Jamie Bennet
The U.S. military is looking into the future of 5G and succeeding broadband network generations to fortify its defense operations, Axellio CEO Scott Aken said in a podcast aired Tuesday.
Aken discussed in an interview with Telecom Reseller the potential of 5G technology to advance the Defense Department’s multi-domain operations, from supply chains to surveillance and preventive maintenance.
He noted that the agency has created special working teams focused on “future G” to explore the application of 5G, 6G and upcoming broadband networks in the military.
Comparing to 3G and 4G, Aken explained that the fifth generation of wireless networks “adds another layer of security” in defense IT systems and its potential to be 100 times faster than LTE can help the military to transmit massive amounts of data such as high-resolution video surveillance. Fast interconnect and fast response would also bolster innovations in unmanned operations.
Aken cited battery life conservation as one of the new mobile network’s key applications on the battlefield.
“5G promises to be able to have a far better battery life for base stations and user devices, allowing all these things to be taken into the field without the soldier being able to have to carry 60 pounds of battery on their back,” the Axellio chief executive said.
When asked about 5G’s weaknesses, Aken said that the advantage of being able to use 5G in a wider range of devices and apps also offers “a larger attack surface.”
He added that vendors and technologies have to work together “on an unprecedented scale” to mitigate risks faced by 5G technology.
Colorado-based Axellio developed the PacketXpress network visibility hub to offer 100 Gbps of internet protocol packet capture and long-term storage, as well as up to 200 Gbps of simultaneous read and write access to all data.
