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Tag: wireless spectrum

  • PAWR Receives US Funding to Use AI For Spectrum Sharing

    PAWR Receives US Funding to Use AI For Spectrum Sharing

    The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) Project Office has received funding from the US Department of Defense (DOD) to use AI for wireless spectrum sharing.

    The PAWR is a consortium of 35 industry partners and is funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF). The PAWR has received $2.7 million in funding from the DOD to develop and test AI to help solve the challenge of multiple companies using the same wireless spectrum.

    Under the current technology, spectrum is often licensed exclusively to a single company in a given market. Since there is a finite amount of spectrum available, a way to share blocks of spectrum between companies is desirable, although not without its challenges. The PAWR and DOD hope that AI can be used to allocate spectrum on-the-fly between companies, based on current demands.

    “When we started the PAWR program to develop and deploy four city-scale wireless testbeds across the country, it was with the intention of creating shared infrastructure to enable new research into advanced communications network technologies,” said Joe Kochan, Principal Investigator and Project Director for the PAWR Project Office. “We’re gratified to be able to support the DOD’s mission today to further network performance with greater spectrum sharing capabilities in the transition to 5G and beyond.”

    Should the PAWR’s research yield results, it could be a boon for the wireless industry and customers alike.

     

    Image Credit: PAWR

  • Google Creates TV White Space Map, Starts Public Spectrum Trial

    There’s a lot of wireless spectrum out there, but mobile devices can’t take advantage of some of it as it goes towards other uses. There is a lot of unused spectrum though, and Google wants to free it up.

    Google.org, the company’s philanthropic arm, is working with other tech companies to create a database of unused TV white space. This database would allow future devices to tap into spectrum that’s not being used by someone else. The practice is called spectrum sharing, and it would allow mobile devices to share the air waves with other devices and services on this particular band.

    Here’s how Google explains it:

    Spectrum is a globally finite resource, which makes it crucial that it be allocated and shared as effectively as possible. The demand for spectrum is growing, and more people and devices need spectrum in the same place. Having a place where people can see what spectrum is available allows people to share, which enables more technology and devices to connect using an increasingly busy medium. This helps avoid conflict between devices using the same band.

    As part of its bid to become a database administrator of this TV white space, Google has partnered with the FCC to create a map of all the available TV White Space in the U.S. The company is inviting multiple stakeholders to “test and provide feedback on the database.”

    You can start exploring the spectrum map here.

  • FCC Votes To Free Up Spectrum For Wi-Fi Devices

    FCC Votes To Free Up Spectrum For Wi-Fi Devices

    The spectrum freed up for Wi-Fi is a finite resource. Too many devices can congest the networks and slow down service for everybody. The FCC wants to prevent that from happening, and have taken steps to relieve congestion with its latest proposal.

    The FCC announced today that it has unanimously voted to free up 195 MHz of additional spectrum in the 5 GHz band. This new spectrum will be available to unlicensed devices. The Commission also proposed to relax regulations on wireless devices and to streamline existing rules.

    FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said the Commission is taking “a big step to ease congestion on traditional Wi-Fi networks, which will mean faster speeds and fewer headaches from U.S. consumers.”

    The FCC notes that the freed up spectrum will not only help decrease congestion in public spaces, but it will help increase speeds of personal wireless networks in the home. That’s great news for those of who have multiple devices running on a single Wi-Fi network in the home.

    Before you start lining up more devices on your personal network, know that the FCC has only voted on a proposal to free up the spectrum. The Commission now has to take public comments before making its final decision. The plan will probably not face any real opposition, however, as industry groups are already praising it.

    The National Cable and Telecommunications Association said that the FCC’s bid to free up more spectrum will help meet increasing consumer demand:

    “…existing Wi-Fi spectrum is growing increasingly congested and more must be found to meet skyrocketing consumer demand and enable increased speeds of next-generation Wi-Fi. More extensive use of the 5 GHz band, along with additional unlicensed spectrum in other bands, will permit cable companies and other innovators to continue to provide Americans with new benefits, businesses with new opportunities, and those in need with life-saving connections.”

    The FCC’s proposal fits snugly into its National Broadband Plan that aims to increase access to broadband across the nation. Freeing up more Wi-Fi can help accomplish that, but let’s hope the Commission can get to work on setting up Gigabit networks across the nation as well.

    [h/t: The Hill]