Ukraine Called the First 'Broadband War'.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTES

ABOARD THE HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH -- The Atlantic Future Forum is perhaps one of the more unique annual security conferences.

Now in its fifth year, the forum is held aboard one of the United Kingdom's aircraft carriers. There are rows of chairs, a small stage, an impressive audio-visual system and about a dozen industry booths, just like a regular trade show.

The major difference is that it takes place in the hangar below deck where helicopters and jet fighters are normally kept.

The invitation-only event is the brainchild of Lord Sedwill, former NATO diplomat, cabinet secretary and national security advisor to British prime ministers. This year was the second time it was held in New York Harbor. Annapolis, Maryland, and Portsmouth, United Kingdom, have also hosted. Organizers announced that it will be held in a European port next year.

It is an opportunity for the Royal Navy to practice a bit of public diplomacy and for defense and security thinkers to focus on the bilateral security ties between the United States and United Kingdom.

It is also a fascinating experiment. There was no Wi-Fi or wireless connectivity below deck, and participants are stuck aboard the ship until a ferry arrives late in the day.

Their smartphones rendered useless, participants were forced to actually pay attention to the keynote speeches and panel discussions.

Naturally, the war in Ukraine was a major topic.

Among the many thought-provoking discussions was a "fireside chat" with two men with very different backgrounds, both of whom had recently visited Ukraine.

One was an active-duty military officer: British Army Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders, chief of the general staff. The other, a one-time "captain of industry," former chairman and CEO of Google, Eric Schmidt.

The first impression Schmidt had during his trip to Kyiv was the train from Poland. He assumed in the middle of a war it would be a rough journey. Instead, the luxurious new train featured 200-mega-bit Wi-Fi connectivity.

"For the Americans, try that on Amtrak," he quipped.

That connectivity in the train would serve as an example of what he discovered: a wired, tech-savvy nation ready and able to use information age tools to fight back against a powerful aggressor.

"I was really impressed that this was the first broadband war," Schmidt said.

One of the Ukrainian government's first actions as Russian forces gathered on its borders was to do away with bureaucratic rules on what could be stored in the cloud.

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