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Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)

Center Overview

The Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC) aims to advance wireless technologies and provide cost-effective and practical solutions for next-generation communications system (5G and beyond) through novel broadband technologies.

BWAC's mission is to collaborate with industry research partners to create flexible, efficient, and secure wireless systems that satisfy broadband communication needs by pursuing large-scale research programs and creating new visions for the wireless industry.

BWAC addresses fundamental research challenges in next-generation wireless systems. The intertwined and multifaceted nature of such complex systems calls for a diverse range of complementary expertise in antenna design, radio engineering, signal processing, wireless communications, networking, cloud computing, and security, as well as research tools (modeling, simulation, hardware/software prototyping, platform integration and maintenance, and measurements and data curation). The breadth of such a research program necessitates collaboration among multiple research teams and partnering with pioneering private companies and federal agencies in this field.

Universities

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Catholic University of America
University of Mississippi
North Carolina State University
University of Arizona

View Center Website

Center Personnel

Mingjie Feng
Center Coordinator
+1 520 621 1050
mingjiefeng@email.arizona.edu

Ramanarayanan Viswanathan
Site Director
+1 662 915 7231
viswa@olemiss.edu

Tamal Bose
Site Co-Director
+1 520 621 6193
tbose@arizona.edu

Marwan Krunz
Center Director
+1 520 621 8731
krunz@email.arizona.edu

Jerry Park
Site Director
+1 540 231 8392
jungmin@vt.edu

Ismail Guvenc
Site Director
+1 919 513 1378
iguvenc@ncsu.edu

Hang Liu
Site Director
+1 202 319 5275
liuh@cua.edu

Research Focus

Analog beamforming for blockage-resistant mmW communications

Millimeter wave (mmW) systems suffer from long device discovery time during initial access (IA) as well as vulnerability to blockage. Developing improved IA protocols is essential. Focus areas include mmW channel modeling; mmW antenna subsystems and low-power circuits; beam-tracking designs; beamwidth adaptation; hybrid analog/digital beamforming; backhauling protocols; user-base station (BS) association and handover in multi-BS mmW systems; and outage-resilient mmW protocols.

Collaborative mobile edge computing systems for ultra-low-latency applications

Mobile edge computing (MEC) has been embraced by many mobile network operators (MNOs) as a way to create new business opportunities and increase revenues. By developing novel architectures and algorithms to enable autonomous and efficient data processing and networking through cooperation of edge nodes, mobile users, and cloud data centers, ultra-low-latency (millisecond order) applications can be supported. Research topics include delay analysis for ultralatency MEC protocols; energy/quality of experience trade-offs; collaboration between edge nodes within a single MEC operator; dynamic network slicing; machine learning algorithms for latency prediction and task assignment; task partitioning and user-edge node association; MEC-integrated vehicle-to-everything (V2X) applications; and privacy-preserving MEC collaboration protocols.

Security and privacy in wireless communications

Physical layer security relies on generating friendly jamming signals to obfuscate transmitted information, so as to improve the signal quality for the legitimate receiver and degrade the signal reception for the eavesdropper. This research focus area includes investigation of information-theoretic secret communications; channel-based authentication and fingerprinting; jamming-resistant protocols; rendezvous and network/device discovery under stealth (selective) attacks; hiding of side-channel information; and security in dynamic spectrum access systems.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output designs

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (mMIMO) is one of the key enabling techniques of next-generation wireless systems. This technique focuses on the improvements in peak throughput per connection, extreme area capacity, systemwide spectral efficiency, and high user density. In mMIMO systems, a base station (BS) is equipped with hundreds of antennas or more, which are used to serve tens of users simultaneously via MIMO precoding techniques, boosting the spectral efficiency by orders of magnitude compared with a conventional MIMO system. Key challenges to reap the benefits are channel state information (CSI) acquisition and update. Our efforts are focused on developing CSI-free rate-and-precoder adaptation methods for next-generation mMIMO systems.

Spectrum sharing for heterogeneous wireless systems

The FCC now allows wireless providers to operate over the unlicensed bands (e.g., 5 GHz UNII, 5.9 GHz for C-V2X and DSRC), which introduces issues related to contention among systems that operate over these bands. This research area studies the impact of inter-technology interference and devises innovative approaches for enabling harmonious coexistence of heterogeneous wireless technologies in unlicensed bands.

