Roselectronics: Thunderstorm Digital small-sized tropospheric communication station

2024: Deliveries of upgraded stations with a range of 210 km

In Russia, in September 2024, deliveries of modernized Groza tropospheric communication stations began, which are capable of providing wireless communication within a radius of up to 210 km, even in the most inaccessible areas of the country. The new stations produced by the Roselectronics holding of the Roste c state corporation are equipped with an updated digital modem that uses neural networks to improve the quality of communication. This equipment allows you to transmit data at speeds up to 45.5 Mbps, providing reliable communication in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

According to Rostec, the Groza stations work on the principle of reflecting a radio signal from the troposphere - the lower layer of the atmosphere. To create a tropospheric communication line, at least two receiving and transmitting stations are required. The equipment includes an antenna with a diameter of 150 cm, which can be installed on the roofs of buildings, mobile masts or special tripods. A key element of the station is a digital modem, which, thanks to neural networks, can extract a useful signal from background noise and automatically optimize the operation of the system during operation.

source = Rostec

The upgraded modem installed in the new version of the Thunderstorm station received improved data processing algorithms, which made it possible to almost double the speed of information transfer compared to previous versions of the equipment. This improvement makes the station even more in demand for use in remote areas where traditional types of communication are either too expensive or ineffective.

The production of Thunderstorm stations is carried out at the Krasnoyarsk scientific and production enterprise Radio Communications, which is part of the Roselectronics holding. The project is being implemented with the support of the Industrial Development Fund, which emphasizes the importance of the program for Russia, especially in the context of the development of communication infrastructure in hard-to-reach and poorly populated regions.^[1]

2022

Increase in data transfer rate via tropospheric communication

Holding Roselectronics State Corporation Rostec tested the Groza tropospheric station communications with an improved digital modem based on. neural networks This became known on December 1, 2022. These technological solutions made it possible to increase the transmission speed to data 45.5 Mbps., which is almost twice as high as the characteristics of the previous equipment modification.

The development makes it possible to provide communication in mountainous, hard-to-reach and sparsely populated areas, along highways and railways, as well as at remote industrial facilities.

The tests were carried out in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, where at a distance of 23 kilometers between the settlements of Emelyanovo and Startsevo, specialists from NPP Radio Communications (part of the Roselectronics holding of Rostec State Corporation) installed two Groza receiving and transmitting stations.

The use of tropospheric communication allows us to quickly ensure the digitalization of hard-to-reach objects and sparsely populated areas. The equipment does not require complex installation work, its use is more profitable compared to satellite communications due to the lack of costs for subscriber fees for renting a satellite resource. Successfully conducted tests have shown the capabilities of "Thunderstorm" in terms of further scaling of the technology. At the beginning of December 2022, we are working on the creation of modems with updated algorithms that will further increase the data transfer rate, "said Rinat Galeev, General Director of NPP Radio Communications.

The equipment uses a data transmission technology based on the reflection of a signal from the troposphere - the lower layer of the atmosphere. The equipment allows you to provide communication at a distance of up to 210 km. An antenna with a diameter of 150 cm is placed on the roof of the building, mobile mast or tripod.

The production of tropospheric communication stations "Thunderstorm" was launched at the Krasnoyarsk NPP "Radio Communication" with the support of the Industrial Development Fund.

Launch of production of tropospheric communication stations "Thunderstorm" in Krasnoyarsk

At the Krasnoyarsk scientific and production enterprise Radio Communications of the Roselectronics holding (part of Rostec), the production of Groza tropospheric communication stations with a high-speed digital modem based on neural networks was launched. This was announced on September 30, 2022 to TAdviser by representatives of the Rostec State Corporation.

The development and launch of production cost 424 million rubles, while almost 80% of these funds (or 335 million rubles) were provided to the holding as a preferential loan to the Industrial Development Fund (FRP), Vedomosti reported, citing the words of a representative of the FRP.

According to Rostec, the station allows you to provide Internet access and mobile communications at a distance of up to 210 km in sparsely populated or inaccessible areas, where tropospheric communication is the only possible and economically justified solution, for example, in mountains or places with extreme climatic conditions. The equipment is also suitable for communication along highways and railways, as well as at remote industrial facilities.

In Russia launched the production of civilian tropospheric communication stations In
the photo: station "Thunderstorm." Photo source: "Rostec"

The main feature of the Thunderstorm stations is the communication range and speed of the information flow. The equipment can transmit data at speeds up to 25 Mbps in tropospheric mode and up to 155 Mbps in radio relay mode.

"The tropospheric communication station can be used to connect any objects and allows information to be transmitted at high speeds regardless of the terrain. In addition, tropospheric communication is economically more profitable compared to satellite communication due to the lack of costs for subscriber fees for renting a satellite resource. Despite the higher cost of the equipment itself, in one to two years of operation of the tropospheric communication station, investments in the purchase of equipment will pay off, since the user does not pay for the rental of the satellite channel and does not incur any other additional costs, " Rinat Galeev, General Director of NPP Radio Communications, explained, specifying that the cost of equipment is about 5 million[2].

The first serial samples are already ready, while there are 10 sets of them (only 20 stations), a representative of Roselectronics explained to Vedomosti^[3]. Due to built-in information processing algorithms, the equipment is able to "learn" during operation and select a useful signal from background noise.

As part of the pilot tests of the Groza station, specialists from the Radio Communications NPP successfully connected several social and infrastructure facilities in the Krasnoyarsk Territory, including a feldsher-midwife station and a 50-kilometer section of the highway between settlements.

2019: Presentation of the civil digital small-sized tropospheric communication station "Thunderstorm"

On October 31, 2019, the Roselectronics holding of Rostec State Corporation presented the first civil digital small-sized tropospheric communication station Groza with a high-speed digital modem based on neural networks. The equipment is designed to organize wireless broadband communication in mountainous, hard-to-reach and sparsely populated areas, along highways and railways, as well as at remote industrial facilities.

The data transmission technology used in Thunderstorm is based on the reflection of a signal from the troposphere - the lower layer of the atmosphere. A minimum of two transceiving stations are required to establish a tropospheric communication line. The development of the Radio Communication NPP (part of Roselectronics) allows you to organize a data transmission channel via the Ethernet interface with flow rates up to 25 Mbps. The equipment includes an antenna with a diameter of 150 cm, which is located on an antenna-mast structure, on the roof of the building, a mobile mast or tripod. The station also includes a high-speed digital tropospheric modem.

Our specialists have created prototypes of the product and carried out positive tests of new equipment in the Republic of Buryatia and in the Krasnoyarsk Territory. Tropospheric communication is actively used in the armed forces, but we see great potential for this technology in the civilian market. This solution will provide communication to the Far North and other hard-to-reach, remote regions of the country. It can become an economically advantageous alternative to satellite communications, since its use does not require paying for the lease of a satellite channel. In addition, Thunderstorm is able to learn during operation and extract a useful signal from background noise due to built-in algorithms for processing information using neural networks, "said Oleg Yevtushenko, executive director of Rostec State Corporation.

"Thunderstorm" can work in extreme climatic conditions: at air temperature from minus 50 to 65 degrees, humidity up to 98%, wind speed up to 20 m/s. At the same time, the equipment is characterized by low power consumption and ease of deployment and operation.

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