I/UCRC Phase I: Collaborative Research: NSF I/UCRC Center for Fiber-Wireless Integration and Networking (FiWIN) for Heterogeneous Mobile Communications

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Communication, information dissemination and data distribution form the backbone of the modern industrialized era. It is central to commerce, societal connectedness and societal wellbeing. Legacy communication and information networks are rapidly innovating and expanding to accommodate the projected growth of global data services over the next decades. Global mobile service providers project a 1000-fold expansion in wireless traffic by the year 2020, brought about by the growth of new users, the densification of users in expanding urban areas and service affordability. Exponential growth of communication volume is anticipated as the "Internet of Industrial Things," or the network of cyber sensor detection and monitoring systems grows and is accessed through the converged optical and wireless network infrastructure. These sensor systems may monitor aspects of human working and living environment while others may monitor natural resources or balance the power distribution network. All rely upon potentially critical data where needed through the optical and wireless information network infrastructure.To answer the anticipated technical challenges, coordinated consortium activities are occurring across the world to develop the next generation, ubiquitous 5G communication system. Georgia Tech together with the University of Maryland (UMD) has formed the I/UCRC for Fiber-Wireless Integration and Networking for Next Generation Mobile Data Communications (FiWIN) to help meeting the urgent needs of the telecommunication industry. FiWIN aims to do so by bringing innovative technology concepts, design, architecture and software to the table based on the synergy between member universities and corporate members while preparing a skilled workforce though the development of university curricula in fiber-wireless integrated network, and stimulating interest in science and technology among the broader community. FiWIN will bring to bear UMD's extensive innovation in free-space, directional-beam, communications and GT's long term experience in wavelength division multiplexed passive optical networks, small cell fiber wireless access architecture for frequency reuse, coordinated multi-point (CoMP) wireless joint transmission, RoF backhaul/fronthaul, channel impediment mitigation and bandwidth efficient multiplexing and modulation, to innovate optical wireless network architecture design, security, network resilience, and performance, at lower power consumption. The Center will seek to add expertise in network virtualization, resource sharing, network monitoring and coordinated distribution of services to achieve its ultimate goal of providing innovative solutions for the next generation 5G mobile data networks though an integrated network of RF, sub-THz, free space optical and optical fiber access technology.