Safeguarding emerging 5G communications technology to be a primary mission of the new U.S. Space Force
WASHINGTON – 5G communications technology is crucial to the U.S. Space Force and will be part of the new organization’s mission. Popular Mechanics reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
17 March 2020 -- The tech, which will deliver the internet at previously unseen speeds worldwide, will in many cases be delivered via a constellation of relay satellites in low-Earth orbit, many of which will be the property of U.S. companies.
Like previous generations, so-called “fifth generation/5G” technology will likely reach into the lives of billions of people on Earth, making it imperative that the Space Force secures the data stream from foreign espionage.
According to CNBC, the Space Force believes that 5G is part of their domain. The biggest concern right now is that Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei is allowed to build out infrastructure in Western countries, especially those part of the “Five Eyes” intelligence sharing group composed of the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
The concern, shared by the Space Force and the U.S. government in general, is that Huawei builds backdoors into its equipment capable of being used by the Chinese government or any group with access to them. This could allow Beijing or others to covertly read data streams passing through Huawei communications hardware. While a compromise of consumer data is bad enough, it’s inevitable that Western governments and military organizations will eventually use 5G for their own purposes, and such traffic could be routed through compromised networks.
Related: The emerging role of 5G wireless networking in future mobile military communications
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
