airpolice;
Sid, is there not an additional cost to pay for the downlink? The other items you mention are fixed costs, unless you want to consider the marginal additional fuel burn to run the Nitesun.
The extra data, lots of it, is charged by the network operator when images are sent over Airwave. Is the downlink data free for everyone?
That's how it works is it!
Enterprise Control Systems, ECS UK
2014-11-23 - The Benefits of a Sovereign Data Network
Introduction
A comparison is made of the use of the relative merits of using a dedicated COFDM data network such as that available from ECS versus the use of 3G or 4G from a Mobile telephone network.
At first sight the use of 3G/4G from a mobile service provider has the following advantages:-
Coverage Area. COFDM has a finite range capability, defined by the frequency of the equipment, data-rate, antenna types and, dependent on radio line of sight. Use of the Mobile Telephone Network is only limited by areas of coverage of the mobile network.
Initial Price. COFDM has a much higher initial equipment price then a system using the Mobile Telephone Network
Frequency Allocation. COFDM requires its own dedicated band plan
However the advantages of COFDM include:-
Infrastructure Independence. COFDM is infrastructure independent. Video footage via the Mobile Telephone Network is reliant on 3rd party infrastructure
Security. Mobile technology is connected to Internet Protocol networks; as such, any encryptionhosted on mobile-connected equipment is subject to hacking threats.
Denial of Service. Denial of Service attacks of the mobile network .
Ongoing Costs. COFDM is free to transmit. Mobile Network Providers will charge for data usage.
(e.g. A single SD picture at 5.5 Mbps is 2.5GB/hr)
Image Quality. The data-rate of 3G and 4G can never be guaranteed; data-rate reduces with cell phone velocity and the number of cell phones in the local vicinity. Loop testing and variable compression techniques are used to determine maximum data-rate. In high mobile phone usage areas, the data-rate may reduce below that considered acceptable for surveillance imagery. In extreme cases, the mobile network may crash. Surveillance operations are normally required in areas of high mobile phone usage.
COFDM is fixed data-rate and fixed image quality without this limitation
Deployment. 3G does not provide sufficient data-rate at helicopter operational speeds to support video, so this capability is limited to 4G coverage areas
Consistency of Performance. Performance of a video over 3G/4G system is dependent upon data-rate available. Data-rate is affected by the number of other phone uses in the vicinity. The use of the network can never be known. As such, performance of a video over 3G/4G solution is not consistent.
Operational performance cannot be predicted reliably. COFDM has defined range with consistent performance
Certification. No EASA/FAA approved equipment exists for transmitting imagery via the mobile telephone network
Regulation. ETSI legally restricts the usage of SIM cards to ground level. This is mobile phone registration and handover (AT command set) between the mobile phone and Base Station Transceiver (BST) being at the same level. The mobile phone being at higher level may cause the mobile network to crash due to the BST incorrectly allocating timing arc and sector information due to the angle between phone and BST. Note in commercial aviation, mobile phones may be switched on above 3000 m but must be prevented to communicate directly to the BST, instead via an on-board pico-cell satellite backhaul.
Summary
History has shown that in the event of a 7/7 or 9/11 type attack one of the first infrastructures that is completely overloaded is that of the mobile telephone infrastructure. An independent COFDM network, particularly in the guise of air to ground video and data links provides the most secure and independent way of delivering crucial C2I situational awareness.
You'll be saying next that there is a charge for the DVD's that the vids/pics are burnt onto
