La pr\u00f3xima generaci\u00f3n de comunicaciones m\u00f3viles celulares proporcionar\u00e1 mayor ancho de banda con baja latencia, y con ello mayor velocidad de transmisi\u00f3n de datos, permitiendo a las aplicaciones conectadas una rapida transferencia de grandes vol\u00famenes de datos. Esto crea gran expectativa en el sector de uso civil, pero tambi\u00e9n tendr\u00e1 aplicaciones de defensa, particularmente en lo que se refiere al desarrollo de sistemas de inteligencia artificial de vanguardia que tienen que procesar grandes cantidades de datos. As\u00ed se logra tomar decisiones en tiempo real, y se podr\u00eda, por ejemplo conducir convoyes de veh\u00edculos no tripulados o hacer volar enjambres de drones.<\/p>\n
Wireless network carriers have been spreading the news far and wide: 5G is coming. And when the next generation of cellular mobile communications arrives, they promise, so will more bandwidth to pipe in data to devices at lightning-fast speeds.<\/p>\n
While 5G \u2014 which is slated to be introduced in 2020 \u2014 is creating buzz in the commercial sector, it will also have defense applications, particularly as it relates to the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence systems that have to crunch through vast amounts of data.<\/p>\n
Five-G, when combined with the multitude of sensors that make up the internet of things, will give users the ability \u201cto collect real-time data that allows AI to do real-time analytics,\u201d said Mei Zhou, a business development executive with Dell EMC. Users will be able to not just employ historical information to make decisions, but to combine it with real-time data for a more holistic view, she said.<\/p>\n
Dell EMC is working closely with network equipment manufacturers and carriers to help prepare for 5G, she noted during a panel discussion at the National Training and Simulation Association\u2019s annual Interservice\/Industry Training, Simulation and Education Conference in Orlando, Florida. The panel was organized by Women In Defense\u2019s Central Florida chapter.<\/p>\n
While there are challenges, establishing 5G connectivity is key to moving forward, she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really critical piece that is building the underlying \u2026 communication infrastructure where AI will be layered on top,\u201d she said. \u201cWithout this networking infrastructure, you\u2019re not going to be able to move the \u2026 [data from] the edge into the different networking infrastructures to be able to make predictions and make analytics.\u201d<\/p>\n
That kind of capability is not only a \u201cmust have\u201d for the military, but for the commercial sector, she added.<\/p>\n
Yasir Saleem, a senior consultant at Adobe, said getting to those real-time decisions is key. A next-generation communication network would allow AI systems to \u201clook at real-time events that are happening, the decisions that are being made, what\u2019s coming up, what\u2019s happened in the past and really put all that data together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verizon Wireless has said that in its 5G trials, it achieved download speeds that were 30 to 50 times faster than with 4G. Additionally, latency could drop from the current 15 to 60 milliseconds to just 1 millisecond or less with 5G, making lag times nearly impossible to detect.<\/p>\n
Lindsey R. Sheppard, an associate fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies\u2019 international security program, noted that while the military has its own communication networks that are separate from the commercial lines that will be upgraded with 5G capabilities, it will still reap benefits.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere will be commonality, lessons learned, technology transfer between the commercial equipment, the commercial infrastructure, that can be then used in defense systems,\u201d she said in an interview. \u201cIf you can leverage the commercially developed equipment, the commercially developed standards and the commercial form factors, then \u2026 you can get that benefit of\u201d 5G networks.<\/p>\n
\n“While there are challenges, establishing 5G connectivity is key to moving forward.” <\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Five-G comes with two major improvements over legacy capabilities, she noted. The first includes a higher bandwidth that allows for more data to be transferred between platforms or from a platform to a network. The second is lower latency.<\/p>\n
Latency is the time delay of processing the data across the network, she said. \u201cLower latency means that you\u2019re getting nearer to real-time.\u201d<\/p>\n
The combination of those two factors means information can be consumed and digested faster, Sheppard said. That, along with an increased availability of data, more access to computing power and a push for electronics miniaturization, will be significant for artificial intelligence systems and machine learning in particular, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cFive-G fits in with that confluence of factors that allow artificial intelligence to work in ways that it hadn\u2019t before,\u201d she said. \u201cIt opens up this additional space where we can start thinking about how can we do things differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
AI capabilities powered by 5G networks could help military operators fly swarms of unmanned aircraft, Sheppard said. \u201cThat high bandwidth, low latency network allows for \u2026 algorithmic alignment during operations,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
It could also aid autonomous truck convoys where one manned vehicle is followed by a number of unmanned platforms, she noted.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat careful coordination between the leader and the followers require that network connectivity,\u201d she said. Upgrading systems to a 5G connection would allow for increased and faster data transfer, making the process more efficient.<\/p>\n
Five-G will be a boon for fields associated with the electromagnetic spectrum, such as electronic warfare, signals intelligence and communication intelligence, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll of these fields, I think, are getting some much-deserved attention as 5G [comes online and opens] \u2026 up this new space for them,\u201d Sheppard said.<\/p>\n
Five-G can help with spectrum management, she said. \u201cEssentially what you\u2019re doing is using artificial intelligence to coordinate and \u2026 optimize the way that all of the devices on the network utilize the available spectrum.\u201d<\/p>\n
However, there are still a number of issues to resolve before the potential of 5G can be fully realized, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have an engineering challenge,\u201d she said. \u201cHow do we leverage this new availability of data, this new access to computing power, this network that supports a transfer of a lot more data, a lot quicker?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n