Recent News
Recent News
Test Plans, Results, and Lessons Learned About Open RAN Integration
On March 2, 2021, the Department of Defense (DoD), through the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)), launched a $7.5 million Center of Excellence in Advanced Quantum Sensing (COE-AQS) at Delaware State University, a Historically Black College and University (HBCU). The COE-AQS will stimulate research and innovation leading to the development of novel quantum sensing technologies and methodologies. The Center was awarded through the OUSD(R&E)’s HBCU and Minority-Serving Institutions (MSI) Research and Education Program and is administered by the Army Research Laboratory.
Read MoreDoD Preparing Spectrum-Sharing Demo
The Pentagon is preparing a large-scale demonstration of dynamic spectrum-sharing technology this November, to explore how the military and commercial sectors can jointly use the lower 3 GHz band without compromising national security. This effort, led by the Department of Defense’s (DoD) FutureG office and the Office of the Chief Information Officer, follows a December 2024 solicitation seeking industry proposals, notes DefenseScoop. The lower 3 GHz band is critical for both defense systems and commercial 5G, making spectrum sharing a contentious issue. The demonstration comes following years of back and forth between the Defense Department and the telecommunications industry over access to the 3.1-3.45 GHz S-band used by the Pentagon to operate different radars, weapons and other electronic systems. The telecom industry wants part of that spectrum to meet rising demand for commercial and civil 5G wireless technology, Inside Towers reported.
Read MorePentagon seeks open-source software for 5G, 6G networks
WASHINGTON — As the US military makes big bets on 5G and future 6G networks for everything from streamlining supply lines to controlling combat robots, it doesn’t want to be beholden to the handful of huge tech firms that dominate the market today. So the Pentagon will soon seek bids to develop prototype “open” software — code that any company can freely access and deploy on its devices — in hopes of breaking down barriers to innovation.
Read MorePentagon sets November timeline for largest-ever spectrum sharing demo
WASHINGTON — The Defense Department is planning to host the largest-ever spectrum sharing demonstration with industry in November, an official from the Pentagon’s FutureG office revealed Wednesday, in hopes of answering key questions amid a contentious debate. “The real gap that we’ve had in these past spectrum sharing projects has been scale. They’ve been frankly under-resourced concepts on a table, maybe in a lab, maybe one or two outdoor experiments here and there. But nothing at this scale, which is a large-scale, multi-domain spectrum-sharing demonstration,” Tom Rondeau said during a panel at the Apex Defense Conference. “So that’s the really exciting part.”
Read MorePentagon’s FutureG Office gearing up for new prototyping effort
The National Defense Education Program (NDEP) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) is now on Grants.gov, announcement HQ0034-20-S-FO01. The Department of Defense (DoD) seeks innovative applications on mechanisms to implement Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education, outreach, and/or workforce initiative programs. The Department intends to award multiple grants, subject to the availability of funds. Activities will support the DoD STEM strategic plan and align to the 2018 Federal STEM strategic plan. Suspense for applications is 24 FEB 2020.
Read MoreDOD preparing for first large-scale demonstration of spectrum-sharing tech in 2025
As Pentagon officials continue advocacy to prevent the military’s share of the electromagnetic spectrum from being sold to commercial industry, the Defense Department is looking to demonstrate emerging dynamic spectrum-sharing capabilities before the end of the year. In December 2024, the DOD’s Office of the Chief Information Officer published a solicitation for the Advanced Dynamic Spectrum Sharing Demonstration, which called for industry technology that could allow the Pentagon and private sector to simultaneously use the same spectrum band. The department is currently evaluating proposals for source selection and intends to conduct the demonstration in November 2025, Tom Rondeau, principal director for the FutureG office, said Wednesday.
Read MoreDoD’s FutureG Office Exploring Drone Detection Capabilities
The Department of Defense’s (DoD) FutureG Office is exploring how new features of 6G wireless technologies can help to sense drones in a network’s environment, according to Deputy Principal Director Marlan Macklin. At the Elastic Public Sector Summit in Washington, D.C., on March 19, Macklin shared that his unofficial title is “FutureG’s hype man.” His office – which sits within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering – is responsible for the strategic assessment and research and development of FutureG technologies.
Read MoreUnpacking the Fight for the Spectrum Band & Its Link to 5G, FutureG
The battle over electromagnetic spectrum allocation has long been a contentious issue between the Department of Defense and commercial industry. This “spectrum war” has only intensified as advancements like 5G and the prospects of futureG technologies hinge on access to mid-band spectrum, a finite and highly desirable resource. For government contractors, understanding this fight is crucial, as it directly impacts projects related to national security, telecommunications and technological innovation.
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