Teleport trial starts for DOD

The Defense Department today unveiled its first experimental site for helping quickly transmit voice, video and data via satellite to warfighters.

DOD officials will use the Teleport test bed to try new concepts and technologies for distributing multiband communications and multimedia imagery, and to send updates to satellite systems supporting deployed forces. The department installed two antennas at the Army's Communications-Electronics Command's (CECOM) Research, Development and Engineering Center Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate at Fort Monmouth, N.J., according to the command.

The Defense Information Systems Agency chose the Fort Monmouth test and evaluation facility because of its intricate satellite communications engineering lab, CECOM officials said. Teleport accounted for $94 million of DISA's $198 million 2004 procurement budget.

"Teleport will allow software vendors to test integration of their software before distribution to warfighters, and to further enable the Army's participation in joint exercises and demonstrations, CECOM's statement said.