REMOVING BOUNDARIES


‘PLUGGING IN’ TO THE PACIFIC In Honolulu, Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division and the 30th Signal Battalion participated in an end-user- device limited user test to help the Army optimize the functionality of Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC), across the Pacific region, minus Korea. Global inter- connected CSfC allows individual users to access classified information over commer- cial networks.


“Te ability to connect to a wireless or 5G network anywhere in the world is how CSfC helps expand the [Global SIPRNet],” said Albert Chavez, GENM-O Pacific Team senior architect. “If I’m OCONUS and there’s a wireless connection right next to me, I can securely connect and down- load a file that I need to send a commander in milliseconds, as opposed to how our legacy capabilities functioned.”


Before the fielding of these new end-user devices, Soldiers had to wait for commu- nication infrastructure to be set up to access the classified network. Now, accord- ing to Chavez, if there are any internet connections available—commercial or otherwise—Soldiers can connect and continue their work.


Part of the Army’s comprehensive modern- ization initiative is delivering the SIPRNet worldwide with CSfC as an important part in the Global SIPRNet rollout because of the multiple connectivity options it provides for end users.


“We’ve already increased the [end-user- device] functionality with additional user applications and features, such as audio- video conferencing,” Chavez said.


Across the Pacific in Okinawa, Japan, upgrades have been focused on network flexibility, agility and bandwidth necessary


86 Army AL&T Magazine Spring 2024


NETWORK MIGRATION


Maj. Christopher Biddie, GENM-O assistant product manager, discusses new network architecture for Sembach Kaserne U.S. Army post in Germany with Andrea Zalasky, GENM-O assistant product manager, and Christopher Hyers, GENM-O senior program manager. (Photo by Christopher Labatte, GENM-O)


for the Army to execute its mission and maintain dominance over near-peer competitors.


The upgrades began with the imple- mentation of a Multiprotocol Labeling System network that provides instan- taneous bandwidth without needing to manually re-cable the connection point from one user to another. Te previous system, which used a Synchronous Optical Network, did not offer the same flexibility because of its use of static networks, which contained predetermined pathways for the data to travel to reach a specific end user.


“Te best way to describe the [Multi- protocol Labeling System network] is to compare it to a cellphone network,” says Dominic Ribaudo, GENM-O computer engineer. A Synchronous Optical Network “is a bunch of dedicated landlines where


the Army must anticipate the maximum lines shared between general users and first responders. If either reaches its capac- ity, the receiver would get a busy signal. With [the Multiprotocol Labeling System network], the Army can prioritize mission needs and the first responders will never reach capacity.”


MISSION-CENTERED INFRASTRUCTURE Across Europe, GENM-O teamed with its Army stakeholders to execute more than 45 infrastructure and network moderniza- tion projects throughout 11 countries to modernize voice, video, data and mission command from afar solutions.


GENM-O delivered telecommunication room improvements, cabling and equip- ment installation both inside and outside the facilities, heating, ventilation and air


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