Awards

1916766

Phase II IUCRC North Carolina State University: Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)

This project is Phase II of the Broadband Wireless Access Center (BWAC), a multi-university multi-industry organization composed of five universities (the University of Arizona, Virginia Tech, University of Mississippi, the Catholic University of America, and North Carolina State University (NCSU)) and 20+ affiliates from industry and government. In the past decade, wireless communications has made major technological leaps. Wireless connectivity is pervasive in society, leading to a shortage in wireless spectrum, network congestion, cyber-attacks and personal security issues. The mission of BWAC is to address these challenges and offer creative solutions.

In Phase II, NCSU will join BWAC with a comprehensive research agenda in support of BWAC's mission and vision. In particular, research thrusts at NCSU will include unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) communications; millimeter-wave (mmWave) theory, experimentation, hardware design, and measurements; wireless localization; visible light communications (VLC); antenna/circuit design for broadband communications, among other areas. NCSU site will collaborate closely with its industry, government, and academic partners, as well as the other BWAC sites, to introduce breakthrough advances in broadband wireless technologies and applications.

The results of this collaborative industry-university center will have a direct effect on public welfare, enabling several applications such as remote health and broadband access in rural areas. The partnering universities will broaden their activities to include Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site programs, Research Experiences for Teachers program, participation of under-represented minority students and faculty in research projects, and involvement of multidisciplinary projects. The researchers will continuously integrate the research outcomes related to mmWave and UAV communications into NCSU's curriculum at graduate as well as undergraduate levels. With its research, established partnerships, and long history of collaboration between its members, BWAC will seek to create intellectual property and spin-off companies, leading to job growth.

The lead site, University of Arizona manages the central BWAC project website at www.bwac.arizona.edu. This website contains various information about the center including the overview of the center, mission, industry membership, projects, meeting announcements and technical data. Center proprietary documents are managed through a secure internal web portal requiring access credentials. The data repository will be managed at the main website with links to the other university sites. The repository will contain technical papers, project descriptions, relevant software, testbed details, etc. The repository will be maintained during the project and for an additional five years beyond its termination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1822087

Phase II IUCRC The Catholic University of America: Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)

This project is Phase II of the Broadband Wireless Access Center (BWAC), a multi-university multi-industry organization composed of five universities (the University of Arizona, Virginia Tech, University of Notre Dame, University of Mississippi, and the Catholic University of America) and 20+ affiliates from industry and government. In the past decade, wireless communications has made major technological leaps. Wireless connectivity is pervasive in society, leading to a shortage in wireless spectrum, network congestion, cyber-attacks and personal security issues. The mission of BWAC is to address these challenges and offer creative solutions.

In Phase II, BWAC will expand its research footprint to address timely and industry-relevant challenges in wireless networks. The CUA Site brings critical expertise and complementary research capabilities to BWAC for fulfilling the Center's mission. The Site will collaborate with the industry and academic partners to pursue advanced research on cooperative mobile edge computing systems, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO), millimeter-wave communications and networking protocols, Internet of Things platforms and mobile applications. Such cooperative research efforts will potentially make significant contributions to the advance in wireless technologies, wireless standards, software and hardware components, and network management.

The results of this collaborative industry-university center will have a direct effect on public well-being, enabling applications such as remote health, smart transportation, internet of things, and high speed broadband access in rural areas, to name a few. The partnering universities are committed to broadening participation in BWAC's activities. This is achieved through REU site programs, participation of under-represented minority students and faculty in research projects, and involvement of multidisciplinary projects. With its research, established partnerships, and long history of collaboration between its members, BWAC will likely create intellectual property and spin-off companies, leading to job growth.

The lead site, University of Arizona manages the central BWAC project website at www.bwac.arizona.edu. This website contains various information about the center including the overview of the center, mission, industry membership, projects, meeting announcements and technical data. Center proprietary documents are managed through secure internal pages requiring access credentials. The data repository will be managed at the main website with links to the other university sites. The repository will contain technical papers, project descriptions, relevant software, testbed details, etc. The repository will be maintained during the project and for an additional five years beyond its termination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1822071

Phase II IUCRC University of Arizona: Broadband Wireless Access and Applications Center (BWAC)

This project is Phase II of the Broadband Wireless Access Center (BWAC), a multi-university multi-industry organization composed of five universities (the University of Arizona, Virginia Tech, University of Notre Dame, University of Mississippi, and the Catholic University of America) and 20+ affiliates from industry and government. In the past decade, wireless communications has made major technological leaps. Wireless connectivity is pervasive in society, leading to a shortage in wireless spectrum, network congestion, cyber-attacks and personal security issues. The mission of BWAC is to address these challenges and offer creative solutions.

