Minimizing the complexity, risk, and overall cost of deploying complex microwave transport solutions

The data networks within the U.S. federal government face a multitude of ever-expanding demands. Aside from basic voice and data services, many agencies need more advanced, delay-sensitive applications such as streaming and real-time voice, video, and data sharing. Often, these capabilities are provided by a network that must also support missions that involve technical work in remote locations that have minimal existing infrastructure. Installing cable for a wireline network in these locations would be time consuming, costly, and even geographically impossible in some cases. Mission-critical work still requires a high-speed communications network that is highly reliable, secure, efficiently deployable, scalable, and able to overcome geographic obstacles in order to accomplish program objectives.

Microwave data transport solutions offer a distinct advantage in addressing geographic challenges, and also allow for the backhaul concerns and budget constraints that face many U.S. government networks. Because microwave transport can be used for either an entire network configuration or for portions of a network to complement or backup an existing wireline framework, many federal agencies have discovered that implementing microwave technology is efficient and addresses the needs of both current and future networks.

COMPLETE MICROWAVE SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT

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The Microwave Advantage: Cost-Effective, Anytime/Anywhere Communications Whether real-time communications solutions are needed in the field or at an established site, the ability to deploy quickly with seamless integration into an existing network is imperative. Fiber cost-per-mile in a wireline network can be prohibitive, and burying cable can prove inefficient or ineffective with the geographical challenges presented in remote locations. Recent improvements in technology and features now allow high bandwidth applications to match the performance of fiber; with modulation and radio link aggregation grouping (LAG), wireless microwave network solutions with bandwidth exceeding 1 Gbps are significantly more cost-effective, and issues such as rights-of-way, availability of power, trenching, and cable procurement are eliminated.

With a proven history of meeting geographical and budgetary customer requirements while providing for secure network integration with minimal down time, microwave solutions from LGS Innovations offer a world-class suite of products to handle all types of application support and transport requirements. LGS service offerings include design, planning, scheduling, installation, commissioning, and overall management of a microwave solution program.

This full turn-key approach to microwave network deployment allows LGS Innovations to help federal agencies and DoD branches meet the growing demand for new broadband services that require more connectivity as the needs of their users expand.

Evolving Government Microwave Communications The majority of government systems have been deployed using spectrum bands designated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), including the 4GHz and 7.125GHz to 8.5GHz bands. This frequency spectrum provides enough network bandwidth to handle a variety of government applications such as voice channels, data applications, video transmission, sensor or surveillance camera data, and land mobile radio. Transmission capacities can range from DS-1 channels, DS-3 channels, OC-3 SONET transmission, and Ethernet network bandwidth up to 300 Mbps and higher on a single 30 MHz channel.

Through its Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) program, the FCC recently conducted a spectrum auction for microwave frequencies within the 1755-1780 MHz spectrum. Many government agencies were operating in this frequency range and were instructed to evolve their microwave systems to a different frequency band such as the 7.125GHz to 8.5 GHz spectrum. As congestion has built in certain areas within the 7/8GHz band, more government agencies are leveraging the 4 GHz band; usage of upper 2 GHz spectrum is considered a temporary solution, as that band could be auctioned in the future.

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Why Packet Microwave? With the tremendous growth in data traffic now outpacing that of voice traffic, many government network managers seek to upgrade their networks from traditional Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) communications using the SONET protocol, to an Internet Protocol (IP) and Ethernet packet-based infrastructure. Packet networks carry IP services natively and are optimized for the delivery of IP-based services over advanced 3G, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and other types of mobile networks. Packet switching offers a more efficient use of overall network bandwidth, allowing networks to utilize less equipment and making them more cost-effective.

To make the most of available budget and bandwidth, many government network managers seek to converge on one single packet network that can support a mixed payload of legacy TDM and increasing packet traffic. Microwave portions of the network, however, have yet to make a full transition to packet networking, primarily due to concerns that packet-based networks might not meet service level agreement (SLA) demands for TDM voice and other data forms.

