- Verizon has secured a major US Air Force contract despite recent security concerns
- The contract will see Verizon provide 5G network upgrades to bases across the US
- The victory comes despite recent network breaches by foreign hackers
Verizon has announced that it will provide the US Air Force with 5G network upgrades at 35 installations across the US.
Through the agency’s offer for lease program, Verizon will deliver network improvements such as new macro builds, small cells and C-band carrier additions that hopefully offer higher speeds, increased bandwidth and lower latency for base personnel and communities.
However, some may raise eyebrows at the news, which comes a little more than a week after Verizon and AT&T confirmed their networks were free of Chinese state-sponsored attacker Salt Typhoon.
Verizon military contracts
The massive attack saw nine major companies breached and over 100,000 routers compromised in one network alone, and the attackers were able to ‘geo-locate millions of individuals to record phone calls at will,’ according to Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser. for cyber and new technology.
It is unclear if the deal was made before the breach was announced, but the intrusion is considered one of the worst of its kind in telecommunications breaches and the ramifications of the breach are still being understood.
Verizon already has contracts with the armed forces to support flight line test equipment, animated simulation and training, full-motion, high-definition video to support telemedicine for its airmen and ultra-fast artificial intelligence for biometric identification.
“This is Verizon’s 7th OTL win out of 8 attempts, which serves as a testament to the confidence the US Air Force has in the strength and speed of our network, as well as the quality of the professional and managed service expertise they achieve from our people,” said Maggie Hallbach, senior vice president, Verizon Public Sector.
“We are honored to have Verizon Business serve as one of their most trusted partners.”
