JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas –
The installation of more than 40 miles of fiber-optic cable to provide high-capacity transport of data, voice and video for Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph users was scheduled to begin this week.
The estimated $3.5 million project, which is expected to conclude in mid-July 2013, is the information transport segment of the Air Force Materiel Command System Programs Office's high-priority, multi-billion-dollar Combat Information Transport System.
Lloyd Mims, 902nd Communications Squadron information technology specialist, said the 902nd CS and the Electronic Systems Center at Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., have been planning for the execution of the CITS ITS for two years.
Mims said CITS is composed of three systems: transport, network defense and network management.
"Transport is everything that relates to the physical pathways that information passes through, network defense is the security and network management is the control," he said. "All of these assets combine to provide connectivity throughout the Air Force to link command and control and combat support systems to the Defense Information System Network using Non-Secure Internet Protocol Router Network (NIPRNET) or Secret Internet Protocol Router Network (SIPRNET) connectivity."
Mims said the Randolph ITS will enhance connectivity to 147 mission support facilities, including 20 emergency-essential housing units, "ensuring existing and new fiber optic connections to each facility are adequate throughout Randolph's 5,044 acres."
In addition to providing high-capacity transport of data, voice and video, the upgrade will meet future growth of the Global Information Grid, Mims said.
"The transport system will also upgrade all NIPRNET switching equipment and address any grounding and power supply issues as needed in the communication rooms," he said.
A unique boring machine will be used when feasible to minimize effects on the environment during the period of trenching and digging, Mims said.
"This piece of equipment allows installation of conduit under roadways and parking lots without digging them up," he said. "This will not only prevent additional work from repairing the roadway, but also allow normal traffic to use the area without hindrance."
Boring is also planned for housing areas to minimize sod disruption.
Mims said the project may involve temporary inconveniences due to construction.
"But every effort will be taken to minimize the impact of this project on the Randolph community," he said.
Mims said housing residents can expect to see construction crews installing fiber-optic cable to the emergency-essential units.
He also said Randolph will be the first base under CITS to receive fiber-optic cable connections to meteorological and navigational equipment on both airfield areas.
For more information, call 652-5009.