The Defense Department has released a new strategy document that allows global military installations to utilize private 5G networks if these solutions better meet their mission needs. This document was signed on October 16, 2023, and made public on a subsequent Tuesday.
The Pentagon’s private 5G deployment strategy is an addendum to the Department of Defense’s (DOD) 5G strategy and implementation plan released in 2020. In a forward to the guidance, DOD Acting Chief Information Officer Leslie Beavers emphasized the importance of leveraging “private, hybrid and public 5G networks” to enhance the DOD’s operational and data-sharing capabilities worldwide.
Beavers noted that although the DOD plans to maximize the use of commercial networks, it recognizes that there are circumstances where commercial solutions may not adequately fulfill an installation’s requirements. In a press release on Tuesday, the DOD stated that, while most military installations will likely utilize commercial networks, private 5G solutions could augment or supplement these services tailored to each installation’s specific mission needs, security, and military-unique capabilities.
The strategy outlines three strategic objectives for deploying private 5G capabilities: aligning 5G networks with each military installation’s unique needs; accelerating DOD’s acquisition, development, and secure deployment of 5G; and expanding an Open Radio Access Network (Open RAN) ecosystem to enhance interoperability between different capabilities. The DOD encourages incorporating Open RAN solutions in both commercial and government-owned models, unless specific operational, technical, or business concerns render this impractical or cost-prohibitive.
The Pentagon’s efforts aim to adopt and deploy 5G technology capable of providing secure broadband capabilities essential for warfighters, particularly through the Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control initiative (CJADC2), designed to improve communication across diverse military environments.
The release of the private 5G deployment strategy follows the fiscal year 2024 National Defense Authorization Act’s mandate for the Pentagon to develop guidance for the deployment of 5G networks across DOD installations. The department plans to issue additional implementation documents in the coming months to further facilitate the integration of both private and commercial 5G networks.
