Marine Corps installs 5G wireless communications network to help with transportation, energy distribution
MIRAMAR MCAS, Calif. – Miramar Marine Corps Air Station near San Diego already is partially solar powered, yet the Marines are after an even newer technology; the station has contracted Verizon to build a private 5G cellular network. Discover Magazine reports. Continue reading original article
The Military & Aerospace Electronics take:
11 Dec. 2020 -- The fifth-generation standard for cellular communications, 5G has generated buzz since it was codified in 2017. In addition to the existing channels, 5G will employ higher frequencies previously used only for short-range devices such as cordless phones.
5G wireless communications could enable sensors on an energy grid to relay data to a control system almost instantaneously, eliminating the need for costly underground fiber optics. However, the 5G signal won’t travel very far, and pretty much everything blocks it.
Providing 5G cell phone coverage therefore requires carriers to place transmitters everywhere, augmented by specialized antennas and reflectors. At Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, the future of transportation also will be explored with the same 5G network that will enable control over the flow of solar energy.
Related: What 5G means to the military
John Keller, chief editor
Military & Aerospace Electronics
