Enabling Naval Spectrum Dominance with 5G Technology

The electromagnetic spectrum (EMS) is a vital resource for military operations, enabling command and control, communication, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. However, the EMS is becoming increasingly congested and contested by adversaries who seek to disrupt or deny our access to it.

To achieve and maintain spectrum superiority, the country’s naval forces need to leverage the latest advances in wireless technology, such as 5G. 5G is more than a waveform, it is a standards-based ecosystem built on billions of dollars of investments from the commercial industry. It delivers advanced wireless technology that is compatible with billions of devices operating on thousands of networks. For instance, a country’s naval forces can leverage the 5G ecosystem to enable secure and reliable broadband on ship from stem to stern and bridge to keel, from Non-Terrestrial-Network satellite constellations, on its bases, across fleets of unmanned surface vehicles, from ships to shore supporting amphibious operations, in forward operating bases and for expeditionary advanced base operations using the same devices and sensors across all domains.

Nokia and Nokia Bell Labs are advancing 5G and 6G technology to enable spectrum dominance through innovations such as integrated sensing that turns the 5G network into a radar, advanced spectrum sharing to mitigate interference between communications, radar and other systems operating in the same frequencies and technologies to enable operating in contested environments by minimizing spectrum signatures while blending into the spectrum environment. These innovations can enhance the situational awareness, security and resilience of naval operations in complex and contested environments.

In this webinar, we will explore how 5G technology can enable naval spectrum dominance in the 21st century and discuss the benefits and challenges of 5G deployment in naval environments, the potential use cases and scenarios for 5G-enabled operations and the best practices and lessons learned from 5G trials and experiments.