Notre Dame Leading $25M Spectrum Project
(photo courtesy of The University of Notre Dame)
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe University of Notre Dame has been tapped to lead a $25 million project designed to “transform the landscape” of research, education, collaboration and management of the radio frequency spectrum. The university says SpectrumX will involve nearly 30 organizations from around the country.
Access to the spectrum, according to Notre Dame, has become a premium in recent years with the increase in wireless applications. Radio frequencies on the spectrum are used for mobile broadband, broadcasting and GPS, and the university says the increasing use of commercial wireless, as well as scientific, satellite and defense applications, has led to the need for an overhaul on how the spectrum is managed, as well as the research surrounding it.
“For the United States to continue unleashing spectrum at home and competing globally, we need a more national, interdisciplinary and proactive approach to pursue breakthroughs at many levels — in scientific receivers, spectrum sensing, coexistence and sharing mechanisms, cloud automation, and flexible licenses and enforcement,” said Nick Laneman, director of SpectrumX, co-director of Notre Dame’s Wireless Institute and professor of electrical engineering. “SpectrumX will pursue these innovations and create the world’s largest academic hub where all radio spectrum stakeholders can collaborate and contribute to maximizing the societal benefits provided by this precious resource.”
Among the topics to be investigated by SpectrumX is the current aging workforce. Laneman says the group will develop a comprehensive education and workforce development program, which will include students from middle school to graduate studies.
The funding comes from the National Science Foundation, which has inked agreements with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration and the Federal Communications Commission to “help align investments in spectrum research, infrastructure and workforce development with U.S. spectrum regulatory and policy objectives, principles and strategies.”
You can learn more about SpectrumX by clicking here.