Cobham is in the final test phases of its IP Mesh network system and has successfully implemented Phase 1 of the system in a South African diamond mine.

Phase 2 of the system, increasing the strength of the system, is planned to be implemented in November, followed by Phase 3 in February.

Phase 3, the final phase of implementation, will allow the system to autonomously switch on and control camera units. The system also has wearable units for soldiers that can track GPS or 10-digit locations, and biometric data.

Unlike WiFi and WiMAX systems, Cobham’s system uses Coded Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (COFDM). In the field, this system can be used to transmit data between troops and vehicles in rough terrain where traditional radios and wireless signals would encounter too much interference, the company said Oct. 7 at the Association of the U.S. Army 2009 convention in Washington, D.C.

“COFDM thrives off interference by bouncing off structures and walls to reach a receiver,” said Graham Foord, Cobham special project sales. This makes it ideal for operations in high-interference areas such as large cities, mines, and even in anti-piracy operations where difficulties with standard radio communications are a common occurrence deep inside ships.

In a non-line-of-sight environment, the COFDM system can send signals up to 1 kilometer away to eight separate nodes on a single layer with each node communicating with each other. When operating in a line-of-sight environment, it can send signals up to 50 kilometers.