Enabling Microwave Networks: The 9500 MPR Alcatel-Lucent (now Nokia) introduced the revolutionary concept of packet microwave with the 9500 Microwave Packet Radio (MPR) portfolio, which LGS Innovations now offers to U.S. federal, state, and local governments and commercial users. Given that TDM networks will not be replaced overnight, the 9500 MPR has been designed to support the gradual transition to all-IP and Ethernet microwave packet networks of the future. In order to accommodate this gradual transition, the 9500 MPR utilizes various cards to support numerous legacy TDM interfaces, helping to minimize network transition costs and provide a seamless evolution from TDM SDH/SONET networks to all-IP and Ethernet packet networks.

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The 9500 MPR was designed to support the federal bands at 4 and 7/8 GHz, using packet technology as its foundation to provide high quality communications at a low total cost of ownership. It enables legacy-to-packet transformation over a common, converged packet network; offers the highest functionality with the smallest footprint; and is highly scalable and resilient.

The 9500 MPR helps users to extend their existing microwave licenses by applying packet techniques to optimize bandwidth and maximize payload capacity per radio link. It reduces operating costs through the use of a common, multi-purpose transceiver that supports multiple deployment scenarios.

Key benefits of the 9500 MPR include: » Addressing new data services with native packet microwave: Efficiently enabling TDM-to-packet

transformation and capitalizing on the benefits of native packet transport, while meeting stringent TDM latency requirements

» One Product Family for all Microwave Applications: Minimizes operations costs by using common radios across tail, point-to-pint, nodal, and long-haul applications

» High-Capacity and High-Availability: Addresses growing bandwidth demand while improving customer Quality of Experience

» Flexible Networking

» Facilitates transition to higher capacity, lower TCO microwave network architectures

» Lowers OPEX through simplified provisioning, assurance, and maintenance

» 9500 Microwave Packet Transport (MPT-HLC) integrates with the 7705 SAR for IP/MPLS networks

Like other LGS microwave solutions, the 9500 MPR incorporates the modulation/demodulation of digital signals and power amplifiers to induce signal gain. This solution accommodates any path loss derived from atmospheric conditions that may be found along the microwave path, as well as associated cabling losses from the microwave equipment to the transmit or receive antenna systems.

Flexible Microwave Configurations to Provide the Best Signal for Your Network LGS can configure a microwave network using an all-indoor package based on a compact nodal design, so the RF units and I/O units are separate from one another. Indoor configurations incorporate all of the active electronic circuits, such as:

» Modulation/demodulation » Application physical interfaces » Power amplification within the indoor microwave shelf

7705 MWA Standalone

MPT-HC-H QAM

MSS-8

Small cell Short-haul Long-haul

MSS-1 MSS-O

Indoor

Outdoor

Radio units

MPT-HL SLIM

ETSI

MPT-HL CUBIC MPT-XP-H QAM

ANSI

MPT-GM MPT-GS60 MPT-SUB6

Networking units

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With the all-indoor package, the MPT-HLC Microwave RF shelf then transmits signals over a cable facility, known as waveguide, to a parabolic antenna. The nodal design of the 9500 MPR allows the RF unit to be placed in one section of a communications facility and the I/O unit in another. This reduces the overall amount of costly waveguide required and can significantly increase the number of radios and channels in a single rack. These systems provide higher signal amplification and are optimized for longer paths, while removing any active components near the antenna in order to reduce overall maintenance costs.

LGS Services for Microwave Networks LGS Innovations offers structured microwave solutions that include design, detailed engineering, and deployment of the entire network.

Design Process: from Path Analysis to Complete Microwave Solution LGS design engineers use a structured approach in developing a microwave solution design, making sure the project analysis is site-specific and focuses on full physical site logistics. This includes GPS readings for potential locations of new or existing towers, allowing for project specifics to be given to the customer early in the design process.

With accurate GPS readings and a determination of specific transmission requirements such as path availability and necessary bandwidth, LGS engineers develop a path analysis of the complete microwave solution utilizing project and site-specific data to provide the most accurate analysis of a microwave path design. By incorporating a 50-year database of regional rain coefficients - the most detailed and realistic in the industry - which links to the North American Datum of 1983 (NAD83) data files for site coordinates as well as the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 30-meter terrain database, LGS is able to develop accurate path profiles and ensure availability. This analysis optimizes the system design parameters, transmitter power, antenna centerlines, tower height, and antenna size and polarization to minimize the total outage and interference for a given path and provides the most cost-effective overall design.

