Narrowband AoA 5G Non-Terrestrial Network

Background
The United States Space Force (USSF) Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Commercial Satellite Communications Office (CSCO) is seeking information for potential sources capable of providing commercially owned and operated 5G Non-Terrestrial Network (NTN), 5G IoT NTN, other 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) based satellite services, and other mobile NTN satellite solutions in all regions. The purpose of this RFI is to educate the DoD on current and future 5G and other 3GPP NTN technologies, as well as to support the ongoing Narrowband Communications Services (NCS) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA), which may impact how the Department of Defense (DoD) will procure 5G and other 3GPP NTN satellite services/capabilities for the near- and long-term.

Work Details
The DoD is conducting a Narrowband Communications Services (NCS) Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) to evaluate alternate architectures for providing satellite communications (SATCOM) with all-weather data and voice for the tactical grid (land, air, sea) in austere and difficult operating environments including double canopy forests and dense urban areas. The primary focus for the AoA is to augment existing Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) capabilities; however, there are a wide range of potential requirements and applications that may include 5G and other 3GPP services and solutions.

The AoA will evaluate courses of action relative to the space, link, terminal, gateway, ground infrastructure, control segments, and Enterprise Management and Control (EM&C) that address DoD’s required narrowband and wideband 5G SATCOM capabilities from uncontested to contested, degraded, and operationally limited operating environments. The DoD has a growing demand to utilize commercially owned and operated satellite solutions. The RFI seeks information regarding 5G NTN, 3GPP NTN, and other mobile NTN solutions for DoD-relevant services such as reliable and secure fixed-site and mobile voice, data, position, navigation, timing (PNT), sensor telemetry communication services in DoD-relevant environments including double canopy forests, dense urban environments, and polar regions.

Place of Performance
Global coverage is sought with specific interest in polar regions.