User:AvCommPL/sandbox

''' COMMUNICATIONS ON THE MOVE AND COMMUNICATIONS ON THE PAUSE '''

Satellite antennas facilitate fast and reliable connectivity supporting audio visual and data transmission to every corner of the globe. Communications On The Move (COTM) and Communications On the Pause (COTP) satellite antenna systems support communications infrastructure without the antenna being set in a permanently mounted position.

COTM and COTP antenna terminals are mechanically or electrically driven antennas, mobile in nature and coming in various shapes and sizes. They are manufactured as agile and compact devices but they still manage to perform like the traditional parabolic antennas.

Initially COTP/COTM’s were dome shaped but this shape limited their application for use on some forms of transport. In recent years COTP/COTM’s architecture has evolved into more streamline designs. The most practical and mobile design being a phased array flat panel antenna. This evolution in technology has opened up the opportunity for the COTM and COPT terminal to have practical application on airplanes, trains, military vehicles, large rural machinery, trucks, mining machinery, high-speed boats and the like.

What is the difference between COTM and COTP?

There are two Commercial off the shelf (COTS) products that provide mobile Satellite broadcast functionality. They are COTP (Communications on the Pause) and COTM (Communications on the Move).

COTP is a mobile satellite terminal which is physically mounted to a moveable object such as a vehicle and can only receive satellite reception when it is stationary. These terminals span in shape from the traditional Parabolic to the evolving Flat Panel technologies. COTM is similar to COTP, but the devices can be operational whilst in motion. This lends itself to the use of the devices on vehicles, boats, aircraft, trucks, and alike without the need to be stationary. COTP architecture is far more complex than COTP, as it needs to alleviate the required pointing accuracy when in motion. The critical specification for COTP’s is tracking accuracy and response as the devices maybe required to track at greater than 100-degrees per second in all three axis (Elevation, Azimuth and Polarisation to maintain beam integrity). COTM devices are superior in mobility to COTP as they are operable on virtually all road and off-road terrains as well as waterways.

 HISTORY 

The first COTMs and COTPs were parabolic antennas which were fixed to mobile devices. Parabolic antennas were first used for satellite communications in 1962 in Goonhilly, Cornwell, United Kingdom but they did not get used as COTM and COTP until the early 1980’s. These devices were commonly seen on top of news vans and the like. The push for improved design came from the United States, former secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, who commissioned a device which was move mobile and lighter-weight. This resulted in the commercial satellite industry creating more streamline and agile satellite systems for the Defense department in turn making them readily available for the commercial market.

IMPLEMENTATIONS OPPORTUNITIES

Typical Markets for COTM and COTP would encompass infrastructure and services who support, Emergency Services (including Police, Fire Vehicles, Ambulance/Paramedic vehicles and vessels), Heavy Transport including Rail services and other Government Agencies such as Boarder Protection (security & surveillance sector), luxury boats and Heavy Vehicles, including Long range trucks, Private/Private Buses etc.

EXTERNAL LINKS


 * Step Electronics: Australian-Communications on the Move
 * Kymeta Corporation
 * ThinKom
 * Goonhilly Earth Station
 * ThinKom
 * Goonhilly Earth Station
 * Goonhilly Earth Station

 REFERENCES''


 * Step Electronics: Communications on the Move
 * Homeland Security: In Touch, On The Move
 * Homeland Security: In Touch, On The Move