Rohde & Schwarz Will Implement Phase 2 by Mid-2020
In a demonstration of trust in the solution Rohde & Schwarz implemented in early 2016, the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) placed an order with the company in June this year for phase 2 of its spectrum management and monitoring system.
The programme will involve systems design, delivery, installation and training, implementation and maintenance (over a seven-year period) for three control centres (Nyeri, Kisumu and Eldoret) to supplement the existing facilities, one V/UHF fixed monitoring station in Nyeri, a direction-finding station in Kitale and three mobile monitoring stations. Delivery, which includes a fixed HF monitoring station and three new mobile units, will be fully implemented by the middle of next year, the Munich based communications specialist announced on 31 July.
The mobile monitoring stations will use pickup trucks as the platform, providing them with off-road capabilities. These will be acquired locally, while the system itself will be integrated into special truck-mounted shelters at the Rohde & Schwarz factory. After delivery, these smart system shelters will be mounted on off-road vehicles, guaranteeing system integration with high quality standards and common local platforms for easy maintenance. Moreover, they are agnostic to pick-up manufacturers, and are, just like the platform, inconspicuous, as their DF antenna is mounted directly on a concealable extendable mast. Retracted, the mast with the DF antenna remains hidden, so that the vehicle does not appear as a mobile monitoring station. The elevated antenna results in higher system sensitivity, making it possible to take precise bearings, even on weak signals and to expand the detection range.
In order to offer a standardised user interface, Rohde & Schwarz will simultaneously update the existing system. The new control centres and monitoring stations will be compatible with CA’s existing spectrum monitoring network, and the authority will then be able to run both old and new systems seamlessly.
“We are proud that the Communications Authority of Kenya again put its trust in Rohde & Schwarz by commissioning Phase 2 […] R&S ARGUS has been consistently and systematically expanded and improved to ensure excellent solutions for ever-changing challenges. Thanks to a wide range of specialised equipment […] open interfaces and unrivaled monitoring capabilities, R&S ARGUS is well-suited for applications far beyond the scope of ITU-compliant monitoring. R&S ARGUS 6.1, the latest development step, focuses on complete workflows and operability to ensure that you get the job done – faster and better than ever,” explained Director of Marketing, Rohde & Schwarz Monitoring and Network Testing Division, Martin Atanassov.
