Gossip

Mobile wireless in the Gulf? Could tell, but would have to kill myself...

by Sniffer | posted on 08 February 2006

Amazing things happen with wireless in war. And one of the better kept secrets of the Iraq conflict has reached the Network Sniffer: 3G packet data is being successfully used by the US ground forces.

We mentioned this some months ago, reporting that strange rumours of "wireless battledress" had leaked out, where very, very low power technology was used to track troops and their movements, without leaving a signal that an enemy might be able to follow

And the technology, say soldiers on the ground (don't ask how this reached the Hunky Mouse!) is that of IP Wireless - the big rival to Flarion in high speed packet data.

But, because it's secret, they can't mention this officially. So, if you ring up anybody at IP Wireless, they will simply deny all knowledge of the technology's adoption, or how it works. And, indeed, the person you talk to will probably not know anything about it: staff have been briefed only on a very strict 'need to know' basis and even quite senior management may be in the dark, completely.

So much for official secrets: but it gets sillier.

What happened in the last few weeks, is that one of the larger European mobile phone networks had to let a senior technology expert go on extended leave. Reason: she's an officer in the civilian Territorial Army, assigned to the Gulf.

There, she found fascinating stuff about what this technology was doing, and quickly realised that it would be of immense interest to her employer, if only they could be told. It would, perhaps, give the carrier a huge advantage over rivals. It might give them a head start. And she got to play with it, and knows how it works.

And she's not allowed to mention it. Except, it turns out, unofficially, in conversation with Army colleagues, in a bar - where your Sniffer overheard it.

Of course, this is all fantasy, and based on the fevered imagination of a mind affected by too much beer, right?

Tags: Beer, IPWireless, Gulf War