[SatNews] TeleCommunication Systems (NASDAQ: TSYS) maritime communications experts will provide the Military Sealift Command’s Next Generation Wideband commercial satellite communications infrastructure and service under the terms of a potential $315 million contract that was awarded on November 3rd. from the U.S. Defense Information Technology Contracting Organization at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois.

The BEST system has provided MSC with robust secure and non-secure service connectivity for voice, data, and imagery for classified and unclassified missions. More than 70 Military Sealift Command vessels have their voice and data networks connected to the MSC Ashore Enterprise via BEST. MSC has implemented the BEST solution as an overlay to its existing legacy Inmarsat infrastructure. Nevertheless, Navy officials are replacing BEST as its infrastructure is no longer able to satisfy expanding MSC mission requirements; the current BEST satellite communications terminals are reaching end-of-life; and the supporting Inmarsat satellite constellation is nearing end-of-life. TeleCommunication Systems specializes in reliable and secure mobile communication technology in E9-1-1, text messaging, commercial location, and deployable wireless communications. TCS is involved in new mobile cloud computing services providing wireless applications for navigation, hyper-local search, asset tracking, social applications and telematics.