The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering’s FutureG office will invest approximately $1.8 million in the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) to bolster research and development of open source 5G/FutureG software for expeditionary operations.

The funding will help NPS students and faculty members develop a cellular curriculum that supports the Department of Defense communications priorities through multi-disciplinary academic certifications with focus on various 5G/FutureG specializations, including cloud computing and millimeter wave antenna arrays. This partnership aims to empower mid-career officers to directly influence the transition of 5G/FutureG technology into the services in follow-on assignments of increasing responsibility.

“Investment in our internal workforce is essential to advancing technologies critical to the Department of Defense,” said Dr. Tom Rondeau, FutureG office principal director. “The expertise they gain will help us understand how to buy, deploy, and manage advanced wireless networks like 5G and 6G. Coupled with their previous experiences in the fleet, this will help us innovate and deploy technologies that support future operations and the department’s strategic visions.”