In the event of a national security threat or disaster, establishing a secure network for communication is one of the first and most important priorities. Together with his team, Tommy has been working in close collaboration with the Norwegian Defense Agency to explore innovative new network solutions using 5G technology.
Drawing on multiple resources, from software and radio to hardware and military applications, the autonomous mobile network solution enables defense personnel to establish 5G coverage where there isn’t any, or in the event it may have been disabled, and reestablish communication during critical national security situations. The 5G core and radio processing is virtualized, running on hardware integrated into a small “box” that has been purpose-built to be as light as possible and easy to transport – it can easily be carried by two people. The system includes active antennas with massive MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output), mounted on tripod masts that can be extended up to 18 metres high.
The setup takes less than 20 minutes, no special training required. 5G technology means that it’s possible to use a secure private network in combination with specialized and secure “slices” of the public network in order to “hide in plain sight”. This makes it impossible to differentiate a military device from a civilian. Use cases span from drone services and shot-fire detection to push-to-talk and a wide range of IoT applications. Civilian opportunities are also wide-reaching – like emergency response and disaster relief, field work, etc.
“Telia’s mobile services are crucial for society to work”. Says Tommy. Even under ordinary circumstances, “if we go down, huge parts of society and businesses stop.” Building better critical communications systems is about paying attention, says Tommy. “We have to listen to the customer. To understand the problem and find the right fix.” Sometimes you end up doing things you never imagined because they’ve never been done before. Boundaries are there to be pushed.
We’re Telia. And we’re making better emergency communications happen.
