Covenant battle network

"I've hacked into the Covenant battlenet. They're actually broadcasting tactical data on unencrypted channels. We should show them who they're dealing with."

- Cortana to John-117 on Installation 04.

The Covenant battle network, often referred to as the battlenet, is the term for Covenant communication systems maintained to allow instantaneous contact between units, vessels and planets. It is the equivalent to the human COM systems.

Overview
Covenant battle network channels are sometimes broadcast on the same frequencies as the UNSC COM, but to date, there is no explanation why; given the fact that this would broadcast the communications of both sides and potentially give up plenty of battle plans for the enemy. The Covenant have been known to broadcast their tactical data through unencrypted battlenet channels. The battlenet can be isolated for deep space broadcast, as well as inter-ship and between units. The battlenet is standard equipment aboard all Covenant vessels which have both intra- and inter-ship battlenets. It can also be accessed through ground communication equipment such as communication nodes.

The Covenant inter-ship battlenet has a curious feature: a system of communicating orders throughout the Covenant fleet. Transmissions carry embedded sub communiques containing orders for ships to various jumps, rendezvouses and tasks. The efficient system allows orders to circulate more quickly throughout the Covenant. However, it seems to have poor counter-intrusion security as AIs like Cortana seem to have no problem in hacking it.

Through John-117's in-suit communications array, Cortana accessed the Covenant battlenet several times over the Battle of Installation 04 in order to gain intelligence. The battlenet was broadcast over all of Installation 04 and by monitoring it, Cortana was able to discern Covenant activity over the ring. Some of the things she was able to find out provide needed answers about the Covenant activity and the nature of the installation. Cortana also used it to find the crashed in order to destroy Installation 04. At this point, Cortana mentioned that she was going to search "what's left" of it, indicating that all of the chaos threw the battlenet into serious disarray.

Near the end of the Human-Covenant War, during the Battle of Earth, a defected Huragok was captured by a squad of ODSTs, and the Huragok agreed to share information in the Covenant battle network after interrogated by Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson.

Covenant battle network frequencies
These frequencies are most commonly used by the Covenant, but it seems that they occasionally utilize the UNSC D- and E- Bands.
 * Covenant F-Band
 * Covenant G-Band
 * Covenant H-Band
 * Covenant I-Band
 * Covenant J-Band
 * Covenant K-Band

List of appearances

 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo 4
 * Spartan Ops