In Phase II, BWAC will expand its research footprint to address timely and industry-relevant challenges in wireless networks. Research thrusts for the center include spectrum sharing for heterogeneous wireless systems, secure and private wireless communications, multi-antenna (MIMO) signal processing techniques, millimeter wave (mmW) systems, and collaborative mobile edge computing (MEC) systems. The UA site has significant expertise in wireless protocols, spectrum sharing, and physical-layer security. Projects conducted will include inter-operable spectrum sharing mechanisms, beamforming, massive MIMO, techniques for eavesdropping-free secure communications, antenna design for mmW systems, and adaptive schemes for full-duplex and self- interference cancellation in opportunistic spectrum access.

The results of this collaborative industry-university center will have a direct effect on public well-fare, enabling applications such as remote health, smart transportation, internet of things, and high speed broadband access in rural areas, to name a few. The partnering universities are committed to broadening participation in BWAC's activities. This is achieved through REU site programs, participation of under-represented minority students and faculty in research projects, and involvement of multidisciplinary projects. With its research, established partnerships, and long history of collaboration between its members, BWAC will likely create intellectual property and spin-off companies, leading to job growth.

The lead site, University of Arizona manages the central BWAC project website at www.bwac.arizona.edu. This website contains various information about the center including the overview of the center, mission, industry membership, projects, meeting announcements and technical data. Center proprietary documents are managed through a secure internal pages requiring access credentials. The data repository will be managed at the main website with links to the other university sites. The repository will contain technical papers, project descriptions, relevant software, testbed details, etc. The repository will be maintained during the project and for an additional five years beyond its termination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

1822104

Phase II IUCRC University of Mississippi: Center for Broadband Wireless Access and Applications (BWAC)

This project is Phase II of the Broadband Wireless Access Center (BWAC), a multi-university multi-industry organization composed of five universities (the University of Arizona, Virginia Tech, University of Notre Dame, University of Mississippi (UM), and the Catholic University of America) and 20+ affiliates from industry and government. In the past decade, wireless communications has made major technological leaps. Wireless connectivity is pervasive in society, leading to a shortage in wireless spectrum, network congestion, cyber-attacks and personal security issues. The mission of BWAC is to address these challenges and offer creative solutions.

This project will bring to bear UM research capabilities and real-world industry interest in several BWAC thrust areas. Center as a whole addresses research areas, including wireless spectrum sharing, security, and future milli-meter wave technology. UM research problems address spectrum sharing for heterogeneous wireless systems, network optimization to mitigate mutual interference in BLE (low energy Bluetooth) and WiFi systems, and 3 D printing of antennas and the design and fabrication of closely spaced antennas and antenna arrays using elliptical metasurface cloaking. Collaboration with industries in the Southeastern U.S. will provide for our students additional co-op and internship opportunities.

The results of this collaborative industry-university center will have a direct effect on public well-fare, enabling several applications such as remote health and broadband access in rural areas. The partnering universities will broaden their activities to include REU site programs, RET program, participation of under-represented minority students and faculty in research projects, and involvement of multidisciplinary projects. New curriculum at UM will have courses on Internet of Things (IoT) systems and cognitive radios. With its research, established partnerships, and long history of collaboration between its members, BWAC will likely create intellectual property and spin-off companies, leading to job growth.

The lead site, University of Arizona manages the central BWAC project website at www.bwac.arizona.edu. This website contains various information about the center including the overview of the center, mission, industry membership, projects, meeting announcements and technical data. Center proprietary documents are managed through a secure internal pages requiring access credentials. The data repository will be managed at the main website with links to the other university sites. The repository will contain technical papers, project descriptions, relevant software, testbed details, etc. The repository will be maintained during the project and for an additional five years beyond its termination.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. Read More >

Member Organizations

IUCRC affiliated member organizations are displayed as submitted by the Center. Non-federal organizations are not selected, approved, or otherwise endorsed by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Analog Devices
DOCOMO Innovations
General Dynamics
Hughes Network Systems
Intel
Intelligent Fusion Technology
InterDigital
Keysight Technologies
Lunawave
Raytheon
Samsung
Sekisui
Space Micro

The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the Center author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. National Science Foundation.