Wireless communications capabilities in rural parts of North Carolina can be tested before any commitment to an expensive installation thanks to grant funding from the Golden LEAF Foundation.
The nonprofit, which supports economically distressed and rural areas of North Carolina, awarded a $750,000 grant to the Wireless Research Center to establish portable wireless network test capability in North Carolina.
The grant will be used in part to develop three portable towers and radio equipment that can be deployed to most regions of the state. Golden LEAF says that once this equipment is enabled, it will test coverage, quality and reliability of service before committing to an expensive installation. These tests will help evaluate the network before deploying a permanent system.
The Wireless Research Center, headquartered in Wake Forest, is a non-profit organization that provides testing for wireless communications. The organization also helps with entrepreneurial development of wireless-enabled technologies.
Golden LEAF said that demand for the portable wireless network test capability is driven by two economic opportunities. Some North Carolina companies want air-to-ground next generation technology communication. Also, service providers are interested in improving “last mile” deployment of wireless internet in rural areas.
“The Golden LEAF Foundation grant is important to the Wireless Research Center’s ability to develop new solutions that enhance economic development in and help the people of North Carolina,” WRCNC CEO and President Gerard Hayes said in a statement. “This is our second grant from Golden LEAF and this infusion will allow us to lead a charge to bring high speed internet into the rural areas of North Carolina.”
The center is a unique economic development engine for wireless technologies and provides access to antenna, RF engineering, and regulatory consulting services from concept to pre-production in the areas of commercial telecommunications, defense, and wireless medical markets.
WRCNC also maintains a Satimo SG 64 OTA chamber for wireless and antenna testing from 400MHz to 18GHz, which is one of only two like it in the world. The Golden LEAF Foundation helped fund this powerful device through a grant.
As an independent engineering and research lab, the WRCNC is able to connect with a broad range of customers and applications without any conflict of interest – currently working with about 25 customers. Unlike universities and other large research organizations, the WRCNC is “IP neutral” and does not maintain any intellectual property developed with its customers and associates.
The key to what they do is to provide a wireless link within the last-mile broadband spectrum by offering access to engineers in specialized facilities and by offering their expertise in the various commercial, government and academic sectors. This model serves as a hub for economic development and as a catalyst for innovation in wireless technologies.
WRCNC has a similar incubator business model to other organizations in the area such as RTI International in RTP and the Defense Security Technology Accelerator (DSTA) operated by the Partnership for Defense Innovation in Fayetteville.
Hayes, founder of WRCNC, who has nearly 20 years of experience in wireless (currently holding about 65 patents) and has worked previously for companies like Sony Erickson and Lockheed Martin. He says it’s an exciting time in wireless and that the WRCNC is in a unique position to leverage high-speed broadband in the wireless space to help promote economic development in the Triangle and throughout North Carolina.
Since its inception in 1999, Golden LEAF has awarded 1,216 grants worth more than $538 million.
