Until now, radio communications, which require a clear line of sight between two antennas and use ultra-high frequency radios, have been relied upon to connect, say, astronauts on the surface of the Moon or a lunar lander with Earth. When Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin stepped onto the Moon in 1969 they used a radio system called an S-Band, which used a lightweight umbrella-like antenna on the lunar lander to reflect signals over a vast distance. But with far more devices soon to populate the Moon's surface, and more advanced bandwidth-intensive and latency-sensitive applications, these technologies will fall short. As Klein outlines, there are multiple scenarios in which cellular connectivity that enables better range, more devices, and higher data transfer speeds will form the bedrock for safe, effective space exploration. For one, astronauts' work will need to be augmented by myriad robotic and autonomous systems--be it in drilling, mining, or harvesting for food--and each of these will need to coordinate and communicate with one another to align on tasks.

Network protocols are fundamental to the functioning of modern society, as more and more services are provided online, including critical infrastructure. Historically, these services have mostly been implemented with wired networks that connect conventional computers. But with the emergence of wireless and cellular technologies, their reach has extended to Internet of Things (IoT) devices and sensors, robotic systems, and autonomous vehicles. The next generation of cellular technologies, often referred to as NextG, will further expand the set of services that can be delivered over a network, including real-time remote healthcare, industrial automation, precision agriculture, smart infrastructure, holographic communication, space-based communication, and more. Experience shows that formal specification can provide significant practical benefits for network protocol development by enhancing clarity, trustworthiness, and productivity. Adoption of formal methods has been hindered not by lack of scalability but by cultural gaps that result in tools and methods that do not align with engineering practice.

There is no doubt that connected devices and technologies are transforming how humans and machines work together in places like operating rooms, factories, and roadways/intersections. Increasingly, AVs (autonomous vehicles) paired with smarter infrastructure is paving the way for safer roadways, which leads to fewer transportation-related fatalities. According to Allied Market Research, the global autonomous vehicle market will reach $2,161.79 billion by 2030, up from $76.13 billion in 2020 and representing a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 40.1% between 2021 and 2030. Part of this market growth will be thanks to advancements in cellular technologies. Last week, Cisco and Verizon announced a successful POC (proof-of-concept) demo in Las Vegas that will help bring applications like robotaxis and autonomous delivery bots to more people and more places in the near future.

The next generation of cellular technology is expected to revolutionise the way we communicate, with its increased bandwidth and lower latency expected to facilitate emerging technologies such as autonomous vehicles. "5G is really the first time that you're going to see the next industrial revolution that results directly from a new communications infrastructure," said Ferguson, speaking at Cyber Security Nordic, an information security conference in Helsinki, Finland. But for all the benefits it has been touted to bring, the proliferation of connected devices will cause headaches among security professionals in the "not too distant future", he warned. While autonomous digital weapons and deepfakes are "emotionally frightening", these problems are much further down the line and will be at a much smaller scale compared to the threats that will arise in a hyperconnected 5G world, he said. Previous generations of cellular technology have created fresh cybersecurity challenges.