[15th April 2025, Farnborough]
Showcasing secure, reliable, and rapidly deployable communications for mission-critical environments
JET Connectivity, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and leading industry collaborators, hosted a pivotal open day on March 5th, 2025, at its Farnborough offices. The event highlighted the transformative potential of secure, resilient, and rapidly deployable expeditionary 5G networks for defence operations.
The event convened senior leaders from across the defence community, including Col Oli Bartels of Defence Medical Services (DMS), Tom Simonds of Defence Digital, Tech & Futures, and Mivy James, Chief Technology Officer of MoD. Alongside esteemed defence professionals and subject matter experts, they explored JET Connectivity’s latest 5G advancements and their role in enhancing mission-critical operations
Live demonstrations illustrated how JET’s solutions deliver improved situational awareness, support connected systems, and provide real-time operational insights, even in the most demanding environments. This included hosting ATAK servers at the edge and across a meshed Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) network, and real-time spectrum swapping. Discussions throughout the day underscored the importance of UK-sovereign communications solutions, offering secure, adaptable, and scalable networks to meet the evolving needs of defence.
James Thomas, CEO of JET Connectivity, said: “At JET Connectivity, we are committed to delivering secure, resilient, and rapidly deployable connectivity solutions that meet the evolving demands of defence operations. This event has reinforced the critical role that UK SMEs play in shaping the future of sovereign communications. By harnessing homegrown innovation, we can ensure that our armed forces have access to scalable and secure 5G networks that enhance operational effectiveness, protect mission-critical data, and provide the agility required for modern defence scenarios. Collaboration across the UK supply chain is essential to maintaining technological advantage, and we are proud to be driving that forward.”
Mivy James, CTO of MoD commented: “Seeing this technology up close and meeting the UK SMEs, like JET, bringing it to life was incredibly worthwhile. The opportunities for 5G in deployed operations are vast, and the focus on enabling secure communications at different classifications is particularly powerful. It’s great to witness collaboration in action – bringing together industry expertise to develop agile, secure networks that can make a real impact on the ground.”
David Neil, CEO of Attocore remarked: “As a UK SME at the forefront of 5G innovation, we are proud to contribute to the defence sector by delivering agile, scalable, and secure core network solutions. Our technology enables rapidly deployable mission-critical connectivity, harnessing the power of 5G to enhance operational effectiveness in dynamic and challenging environments. This collaboration underscores our commitment to driving technological advancements that support national security and defence innovation.”
Bethan Evans, COO of Excelerate noted: “At Excelerate, we are proud to be part of the UK-sovereign supply chain offering 5G solutions to the forefront of defence operations. The technology demonstrated at the event underscores our commitment to advancing secure, scalable, and resilient networks and situational awareness that will support the evolving needs of defence and public safety. Discussions with those at the event has further solidified our belief that innovation, when coupled with collaboration, can drive tangible results in mission-critical environments.”
We extend our gratitude to Cyber1st, Attocore, Slipstream Engineering Design, and Excelerate for their invaluable contributions. Their expertise reinforces the strength of a UK-sovereign supply chain, ensuring that critical defence and public safety communications remain secure, resilient, and rooted in homegrown innovation.
This event represents a significant milestone in advancing defence communications, with 5G emerging as a key enabler of smarter, safer, and more connected military operations.
For more information on JET Connectivity’s 5G solutions, visit www.jet-eng.com.
Image: JET Connectivity Exclusive 5G Technology Demonstration for Defence Operations