Nokia Brings 5G to Battlefields as Big Tech Eyes $1T Budget
From its iconic indestructible brick phones to military tech, Nokia is undergoing a clear metamorphosis. The Finnish goliath is focusing on high-growth areas by developing portable 5G networks for battlefield communications. With the incoming Trump administration expected to increase global defense spending, Nokia is among several Big Tech firms pursuing lucrative government contracts.
- Last year, Nokia acquired Virginia-based Fenix Group, a military-grade communications provider, and integrated “Nokia’s 5G platform … to offer a comprehensive wireless communication solution.”
- The division is now finalizing a “fully flexible and self-configuring network that moves in the backpacks of soldiers” — enabling broadband communication in the field without existing infrastructure.
Silicon Valley’s new frontier: Nokia isn’t the only one looking to tap into Uncle Sam’s “unlimited budget” — tech giants from Meta to OpenAI are racing to secure military contracts, with defense-focused startups like Palantir and Anduril already earning hundreds of millions. Despite most AI products being “not that useful yet,” the Defense Department’s annual budget keeps swelling, approaching $1T for 2024. As one AI executive bluntly says, “They really love to blow money,” — and there’s nothing like a Pentagon credit card to pay for those pricey AI chips.
