The DOD’s Defense Spectrum Office (DSO) recently contracted iPosi and Virginia Tech Applied Research Corporation (VT-ARC) to develop a GPS/GNSS system that measures radio frequency (RF) path-loss, with the goal of increasing shared spectrum without interference.
The contract addresses the need for increased shared spectrum between the DOD and wireless providers that require expanded access because of the growing demand for 5G spectrum, according to a news release. The loss-profile technology from iPosi will provide a substantial increase to protected wireless service that operates in DOD or federal government bands. Once scaled, it will support broader civilian and federal shared spectrum operations, further aiding spectrum protection and the growth of 5G.
iPosi has worked with VT-ARC and DISA/DSO for three years, with the collaboration leading to field validation of new tomographic wireless propagation measurements that enable sharing between new 5G and DOD in common 1-10 GHz mid-band spectrum blocks.
The loss-profile technology automates measurements of GPS/GNSS controlled satellite signal transmissions that, once compiled, form precise intelligent arrays characterized as an intensity-based 3D loss-contour map. Satellite signals precisely illuminate radio path obstructions as they move, and the 3D map is specific to each site that shares the channel. Each loss-map determines the extent of shared channel radio isolation with a low-error loss between wireless entities. It continuously updates to maintain channels that are interference free.
The technology was initially applied to sharing DOD ground-to-air systems with commercial wireless services, but it also has applications for other 5G services.
Various academic and industry partners are collaborating through this agreement. It is one of several endeavors by the Defense Information Systems Agency and Defense Spectrum Organization under the Spectrum Sharing Test & Evaluation (SSTD) project as part of the DOD Advanced Wireless Systems–3 (AWS-3) spectrum transition program.
