Broadband Communications is the key
to an effective mobilisation strategy

Nokia and Kinected Solutions democratise voice and data - bringing together dedicated broadband wireless mobile networks, devices and sensors, as an extension to existing communications

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Communications equipment in the military has traditionally been a bespoke and specialised area, which often resulted in only key team members being in possession of this precious resource.

What if a suitable mobile phone, issued to every soldier, could provide crucial intelligence and situational awareness, through TAK with voice and video comms? What if this approach enabled these and other applications to be used in both isolated operations and along the full command chain?

We call this BANSHEE.

What is BANSHEE and why is it so unique?

Conceived and developed by Fenix, in collaboration with Nokia, Banshee is the World's first, patented, combination of Mobile Network Technology, Meshed Radio (MANET) and an open bridge architecture with onboard Edge Computing Server.

Banshee is small, multi-frequency, can be carried or driven into tough environments and become operational in a matter of minutes.

The solution is highly deployable, as an isolated bubble or networked with any combination of the Banshee units, current MANET radio solutions and additionally LAN, WAN and Satellite Comms.

It brings specialised applications to the very heart of the operation, allowing all users to be in possession of the latest data, to control their assets like sensors and drones, to monitor their wellbeing with Godsend and to collaborate effectively as a united force in complex situations.

The information you need, when and where you need it.

We are all aware that technology marches at a frightening pace. Nokia has been at the forefront of this technological revolution with its long history of pioneering Mobile Network innovations and wealth of experience in Public and Private wireless networking, you could say we know a thing or two about the mobile business.

Harnessing this expertise and applying our knowledge to enhance operational communications was a natural evolution. Given the economic pressures all governments face, drawing on mass market commercial technologies, specially adapted for this unique environment, brings advanced mobile communications capabilities to everyone for the benefit of all. Whether that's mobilising, in forward command or dismounted - a truly democratic data rich experience is what is achievable.

In the commercial mobile world, we are surrounded by networks offering incredible download speeds, coverage everywhere, affordable devices and increasingly the “Internet of Things”, a description of non-human connected objects that exchange data between themselves and their host server applications.

KS, supported by Nokia, uses the “Banshee Battlefield of Things™” from Fenix, as a way to describe seamless interworking of different assets across the military domain. Leveraging these technologies will be a fundamental component of future defence strategies.

We asked Rob Jones, MD of Kinected Solutions, to give us an insight into the game changing capabilities that BANSHEE can bring to your serials.

Q: Why is Banshee such a game changer?

A: Banshee brings faster, robust comms to all of our people and most importantly they do not have to replace their current systems to benefit from this new capability.

You can now share voice, video, TAK and other data securely and safely whether at home training or elsewhere.

The system is flexible, you can add new applications and look at new deployment ideas and use cases which improve our efficiency as a unit and keep everyone all aligned on the mission parameters.

Q: Does it deliver, or is it all just marketing?

A: This is not vapourware, its real and its proven its effectiveness in training and live situations. Banshee gives the forces a capability they have not had, an all in one, small and portable solution.

More than that, each Banshee allows communication with other soldiers and assets, connected via other Banshee units or legacy comms - acting and communicating in unison.

Q: If this uses ordinary mobile phones, what stops anyone else infiltrating?

A: Just like in public networks, you need a dedicated identity to connect to the Banshee and these protocols are secure. If a device is lost, it can be deleted from the system. It uses all the security mechanisms associated with mobile networks and devices to protect people. Its further enhanced with encrypted applications hosted in the onboard computer.

Q: Why is this happening now, when Mobile has been around for 30 years?

A: Nokia has been able to harness the new more powerful computing platforms and efficient radio electronics, making the tech more accessible and performant.

When you access this capability to create your own private wireless networks, as an extension of your current capabilities we bring the military a new dimension in federated telecommunications.

Our vision extends far beyond Banshee, and not just limiting ourselves to mobile technologies. Here at Nokia, we manufacture just about all the networking hardware and software needed to create complete solutions for our customers. These technologies will be transformative in the creation of advanced telecommunications infrastructure and mobilisation strategies in the defence sector.

For more information visit:
nokia.ly/defense