This content is provided by Verizon.
The Ministry of Defense aims to create an intelligent base for the future. The bases are essentially miniature cities, with the same infrastructural needs as transport, base service and energy management, combined with specific military needs. The idea is to use 5G infrastructure to connect all these elements, as well as cybersecurity and physical security to become fully integrated and flexible.
4G LTE networks will still provide the basis for digital communications and connectivity of these bases; it is 5G that will help provide the high-speed, low-latency connection needed for emerging uses and smart edge technologies. For example, at Marine Corps Airmar in San Diego, California, DoD teamed up with Verizon to introduce the first 5G Ultra Wideband units deployed in a military installation. With 5G Ultra Wideband, teams allow different uses such as power management, drone control and autonomous vehicles.
“With our 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband, we are now working in the low and high frequency spectrum for 5G. This allows military installations and military personnel to use different networks, depending on the use case, “said Brian Schromsky, managing partner for 5G public sector at Verizon. “We are seeing new uses of DoD around smart energy and base perimeter security that will use 4G or 5G. And with the 5G Ultra Wideband using millimeter wave, DoD begins testing new innovative technologies such as AR / VR, machine learning, unmanned aerial vehicles and high-speed video. That’s where you’ll see that 5G Ultra Wideband really captivates. “
These are the sensor technologies that DoD specifically uses to form the basis for its intelligent bases.
“Devices continue to become smarter, which means they will generate more data, be able to provide more services. When you pair it with edge calculations with multi-access, you now have the ability to process information closer to the end user or application through the cloud. And that really removes a lot of historical latency, which doesn’t allow applications to make real-time, near-real-time decisions, “said Cornelius Brown, director of DoD at Verizon. “Combined with 5G, artificial intelligence and machine learning will ultimately help users process terabytes of information, make data-based decisions, while providing practical information on which to take action, such as predictive support, increased safety. and even the detection of threats. “
But turning a standard military base into an intelligent base is not without its challenges. The first is security, which must be taken into account in architecture and design. This cannot be a consequence for the military. The second is the budget, as this level of technology and infrastructure requires large initial investments. The third is deployment and deployment, which must be carefully planned, including ensuring that operators can continue to expand in a phased approach.
But 5G can also add opportunities to address these challenges. While it can increase network threat by widening the perimeter and adding countless new endpoints such as IoT sensors, it can also provide faster response times and better network visibility to respond to threats.
“There is more encryption in 5G with mutual authentication and some new things are coming out in terms of 5G in terms of the standalone core, which opens up the potential for cutting the network, which we are very excited about,” said Shromsky. “But you can go one step further when it comes to security by including a zero-confidence architecture and software-defined perimeter where you have security platforms that cover the security of that radio access network (RAN). ; you have a more comprehensive model that is very exciting for DoD. ”
But the benefits of 5G at military bases are not limited to personnel. It is easy to forget that families also live and work on these bases and they will also benefit. For example, 5G can help better distance learning, which can help provide stability and opportunities for families and staff who are not always able to maintain a more traditional personal education regime. They will also have the potential for better video capabilities and connectivity, which will allow them to be more connected if separated from family members during implementation.
This connectivity should also allow for things like augmented and virtual reality learning and remote applications. This has many advantages, such as better training of combatants through more immersive training or helping support personnel work on equipment with real-time or remote assistance, sometimes using unique 3D-printed parts on site. 5G could provide a new medical platform infrastructure, allowing next-generation applications for telehealth and medical procedures.
“When we launched 4G LTE, we didn’t think about Uber and Lyft or Airbnb. And this whole experience is now done on a mobile device, “said Brown. “So now that we have this 5G technology, it’s a 10-year project. We have a lot of track. “