The Nimitz-class naval vessel achieved steady speeds of 50 megabytes per second (Mbps) download, 25 Mbps upload, and 160 Mbps download and 50 Mbps upload — results comparable to those from using Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite services.
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“Innovating is the lifeblood of the Navy. By developing additional high-speed data connections using 4G / 5G we help our sailors accomplish their mission,” said Captain Kevin White, combat systems officer on the Abraham Lincoln.
Cape and IT&E have been working together since May to bring secure connectivity to US personnel stationed in Guam.
In an update on their efforts, the partners were able to provide connectivity aboard the aircraft carrier up to 30 nautical miles offshore coming into Guam, and up to 130 nautical miles offshore in the Philippines.
At port, Cape’s Strategic MVNO delivered a secure, high bandwidth 4G / 5G connection, providing connectivity for the entire carrier and transferring over a terabyte of data in 24 hours.
Pier-side tests using Cape SIMs delivered data speeds 10 to 20 times faster than prepaid and roaming SIMs, providing comparable download and two to three times faster upload speeds to an onboard satellite terminal.
The deployments see Cape run a cloud-based ultra-secure network on top of IT&E’s physical RAN. As the chip enters cellular range, sailors onboard can offload data onto Cape’s MVNO, which routes data directly from the IT&E local 4G and 5G cell sites to the Cape-managed, cloud-based core network for data transmission.
The partner pair suggested results of trials highlight the possibility of adding more communication capabilities to naval fleets using commercial cellular and 5G.
“It’s fantastic to see our tech is able to securely protect the data of members of the Navy and encourages what this means for secure protection of our users more broadly,” said John Doyle, CEO of Cape.
“This partnership allows us to support national defence initiatives and our service men and women by ensuring seamless communication and reliable connections when and where it matters the most,” said David Gibson, CEO of IT&E. “Together, we’re ensuring connectivity across the globe, both on land and at sea.”
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Cape, IT&E Guam partner to provide secure communication to US Navy
