Modernization

DOE national laboratory adds Verizon’s first federal 5G Lab

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory is partnering with Verizon Business to develop cybersecurity that will underpin 5G for critical infrastructure, AI and IoT.

By Dave Nyczepir

March 9, 2020

(Department of Energy / Flickr)

A Department of Energy national laboratory will host Verizon Business’ first 5G wireless lab for testing government technologies, the company announced Monday.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s main campus in Richland, Washington, specializes in advanced mobile communications research and development for DOE and will test Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband service in order to advise other agencies on deployment.

Government researchers and outside developers working on behalf of agencies like the Department of Defense, DOE and Department of Homeland Security will develop 5G applications supporting Internet of Things and artificial intelligence technologies in the realms of national security, energy efficiency and public safety.

“They can take the smartest people in government that work for PNNL and really ideate and, with their folks on R&D, collaborate with us to explore how 5G can really transform the work that the federal government does,” Mike Maiorana, senior vice president of federal sales at Verizon, told FedScoop.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_zRK8FBvVs

Verizon has been “deliberate and prescriptive” in launching 5G across 34 cities and five 5G Labs in places including Washington, D.C., Maiorana added.

PNNL will work with Verizon to refine how the company designs and deploys 5G, functionality and physical and cybersecurity.

“With Verizon, we plan to explore how cybersecurity will underpin 5G for critical infrastructure and how 5G will drive transformation in the protection of endpoint devices, advancement of artificial intelligence, the science behind autonomous systems and related internet of things applications,” said Scott Godwin, general manager of corporate partnerships and alliances at PNNL, in the announcement.

The lab will, in turn, advise agencies on how 5G might impact their operations and infrastructure based on its testing.

“They’re going to help us ensure that we are designing, deploying and operating the most secure 5G network that the industry can deliver,” Maiorana said.