5G Summit: Create Opportunities for Innovation

5G networks have become more common over the past few years. At the 5G Americas conference in October 2023, the keynote speaker said the U.S./Canada region leads the world in 5G subscription penetration (41%), followed by China (33%), and Europe (just 13%). Additionally, while 33% of US. devices use 5G, 51% of data traffic is 5G.

Government agencies have been slower to adopt 5G for their networks, however, in part because of the higher costs associated with deploying such networks, and in part because of some unique requirements very large organizations such as the Department of Defense pose.

Despite the challenges, 5G presents significant opportunities for government agencies at all levels to improve and expand their services to constituents. For DoD, it’s the concept of creating a shared vision of operations across all branches of the military and intelligence community; for civilian agencies, it’s the prospect of streamlined customer service and the integration of future innovations such as AI.

Learning Objectives:

• Review the types of specialty networks that government agencies require that benefit from 5G capabilities
• Outline 5G’s role in enabling the use of innovative new technologies such as AI and machine learning
• Delineate the benefits of 5G networks, such as much higher data capacities, greater speed, and lower latency
• Identify the opportunities and unique challenges faced by DoD in implementing 5G technology to connect personnel, communications, weapons systems, and other elements in a battlespace
• Understand the distinctions and benefits between 4G LTE and 5G for military and intelligence community needs