U.S. Air Force officials have revealed that an ongoing lease program with commercial telecommunications companies are helping provide 5G cellular coverage to military installations across the U.S.
The multi-phase Long Term Evolution project is currently offering 25-year leases to private entities for the installation of broadband networks to connect all installations on an improved cellular network by 2026, the Air Force said Wednesday.
Managed by the Air Force Civil Engineer Center, the project is expected to imporve connectivity at home and offices within the military facilities as well as the service branch’s operational flight line, according to AFCEC Deputy Director of Installations Col. Shamekia Toliver.
“We’re ensuring lethality and readiness by improving connectivity for devices powering missions while benefiting Airmen and Guardians and their families,” explained Toliver.
Once the the first two phases of the program, which covers southeast, southwest and midwest U.S., are completed in 2023, Air Force Reserve Command Chief Information Technology Officer Kenneth Morgan noted that all bases will ready to tap into 5G communications.
“That means when we deploy capabilities, we can deploy those technologies universally across the command,” explained Morgan.