Samsung 5G Network Prototype In Development With The US Military

Samsung is working with the US military to develop and test a prototype 5G mobile network, according to a recent report, potentially paving the way for ground-based ultra-fast mobile broadband. According to the publication Defense Systems, the 5G network is capable of extremely fast speeds while offering low latency, able to hit up to 1GB/s.

The extent of Samsung's involvement with the US military on the project isn't clear; it doesn't appear either the Department of Defense or Samsung have provided any official statements of their own about it. However, Defense Systems writes that Terry Halvorsen, the DoD's former Chief Information Officer, is now working for Samsung Electronics IT & Mobile Communications and provided DS with an interview about the project.

Speaking to them, Halvorsen said of the 5G network, "You have large bandwidth so you can use higher levels of encryption without compromising connection speed." This network is said to utilize many small multi-directional antennas with line-of-sight connections to give smartphone owners access to extremely fast mobile network speeds.

The network was described as working like a "software defined radio" — it can serve as a terrestrial network via ground nodes. These antennas could be mounted onto an aerial device, though, like a drone, to deliver line-of-sight connectivity to a particular region. Given that option, it is easy to see how the military would be interested in this technology.

Samsung's prototype 5G network could potentially be a way to give combat units and other similar clusters of personnel access to very fast wireless networks in places where traditional wired connections aren't possible. Further details about whether the military is actively testing this technology weren't stated, nor which branch (or branch's research division) may be involved.

SOURCE: Defense Systems