II-EN: Enhancing a Metro-Scale Vehicular Testbed for Flexible White Space Networking

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

Recently the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made available for unlicensed use the vacant portion of the UHF spectrum known as the TV whitespace spectrum. This project develops an infrastructure to facilitate research into new network technologies that leverage the unlicensed TV whitespace spectrum. The infrastructure will make possible research into the manageability of the next generation of networks, designing secure networks; facilitating the provision of Quality of Service through fast-link; and enabling end-to-end Internet performance enhancements to mobile users. Whitespace network communication technologies are significant because they can potentially lead to disruptive innovations impacting the entire wireless landscape. New networking protocols and systems taking advantage of the newly available TV white spaces offer the promise of enabling new wireless services and potentially creating entire new industries; this is critically important for society. This infrastructure is the first-of-its-kind that focuses on whitespace networking research spanning a large urban area and vehicles. The effort is engaging numerous local partners in significant ways: Madison Metro Transit, the local organization responsible for public transit services in and around Madison, is supporting the experimentation of various vehicular Internet access services. Edgewood College, a local four-year college is involved is the associated with the educational activities. Two technology partners, Alcatel-Lucent and Radio Technology Systems, are implementing the high-bandwidth whitespace communication system. Students are involved in learning about the new whitespace networking technologies through a laboratory-oriented curriculum centered on the infrastructure, and through new courseware developed and disseminated through public websites.