5G Mobile Broadband Impacts and Recommendations

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Office for Interoperability and Compatibility Technology Center (OIC-TC), in alignment with its mission to “provide subject matter expertise and core research capabilities needed to maintain the ability to identify and address current and future homeland security challenges in the areas of communication and network capabilities” closely tracks 5G standards development, commercial deployments, and academic and industry research and development trends.

To assess impacts of 5G on the public safety community, OIC-TC tasked the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab (JHU APL) to employ a deep dive approach to investigate specific 5G technologies that will enable information sharing at the incident area “edge” network. To facilitate this approach, JHU APL used an active shooter scenario adapted from the National Public Safety Telecommunications Council (NPSTC) Internet of Things (IoT) use case report and assessment. This report provides insight regarding the various impacts, opportunities, and challenges 5G will impose on the public safety community and offers a set of recommendations to embrace new technologies for improved situational awareness and decision support.