Caratore unveils multi-year project to upgrade MBO-NS communications

Viceroy Caratore has unveiled a multi-year and multi-billion zark project to completely replace communications in MBO-NS from person to person radios all the way through to datalinks between facilities. All communications will be protected by fractal encryption and be virtually secure from any kind of enemy eavesdropping. The new communications links will also have greater bandwidth.

The project is vast however, and the new communications will be installed alongside the existing systems so a switch over can occur seamlessly. Caratore said the final switch over would be no later than 2130 though key systems will be live long before that.

Work already quietly began last year on the project with a mandate for all new communication equipment fitted to ships be compatible with the future system, this equipment is being fitted to new build ships and also ships receiving upgrades. Over the next two years the backbone datalinks between the planets in UNP space and MBO-NS bases will be upgraded. Caratore said by 2125 all strategic communications would be covered by the fractal encryption and the majority of ship to ship and ship to base communications.

Clones to upgrade key communication nodes

The Clone Star Empire communication network has been in a poor shape for over 10 years with a series of emergency crash programs, commercial tie-ins and bodges helping keep the network running. However while the network can still cope in peacetime a recent exercise near Woloron 12 saw the CDF network collapse in that area.

The Clone economy has improved and now finally the money appears to be available for some proper upgrades. Six core communication links will be installed and will run alongside the existing links. Core parts of the CSE will see a 300% increase in bandwidth as well as improved speeds. The links will be up and running by 2118. However to demonstrate how data is always increasing even with the upgrades more bandwidth will probably be needed by 2123-5!

DDS invest 3 billion in communication upgrades

Deputy Commander Shiner today signed off a total of 3 billion zarks worth (he was crying obviously) in contracts for communication upgrades to the DDS. Most of the contracts are for the massive Ultranet next-generation communications backbone project that will finally start next year.

The DDS Communications HQ on Proxima 5 will receive a new data multiplex with new nodes at DDG GHQ and on Solaris. A new developmental lab will also be built on Terra to develop new protocols and interfaces. Some of the money comes directly from the UNP as Ultranet will be a joint DDS/UNP system.

As well as Ultranet an upgrade to the Direct Line Laser Communication System (DLLCS) will be rolled out to the fleet during scheduled updates and maintenance. DLLCS-2112 includes improved data security and increased bandwidth. DLLCS is a back-up communication system using lasers which is (virtually) unjammable and very hard to hack into. It was developed by the DDS for combat situations.

Finally inter-base communications at DDS GHQ, Engineering HQ and Communications HQ will be upgraded with a new more secure system based on the data messaging system used on DDS spaceships.

DDS Communications to be upgraded

The Orchid has signed a 740 million zark contract to upgrade the DDS communications network and improve facilities at DDS Communications Command (DDS-COMMCAM). The money will mainly go into further upgrades to the Hypernet which links the various planets in the UNP and spacecraft. Bandwidth and security will be improved which are thought vital with the growing cyber threats the DDS are facing.

These will be the final upgrades to the existing infrastructure before work starts on it's replacement Ultranet in 2113. Ultranet will be a next generation and multi-year programme to totally replace the communications and network infrastructure of the DDS and UNP state facilities. The total pricetag of Ultranet is now estimated at 37 billion zarks though this is to be spread over 12-15 years and will not all come from the DDS budgets.

DDS to improve communications architecture; re-locate comms HQ

DDS Communications Command has completed it's 3 billion zark move to Proxima 5 away from GHQ (though 2.4 billion was paid for by the P5 government and the UNP). DDS-COMMCAM is a vital part of the DDS (some might say the most vital these days) being the hub of the DDS communications network and co-ordinating and maintaining all of the DDS communications backbone. The move began last September and was originally intended to take a whole year to complete but a smooth procedure has seen it finish well ahead of schedule. DDS-COMMCAM has been located to 7 different sites across the planet, 5 overground and 2 underground in secret locations.

Phase 2 of the new DDS-COMMCAM base on P5 is now under construction this is a data centre for Open Architecture telemetry and sensor data from all DDS ships. Holographic storage able to hold many petabytes of data will enable the DDS to collect years of data and perform deep data-mining looking for trends, opportunities for optimisation and potential problems with all DDS ships. A similar facility for Elint and Comint data will be also built but possibly on Solaris.

Phase 3 starting in 2109 will be the relocation of the DDS Research Networking Centre (RNC) to Proxima 5 also. Work is currently underway on the next generation DDS network Ultranet planned for the next decade.

In the meantime the existing Hypernet will receive a 1.6 billion zark upgrade over the next 3 years improving bandwidth and security at major hubs on the DDS network. The upgrades are necessary because of the extra demand being placed on Hypernet by technologies like Open Architecture and FIDO. These will be the final major updates before the introduction of Ultranet. However the pricetag for that project, currently estimated at 34.5 billion zarks for a 10 year period after 2113 have raised a few eyebrows!