Federal procurement officials in the 5G market to advance cyber modernization and security now have a “shopping guide” to help them.
The General Services Administration on Thursday released guidance for government IT managers and contracting personnel considering procurement of sensitive 5G technology.
“5G networks could be faster, more reliable, and capable of supporting more devices, potentially providing a useful infrastructure for everything from smart buildings to telemedicine.” said Sonny Hashmi, director general of the Federal Procurement Agency, in a statement. “We are pleased to issue this guidance to help the government take full advantage of secure 5G in its efforts to provide it to the American people.”
related
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/Z32WXHUNXNBRNI2DXQG6Z7RVVQ.jpg)
Fifth generation (5G) is the latest broadband cellular network standard that is highly customizable and quickly shares data between devices. It’s also a fast-growing industry that employs 22 million jobs and could reach trillions of dollars in trade in goods and services by 2035, according to semiconductor company Qualcomm.
The Trump administration has ordered the federal government to partially regulate the security of this technology and encourage a national strategy for implementing modern mobile communications systems. GSA is taking on that responsibility by giving federal agencies guidelines for moving forward with 5G contracts with industry.
According to a 2022 study by General Dynamics Information Technology, approximately 90% of federal agencies plan to deploy 5G.
The Department of Defense spent more than $600 million prototyping 5G at initial sites in 2020, with at least a dozen projects being tested in smart warehouses, virtual reality training, and remote engineering facilities. More generally, his 5G in government could include the use of robots in search-and-rescue operations inside buildings and high-definition security video streams.
A working group within GSA has identified uses for 5G that federal agencies can utilize, but the technology is expensive. 5G also brings with it cyber threats that government agencies must respond to.
For example, 5G, which is built on older technology that is not fully secure, could make the entire network vulnerable. There is also limited competition in certain parts of the market, leading to more proprietary equipment and fewer choices for buyers.
related
:quality(70)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/archetype/LE4TP3F5UFG5LFW465JID4D7MM.jpg)
These security concerns helped shape guidance GSA issued on March 30 to clarify the best procurement options for federal agencies, including pre-vetted contractors.
GSA says the acquisition process for 5G technology is typically the same as for any other complex IT. Government agencies can procure his 5G through commercial contracts, other trading authorities, or non-commercially negotiated acquisitions. Distributors may seek separate contracts for technology or orders based on existing indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts.
Only 11 federal agencies have access to other trading authorities that are not subject to acquisition regulations so that they can quickly jump on new technologies.
The agencies authorized by Congress are the Advanced Research Projects Agency, the Department of Defense, the Departments of Energy, Health, and Human Services, the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the National Nuclear Detection Agency, the Federal Aviation Administration, NASA, the National Institutes of Health, and the Department of Transportation. Safety management.
Molly Weisner is a staff reporter at the Federal Times, covering labor, policy and contracts as it relates to government employees. She previously worked as a digital producer at USA Today and McClatchy, and as a copy editor at The New York Times. Molly majored in Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
