5G network from Hughes Network System chosen as testbed for DoD
NewsMarch 21, 2022
GERMANTOWN, Md. Hughes Network Systems has won a contract worth $18 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to deploy a standalone 5G network at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.
The Hughes 5G network will use spectrum from DISH Wireless -- which is providing a combination of low band, mid band, and high band (mmWave) spectrum -- to connect the base with a secure 5G network to support operations, maintenance, and flight-traffic management.
Dr. Rajeev Gopal, vice president, Advanced Programs, Hughes, said that the three-year project is aimed at demonstrating for the DoD how the Hughes 5G infrastructure -- including a packet processing core, radio access, edge cloud, security, and network management – is able to power the resilient networking necessary to transform base operations.
The contract will be executed through an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) through the Information Warfare Research Project (IWRP) consortium, a collaborative intended to engage industry and academia to develop and mature technologies in the field of information warfare that enhance Navy and Marine Corps mission effectiveness.
