Verizon has won another contract with the US Army, this time to support the US Army Garrison Hawaii’s Helemano Military Reservation (HMR).
The telco is providing 5G coverage via a newly constructed cell tower, nicknamed the “Dragon Tower,” as part of a $1 million project.
The base, which is located approximately five miles north of the town of Wahiawa, HMR offers military housing for approximately 2,000 service members and families stationed at Schofield Barracks and Wheeler Army Airfield.
Historically, connectivity has been an issue at the base due to the remote location of HMR.
“The main purpose of our partnership with Helemano is to improve the quality of life for base personnel,” said Marta Lacroix, associate vice president of network engineering.
“The strength of the Verizon network will help ensure that those serving our country have continuous access to emergency services and can readily connect with their loved ones.”
Verizon notes that the tower is located on the grounds of the Army and Air Force Exchange Service’s (Exchange) HMR Express store in the center of the reservation and is nicknamed “Dragon” for the 307th ESB-E, which is headquartered on HMR.
According to Verizon, the Dragon Tower is one of 13 planned across US military bases in Hawaii.
In December, Verizon Public Sector (VPS) was awarded a $15 million task order with Navy Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) through the federal government’s Enterprise Infrastructure Solutions (EIS) contract vehicle.
Under the contract, Verizon will deliver voice and data services at domestic and international locations for the US Navy.
The operator was also selected by the US Department of Defense to install and maintain a 5G private network inside an aircraft maintenance hangar at the joint military base Pearl Harbor-Hickam (JBPHH) back in 2022, with the contract worth $11.5 million.