iDirect launches rugged satellite hub to support mobile networks

One of the new technologies announced at the 2008 LandWarNet Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., this week is a satellite hub that allows warfighters to implement and manage a mobile satellite network in the field.

Based in Herndon, Va., iDirect announced the release of the Series 12200 universal four-slot industrialized hub, which uses the company’s newly enhanced iDS 8.3 software. The software also supports iDirect’s new SkyMonitor Spectrum Analyzer, a network management tool that satellite operators can use to monitor and fix network performance.

With the Series 12200 hub, military and relief organizations can quickly deploy complete satellite systems. The four-slot hub can deliver broadband connectivity, including videoconferencing and voice over IP, to thousands of remote devices. The hub will support government, first-responder, disaster recovery and communications applications.

According to iDirect, the unit is the first mobile hub that takes advantage of the superior bandwidth efficiency of an IP Time Division Multiple Access network.