5G connectivity has the potential to mitigate latency and enable large amounts of data to pass through communications systems, a bonus for the military. But so too do non-terrestrial networks — which are facilitated not by cellular towers but rather arrays of satellites — as long as they are situated in low Earth orbit rather than geostationary orbit, said the Department of Defense’s Mike Dean. The official, who serves as director for C3 infrastructure in the office of the DOD Chief Information Officer, indicated that the combination of terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks might be the way of the future for the Pentagon.
“We think if you pair those two, that’s going to be pretty powerful, particularly as you’re trying to track” forces that are forward deployed and keep up with “the pace of battle,” he told the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Defense R&D Summit in January, according to DefenseScoop.
POC’s next event, the 2025 5G Summit, will directly investigate the comms systems DOD components are using to share information and align their activities. Participants, which include an impressive roster of defense and federal civilian representatives, will provide opportunities for the industrial base, as well as stimulating insights and conversation. Don’t miss out — register for the Feb. 27 event now!
NTN Experimentation
Non-terrestrial networks, or NTNs, are a newer prospect for the DOD, so Dean said the department is embarking on an experimental review imminently to assess their potential. This is being done in close collaboration with the private sector, attempting to answer: “’how do I set the requirements, how do I set the resources, and how do I set the architecture and policy?’” for NTNs.
“We’re just trying to get a sense of where they are and where they’re headed,” Dean said of industry, “so we can set policy and resources.” The DOD plans to invite innovators in the commercial space to make sure the proper guardrails and settings are in place before a swarm of new capabilities, developed by different providers, force the military to “mix and match” and play “Tetris.”
Impacts for Existing 5G Efforts
NTNs are seen by Dean and his team as an enabler of the benefits reaped by 5G, which has been a key ingredient in establishing an integrated fabric of comms systems across land, sea and air and in the most remote locations — an initiative known as Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control. (Cursory research indicates that NTNs are more adept at reaching those far-out locales than terrestrial networks.)
“I think [NTNs are] going to really allow us to take the scalability, the network management agility of 5G and really push that across a lot of our communications architecture,” Dean offered at the POC event.
Hear from an all-star lineup of DOD brass and technology experts at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 5G Summit on Feb. 27. It will be a lively hub for GovCon networking, discussion and enlightenment. Save your spot!
