6G and the DoD: Big Plans Are Getting Even Bigger

In 2021, the Biden administration committed to spending $2.5 billion on 6G, but a report by the Center for a New American Security said it needed to do more.

Since then, the DoD has moved 6G technology to the head of the class. Military analysts believe 6G technologies will bring more than just improved data transmission speeds because communications technology forms the conduit of societies, implicating future economic competitiveness, military strength and geopolitical influence.

Another motivating factor pushing the U.S. to step up its plans for 6G comes from stories out of China that claim China's military is developing 6G internet to power an AI army of the future.

China has discussed using 6G-telecommunication technology to modernize its fighting forces, even though the country has just begun implementing 5G technology and 6G exists only in theoretical studies.

The Chief telecoms engineer Xin Su is allegedly working on a close to zero latency 6G internet network. The network is being solely produced for the Army. Some feel this 6G technology has the capability to put China for the first time ahead of the U.S., because of 6G's vastly superior bandwidth, extremely low latency, and high connectivity properties.

That and the expected future of combat will likely be autonomous and reliant on data drive artificial intelligence.

Three of the most mentioned 6G use cases for DoD:

Battlefield Communication -- With 6G, the DoD hopes to be able to report the location of an enemy unit before it has a chance to strike or delivering critical information about a target’s movement in real time. The amazing data speeds plus extreme coverage make 6G a useful tool for communication in high stakes environments. More rapid communication means more effective operations, leading to shorter conflicts and fewer lives lost.

Improved Location Services -- One of 6G’s expected abilities is to improve location detection to be accurate within centimeters, making technology such as autonomous vehicles practical. However, it has other applications as well, including for drones or other unmanned vehicles that may one day be sent into dangerous environments.

Additionally, some research notes that high-accuracy localization will also improve radar technology, particularly as it relates to mobile devices. Imagine sending a reconnaissance drone to a location with a text message.

Equipment Development -- Just like 6G will bring a more sophisticated internet of Things to the world, it will also do the same for the military by allowing the development of ever more intelligent, autonomous devices.

Want to learn more? Tonex offers 6G for DoD, a 2-day course that covers the key 6G technologies. Participants will learn how the sixth-generation standard for wireless communications technologies is expected to support DoD 6G communication networks.

Attendees will examine the 6G Vision, 6G Roadmap, and 6G Technologies being touted for 6G. There’s also a thorough look at 6G Applications, Use Cases that are part of 6G journey.

Participants also learn how 6G technology is expected to be designed to meet the revolutionary needs of our society, integrated into the 5G network architecture and related wired and wireless communications systems.

For more information, questions, comments, contact us.