3 Key Benefits of SATCOM Systems for Mobile Command Vehicles

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

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.

Benefits of Mobile SATCOM systems for Specialty Vehicles

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!