As battlefields become increasingly digital, militaries and governments are rethinking the role of connectivity in conflict, drawing telcos and commercial satellite players into the defence arena.
A 2025 report by SkyQuest forecasted that the 5G defence market will hit a value of $4.2 billion by 2032, as militaries demand faster, more secure and advanced AI-driven communications networks capable of supporting unmanned systems, real-time intelligence and joint operations.
Rising geopolitical tensions are undoubtedly fuelling this investment. “Today, conflicts are not defined solely by traditional firepower but by the ability to integrate drones, distributed assets, and network-centric operations across land, sea, air, space, and cyber domains,” Aarthi Kannadoss, associate at Frost & Sullivan told Mobile World Live (MWL). “Secure, resilient, and high-bandwidth satellite communication has become a critical enabler of modern combat.”
Governments are responding accordingly, as Kannadoss noted that many are now allocating between 7 and 10 per cent of their defence budgets to satellite communications infrastructure and services.
The telecoms and technology sector is also moving quickly. Globalstar expanded its government reach through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with the US Army, exploring covert satellite-IoT use cases and resilient communications for contested environments. Meanwhile, Orange Business unveiled a dedicated defence unit in France to support sovereign, secure networks for national and allied use.
On the vendor side, Nokia last month struck a deal with Norwegian defence technology company Kongsberg to deliver advanced 5G and future 6G tactical connectivity, while also refreshing its military product range.
Speaking to MWL, Giuseppe Targia, head of space and defence at Nokia, noted that as geopolitical tensions accelerate, militaries are seeking “secure, high-speed, and resilient connectivity that can generate real-time, actionable intelligence to strengthen situational awareness and decision-making”.
This is where technology players can plug the gap.
Commercial tech goes to war
Indeed, for Henry Orejuela, head of government sales and business development at Globalstar, the shift is being driven by real-world pressure. In an interview with MWL, he said: “The wars of today are exposing the vulnerabilities that come when communications aren’t resilient, discreet, or globally available,” he said. “Agencies like the US Army are actively scouting technologies that can operate in austere and contested environments where infrastructure is absent or compromised.”
Globalstar, a US-based telco specialising in commercial satellite-to-phone services and a high-profile $1.1 billion deal in place with Apple to power emergency connectivity on iPhones, is now turning its expertise toward covert, low-power, narrowband satellite communications. “The reality is that geopolitical tensions are forcing militaries to think in terms of scale – thousands of low-cost, resilient sensors or unmanned systems that can operate undetected for months,” Orejuela explained. “That shift is what’s opening the door for Globalstar to play a more prominent role in defence satcom.”
The growing influx of telco and satellite providers is changing what is possible in military communications. According to Kannadoss, defence and commercial connectivity needs are converging as militaries often seek the same technologies, such as reliable satellite links, mobile terminals and non-geostationary orbit capabilities, with added layers of security. The appeal of commercial connectivity players lies in “the need for adaptability and resilience”, she said.
Orejuela agreed that lessons from Globalstar’s commercial legacy and partnerships have translated directly into military advantage. “Commercial experience has honed our ability to miniaturise devices, extend battery life to years on AAA batteries, or even integrate solar for decade-long endurance,” he explained. “Those same design disciplines carry over into military IoT use cases where small form factor, low power, and cost-effectiveness are non-negotiable.”
For instance, CRADA with the US army aims to refine such innovations. According to Orejuela, the deal is “about more than testing – it’s about co-developing an understanding of requirements and how Globalstar can fill gaps”. “The goal is to advance the state of the art in battery endurance, miniaturisation, and LPI/LPD characteristics.”
Kannadoss added that utilising commercial satcom capabilities has already saved the US Department of Defence more than 25 per cent in satellite communications costs between 2019 and 2024, while also giving operators access to stable, long-term contracts.
Tactical 5G
Nokia’s Targia believes commercial 5G in particular has the potential to redefine how militaries connect and coordinate on the battlefield. Many military networks still rely on proprietary technologies “with limited interoperability”.
He said: “Today’s armed forces are looking to complement traditional solutions with proven, standardised technologies like 5G and AI.” Nokia’s approach centres on bringing standardised, scalable systems built on 3GPP protocols for easier interoperability.
“Our 5G solutions are integrated with existing or new defence platforms to enhance intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities,” he said. “They can offer better data capabilities, since 5G’s speed and low latency enable real-time AI applications on the battlefield.” He added that Nokia’s 5G systems offer up to ten times more capacity and at a tenth of the cost of traditional proprietary systems.
The Finnish vendor’s military portfolio now spans backpack-ready radios and vehicle-mounted systems capable of supporting voice, video, and data at the tactical edge. These systems, Targia explained, “enable coalition forces to maintain secure, reliable communications” while supporting mobile command operations on the move.
Nokia has already tested its defence vision in Joint Viking 2025, a large-scale NATO drill in Norway focused on allied interoperability. Its 5G AirScale radios and standalone 5G core powered advanced defence applications, boosting situational awareness and coordination across units. The 5G platform delivered real-time battlefield intelligence to command centres, enabling faster, data-driven decisions. Targia said the results from the exercise showed how “diverse battlefield assets – drones, sensors, and autonomous systems – can operate together more effectively”.
Interoperability still a battlefield
But even as technologies evolve, old hardware remains a sticking point. As militaries begin to adopt advanced satellite and telecom architectures, “they often struggle to maintain seamless communication”, Kannadoss observed. Decades-old platforms “cannot readily integrate with newer, more dynamic infrastructures”, she noted. “While commercial satellite and telecom providers bring remarkable technological agility to the table, they often fall short in addressing the deep interoperability challenges faced by defence communications,” she warned.
However, this challenge calls for even “deeper collaboration between defence agencies and commercial providers to co-develop modular, mission-adaptive communication”. Looking ahead, Kannadoss warned that “without collaborative efforts, we risk building fragmented architectures that are difficult to scale or secure”.
Looking ahead
In Kannadoss’ view, a convergence between terrestrial and satellite networks is the next leap in military connectivity. 5G Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) are enabling “seamless integration of terrestrial and satellite networks, ensuring that soldiers, ships, and aircraft stay connected even in denied or remote environments”
Trials are already under way, she noted, citing the US Department of Defence, European militaries and industry players such as OneWeb and Nokia all “accelerating 5G NTN trials for secure, interoperable tactical networks”.
The shift is unmistakable: The defence sector is seeking technological prowess, flexibility and cost-efficiency of commercial systems, while technology companies are securing stable, long-term partnerships. For Orejuela, the crowded defence race isn’t about “trying to be all things to all people – we’re focused on a differentiated position: covert, resilient, low-power, narrowband satcom that complements broadband systems”. For Targia, it’s about building “secure, integrated communications in any mission scenario.”
As Kannadoss summed up, the defence communications market is “gradually moving into a new phase of growth,” driven by multi-orbit networks, spectrum innovation, and higher-frequency bands. Yet progress, she warned, will hinge on “continued dialogue between stakeholders and a focus on interoperable, adaptable systems.”
It is clear that in modern warfare, staying connected is now as vital as staying armed.
