PRESS RELEASE:
California Company Successfully Demonstrates Prototype Equipment for Radio Interoperability.
Advatech Pacific, Inc. (API), whose Advanced Technology Division is located at 1849 N. Wabash Avenue, Redlands, CA, demonstrated
radio interoperability and satellite communications connectivity on 13 November 2006 in the waters of Tahiti using the prototype
Universal Global Access to Telecommunications Equipment (uGATE) C-Kit, or uGATE-C. This equipment was derived as part of the
Highly Mobile Tactical Communication (HMTC) project, an Office of Naval Research program to support USMC rapid deployment,
funded in four phases. The purpose for the HMTC project was to develop equipment which provides a simple method for integrating
diverse Line of Sight RF equipment and extending the functionality of those systems with Beyond Line of Sight satellite communications
to support rapid deployment and deployment in terrains which are mountainous or beyond the range of ground stations.
The November test was conducted in the waters of Tahiti to provide remote verification of the prototype uGATE-C
equipment’s functionality and to demonstrate the capabilities of the equipment to the Technical Leadership Forum held by the Australian
Aerospace Concepts Pty Ltd. The Australian attendees were Shaun Wilson (President of Aerospace Concepts), Dwight Van Roy (President of
Metae Corp.) and Mark Blair (Program Manager for Optus Corp). The capability demonstration was successful, with some operational problems
which have since been corrected.
Figure 1. Map of Location of Field Test relative to the US cell phone connection
Figure 2. HMTC uGATE-C Tahiti Field Test
Participant Shaun Wilson from Australia sent the comment:“ Overall, an excellent idea ... something that allows a range of otherwise
uninvolved organisations to have their comms connected up at almost no notice has a broad range of applications. Indeed, having this might
have saved some of the 500 houses that burnt down in Canberra a couple of years ago during a major bushfire ... while fire appliances sent
from two other states (each on their own different radio nets) sat on the other side of the city awaiting orders… More to follow if I think
of it. Otherwise, well done thus far.” Participant Dwight Van Roy from Australia commented: “The overall concept of a satellite bridge is
fantastic. I believe that to support our marketing effort we need to develop a few case studies of military and civil customers. I find this
the best way to get into see customers to then have a more detailed discussion. In particular, Shaun’s example of the Canberra bushfires where
the disparate communication systems of the various state fire services could have been overcome with a bridge, even if not a satbridge.”
