Military 5G deployments offer enterprise leaders a blueprint for building resilient private networks in demanding commercial environments.
Deploying private cellular networks in industrial settings offers real enterprise value, but integration hurdles and cybersecurity risks regularly delay adoption. High-stakes edge computing environments demand uninterrupted communication, data sovereignty, and immediate processing. Enterprise leaders can examine recent multi-domain implementations within the defence sector to see how these requirements function in reality.
Telefónica has become a reference for 5G within NATO following more than 15 field trials focused on military applications. The operator has deployed multi-domain 5G tactical bubbles across land, sea, air, and cyberspace. This track record resulted in the launch of Europe’s first 5G Cyber Defense Center, created alongside the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Technological solutions developed at the facility will be included in a NATO project at the end of this month.
The architecture of these tactical bubbles provides a template for isolated and highly secure corporate networks. The Madrid-based facility, developed with the Armed Forces Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE), integrates into the NATO Digital Foundry. This Alliance initiative provides the data infrastructure, testing environments, and tools needed to channel future technological advances and create new standards. The Foundry tests defence industry solutions using NATO’s own data to expand their use within military settings.
Such facilities demonstrate a proactive approach to device management. Systems protect communications between assets including radars, drones, weapons systems, barracks, and combatants. This mirrors the complex IoT ecosystems found in modern manufacturing or logistics hubs, where machinery and mobile workers interact seamlessly. The site develops operational use cases to assess 5G’s strengths and identify areas for improvement within highly demanding environments like the military. It also hosts research, development, and training for Armed Forces personnel.
Javier López Gutiérrez, Director of Defense and Security at Telefónica Spain, commented: “In 2026, we are consolidating all the efforts we have been making since 2022 to position ourselves as a benchmark in 5G in the field of security and defense, both in Spain and in the EU and NATO.
“With this 5G development and testing center, geared towards an international organisation of the size of the Atlantic Alliance, our armies and navy are becoming an authority in promoting not only hyperconnectivity, but also other cutting-edge enabling technologies such as AI, edge computing, and quantum computing for their benefit.”
These efforts consolidate the operator’s position as a leader in deploying next-generation communications, blending innovation, operational capacity, and experience in high-stakes environments.
How military 5G private networks detect edge threats
The centre studies AI tools to detect and prevent cyberattacks in advanced setups, specifically 5G tactical bubbles containing multiple nodes.
The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) selected the 5G Cyber Defense Center for its NATO Digital Foundry programme. This programme operates as an open and secure innovation platform for member countries to develop, test, and scale emerging technologies.
Teams can learn from how these isolated networks function across various physical domains. Spain’s first aerial 5G bubble was recently added to a military aircraft at the Albacete Air Base. This created the first airborne 5G system for the Air and Space Force, adding to previous deployments across sea, land, and space.
Connecting fast-moving mobile assets remains a hurdle for transport and logistics enterprises. The BACSI project – an initiative aiming to evolve aerodromes using disruptive infrastructures to improve efficiency, sustainability, and security – developed this aerial use case.
The 5G tactical bubble was loaded onto an Airbus transport aircraft and integrated with the plane’s other communications systems and three land-based 5G systems. Personnel conducted Voice Over New Radio (VoNR) and video calls to ensure interoperability and secure communications, transmitting real-time video between two participating aircraft.
This framework also applies to remote offshore environments, such as deep-sea oil rigs or international shipping fleets. Telefónica carried out a pilot project at the end of 2025 on a real mission involving an Alliance ship under NATO Maritime Command.
Over a four-month period, the operator deployed a 5G node on board the ship to connect it with the rest of the group, including unmanned units. This established secure, ultra-fast, low-latency communications across the naval units without relying on public networks or satellite connections.
Other implementations involve integrating 5G into combat vehicles and linking these bubbles with government satellite communications and public networks. During the NATO DiBaX exercise, multi-domain operations were facilitated when NATO established itself as a provider of 5G services between different countries.
Wholesale carriers and TowerCos are accelerating their evolution from basic infrastructure providers to active orchestrators of intelligent platforms. Enterprise leaders can better architect their own private network rollouts by studying these multi-domain 5G military networks.
Implementing these solutions in commercial environments requires breaking vendor lock-in, ensuring cross-team technical training, and prioritising AI-enhanced security protocols at the network edge.
See also: Cloud RAN trial proves AI improves network efficiency
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