By Jesse Caulfield, CEO, Key Bridge Wireless LLC December 3, 2021
Yesterday marked a significant milestone for U.S. defense communications: the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the first fully functional 5G network deployed on a military installation, right here at Hill Air Force Base in Utah.
As part of the DoD's Dynamic Spectrum Utilization program, this 13-cell stand-alone 5G testbed—deployed by our partners at Nokia—sets the stage for advanced experimentation in shared spectrum environments. I had the privilege of presenting Key Bridge Wireless LLC's contributions to spectrum coexistence solutions during the vendor session, alongside other key innovators.
The day's agenda featured insightful remarks from DoD leaders, including Dr. Jonathan Ashdown (AFRL Principal Investigator), Amanda Toman, Debra Stanislawski, Col. Jenise Carroll, and Ed Cholerton from Nokia North America. The focus remained clear: addressing spectrum congestion and enabling coexistence between critical airborne radar systems and 5G cellular networks in the 3.1-3.45 GHz band.
At Key Bridge, we're deeply engaged in this effort through our NSC prototype project, developing Spectrum Coexistence and Sharing systems to support secure, efficient sharing. Events like this reinforce the importance of open standards and iterative collaboration in advancing technologies that strengthen national security.
Grateful for the partnership with the Air Force, OUSD R&E, and the National Spectrum Consortium. Excited for what's ahead as we progress through testing and maturation phases.
Jesse Caulfield CEO, Key Bridge Wireless LLC jesse.caulfield@keybridgewireless.com