FCC Grants NYU Wireless Early ‘Program Experimental License’

NYU WIRELESS, a world leading academic research center in wireless communications located in NYU’s Tandon School of engineering, is a pioneer in establishing millimeter-wave (mmWave) technology as a core part of the world’s 5G vision, and was one of only two academic institutions —The University of Colorado Boulder is the other — chosen by the Federal Communications Commission to help test, debug, and provide feedback on the web-based licensing system. NYU Wireless became the first applicant to receive the program experimental license using the new portal.

the FCC launched a new web portal that lets researchers apply for a program experimental license. The new application system reduces barriers to experimentation for universities, research laboratories, health care institutions, and manufacturers with demonstrated experience in radio frequency technology, and provides an overarching licensing program for innovative entities to rapidly acquire specific experimental licenses on an ongoing, as-needed basis in designated campus areas.

“The license will allow the center to do cutting-edge work throughout the spectrum, not just at frequencies critical to 5G, but also far beyond,” said Theodore (Ted) Rappaport, Founding Director of NYU WIRELESS and the David Lee/Ernst Weber Professor of Electrical Engineering at the New York University Tandon School of Engineering. He added that the FCC’s new program experimental licensing process is perhaps the first like it in the world, and it promises to reduce the waiting time and burden for innovators to experiment in the radio spectrum, allowing experimenters to focus on science and engineering while giving a rapid, 15-day turnaround on experimental license decisions in most cases.

Learn more about the program at www.engineering.nyu.edu