WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) program, created and funded by the by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and industry consortium partners, today announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has created a new spectrum Innovation Zone to promote rural connectivity and precision agriculture research at the site of the ARA wireless testbed in Central Iowa.
In addition, the FCC has expanded Innovation Zone designations for wireless research on the POWDER platform in Utah, the AERPAW platform in North Carolina, and two Northeastern University sites as part of the Open6G project in the Boston area of Massachusetts. All PAWR platforms, including COSMOS in New York City, are beginning new five-year terms.
The goal of the Innovation Zone program is to drive critical research in wireless connectivity. Wireless networking is fundamental to the US economy and national security, yet independent researchers typically have limited access to spectrum to develop and test new wireless technologies. To accelerate development – and to expand the country’s pool of wireless innovators – the Innovation Zone program extends the parameters of FCC experimental program licenses and provides qualified users with controlled access to spectrum to run advanced experiments, deploy prototype networks, and demonstrate new wireless applications.
Details on the latest Innovation Zone spectrum bands, power limits, and geographic boundaries – as well as the coordination process established with federal spectrum incumbents – are available from the FCC in a Public Notice and on the PAWR website, https://advancedwireless.org/.
“Network requirements are changing rapidly thanks to issues ranging from cybersecurity threats to breakthroughs in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Combine those shifts with increasing demand for network access from vertical markets like agriculture and connected vehicles, and the mandate to enable greater wireless innovation is clear,” said Mari Silbey, Program Director for the PAWR Project Office.
Silbey continued: "The FCC Innovation Zone awards will significantly enhance capabilities on the PAWR platforms and make crucial research and testing opportunities available to a broader audience of wireless engineers, programmers, and application developers.”
“NSF is proud to support the Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research program and its continued collaboration with federal and industry partners to expand access to advanced spectrum resources,” said Behrooz Shirazi, senior science advisor for the NSF Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate. “These new and expanded Innovation Zones will enable researchers to explore transformative wireless technologies in real-world environments, from rural connectivity to next-generation networks. This effort accelerates innovation critical to economic competitiveness, national security, and the future of communications.”
Wireless Innovation on the PAWR Platforms
New spectrum access rules under the Innovation Zone program complement the trend in telecommunications toward open interfaces and open source software in radio networks. Both make wireless research opportunities more accessible, and the PAWR platforms pair the former with active participation in the open networking movement. All PAWR testbeds operate as Open Testing and Integration Centers (OTICs) and are members of the OCUDU Ecosystem Foundation, a collaborative program hosted by the Linux Foundation dedicated to accelerating open, secure, and interoperable network implementations.
As the youngest PAWR platform, ARA covers more than a dozen miles across the Iowa State University campus and surrounding farm sites and provides a multi-modal network with end-to-end open source implementations as well as access to commercial equipment including Ericsson 5G radios. ARA’s focus is on rural connectivity technologies and the use of wireless networking for agricultural applications.
Beyond the new Innovation Zone created at ARA, the FCC has also expanded the identified spectrum bands and power usage limits for use at two Northeastern University test sites, and has combined new frequencies and power limits with expanded geographic boundaries at POWDER, a large-scale programmable testbed with fixed and mobile capabilities, and at AERPAW, a wireless testbed centered on the intersection of connectivity and unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones.
For more information on all PAWR platforms, visit www.advancedwireless.org.
About the PAWR Project Office (PPO)
The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research Project Office (PPO) manages the $100 million public-private partnership and oversees the PAWR research platforms. The PPO is led by US Ignite and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation with significant additional contributions provided by industry partners. The PPO collaborates closely with the research community, government agencies, and commercial stakeholders to advance wireless R&D.
Media Contact: Isabela Kent, ikent@glenechogroup.com
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