When disaster strikes and telecommunication infrastructure fails, it is a herculean task for first responders and governments to carry out recovery efforts. Likewise, in war zones and austere environments when traditional telecommunication networks are disrupted, soldiers need alternate data communication systems to communicate with their teams. That’s where Fenix Group comes in with its flagship product, Banshee.

Banshee is an expeditionary mobile broadband radio that connects soldiers and sensors to enable at-the-edge data, intelligence, and communications. Embedding virtual server stacks on military radios gives the military the capability to bring a little Internet wherever they are on a mission. Fenix Group primarily caters to the U.S federal government, DoD, partner organizations, and state and local governments.

Virginia-based Fenix Group provides private mobile broadband networks as integrated edge solutions. “Unlike a some private standalone 4G/LTEformats, we offer ruggedized man portable and vehicle mounted systems with integrated backhaul and edge services onboard,” says Dave Peterson, CEO of Fenix Group. Banshee is offered as a family of integrated systems, to include backpacks for wearable access, mobile units for high capacity operations, and 4G/LTE unmanned airborne platforms. What makes Fenix Group’s private 4G/LTE line special is that they are not only establishing an eNodeB and a core network but integrating modular Layer 2 backhaul radios for connectivity between nodes, and other communications systems that may be in the area, to include satellite and microwave links.

In a military application, deployed personnel can take one of the backpacks out and create an LTE bubble that is private and secure but also can mesh to other deployed individual nodes. Each node can stand on its own as a fully functional private LTE network with integrated edge services, but also connects with other Banshee nodes when it comes into contact via layer 2 RF link range. Customers get high reliability, redundancy, and survivability in an austere environment.

Since each Banshee node is embedded with a virtual server stack, military personnel and first responders get access to video encoding, situational awareness tools, dialers, and chat services. Even in an austere environment, users don’t need to reach back to a cloud-based infrastructure or use satellite communication for most services, which saves money over the long term. “We’ve also implemented features which allow 4G/LTE communications to work in a GPS denied environment,” states Peterson.“They can just take their Banshee node out and have reliable, high speed communication services anywhere in the world over a pretty good coverage area.”