News

Unveiling comprehensive undergraduate research experience programs, introducing a new board of advisory members, and launching a flagship workshop on crafting comments on policy for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) were just some of the top agenda items for attendees of SpectrumX’s Fall 2023 Center meeting. The meeting took place at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, from October 9 and 10, 2023. It brought the multi-institutional center, composed of 27 founding institutions and led by the University of Notre Dame, to the upper midwest to discuss research progress, center initiatives, and more.

In September, SpectrumX researchers—along with industry and government representatives—came together at TPRC 51: The 51st Annual Telecommunications Policy Research Conference in Washington, DC. For many of the Center’s spectrum researchers, TPRC is a regular part of their annual calendar. “TPRC once again provided an exceptional forum to discuss spectrum management. What seemed different – and even better – is that the SpectrumX participation is becoming an annual feature and expectation,” said Ilia Murtazashvili, SpectrumX lead of Project Team Rights (PT-Rights) and professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

In August, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued a special invitation. In a Notice of Inquiry (NOI), it called upon researchers and others to help the FCC use “today’s tools to understand tomorrow’s commercial spectrum usage.” SpectrumX, a National Science Foundation (NSF) Spectrum Innovation Center, rose to the occasion. It submitted a center NOI comment with ten contributing authors and eight center endorsers.

Four students who participated in the Advanced Wireless Research Experiences (AWaRE) program, sponsored by the University of Notre Dame’s Wireless Institute and SpectrumX, presented research posters on July 26.

SpectrumX has formalized the creation of the SpectrumX Collaboration Advisory Board (CAB). One of the first two organizations to formalize CAB Membership Agreements is Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., a company that is committed to “enabling a world where everyone and everything can be intelligently connected."

Recently, SpectrumX formalized the formation of the SpectrumX Collaboration Advisory Board (CAB). SpectrumX is pleased to announce that Aira Technologies has joined its CAB. Founded in 2019, Aira Technologies is radically re-imagining wireless communications using artificial intelligence (AI). Aira is using this data-driven, AI-powered approach to fundamentally improve the performance and the energy efficiency of the Radio Access Network (RAN).

In June 2023, SpectrumX formalized the formation of the SpectrumX Collaboration Advisory Board (CAB). Among the first two organizations to formalize CAB Membership Agreements is GIRD Systems, Inc. GIRD Systems, Inc. is a developer of customer digital signal processing solutions, that specializes in both the commercial and military market. Its mission “is to provide the latest digital signal processing algorithms, techniques and solutions that enable our customers to reduce development times and increase wireless communication systems’ performance.”

During the week of July 10, 2023, faculty and researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) hosted participants from five continents for the United States Telecommunication Training Institute (USTTI). Each day of the five-day course focused on a new topic: trends and impact in telecommunications, spectrum management and radio frequency technology, law and regulatory aspects around the globe, technology and innovations, and participant case study presentations.

WASHINGTON, July 20, 2023 — The FCC’s Space Bureau today announced its senior leadership team. Kerry Murray will serve as Deputy Chief and Chief of Staff and Jennifer Gilsenan, Troy Tanner and Patrick Webre will serve as Deputy Chiefs. Stephen Duall was named Associate Chief and Karl A. Kensinger was named Special Counsel. Whitney Lohmeyer and Jeanette Kennedy have joined the FCC, as Chief Technologist and Associate Chief, respectively

Throughout the National Science Foundation (NSF) Spectrum Week event at the end of April, three centers funded by NSF Spectrum Innovation Initiative grants came together to hold meetings and events in the collaborative environment. The opportunity to organize the event was driven by SpectrumX, an NSF Spectrum Innovation Center and the world’s largest academic hub for spectrum innovation. The multi-institutional and multidisciplinary center used the opportunity to meet with other SII funded centers, join discussions and sessions, and include students in these forward-thinking conversations.

SpectrumX’s Radio Shop Chat series regularly features speakers from across the electrical engineering, telecommunications, and spectrum sciences presenting on pressing topics and areas of innovation. On June 27, 2023, Gregory Hellbourg, Scientist and Spectrum Manager at Caltech and Owens Valley Radio Observatory, joined the series presenting “The Deep Synoptic Array DSA-2000.”

From April 24 through April 28, 2023 the National Science Foundation (NSF) hosted its first-ever Spectrum Week at its headquarters in Alexandria, Virginia. The purpose of the event was to foster conversation and discussions about research findings and implementations during official sessions as well as breaks between. The event featured a number of updates from three NSF Spectrum Innovation Initiative (SII) grant-supported programs and dynamic forecasts on what spectrum-related research, education, and policy engagement will look like in the United States.

Events in the spectrum science, policy, and education fields are hosted regularly by universities, research communities, and stakeholders around the globe. SpectrumX would like to invite our spectrum community to share details about upcoming events with the center, its members, and to our audience.

SpectrumX’s Radio Shop Chat series regularly features speakers from across the electrical engineering, telecommunications, and spectrum sciences presenting on pressing topics and areas of innovation. On May 30, 2023, Aleksandar Damnjanovic, Principal Engineer and Manager, Qualcomm, joined the series presenting “Technological innovations and spectrum for future wireless networks.” Qualcomm is now one of SpectrumX’s collaborating partners.

The University of Notre Dame has been selected for inclusion in the Association of American Universities (AAU), a consortium of the nation’s leading public and private research universities, Notre Dame’s president, Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., announced today.

Throughout the Fall of 2022, assistant professor of engineering Whitney Lohmeyer guided undergraduate students through her Introduction to Analog and Digital Communication course at Olin College of Engineering, connecting them to radio spectrum experts.

The University of Notre Dame’s DeBartolo Performing Arts Center became a national stage to host discussions on the formation of the U.S. National Spectrum Strategy on April 11, 2023. City employees, corporate representatives, trade associations and university researchers gave their input at the second of two National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Listening Sessions.

Paul Ransom’s interest in electrical engineering was piqued when he began working to upgrade his Walkman in elementary school. He was unsatisfied with the performance and began tinkering with it and other electronics to see how they functioned. “I wanted to boost the volume, because back in my days we liked to listen to our music loud,” Ransom said.

On Tuesday, April 11, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) will hold a listening session at the University of Notre Dame to garner broad input about future spectrum allocations. The listening session is open to the general public, to attend as well as to potentially speak, and will take place from 1 to 3:30 p.m. in the Patricia George Decio Theatre at the DeBartolo Performing Arts Center. Local and state policymakers and regional industry leaders are especially encouraged to participate as speakers.

WASHINGTON – The Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on Wednesday began seeking comment on identifying airwaves for more intensive use and innovative new uses by both the private sector and federal agencies. NTIA’s National Spectrum Strategy Request for Comment seeks input on creating a spectrum pipeline for the next decade of frequencies that could be studied for new or additional uses. The agency’s goal is to identify at least 1,500 megahertz of spectrum to study for potential repurposing – perhaps the most ambitious study goal for NTIA to date – to meet future requirements for non-federal