The departments of Commerce and Defense have forged a collaborative framework to develop and evaluate methods to potentially share wireless communications channels.The agreement forms the National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network as an adjunct of the National Institute of Standards and Technology and National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s joint center for advanced communications, NIST said Wednesday.
NIST, NTIA and DoD Chief Information Officer Terry Halvorsen signed the agreement on March 11 to create NASCTN’s charter over the next six months in collaboration with federal agency members and the private sector.
Lawrence Strickling, NTIA administrator, said NASCTN aims to help fulfill the administration’s effort to provide an additional 500 megahertz of spectrum for commercial use by 2020.
The NASCTN will serve to coordinate spectrum sharing and engineering systems, develop an approach to test spectrum-sharing technologies, identify spectrum-related testing and modeling needs through outreach activities and protect classified information.
Members will supply and share intellectual services, modeling and simulation systems, laboratory facilities and test ranges to the NASCTN.
