Prague, 10 Nov 2026 – CETIN, ORAN Development Company (ODC) and Booz Allen participated in NATO's Digital Backbone Experimentation 2026 (DiBaX), contributing an integrated communications and sensing capability combining commercial and deployable 5G infrastructure, AI-enabled Open RAN technology and passive radar sensing applications. The experimentation, organized by NATO Allied Command Transformation, brought together 22 allied nations and more than 60 industry partners in Latvia. 

NATO Digital Backbone Experimentation 2026 (DiBaX), photo credit: NATO

Working together, CETIN, ODC and Booz Allen developed and demonstrated a solution based on AI-enabled Open RAN capabilities combined with advanced sensing functionality. The solution addressed several of the priority areas identified by DiBaX organizers, including interoperability, resilient communications in degraded and contested electromagnetic environments, and the integration of communications, sensing and software capabilities to improve situational awareness.

The capability was subsequently integrated into the broader DiBaX experimentation environment, where NATO combined technologies from allied nations and industry partners to evaluate future Digital Backbone concepts supporting command-and-control, data sharing and decision support across operational domains.

NATO Digital Backbone Experimentation 2026 (DiBaX), photo credit: NATO

 

CETIN served as telecommunications integrator, leveraging its expertise in building and operating large-scale communications infrastructure. The solution was based on ODC's AI-enabled Open RAN platform, enabling intelligent orchestration and rapid deployment of innovative applications through open interfaces, and Booz Allen engineering and deploying Integrated Sensing and Communications (ISAC), leveraging existing 5G radios and RF signals to support situational awareness and Counter-Unmanned Aircraft System (Counter-UAS) related use cases. Together, the partners demonstrated how modern telecommunications infrastructure can provide both resilient connectivity, sensing, and, therefore, enhanced operational awareness.

Chief Core Network Architect CETIN Networks Juraj Eliáš (left), Commander of United States European Command and the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, General Alexus Grynkewich (right), photo credit: NATO

 

"DiBaX provided an opportunity for CETIN, ODC and Booz Allen to demonstrate how Open RAN architectures, AI-driven orchestration and passive sensing capabilities can be combined into a single integrated solution addressing some of the most important challenges identified by NATO, including resilience, interoperability and situational awareness.

I would particularly like to recognize the outstanding work and cooperations of all our teams involved. Building on this experience, our ambition is to expand our collaboration with U.S. partners into a broader Central European dual-use innovation initiative connecting industry, academia, developers, governments and defense stakeholders. It is evident that technologies developed for resilience and security can also deliver significant civilian benefits, strengthen economic competitiveness and contribute to Europe's technological leadership. With the right partnerships, government backing and innovation funding, Central Europe has the potential to become an important hub for the development and deployment of next-generation dual-use technologies," said Juraj Šedivý, Chairman of the Board of CETIN.

"Open architectures are becoming increasingly important wherever interoperability, flexibility and rapid integration are required. Through our collaboration with CETIN and Booz Allen, we demonstrated how AI-enabled Open RAN supports the development and orchestration of innovative applications and use cases within a common operational environment," said Vas Gudladana, CEO at ORAN Development Company (ODC).

"By integrating ISAC into the infrastructure, we demonstrated how sensing, communications, and software capabilities can work together within a broader ecosystem to support situational awareness and Counter-UAS related use cases," said Bill Vass, CTO at Booz Allen.

For CETIN, participation in DiBaX forms part of a broader effort to explore how commercial telecommunications infrastructure, open network architectures, AI-enabled operations and advanced sensing technologies can contribute to the evolving resilience requirements of governments, critical infrastructure operators and allied organizations. The project builds on CETIN's long-standing focus on secure communications, infrastructure resilience, and the development of next-generation telecommunications capabilities.

Chief Core Network Architect CETIN Networks Juraj Eliáš, photo credit: NATO

 

 

About CETIN

CETIN a.s. owns, operates, and modernizes the largest electronic communications network, covering 99.6% of the population of the Czech Republic. We provide fixed and mobile network infrastructure services, data services for corporate networks, and data center leasing. We also provide international voice services to both domestic and international service providers. CETIN is a member of the PPF Group.

CETIN International and its companies in Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, and Slovakia are providers of advanced fixed and mobile telecommunications infrastructure. CETIN International is building the digital backbone of tomorrow. From nationwide mobile network modernizations to large-scale fiber deployments and cybersecurity solutions, our projects showcase how advanced infrastructure, innovation, and collaboration enable better, faster, and more inclusive digital experiences.

About ODC 

ODC is a leader in AI-Native Radio Access Network (“AI-RAN”) technology and the architect of the U.S.-based Odyssey technology platform. By integrating advanced AI sensing and inference into the RAN, ODC enables telecommunications providers to unlock new revenue streams and mission-critical capabilities across the industrial, commercial, and public sectors. Learn more at www.orandevco.com.