Enterprise to the Edge: Agency Guide to 5G

Federal agencies are on the road to 5G adoption, realizing the benefits and addressing the challenges. 5G networks will enable the connection of billions of new devices, sensors, and systems that will intelligently connect to the network and each other based on their time sensitivity and computational needs. How are federal agencies progressing with 5G adoption? General Dynamics Information Technology's (GDIT) Digital Consulting Practice partnered with Market Connections, an independent research firm, to learn where federal agencies are in their 5G adoption, the benefits and challenges they are facing, and the impact this has on the mission. The results of this survey yielded many key takeaways:

• Nearly all agencies are evaluating or piloting or have deployed 5G: 89% of respondents said they’re already studying or using commercial or private 5G capabilities within their agency.
• 5G impact will triple over the next five years: Agencies see 5G becoming mainstream in the coming years. As this happens and use cases are pursued, they envision an increased mission impact.
• More than half are making 5G a budget priority in 2023: While some agencies are implementing 5G now, they will increase investments over the next three years. With investment, they will begin to see the impact in action.
• Agencies are focused on infrastructure first to support future innovations and applications: As agencies explore how 5G will best serve their environments, they are focused on connectivity and speed more than mission applications. This focus is likely to shift as they explore use cases and plan for implementation.
• Costs and cybersecurity are challenges: 5G requires new 5G-enabled devices, edge computing infrastructure, and upgrades to existing networks. Budgeting requires looking at it from the perspective of mission outcomes rather than a technical perspective.
• Speed and reliable connectivity are top benefits: Similar to the use cases, agencies see the biggest benefits tied to speed, network, and capacity — all of which are important promises of 5G. As use cases diversify, the list of benefits is likely to shift as well.