NATO Leading 5G/6G/AI Standardization
4 July 2025 | Zero5G.com | Members of Congress passed House Bill 1 (OBBB), increasing debt for present and future generations and accelerating microwave antenna deployment (5G/6G). Though the amendment to ban state regulation of AI was removed, forced deployment of microwave antennas (5G/6G) and AI is funded for military use.
The question is, whose military?
$500,000,000 for the accelerated development and integration of advanced 5G/6G technologies for military use;
(24) $250,000,000 for the advancement of the artificial intelligence ecosystem;
(25) $250,000,000 for the expansion of Cyber Command artificial intelligence lines of effort
NATO considers 5G a “priority area”
“The defence sector too is expressing interest in the broad palette of advancements the 5G ecosystem offers. 5G can be customized for specific use scenarios – it offers broadband, low latency, high reliability and support for a large number of connected devices and sensors.”
In their report [34] on network slicing, the US National Security Agency (NSA) and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) describe key design criteria for network slices that can be combined with the aspects mentioned above to create a secure NATO joint operation slice.
The use of 5G in defence needs to be planned carefully. 5G was designed for civilian use, and the standards and guidelines provide only a limited level of security. But for the defence sector, clear guidance from NATO members on the security expectations and the related use is paramount.
“…the standardization process would benefit from concrete inputs from the defence sector…”
Securing 5G Communication in Joint Operations Between NATO Partners
AI is one of the nine priority technology areas for NATO (NATO, 2023c). Next to AI, these emerging disruptive technologies are autonomy, quantum, biotechnology and human enhancements, hypersonic systems, space, novel materials and manufacturing, energy and propulsion, and next-generation communications networks.
avoid future interoperability issues of Allies by ensuring joint standards across systems;
NATO AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: NAVIGATING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES
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