Pentagon taps Hughes to develop 5G O-RAN prototype at Fort Bliss
The Defense Department announced Monday that Hughes Network Systems has received a $6.5 million contract to develop an Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) prototype at Fort Bliss, Texas, that will test and evaluate advanced 5G capabilities for military applications.
Under the contract, Hughes will install 5G O-RAN equipment at the base that will operate a temporary network for preliminary evaluation, according to a press release. The network will eventually transition to the company’s commercial network in order to support both Pentagon and commercial customers in and around the military installation.
The project will be a joint effort between the Army, the Pentagon’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) and the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, the release noted.
“The Open RAN project at Fort Bliss is a valuable opportunity for the DoD to explore the enhanced command and control capabilities that near-real time control of the RAN offers DoD,” Anthony Smith, acting DOD CIO for command, control and communications, said in a statement. “The DoD CIO will continue to prioritize the deployment of Open RAN architectures and 5G across the Department, leveraging these information communications technologies for strategic warfighter advantage.”
Advancing 5G communications capabilities for military applications has been a key priority for the Pentagon’s FutureG office in recent years, specifically via O-RAN technology. While current radio access networks use standalone hardware and software platforms, O-RAN is a multi-vendor solution that separates the software and hardware and allows for different vendors to simultaneously operate on the same network.
The capability would offer “increased functionality and scalability of 5G wireless networks, incorporation of artificial intelligence/machine learning (AI/ML) into DoD systems, and greater flexibility in acquiring or replacing the software and hardware used in military equipment,” a department press release stated.
The project at Fort Bliss will serve as the testing ground for development of a RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC) — a software component that optimizes the radio access network. The effort is expected to lay foundations for O-RAN installation at other military locations, while also establishing a training site for staff.
“The primary use case that the Fort Bliss prototype will test through the RIC is the ability to rapidly change spectrum at the 5G control node, a capability that has real world relevance to resilient communications for a mobile command post,” per the release.
The new prototype effort follows a number of O-RAN technology pilots kickstarted by the Pentagon’s FutureG office in 2023, which allowed the department to work with companies and understand how open networks and software approaches can improve communication capabilities for warfighters.
Hughes has previously worked with the Defense Department in advancing wireless technology for service members. The company received a contract in 2022 to deploy a standalone 5G network at the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington, which established the first 5G O-RAN network at a U.S. military base, according to Hughes. In 2024, Hughes received a follow-on extension contract to continue 5G deployment at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii.
