The AT&T 5G service will cover 40,000 Air Force personnel, family members and retirees
AT&T has been selected to provide 5G and FirstNet services to the Nellis Air Force Base in southern Nevada, which reportedly covers more than 14,000 acres and is one of the biggest employers in the area.
The plan is to equip more than 40,000 Air Force personnel, family members and retirees with 5G infrastructure for voice and data services, as well as provide wireless high-speed external and in-building connectivity across the base’s flight line, facilities and on-site medical center.
In addition, the operator will be deploying FirstNet, a nationwide public safety communications network that AT&T has been developing with federal government funding.
In a prepared statement, Mike Leff, VP of AT&T’s global public sector business said that AT&T is “honored” by the opportunity to equip Nellis with a “comprehensive communications solution.”
While AT&T has not provided specific details regarding the network build, the operator did share some potential use cases that the 5G network could enable, including sensors and onboard systems to alert on-ground personnel of arriving and departing aircraft; video surveillance for security; a virtual test and training center equipped with mixed reality capabilities; and “near real-time management” of inventory, aircraft schematics and diagnostic analysis.
AT&T has been aggressively building FirstNet for first responders, and in early December, reported more than one million connections.
