadays when someone wants o change their colour scheme. It is the base station that is the expense here.

Midnitemo - not all SHTF situations are total.

Take the current situation in the Philippines. For certain parts the S really has HTF. But other parts of the islands, and indeed the rest of the world, are still up and running. Communications would be useful.

It appears to be local network with secure access ( not general access) and is designed for inter agency communications.

I assume that any mobile telephone number can be given access to the network on the ground.

Its also using Satellite technology to provide voice and video connections to the outside world.

Here's a link to a presentation about the system: http://www.tsfi.org/en/presentation/tech...techniques

RS I think this is what you're looking for:-

Size of a shoe box, 50 watt power consumption, up to 20km range, uses "normal" GSM mobile phones. Free calls between private subscribed mobiles etc

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2010/08...g-man.html

(16 November 2013, 07:02)River Song Wrote: [ -> ]Midnitemo - not all SHTF situations are total.

Take the current situation in the Philippines. For certain parts the S really has HTF. But other parts of the islands, and indeed the rest of the world, are still up and running. Communications would be useful.

RS I think you'll find in the areas of the Philippines which were flattened ALL communications are OUT, certainly immediately after the storm, phones wont do them any good.

Quoting the link:

"After the Haiti earthquake, we sent a system that was installed at the main hospital in Port Au Prince. They had it working an hour after unpacking it from the box. The hospital PBX was down. They used it as their phone system for about two weeks."

So quite a good system, and at 50w it could be powered by quite a modest PV panel.

The units I am familiar with stacked a pair of ICOM 25 watt UHF mobile radios with a simple diplexer and controller, which was assembled in weatherproof and shock resistant mountings in a Pelican crate, with four Siemens SM20 solar panels and a pair of Hawker Energy SBS30 batteries and a simple 1/4 wave ground plane antenna with roof tripod and 3 metre telescoping mast. These crates weighed about 30kg, including batteries and could be set up on a building roof or any high location in under 30 minutes. This is the same equipment used for putting out portable repeaters for search & rescue or wildland fire fighting purposes. With the solar panels for battery charging these will run for about a year with no maintenance as long as they aren't struck by lightning.

The portable repeaters are coordinated on the "Shared, Non-Protected Pair" or SNP channel, using a continuous tone controlled squelch system to prevent interference from nearby units. The access tone would be determined based upon a regional plan, and the handheld radios distributed to volunteer aid workers would have the SNP programmed in with the several tone options needed for the repeaters in their area of operations. It was also possible to "link" repeaters info a local area network, and they could be used either for voice or data operations.

Generally data operations would be conducted on UHF with horizontal polarization using TCP/IP transmissions at 9600 baud, and voice operations would be vertically polarized using VHF-FM. UHF and VHF repeaters were typically co-located so that shelter logging and medical logistics traffic could be keyboarded over the air while getting simultaneous voice confirmation of the traffic. This also permitted simple voice queries as to personnel and resource status.

While channel allocations in the Land Mobile Radio Services are commonly used for Red Cross, Salvation Army, and other NGO's, amateur radio has the same capablities and many rural localities use "ham" radio operators and equipment to provide similar service. In some parts of the US groups such as REACT provide emergency communications using the UHF General Mobile Radio Service, the VHF Multi-Use Radio Service or the 27 Mhz Citizens Band radios.