The Pentagon is preparing for 6G, the next wave of wireless internet technology

Since transferring most of its 5G research and development projects to the Central Information Office last year, the Pentagon’s Office of Future Technologies has shifted its focus to preparing the Defense Department for the next wave. The next generation of internet technology.

That task is even more important for the US, which is racing against China to develop the next generation of wireless communications, known as 6G. This advanced network, expected to evolve in the 2030s, will pave the way for reliable low-speed communications, and could support the Pentagon’s technological interests – from robotics and autonomy to virtual reality and advanced hearing.

Staying ahead doesn’t just mean promoting technology development and industry standards but making sure policy and regulations are in place to use the capability safely, according to Thomas Rondeau, who heads the Pentagon’s FutureG office. Taking a leadership role in global competition, he said, could give the DOD a level of control over what those future infrastructures look like.

“If we can define who’s going into it, then as we’re selling our technology, we’re sending our policies and regulations, because it’s going to be part of the technology solution,” Rondeau told Defense News recently. communication.

The Department of Defense began making a concerted investment in 5G about five years ago when then-Assistant Vice President for Research and Engineering Michael Griffin said the technology was a priority for the Pentagon.

In 2020, the DOD awarded contracts totaling $600 million to 15 companies to test various 5G systems at five facilities around the country. Projects have included augmented and virtual reality training, smart storage, command and control and web applications.

The department has since expanded pilots and pursued other wireless network development projects, including the 5G Challenge series that encouraged companies to move to more open networks.

The result, so far, has been a mixed bag. Most pilots did not transition to formal programs within the military services, Rondeau said. A number of failed efforts involved real commercial or real technology that was not mature enough for the DOD to justify continued funding.

Among the projects that were passed, Rondeau highlighted the efforts of the pilots at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington to provide stable telephone access to the base. In fact, this project replaced hundreds of kilos of cables with radio stations that broadcast the internet to workers who needed it. Today, the system supports equipment operation and maintenance at the base.

“This would be a great benefit to be prepared, but I also think it should be a cost-effective way to reduce everything you pay for cables,” said Rondeau. “That will be an ongoing, sustainable project.”

This and other modified pilots will enter the budget plan in 2027, he added.

The DOD also saw some success from the 5G Challenges it launched in 2022 and 2023 to encourage mobile phone companies to switch to open radio access networks, or O -RAN. RAN is the first point of entry that a wireless device makes into the network and accounts for 80% of its cost. Historically, RANs operated by companies such as Huawei, Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung have dominated the market.

“They drive a world where they control the entire system, the last system,” said Rondeau. “That creates a lack of insight, a lack of creativity on our part, and creates challenges in how to apply these types of systems to the unique needs of the military.”

The 5G crisis has given companies the opportunity to open up that asset model by moving to O-RANS – and according to Rondeau, it’s been a success. The first challenge expanded into a broader forum that addressed issues such as energy efficiency and lighting control. Ultimately, the effort reduced energy use by about 30%, he said.

Rondeau said that although most of these projects were in 5G, the work informed the Pentagon’s vision and strategy for 6G, which the department believes should have an open basis.

“That’s a direct result of my background and pursuit of some of these things, but also the lessons we’ve learned from the networks we’ve used, from the 5G Challenge,” he said. “All of these things work that have led us to the open source software model as the right model for the military, and we think, for industry.”

One of the most important things of the FutureG office these days, the direct growth of the 5G Challenge, is called CUDU, which stands for central, distributed unit. This project focuses on implementing a fully open source software model for 6G that meets the needs of industry, the research community, and the DOD.

The office is also exploring how the military can use 6G for detection and surveillance. Its Integrated Sensing and Communications project, called ISAC, uses wireless signals to gather information about different locations. That capability could be used to monitor drone networks or gather military intelligence.

While ISAC technology could bring significant enhancements to DOD’s ISR capabilities, the trade-off could make it accessible to adversary nations that could deploy it against the U.S. That challenge reflects DOD’s broader concerns about policies and regulations for 6G – and it is urgent in Rondeau’s office to ensure the US is the first to lay the foundation for this next-generation network.

“We are looking at this as a real opportunity for significant growth and interest in new, cutting-edge technologies for the commercial industry and security needs,” he said. But again, the threat landscape it opens up to us can be huge, so we need to be on top of this.