In a recent announcement, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced that it has selected US Ignite and Northeastern University to lead the project office for NSF’s Platform for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program. The PAWR Project Office, or PPO, will manage nearly $100 million in public and private investments to stand-up and oversee city-scale testing platforms to accelerate fundamental research on wireless communication and networking technologies, according to the statement.
The PPO will work closely with the wireless research community and industry in the design, development, deployment, and operations of the research platforms. PAWR will enable experimental exploration of robust new wireless devices, communication techniques, networks, systems, and services with the goal of revolutionizing the U.S. wireless ecosystem to enhance broadband connectivity, leverage the Internet of Things (IoT), and sustain U.S. leadership and economic competitiveness for decades to come.
“Mobile connectivity is fundamental to our country’s economic and civic progress,” said Ron Marquardt, VP, Technology, Sprint. “PAWR represents an important national investment in the wireless platforms of the future and we look forward to new advances in entertainment, communication and collaboration across our cities, workplaces and homes.”
The collaborative efforts among research universities, local communities and industry will hopefully yield breakthroughs in new wired and wireless networking technologies, according to the announcement.
“NSF is pleased to have the combined expertise from US Ignite, Inc., and Northeastern University leading the Project Office for our PAWR program,” said Jim Kurose, Assistant Director, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, NSF. “The planned research platforms will provide an unprecedented opportunity to enable research in faster, smarter, more responsive, and more robust wireless communication, and to move experimental research beyond the lab – with profound implications for science and society.”
“Leading the PAWR Project Office is a key component of US Ignite, Inc.’s mission to spur the creation of next-generation applications and services that leverage advanced networking technologies to build the foundation for smart communities,” said William Wallace, Executive Director, US Ignite. “This effort will help develop the advanced wireless networks needed to enable smart and connected communities to transform city services.”
Edited by
Alicia Young
