While consumer and commercial users are rushing to acquire wireless links based on Fifth Generation (5G) New Radio (NR) networks, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is also looking to 5G technology to improve its services. The DoD’s 5G-to-Next G Initiative (5GI), which is overseen by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, recently demonstrated a $90 million prototype advanced 5G network for logistics modernization in smart warehouses. During the experiment, the Smart Warehouse Technology Early Capabilities Demonstration operates with download speed of 1.5 Gb/s while suffering less than 15 ms of latency while occupying 380 MHz bandwidth at microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies.
The prototype is intended for use in Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany (Albany, GA) as a private 5G network with as much as 750 MHz in bandwidth. In addition to warehouse data management, the high signal speeds and low latency will support the operation of autonomous vehicles for inventory management, machine learning (ML) for inventory tracking, and the use of artificial reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) for improved warehouse efficiency. The prototype 5G network is based on next-generation Open Radio Network (ONR) standards. It is designed to meet DoD security requirements even when operating with other communication networks and with the growing number of devices, such as Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, connected to the Internet.
The DoD previously announced $600 million in the use of 5G technology for dual-use commercial and military applications, including distributed command and control in smart warehouses and remote-controlled aircraft (see figure). Additional projects include a second smart warehouse project at Naval Base Coronado (Coronado, CA), a dynamic spectrum-sharing project at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, and a training project at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington. Dr. Joe Evans, Principal Director of DoD’s 5G Initiative, said: “Advanced telecommunications are critical to the U.S. economy and our way of networked warfighting. The Initiative is a major DoD program that is intended to ensure U.S. leadership in 5G and beyond.”