US announces $600 million for 5G military experiments
It'll be spent on drones, robotics and virtual reality training.
- I've been covering technology and mobile for 12 years, first as a telecommunications reporter and assistant editor at ZDNet in Australia, then as CNET's West Coast head of breaking news, and now in the Thought Leadership team.
5G is a priority for the US military.
The US Department of Defense has announced it's providing $600 million in funding for 5G experiments at five military bases. The tests will focus on things like virtual reality training, robotics and drones , with the DOD on Thursday calling 5G "vital to US national and economic security."
The test sites are located at Naval Base San Diego; Hill Air Force Base, Utah; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany, Georgia; and Nellis Air Force Base, Las Vegas.
5G "will strengthen our nation's warfighting capabilities," said Michael Kratsios, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering.
The experiments will include:
- Naval Base San Diego: smart warehousing and shipments of supplies between naval units and shore facilities, partnering with AT&T for connection and using autonomous drones, biometrics and robots
- Joint Base Lewis-McChord: mixed-reality training, partnering with AT&T and Samsung for connectivity and using prototype combat training solutions with AR and VR
- Marine Corps Logistics Base Albany: smart warehouse for storing and maintaining vehicles
- Nellis Air Force Base: developing 5G technology for "air, space and cyberspace lethality," working with AT&T for 5G connectivity
- Hill Air Force Base: enabling Air Force radars to share spectrum with 5G cell services, working with Nokia on antenna systems and Ericsson on machine learning.
