DIU Taps iDirect Government to Address 5G Interference on Warfighters’ Satellite CommunicationsSystems

Herndon, Virginia-based satellite communications services provider iDirect Government has secured a contract from the Defense Innovation Unit to develop a 5G co-channel mitigation system prototype to enhance combatants’ SATCOM efficiency and security. According to iDirect, its Communication Signal Interference Removal technology will provide a template for the prototype development. 

Anthony Bustamante, DIU’s cyber and telecommunications project manager, expects the methods to be developed under the project to offer the potential for wider applications on other vital communication and navigation systems vulnerable to 5G radio frequency disruptions, the DIU said.      

The DIU announced its request for proposals on the project in June 2023, noting the tendency of SATCOM equipment and 5G bandwidths to overlap, causing signal degradation and loss.

Tim Winter, iDirect Government president, pointed out that any signal disruption harms defense communications, and the company’s solution will provide customers with a “crucial interference mitigation tool that helps them with communications resiliency.” 

The new contract adds momentum to the new iDirectGov Engineering Center of Excellence opened in January as an additional platform for the company’s engineers to develop security solutions, including electronic warfare countermeasures.