The Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) has received designation as a central hub for exploring the application of quantum computing technologies to the Department of the Air Force. 

John Roth, who served as acting SecAF from January to July 2021, signed off on a memo April 23rd to grant the Quantum Information Science Research Center status to AFRL, the laboratory said Monday.

“This designation allows AFRL to expand its collaborations across government, industry and academia, further accelerating the research, development and deployment of quantum technologies," said Maj. Gen. Heather Pringle, commander of AFRL.

The Pentagon will provide Defense and Quantum Information Science (QIS) Research and Development Program funds to the laboratory's information directorate located in Rome, New York.

Michael Hayduk, the directorate's deputy director, said the Rome Lab will use the money to initiate collaborative work with industry and academic professionals who have knowledge of the QIS field.

"These partnerships are critical in not only accelerating the deployment of QIS technologies but also in developing the future workforce needed to meet emerging national security challenges," Hayduk added.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled a map showing 4G LTE broadband data and voice mobile coverage in the U.S. as of May 15.

“Today’s new map represents progress in our efforts to implement the Broadband DATA Act and build next-generation broadband maps that can help to connect 100 percent of Americans,” Jessica Rosenworcel, acting chairwoman of FCC, said in a statement published Friday.

The commission said wireless communications providers AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and US Cellular voluntarily submitted the data via the FCC Form 477. 

“Using improved systems and data, we can provide better information about where broadband service is and is not across the country,” Rosenworcel added.

The Broadband Data Task Force spearheaded work on the map, which will enable consumers and other users to conduct search and determine locations where they can use wireless data or receive calls.

The Federal Communications Commission has designated new innovation zones near Northeastern University in Boston and North Carolina State University in Raleigh to enable qualified licensees to conduct research and test Open Radio Access Network, 5G technologies and other advanced wireless network and communications platforms.

The Northeastern University Innovation Zone will further support the research community by transitioning the Colosseum network emulator of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency to a shared platform, FCC said Thursday.

The North Carolina State University Innovation Zone will accommodate the Aerial Experimentation and Research Platform for Advanced Wireless, which will address new use cases involving unmanned aerial systems and wireless communications.

FCC already has two innovation zones in New York City and Salt Lake City. The commission also announced the expansion of the New York City Innovation Zone or COSMOS with the addition of three Columbia University and City College of New York campus areas. The COSMOS zone will focus on low-latency and ultra-high-bandwidth wireless communications with tightly coupled edge computing. 

The Salt Lake City Innovation Zone, also dubbed as POWDER, serves as a corridor linking several campus areas of the University of Utah.

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research project office funded by the National Science Foundation oversees the innovation zones established by the commission. The designation will run for five years.

If you’re interested in 5G technology and 5G integration’s impact on public and private sectors, then check out Potomac Officers Club’s Fall 2021 5G Summit coming up on Sept. 16. To register for this virtual forum and view other upcoming events, visit the POC Events page. 

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has selected teams from Yale University, University of Washington and Broad Institute to support a program meant to develop therapeutics for multidrug resistant microbial infections.

The three teams will use synthetic chemistry, drug discovery methods, chemical biology and medicinal chemistry to combat bacterial pathogens under DARPA’s Harnessing Enzymatic Activity for Lifesaving Remedies program, the agency said Friday.

Seth Cohen, HEALR program manager, said the program aims to help speed up recoveries of warfighters and help them control bacterial infections by developing drugs that can home in on “highly resistant and immune-evasive bacterial infections.”

HEALR will address three technical areas: microbial targeting, host machinery engagement and platform integration. 

The program’s initial phase will run for 24 months and efforts under this phase will demonstrate the HEALR concept’s effectiveness. The second phase will enable the teams to further develop their technology and demonstrate the efficacy of their treatments against a pathogenic target. The teams will be required to send their drug candidates for review by the Food and Drug Administration.