PFI-AIR: Architectures for the Future Cellular Networks

这个加速创新研究（AIR）项目汇集了主要公司和大学，共同开发无线通信生态系统，将突破性技术商业化，这些技术有望将当今无线蜂窝网络的容量提高1000多倍。具体而言，将依靠三种现有技术来创建原型阶段，供无线手机制造商和基础设施提供商集成，并纳入下一代蜂窝标准。这些技术是：（i）毫米波（mmWave）蜂窝系统，其可以将蜂窝通信移动到20和120 GHz之间的新频带，其中50和100倍之间的频谱是容易获得的;（ii）中继和分布式协调技术，以实现超低成本的小型自组织小区，其将小区站点的数量增加几个数量级;以及（iii）全双工通信，其可以使通信带宽加倍并且促进毫米波蜂窝系统所必需的波束成形技术。（全球1万亿美元），加上迫切需要解决频谱危机的解决方案，这项建议的突破性技术将带来巨大的市场价值，投资回报和就业机会。 该AIR项目为工业界和学术界提供了一条开发关键产品和知识的途径，这些产品和知识将影响无线行业的标准制定过程，同时为整个美国的蜂窝网络带来数据吞吐量的大幅增加。

This Accelerating Innovation Research (AIR) project brings together major companies and universities in the development of a wireless communications ecosystem to commercialize breakthrough technologies that promise to increase the capacity of today's wireless cellular networks by over 1000 times. Specifically, three existing technologies will be relied upon to create a prototype stage for integration by wireless handset makers and infrastructure providers as well as incorporation into next-generation cellular standards. These technologies are: (i) millimeter-wave (mmWave) cellular systems that can move cellular communication to new bands between 20 and 120 GHz where between 50 and 100 times more spectrum are readily available; (ii) relaying and distributed coordination techniques to enable ultra low-cost small, self-organizing cells that increase the numbers of cell sites by orders of magnitude; and (iii) full duplex communication that can double communication bandwidth and facilitate beamforming techniques essential for mmWave cellular systems.Given the enormous market size of the cellular industry ($1 trillion worldwide), combined with the pressing need for solutions to solve the spectrum crunch, the breakthrough technologies in this proposal will offer tremendous market value, return on investment, and opportunities for employment. This AIR project provides a path for both industry and academia to develop key products and knowledge that will impact the standard-setting process of the wireless industry, while bringing massive increases in data throughputs to cellular networks throughout the U.S.