Resilient VoIP Services in Tactical Networks - Download Application Note (sponsored)

The promise of VoIP becoming an integral part of tactical communications networks has been a hot topic for a long time already. However, it seems that only now armed forces are ready to start fully adopting the technology. Naturally, it has happened simultaneously with the coming of other IP-based networks, and the interest and need for the right kind of solutions continues to grow constantly. But how are VoIP solutions enhancing tactical communications currently, and what are the key considerations when choosing the right solution for your needs?

COTS Just Won’t Do

The reasons for migrating to VoIP-based tactical communications have always been clear: better performance and easy integration with other IP-based networks. When considering the right VoIP solution for tactical use, the question usually comes up whether a commercial off-the-shelf option could work. The tactical communications experts of the Finnish company Bittium have discovered that typical commercial VoIP server solutions have several handicaps.

“One of the challenges is how the VoIP services work for the benefit of mobile troops. Typically, VoIP servers require preparing a dial plan in advance, which defines the trunk connections between servers. Similarly, the users have a fixed location in the network. As tactical networks are mobile by definition and routes between servers may change and some may become temporarily unavailable, this type of centralized VoIP solution does not work,” says Jussi-Pekka Pudas, Product Manager at Bittium. “In addition, quality of service and priority of calls are not supported in commercial solutions, and integration of VoIP and legacy audio in the same network is challenging.

Reliable Resilience, Interoperability, and Mobility

So, what then is the best way to offer VoIP services in tactical networks? Close cooperation with customers has been one of the factors that has helped Bittium to understand and solve many of the challenges armed forces have been experiencing with commercial off-the-shelf solutions. Many times, the solutions need to be specifically designed for tactical use cases in order to have the desired features and performance, not to mention seamless and easy use. Bittium provides VoIP solutions that have been specifically designed for mobile tactical environments. 

Download the application note to learn about the solutions that meet the requirements of the modern battlespace and offer resilience, interoperability, and mobility for the troops.