Interconnected mobile radio networks-a step towards integrated multimedia military communications

A network architecture, featuring a number of mobile packet radio subnetworks interconnected through a broadband backbone network infrastructure, is introduced. A number of issues related to this architecture are identified and briefly discussed. Specifically, the authors discuss the issues of subnetwork formation, stand-alone and interconnected operation, narrowband-to-broadband internetworking, media independence of gateways, and the issue of handling inter-network mobility of nodes. They attempt to show that consideration of these issues leads to a concept of integrated, mixed-media communications. They also present a number of research directions (and projects) resulting from the 'interconnected narrowband networks' approach.