Blog
Reset Search

Subscribe & Keep Up To Date

Author: Stephen Williamson

A grey mobile command vehicle is parked on an angle displaying its full SATCOM communication capabilities.

For mobile command units, connectivity is often critical in emergency response scenarios.

Understanding satellite communications and the rapidly changing field can alter your organization’s requirements for mobile connectivity technology in the years ahead.

Continue reading to learn more about SATCOM for mobile command vehicles and the benefits of embracing mobile SATCOM system technology.

What is Satellite Communications (SATCOM) for Mobile Command Vehicles?

Satellite communications, or SATCOM, is data, video, and voice network communication via satellite. The benefits of having satellite communications on mobile command vehicles is that the satellite antenna is able to establish a connection with a satellite and maintain that connection through harsh weather conditions and difficult rescue operations independent of the power grid or cellular towers.

SATCOM for mobile command vehicles has traditionally been an expensive last resort but guaranteed form of communication. When normal data carriers are down, or the vehicle is in a rural environment, satellites are still available. Given the expense, mobile SATCOM systems are typically reserved for high-impact users, such as government and news broadcast vehicles. But this is changing!

Wider Availability of Mobile SATCOM providers

SATCOM-system-flat-panel-antenna

There is a new race to bring satellite data services to users around the globe. This is a huge market disruption to the SATCOM industry, similar to how Uber impacted traditional taxi services.

Starlink (SpaceX) is the most known entity offering SATCOM services, but other players, such as OneWeb, Telesat, Astra, Kuiper, AST SpaceMobile, and soon SES/O3b are also joining this cutting-edge field.

The physical difference between these new SATCOM service providers and traditional SATCOM providers is the orbital distance of the satellites. Rather than a few large satellites in a stationary orbit far from Earth (Geostationary Orbit, GEO), these new providers are adding hundreds or thousands of satellites in constellations closer to our planet.

Flat Panel Antenna

Benefits of Mobile SATCOM systems for Specialty Vehicles

A grey mobile command vehicle is parked showing the raised antenna, with the slide out sections and stairs fully deployed.

The wider availability and advancement of these services offer major advantages for mobile SATCOM users:

  1. Data speeds: Traditional SATCOM services deliver 20 Mbps downlink. These new SATCOM services are offering speeds of 100 Mbps or higher, often exceeding cellular data speeds.

  2. Antenna pointing: In a mobility environment, antennas must be repointed regularly, often requiring jacks to ensure stability. The new constellations allow the use of flat panel antennas that require no pointing, resulting in fewer points of failure as with GPS positioning and motors.

  3. Lowering costs over time: The cost of SATCOM systems and services is not low, but given the new data speeds, there is a real possibility SATCOM systems could replace cellular systems for mobile applications. It could be possible to replace costs for both cellular and satellite services with a single bill.

How Can Frontline Communications Help?

At Frontline Communications, we have partnerships with some of the largest mobility satellite providers in the industry. We can leverage these partnerships to provide our customers with blended satellite/cellular packages or standalone satellite contracts.  

Frontline Communications has built custom communications, command, and specialty vehicles since 1989. At our core, we are truck builders and integrators, and we readily recommend and install any of the latest vehicle satellite hardware in any of our trucks. With in-house designers, technical engineers and manufacturing, you can feel confident in our quality and service support for the lifespan of your vehicle.

From mobile command vehicles to crime labs, SWAT, rehabilitation and bomb vehicles, Frontline Communications is a trusted partner for departments and agencies across North America.

Want to know more about SATCOM for mobile command vehicles? Contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you!

Posted: Apr 3, 2023 1:09:30 PM by Stephen Williamson


About Frontline Communications
Frontline Communications, a division of Pierce Manufacturing, Inc., an Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK) business, is the leading manufacturer of custom command and communications vehicles. The company’s wide range of products, including SUV’s, Vans and Heavy-Duty Custom Aluminum Bodies are valued for their quality, advanced technologies and integration capabilities that perform in the most extreme environments. Frontline Communications is an ISO 9001:2015 Registered company. Visit www.frontlinecomm.com for more information. 

About Oshkosh Corporation

At Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK), we make innovative, mission-critical equipment to help everyday heroes advance communities around the world. Headquartered in Wisconsin, Oshkosh Corporation employs over 18,000 team members worldwide, all united behind a common purpose: to make a difference in people’s lives. Oshkosh products can be found in more than 150 countries under the brands of JLG®, Pierce®, MAXIMETAL, Oshkosh® S-Series™, Oshkosh® Defense, McNeilus®, IMT®, Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™ Communications, Oshkosh® Airport Products, Oshkosh AeroTech™ and Pratt Miller. For more information, visit oshkoshcorp.com.

®, ™ All brand names referred to in this news release are trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains statements that the Company believes to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy, targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this news release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These factors include the extent of supply chain and logistics disruptions, particularly as demand rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic; the Company’s ability to increase prices or impose surcharges to raise margins or to offset higher input costs, including increased raw material, labor and freight costs; the cyclical nature of the Company’s access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, which are particularly impacted by the strength of U.S. and European economies and construction seasons; the Company’s estimates of access equipment demand which, among other factors, is influenced by historical customer buying patterns and rental company fleet replacement strategies; the Company’s ability to attract production labor in a timely manner; the strength of the U.S. dollar and its impact on Company exports, translation of foreign sales and the cost of purchased materials; the Company’s ability to predict the level and timing of orders for indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts with the U.S. federal government; risks related to reductions in government expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures and an uncertain U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) tactical wheeled vehicle strategy; the impact of any DoD solicitation for competition for future contracts to produce military vehicles; the impacts of budget constraints facing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and continuously changing demands for postal services; the impact of severe weather, natural disasters or pandemics that may affect the Company, its suppliers or its customers; risks related to the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks associated with international operations and sales, including compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; risks that a trade war and related tariffs could reduce the competitiveness of the Company’s products; the Company’s ability to comply with complex laws and regulations applicable to U.S. government contractors; cybersecurity risks and costs of defending against, mitigating and responding to data security threats and breaches impacting the Company; the Company’s ability to successfully identify, complete and integrate acquisitions and to realize the anticipated benefits associated with the same; and risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this news release. The Company assumes no obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information contained in this news release. Investors should be aware that the Company may not update such information until the Company’s next quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.

# # #

Oshkosh Corporation Pierce Manufacturing – Perform. Like No Other.

© 2025 Copyright Frontline Communications, A Division of Pierce Manufacturing Inc. an Oshkosh Corporation Business. Oshkosh, the Oshkosh logo, Pierce, and the Pierce logo are trademarks and "Perform. Like No Other." is a service mark of Oshkosh Corporation or Pierce Manufacturing Inc. Other trademarks used on this site are the property of their respective owners. – All Rights Reserved.