At the recent Defense Communications Forum, a panel explored how adopting commercial 3GPP standards for defense operations offers strategic benefits. Notably, these standards could enhance speed, scale, and spectrum management. Panelists including Amir Stephenson from Lockheed Martin, Doug Thornton from Battelle Memorial Institute, and Arthur DeLeon, a strategic spectrum planner, deliberated on this evolving trend.
The economic advantages of using commercial standards like 5G are evident. They allow for rapid deployment and bring significant economies of scale. Stephenson remarked on 5G’s virtualization and cloud integration as crucial additions that the Department of Defense prefers to incorporate rather than develop independently. This approach could accelerate the deployment and advancement of necessary capabilities.
Moreover, turning to commercial networks helps reclaim spectrum access as the Department of Defense may otherwise lose ground to commercial carriers’ investments. Thornton highlighted this shift, emphasizing a move to 3GPP technologies to benefit from their coordination efforts. This strategy could mitigate being priced out of valuable bands and extend technological advances at lower costs.
Challenges arise with spectrum harmonization across allied nations. DeLeon noted each country’s unique spectrum allocation, complicating international standardization efforts. Harmonizing such allocations necessitates cooperation and careful negotiation rather than simple imposition.
Moreover, adapting commercial standards for contested environments where intentional jamming occurs remains a concern. Here, Thornton argued that 3GPP systems, already optimized for interference in dense urban deployments, offer a robust foundation. He cautioned against discarding these existing capabilities and warned against over-customizing for every tactical threat, which could jeopardize the inherent value of commercial technologies.
To address these complexities, a hybrid “network of networks” approach could prove effective. This involves pairing 5G/6G with tactical systems. The goal is incremental improvement rather than comprehensive overhauls. Cybersecurity, a significant concern, can take cues from the stringent standards already present in the commercial domain.
Looking ahead, automation emerges as a promising avenue. Current manual spectrum management processes are slow, making them predictable. Incorporating AI and machine learning could dynamically optimize spectrum use, enhancing operational efficiency without new spectrum creation. DeLeon’s insight into AI-driven management outlines a future where networks proactively adapt to usage, freeing operatives to concentrate on mission-critical tasks. This automation represents not only technological advancement but also a step toward a modernized, agile defense communications framework.
