U.S. Navy’s Naval Information Warfare System Command (NAVWAR) is moving fast to implement and leverage 5G wireless technology across the service branch and out to the fleet, Navy officials said this week.
Rob Wolborsky, chief engineer NAVWAR, discussed the Navy’s efforts to quickly get 5G-based services up and operational for sailors during an online webinar hosted By Federal News Network on Nov. 29.
“We will have the ability to use and leverage multiple different pLEO [Proliferated Low Earth Orbit] products, capabilities, and constellations simultaneously in the shipboard domain,” Wolborsky said. “The first stage of pLEO conductivity is being delivered today, and we’re moving as fast as we physically can to make this happen for the fleet,” he said.
Wolborsky explained that the Navy has been experimenting with different 5G technologies as it moves forward with integrating satellite technology that can withstand higher data bandwidths.
“I think we’re at the very, very beginning … by 2030 we expect over 50,000 satellites in orbit,” he said. “Today there are thousands of satellites in orbit providing an extremely robust and valuable capability for quality of service,” said Wolborsky.
“So we’re moving as fast as we can with respect to 5G,” he said, adding, “a lot of the work in 5G is more focused on the base side although we do have some capability that we’re testing on ships today.”
During the same panel discussion, Ron Wolfe, technical warrant holder for mobility at NAVWAR, reiterated the importance of 5G technology for the Navy’s mission goals.
“Today, latency can be an issue with regards to communication from one vessel to another and from ship to shore and that kind of stuff,” said Wolfe, who added that 5G tech’s biggest benefit lies in mitigating latency.
“When it comes to blue-water comms out over the ocean, 5G has the ability to deliver data faster, to and from to two nodes … you can deliver data faster between the two systems,” Wolfe explained.
