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Reported deployment

Reported Navy private 5G testbed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington

A Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) case study; outcomes are vendor-reported and not independent measurements.

Reviewed Sep 30, 20267 sourced facts
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Details

Organization
U.S. Navy, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island
Industry
defense (military air station)
Region
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington
Current operating status
Prototype network launched March 30, 2023 under DoD 5G experimentation; contract extended through 2025 (March 2024 release)
Project date
awarded 2021; launched March 30, 2023; extended through 2025

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Overview

Hughes Network Systems, an EchoStar company, is the prime contractor for a Department of Defense (DoD) private 5G testbed at Naval Air Station (NAS) Whidbey Island in Washington state, under an $18 million agreement it announced in March 2022.[1] The standalone 5G network, built on Open RAN (O-RAN) principles with JMA Wireless radio access equipment and Boingo Wireless site survey and installation, was launched at a ribbon-cutting on March 30, 2023.[2][3] Hughes says the network is meant to improve aircraft readiness through real-time communication across the flight line.[3] In March 2024 the DoD extended the contract through 2025 as part of its ongoing 5G experimentation program, together with a related Hughes network in Hawaii.[3]

At a glance

Organization
U.S. Navy, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island. The work is funded through the DoD Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (OUSD(R&E)) FutureG Office.[3]
Location
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington.[3]
Date reported
Contract announced March 21, 2022; Hughes said deployment began in September 2021.[1] Network launched March 30, 2023.[2] Contract extension announced March 18, 2024.[3]
Spectrum
DISH/EchoStar spectrum. Hughes said in 2022 that DISH Wireless would supply low-band, mid-band, and high-band (mmWave) spectrum;[1] in 2024 it described EchoStar's 5G spectrum[3] and DISH low- and mid-band spectrum.[4] Use of CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) is not publicly stated.
Technology
Standalone 5G built to O-RAN standards, with a packet core, edge cloud, Zero Trust Architecture, and links to low-Earth-orbit (LEO) and geostationary (GEO) satellite connectivity.[1][3] Hughes says the design targets National Security Agency (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) requirements.[3]
Scale as reported
Not publicly stated. Hughes describes the base as a large installation where thousands of personnel need connectivity, but does not give radio or device counts.[4]
Vendors and roles
Hughes Network Systems: prime contractor and integrator. JMA Wireless: radio access network. Boingo Wireless: site survey and network installation. Cisco: routers, switches, and firewalls. Dell Technologies: computing. Intel: edge cloud stack and processors. EchoStar/DISH: spectrum and engineering services.[3][1][5]
Contract
An $18 million Other Transaction Agreement issued through the Information Warfare Research Project consortium, described as a three-year project;[1] extended through 2025 in March 2024.[3]
Status
Pilot: a DoD prototype network launched in March 2023 and extended through 2025 as of March 2024; Hughes and Boost Mobile reported a demonstration on it in August 2024.[3][6] We found no later public update.

How the network is used

  • Real-time coordination across the flight line to shorten aircraft maintenance and the preparation time between missions.[2][3]
  • Connectivity for security cameras that support review of people entering the flight line (video surveillance), and a data-enabled refueling system, according to Hughes.[4]
  • Letting maintenance staff download manuals and share photos of aircraft faults on base, with AI/ML tools comparing them against past issues, according to Hughes.[4]
  • Boingo listed planned uses including smart aviation hangars, warehouses, flight line operations, AR/VR training, asset tracking, and supply chain management (campus and in-building).[5]

Reported results

As reported by the sources below; not independently verified.

  • Hughes says the network delivers connectivity with more than five times the speed for maintenance teams. This is a vendor-reported figure; Hughes does not state the baseline or method.[4]
  • Hughes and Boost Mobile said a 2024 demonstration showed that a device on the Whidbey Island network could travel to another site and still reach applications hosted at the base, testing orchestration and radio access network sharing with a base in Hawaii, Via Satellite reported.[6]

Timeline

  1. Hughes and Boost Mobile announce a demonstration linking the Whidbey Island network with a base in Hawaii.[6]

  2. EchoStar announces a DoD contract extension through 2025 covering Whidbey Island and a related network in Hawaii.[3]

  3. Navy officials and industry partners hold a ribbon-cutting to launch the network.[2]

  4. Boingo Wireless says it will handle the site survey and installation for Hughes.[5]

  5. Hughes announces the $18 million DoD award to deploy a standalone 5G network at NAS Whidbey Island.[1]

  6. Deployment work begins, according to Hughes.[1]

How to interpret this record

This record keeps the source's anonymous customer label and reported status. A case study does not establish current operation, reproducible performance, or independent verification.

Sources

Researched Oct 1, 2026. Manufacturer and vendor statements are their claims, not independent tests.

  1. Hughes Selected to Deploy Private 5G Network for DoD — Hughes Network Systems, Mar 21, 2022. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  2. NAS Whidbey Island 5G Network Launched — Hughes Network Systems via PR Newswire, Mar 30, 2023. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  3. DoD Extends Contract for ORAN-based Private 5G Networks through 2025 — Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar), Mar 18, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  4. Hughes Private Standalone 5G network increases efficiency to transform US Navy operations — Hughes Network Systems, Apr 15, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  5. Boingo Wireless to Help Bring Private 5G to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island — Boingo Wireless, Apr 26, 2022. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  6. Hughes Hails Success of Recent Private 5G Demo for US Navy — Via Satellite, Aug 29, 2024. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.

Every detail in the table at the top comes from these sources. Open the source details for each fact’s publisher, evidence type, date, and where it appears.

Source details (7)
SOURCEOrganization

U.S. Navy, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Quote from Dr. Rajeev Gopal, HughesChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCERegion

Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, Washington

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: First paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEOperating status

prototype network launched March 30, 2023 under DoD 5G experimentation; contract extended through 2025 (March 2024 release)

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Paragraphs 5 and 7Checked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEProject date

awarded 2021; launched March 30, 2023; extended through 2025

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: First paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEReported use case

real-time communication across the flight line to cut aircraft maintenance and turnaround time

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Paragraph 5Checked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEVendors Named

Hughes (prime contractor), JMA Wireless (RAN), Boingo Wireless (site survey and installation), Cisco, Dell Technologies, Intel; EchoStar spectrum

Hughes Network Systems (EchoStar) ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: Paragraph 3Checked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated