Recent News

Recent News

Pentagon seeks open-source software for 5G, 6G networks

April 25, 2025

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.

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Pentagon’s FutureG Office gearing up for new prototyping effort

April 24, 2025

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.

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DoD’s FutureG Office Exploring Drone Detection Capabilities

March 21, 2025

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.

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Unpacking the Fight for the Spectrum Band & Its Link to 5G, FutureG

February 6, 2025

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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Pentagon’s Dr. Tom Rondeau on 2 Recent, Modern 5G Moves at DOD

January 15, 2025

5G networks provide a potentially more covert foundation for military communications because they use a greater range of the electromagnetic spectrum than other comms systems. With 5G, users tap into the millimeter wave in the tens of gigahertz, the Department of Defense’s Dr. Thomas Rondeau told Federal News Network, while futureG (the forthcoming, as-yet-unrealized successor to 5G) is targeting frequencies in the 7GHz to 24GHz range. 

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