DOD is accelerating 5G deployment to build the smart base of the future.
The Department of Defense is prioritizing 5G capabilities to support large-scale network deployments and increase effectiveness across the Department and its approximately 800 military bases.
“The Department of Defense is the largest company on the planet and in the 5G space. It would be hard to see another company investing $600 million in 5G,” National Spectrum Consortium Chairman Salvador D’Itri said in August. He spoke at a FedInsider training session on the 17th.
Ditri said the agency has moved to 5G to provide services across the enterprise. Currently, the Department of Defense is conducting a 5G pilot program that includes applications that support tactical environments, edge computing, and cloud computing capabilities.
“One of the benefits of 5G is that it allows a lot of flexibility in how the network itself is configured. … Many of the 5G use cases are very important in terms of incorporating critical infrastructure into the 5G use case. We need to get security right,” said Brian Kelly, Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) 5G Principal Scientist, during his talk. Last year’s Billington Cyber Security Summit.
As DOD continues to adopt and implement 5G, security efforts have become a top priority. But another concern is his separation of 5G capabilities across government agencies.
“If you look at the main statements from the Department of Defense, they are consistent across the board. “If we talk about how we’re going to fight in the future, maybe,” said Col. William McHenry, senior engagement advisor to the director of the Defense Innovation Unit.
5G is a “game changer” and the big challenge is getting it into the right hands, McHenry added. “We have a technology that is rapidly developing commercially. How do we get it into the hands of the people who need it within government so they can use it?”
In March 2022, the Department of Defense introduced 5G and FutureG cross-functional teams. This team aims to accelerate 5G adoption and ultimately drive the future of 5G across the sector.
For one 5G smart warehouse at Marine Corps Logistics Base in Albany, Georgia, the design process had three key factors: cost, speed, and quality. Speed was the best indicator.
“How do we solve the problem and get equipment back from the dock to the warehouse in the hands of the warfighter as and when needed?” Chad Jones, Global Government Lead, Warehouse, KPMG says this. “We want to ensure that our Marines and Soldiers have the highest level of readiness when they deploy to training sites or deploy.…We want to install these components into these applications to ensure that our Marines and Soldiers have the highest level of readiness when they deploy to training sites or deploy. How can he test against 5G and reduce the overall cost of that mission?”
Since 2020, the agency has invested $600 million in 5G development across nine military test sites, including the Albany base.
“This technology has really matured to the point where it’s almost imperative for the Department of Defense to work on this and understand how it can interact with what we call the ‘global information infrastructure.’ This is the global connection of everything. How do we not participate and how do we not take advantage of what is being produced in the commercial world?” Tom, principal director for FutureG and 5G in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, Department of Defense Dr. Rondeau told GovCIO Media & Research in February.
The Department of Defense continues to expand its deployment of 5G, which has the potential to improve and streamline military operations around the world.
