Deep in the Montana wilderness, where cell towers are distant memories and satellite signals struggle through mountain peaks, the Tough Stump Rodeo creates the ultimate test environment. The Tough Stump Rodeo brings attendees to an actual disconnected environment to see for themselves what the tech can do – and this year, that disconnection was absolute.
"There has been absolutely no cell coverage here, so we've been relying on SATs just like everyone else," reported our team on the ground. This wasn't a simulation of challenging conditions; it was the real deal where connectivity solutions either work or leave critical operations in the dark.
Our team discovers the true challenge
Rory McCabe and I represented Dejero at this unique event, where participants navigate harsh landscapes, face unpredictable weather, and overcome the constant challenge of maintaining reliable communication. But what we discovered went beyond technical challenges – it revealed the complex dynamics of vendor collaboration and the real structure (or lack thereof) that defines this event.
"This collaboration represents the best of both worlds—real-time mission-critical connectivity and state-of-the-art visualization," explains Rory McCabe, our channel sales manager for public safety.
The reality behind the collaboration
Michael Weaver with IP Access International, showcases the Kymeta antenna used to blend with all other available networks via Dejero Smart Blending Technology.
The event's informal approach created both opportunities and obstacles. While the collaborative environment fosters innovation and encourages the exchange of ideas, the lack of structure was challenging at times but that was the point. Emergencies happen without notice.
Despite the challenges, Dejero’s seamless and resilient critical connectivity proved its worth in the most authentic way possible. IP Access International’s Michael Weaver brought our GateWay M6E6 device and the Dejero team blended Kymeta and Starlink antennas connections to fully provide the Operations Center with critical data connectivity. The GateWay 211 unit handled guest connectivity, solving a critical infrastructure problem that had plagued previous events.
Last year the Ops center only had 17 Mbps, and once attendees arrived they ate up all the available bandwidth. This year, Dejero Smart Blending Technology™, which intelligently combines and manages all available networks (LTE, 5G, satellite, and wired connections), provided the robust backbone needed to support both operational requirements and attendee connectivity needs. Unlike traditional single-connection approaches that fail when one network goes down, Smart Blending Technology creates a resilient "network of networks" that automatically adapts to changing conditions in real-time. When satellite signals weakened due to weather or terrain, the system seamlessly compensated by optimizing other available connections. When bandwidth demands spiked during critical operations, the technology dynamically allocated resources to maintain performance where it mattered most. This intelligent orchestration meant that mission-critical communications never experienced the dropouts or slowdowns that would have been inevitable with conventional connectivity solutions.
This approach proved essential in Montana's challenging environment, where no single network provider could guarantee consistent coverage across the varied terrain and weather conditions that define the Tough Stump Rodeo experience.
Moment of truth: "Can you spin that back up?"
Busy day at Tough Stump Rodeo 2025 testing mission-critical technology.
The true measure of mission-critical technology often comes in unplanned moments. As our team powered down equipment at the end of the day, Operations Center personnel approached with an urgent request: "Hey, can you spin that back up? We're doing a final exercise."
"We said sure, no problem.” It shows that we really were the backbone for critical operations. This spontaneous moment perfectly encapsulated how reliable connectivity becomes invisible until it's gone – and how critical it becomes when operations depend on it.
“The Toughstump Rodeo, held in the Ruby Valley area of Montana, brings technology vendors, evaluators, and observers together for a hands-on event to test technology limits and improve collaboration in an operational setting,” explains Verne LaClair, defense technology coordinator with Booz Allen. “We were thrilled to work with Dejero to ensure critical connectivity was provided to the Operations Center over the course of the Rodeo event. Leveraging their hardware, we observed a 3x improvement in bandwidth over previous years.”
Technical validation in extreme conditions
The complete absence of cellular coverage created the perfect testing environment for Dejero Smart Blending Technology. By combining multiple wired and wireless IP connections from multiple providers to form a virtual 'network of networks,' we dynamically and intelligently manage the fluctuating bandwidth, packet loss, and latency differences of individual connections in real-time.
Remote operations face stark realities:
- No single carrier provides 100% coverage in every location
- Ultra-low latency ensures that operators can remotely control vehicles or machinery with minimal delay, enhancing precision and safety
- Professional transmission solutions can bond up to 12 connections with patented algorithms achieving transmissions with virtually zero latency
- Broadcasters often achieve up to ten megabits per second with as little as three seconds of latency
From 17 Mbps to Mission-Ready
The transformation of the Operations Center's connectivity told the story of our impact. Previously limited to 17 Mbps that disappeared under attendee load, the Dejero-powered infrastructure provided stable, scalable connectivity that supported:
- Critical operational communications through bonded satellite connections
- Attendee connectivity via dedicated guest networks
- Real-time data transmission supporting successful backhaul of LiDAR data, UAV video, and Position Location Information over 35-40 miles
- Flexible operations with rapid deployment and recovery capabilities
Our experience at Tough Stump Rodeo revealed several key insights for the broader tactical communications industry:
- Infrastructure Dependency: When cellular networks fail completely, only robust satellite and hybrid connectivity solutions maintain operational capability. In today's world, an unstable connection or a network outage isn't simply an annoyance; it can have catastrophic implications.
- Vendor Collaboration Value: Despite structural challenges, the cross-vendor collaboration generated genuine innovation. Companies found themselves working together to solve connectivity puzzles that no single vendor could address alone.
The verdict: where critical infrastructure meets innovation
When operations center personnel asked us to "spin that back up" for their final exercise, they validated everything Dejero stands for. We weren't just another vendor demonstrating products – we had become the critical infrastructure enabling their mission success.
Tough Stump Rodeo is not just about technology; it's about building relationships and leaving with connections. The Montana wilderness stripped away all pretense and revealed fundamental truth: in communications-denied environments, reliable connectivity becomes the difference between mission success and operational failure.
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