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Detailed Engineering: Full Turnkey Engagement LGS Innovations has a skilled design team that addresses all outside plant elements including tower and tower foundation design, cable runs and conduit placement, fuel tank and generator sizing, power distribution and backup systems, and security elements such as lighting, door entry, and security fencing. Site-specific details are analyzed and site surveys and assessment are conducted to develop an accurate and complete design and build plan that meets the specific needs of each particular location and project.

The LGS team utilizes the specifications for antenna sizes, weights, and centerlines defined in the path analysis report to develop a tower loading model. Load calculations include all antennas to be used in the system architecture; all antenna mounts and systems (including side arms for azimuth and elevation adjustment of each directional antenna); all ancillary hardware such as ice shields, climbing ladders, waveguide ladders; and Radio Frequency (RF) transmission lines. Specific load factor parameters are then utilized to assess the strength of antenna and tower members and guys and to analyze twist and sway factors. The output provides a detailed design of the tower and its foundation that will conform to all applicable tower standards.

Detailed configuration designs and drawings on all inside plant elements such as rack face layout designs, floor plan layouts, cabling diagrams, alarm configurations, and any IP addressing requirements are developed prior to any equipment deployment or installation. The deliverable is a professional engineered stamped drawing package including geotechnical report and site survey details, site layout drawings, tower detail drawing with calculations, tower foundation drawings with calculations, tower installation drawings, shelter detail drawing with calculations, shelter foundation drawings with calculations, shelter installation drawings, and permits as required.

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Deployment and Final Customer Acceptance The Deployment and Acceptance phase is managed by a certified LGS Project Manager and supports the specific program schedule to help ensure the project is completed on time and on budget. From the geotechnical analysis performed at each site through final path survey and path analysis, final tower and foundation design, installation, testing, and system acceptance, LGS Innovations emphasizes attention to detail and customer satisfaction.

Proven Experience Microwave systems can be quite complex. The skills of an experienced team are essential to ensure that the project will be completed with all technical aspects designed and planned for, and that the current and future needs of the network are met.

LGS Innovations and its strategic partners have a successful history in the design and deployment of microwave solutions. This experience extends world-wide and includes hostile regions where project schedules can be challenging.

Because of the complex design and deployment components of microwave systems, it is imperative that microwave solutions not only provide world-class products, but also include a full complement of design, deployment, and project management services that have proven their value in successful microwave system deployment.

L G S I N N O V A T I O N S 13665 Dulles Technology Drive, Suite 301

Herndon, VA 20171

T E L : 1-866-LGS-4243 (1-866-547-4243) U R L : www.lgsinnovations.com

LGS, LGS Innovations, and the LGS Innovations logo are trademarks of LGS Innovations LLC. The information presented is subject to change without notice.

© 2016 – LGS INNOVATIONS

ABOUT LGS INNOVATIONSLGS Innovations delivers mission-critical communications products, R&D, and supporting services to U.S. defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies, state and local govern-ments, critical infrastructure operators, and commercial customers around the world. We create advanced solu-tions in wireless communications, signals processing and analysis, optical networking, photonics, routing and switching, and spectrum management.

These solutions drive mission success in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), cyberspace operations, and network assurance. By incorporating best-in-class commercial and custom technologies with a full suite of offerings in research and development, engineering, integration, and product applications, our solutions improve efficiency, reduce costs, and provide an information advantage to our customers.

LGS has a history and culture of innovation, and maintains strong ties to our Bell Labs legacy of inventive develop-ment. Our intellectual curiosity keeps us on the cutting edge of technology and leverages our 75-year history of creating next-generation communications solutions to support critical operations.

LGS Innovations is a U.S.-owned company headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, with offices across the U.S. and overseas. We employ more than 1,000 associates around the world, including 750 scientists and engineers. Do you have a passion for innovation? So do we. Learn more at www.lgsinnovations.com.