Hill Air Force Base in Utah is among the four sites chosen by the Department of Defense to provide 5G network test beds as DoD looks to augment military platforms with the new cellular technology.
Frank Konieczny, chief technology officer of the U.S. Air Force, went to Hill AFB last week and met with the installation’s senior officials and other personnel who will participate in testing and experimentation efforts, the service branch said Tuesday.
Konieczny noted the test seeks to address exploitable security issues and inform future military requirements.
Hill AFB personnel will aim to establish a spectrum sharing platform and demonstrate the potential use of the latest wireless technology in congested environments that feature high-power, mid-band radar systems.
“The 5G spectrum sharing experimentation will provide us valuable insight into how we can use 5G when ubiquitous, and provide interconnectivity to meet the needs of the base and the depot of the future,†said Mike Neri, chief technology officer at the 75th Communications and Information Directorate.
DoD also selected Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany in Georgia and Naval Base San Diego to experiment with 5G prototypes.
The department looks to award technology contracts early next year and expects the project to commence by April.