The U.S. military continues to be a major driver of wireless innovation, providing vendors with real world use cases for next-generation network technologies. This week, the U.S. Air Force said it is testing Nokia’s open RAN software at Hill Air Force Base, using the solution to dynamically control 5G radios in order to limit their interference with incumbent military radar.
Nokia said its platform combines a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) and Multi-Access Edge Compute (MEC) capability to deliver radio programmability. The system uses artificial intelligence to train algorithms to control the 5G radios in real-time.
“Nokia developed the 5G testbed solution at Hill Air Force Base to help ensure DoD radar detection can co-exist with commercial 5G networks operating in the same shared spectrum,” explained Deb Stanislawski, Director Prototyping and Experimentation, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense Research and Engineering.. “We look forward to continuing our work together to help move beyond the state-of-the-art in 5G commercial architectures to ensure we address key warfighting needs and expand U.S.-based capabilities critical to 5G adoption.”
As the first major RAN vendor to join the Open RAN Alliance, Nokia has been a longtime proponent of the technology, despite its obvious potential to disrupt the company’s wireless business model by empowering service providers to mix and match RAN elements. In public comments about open RAN, Nokia executives focus not on interoperability, but on a different ORAN benefit: network optimization through programmability enabled by artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Nokia claims the integration of its RIC and MEC into a single solution will be attractive to mobile carriers because it will help them to partner with hyperscalers and other third party providers. But it is looking increasingly likely that the U.S. government, which has already championed open RAN as a cost-effective alternative to Chinese radio gear, will also be an important customer for this technology.
Private 5G
Another evolving network technology, 5G private networks, is also getting a boost from the U.S. defense industry. General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) partnered with Cisco to develop 5G technologies for military applications, and recently announced plans to market Cisco’s Private 5G solution to a variety of government agencies.
Cisco brings a mobile core offering, an extensive IoT portfolio, and a track record of integrating information technology and operational technology. GDIT brings a roster of relationships with government agencies, many of which are now exploring digital transformation.
These public sector customers may be less impacted by the economy’s recessionary rumblings than their private sector counterparts, and their investments in private 5G and Open RAN may help vendors learn how these technologies perform in real-world settings. But the federal government is likely to tap the top tier vendors like Nokia and Cisco, which could be bad news for smaller innovators who are building entire businesses around new wireless technologies.
Veteran telecom industry editor and journalist Martha DeGrasse is an Inside Towers Contributing Analyst. DeGrasse owns Network Builder Reports and contributes regularly to several publications. She was formerly a writer and editor with RCR Wireless and a TV business news producer.
By Martha DeGrasse, Inside Towers Contributing Analyst
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