SII-NRDZ: STRATA - STudy of INL for RAdio naTional fAcility

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This project studies creation of a National Radio Dynamic Zone (NRDZ) at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). The study envisions a national facility, collaboratively operated by INL and the University of Southern California’s Information Sciences Institute, for at-scale research and experimentation on systems that use or manage the electromagnetic (radio-frequency) spectrum in innovative ways. The study identifies the capabilities required for a NRDZ and a national spectrum research facility, determines how the INL site and the team’s abilities currently address the requirements, and identifies enhancements or modifications required to resolve gaps. Historically, spectrum usage has been tightly controlled through national regulations, which apply even at wireless research facilities, significantly limiting research into advanced wireless systems and spectrum management. Facilitating research is critical to promote national leadership in spectrum-dependent sectors such as mobile wireless, and to sustain the ongoing growth in spectrum usage that is essential for the economy, scientific progress, public safety, and other national priorities. In the near term, today’s manual spectrum coordination approach is sped up in the NRDZ using automatic coordination, monitoring and enforcement processes that allow experiments to be performed with fewer delays and increased safety. In the long term, the vision is that national spectrum regulations can be relaxed in the NRDZ, relying on automatic mechanisms to protect other users outside the zone. Relaxing national regulations in the zone would allow experimentation across wide frequency ranges with less limitation by the licenses and restrictions established to prevent interference elsewhere. INL presents an ideal location for a spectrum research facility, operating 890 square miles of land and currently supporting wireless experimentation. The proposed team combines the unique capabilities of INL and the USC Information Sciences Institute to work towards creation of a national facility capable of extensive spectrum experimentation while protecting other users. The study will assess in detail the capabilities required for a NRDZ and a national spectrum research facility. These capabilities include but are not limited to: Hardware resources to enable experimentation, spectrum monitoring, data collection and analysis tools, secure access control, experimental isolation, remote and shared access, dynamic provisioning, and security monitoring. The study will produce a report summarizing: 1) the capabilities of the site and team, 2) upgrades required via an implementation plan, 3) development, deployment, and operational costs, 4) spectrum access and management capabilities, and 5) current and future community engagement.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.