A nation’s safety is its number one priority. And smart place technology can help us secure that. Let's look at how we're helping achieve that by connecting hundreds of military bases in the United States of America.  

It’s easy to underestimate the scale of our military bases. There are over 300 in the U.S., and some are home to tens of thousands of service people, plus thousands of civilians who work on the base to support them. Globally, the U.S. military employs over a million people. Military bases are where many live.

These bases are like towns – or mini-cities – in their own right. As well as thousands of homes, they have shops, schools, and hospitals. Everything, in fact, you might expect to see in an urban community. But life ‘inside the fence-line’ can present many challenges. One of them is around connectivity.

Military bases: advancing from an analogue world

Most military bases were created in the years soon after the Second World War to maintain global stability. By pre-dating our digital world, they sometimes create some peculiar contrasts when compared with the towns they neighbor. Many bases, in fact, lag behind the settlements around them when it comes to mobile connectivity, provision of broadband to homes, and use of smart place technology.

Over the past 20 years, this has become increasingly significant. Digital connectivity is core to the way people live now – including those in defense forces. We need connectivity to stay in touch with friends and family. We need it to manage services like banking and healthcare. And for entertainment – whether that’s streaming a TV show or video gaming.

Connectivity – or the lack of it – can impact morale. And morale has always been vital in the military: since ancient times, combatants’ state-of-mind has mattered as much as armor and weaponry when it comes to success.  And because connectivity hasn’t been extended to military bases at the same pace as urban centers, those living on bases often face disadvantages. This situation negatively affects morale, recruitment, and retention. Imagine being unable to reach out to loved ones during deployment, or facing slow internet speeds for basic tasks. If military life feels isolating due to inadequate connectivity, potential recruits may think twice, and existing personnel may consider leaving.

Readiness: a real reason to connect

Thinking beyond mental welfare, connectivity equates directly to military readiness. It’s amazing how absolute military life can be on this point, and how it can shape daily life. Within our own team at Boldyn Networks, U.S. army veteran Lou Zeisman recalls that when he was based at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, he had to be ready to mobilize 24/7. So much so, that he was always required to be reachable through his cellphone. If Lou wanted to mow the lawn outside his barracks, there was a specific area of the grass he wasn’t able to cut, as it was out-of-coverage for his mobile. A zone where readiness couldn’t be compromised.

Supplying bases with smart connectivity

We’re working with around 200 military bases in the U.S. to equip them with leading-edge connectivity infrastructure in order for them to make the most of smart technologies available now and in future. We’ve recently completed connectivity deployment the country’s biggest and most active U.S. Army Basic Combat Training installation: Fort Jackson in South Carolina. Spanning 53,000 acres, the infrastructure we’ve put in place comprises more than 16 miles of fiber optic cabling, and dozens of small-cell nodes. It will provide wireless connectivity to nearly 100,000 military members and their families and support staff.

With connectivity firmly established, a base like Fort Jackson can begin to unlock the potential of smart place technology. As with a conventional city, a military base can explore solutions around smarter energy – for example, by using sensors to heat and light working areas while they’re in use, but to automatically enter sleep-mode when they are empty. Monitoring occupancy levels indoors, to optimize air conditioning systems. Or improving security on-base by using high-definition cameras to better track people’s movements. Thanks to 5G, it will even be possible to use unmanned drones and driverless vehicles to transport equipment, provisions – and even people – more efficiently around the base.

A unique approach to long-term partnerships

Our team is supported by a group of highly ranked retired military advisors, which gives us a unique perspective, unique influence, and provides us with access to people and agencies that the competition simply cannot get to.

So, we understand the logistical pressures of completing infrastructure projects on bases. We know that ‘setting up 5G’ isn’t in anyone’s job description: military personnel have more pressing commitments that have to come first. And each military branch has a different process for deploying commercial telecom infrastructure, while each base has the ability to modify those processes – so bureaucracy can be a challenge.

We also understand that the soldiers, navy, air force, and marines whom we serve may not remain at the base for as long as a project installation takes to deliver. It’s like passing a relay baton: we ensure that the project doesn’t lose a beat when changes in leadership occur. We stay engaged to ensure that baton is picked up where others left off, ensuring seamless progress.

We’ve also structured our business uniquely. We’ve formed partnerships with the private companies responsible for building and maintaining base housing. We’ve signed agreements that allow us to install neutral host infrastructure through a streamlined process of approval. This means we’re often ready to host all the main network carriers with no need to jump through hoops around planning. It saves time for military personnel, since our connections at the most senior levels mean we may need only a single sign-off to proceed. Our relationship with high level navy leadership also gives us a differentiated way to access most navy bases. Our commitment extends beyond cables, towers and nodes. It’s about supporting those who serve, and making sure connectivity becomes an integral part of military life.

We’re deeply grateful to the military forces who safeguard our security, and honored to be a trusted partner at over 75 military bases across the U.S. With the rights to provide communications infrastructure to more than 40 additional bases, we eagerly anticipate a future where seamless, base-wide connectivity ensures that operations run smoothly and efficiently. A future where such connectivity means there’ll never be a need to let the grass grow.