First PAWR Testbeds Land in Salt Lake City, NYC

Source: Light Reading on April 9, 2018

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The National Science Foundation (NSF) announces an important milestone in its Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) effort. In collaboration with an industry consortium of 28 networking companies and associations, NSF is supporting the development and deployment of the first two PAWR research platforms, based in Salt Lake City and New York City. These platforms will power research motivated by real-world challenges on experimental, next generation wireless test beds at the scale of cities and communities. The goal is to advance the state of the art for wireless technology beyond today's 4G, LTE and emerging 5G capabilities.

"The platforms announced today will enable cutting-edge research in living laboratories across the country, which is a new and important milestone for advancing wireless capabilities," said Jim Kurose, head of the Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate at NSF. "Innovative wireless networks, technology and applications are key to achieving the vision of future, smart communities."

The PAWR platforms will enable early-stage research that will push forward robust, new wireless devices, techniques, protocols and services. In addition, these research platforms will allow promising technologies to move quickly to market, provide hands-on practical training to a new generation of students, increase job opportunities, and support overall U.S. economic vitality. The overarching goal is to revolutionize the wireless ecosystem and maintain U.S. leadership in the sector for decades to come.

The design, development, deployment and initial operations of the two research platforms will be overseen by the PAWR Project Office (PPO), which was funded by NSF last year and is run through US Ignite, Inc., and Northeastern University. The PPO works closely with NSF and the PAWR Industry Consortium to manage this $100 million public-private partnership. NSF has committed $50 million toward the research platforms over the next seven years, and expects to announce the development and deployment of additional platforms next year. The PAWR Industry Consortium, consisting of equipment vendors, device manufacturers and wireless carriers, has committed $50 million in cash and in-kind contributions that include equipment, expertise and human resources.

NSF's investment in the PAWR program is part of a broader strategy to support smart cities and communities. These research platforms will help to shape the future of wireless networks that will serve as the foundation for critical applications and services in our nation's neighborhoods and municipalities.

Benefits from this research may include:

Enabling first responders and surgeons to share real-time data during emergencies.
Training entry-level workers via immersive, virtual reality systems.
Providing seamless communication between vehicles and roadway infrastructure to reduce traffic congestion.

Below are descriptions for the two research platforms announced today, along with the participating institutions.

POWDER-RENEW: A Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research with Massive MIMO Capabilities, University of Utah and Rice University.

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COSMOS: Cloud Enhanced Open Software Defined Mobile Wireless Testbed for City-Scale Deployment, Rutgers University, Columbia University, and New York University.