Site view of the Mona Island GPS and seismic integrated station. Photo: USGS

[Via Satellite 11-16-2015] Signal Mountain Networks and Hughes Network Systems have completed a managed satellite network at 80 sites for the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Under the contract, Signal Mountain and its subcontractor, Hughes, are providing the USGS with ongoing satellite communications services for collection of data from sites in the U.S. and Caribbean in support of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) of the Global Seismographic Network (GSN).

The mission of ANSS is to provide accurate and timely data and information for seismic events, including their effects on buildings and structures by employing new monitoring methods and technologies. Signal Mountain and Hughes are enabling this mission by providing USGS with a fully managed private satellite network solution comprised of a Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS)-certified secure private network, dual Network Operations Centers (NOCs), and a multi-satellite platform solution to ensure service continuity.

USGS awarded the contract to Signal Mountain in 2014 with $1 Million in total contract funding and is currently in the first of three option years available.