PAWR Platform ARA Unveils Expanded Network at AraFest’24

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research (PAWR) Project Office announces the second phase of operations for rural wireless testbed ARA, which unveiled an expanded network footprint and new research capabilities today at AraFest’24. The platform in Central Iowa is the fourth testbed in the PAWR program, which was created by the U.S. National Science Foundation.

Launched just one year ago at the first AraFest event, ARA has now quadrupled its geographic reach and created new opportunities for at-scale wireless research. The multi-modal platform boasts seven total base stations sites, dozens of programmable radios, and a multi-hop mesh network for wireless backhaul. Three new wireless towers join the four original base station sites deployed at ARA’s launch. Each of these towers is outfitted with software defined radios (SDRs) from NI, Skylark massive MIMO (mMIMO) antenna arrays, and Aviat microwave radios for backhaul connectivity.

"ARA will be a game changer for rural communities," said Professor Hongwei Zhang, WiCI director and ARA Principal Investigator. "By creating a Living Lab environment, we can experiment with new technologies, gather real-world data, and adjust our solutions to provide the best possible outcomes. This isn’t just about connectivity—it's about fostering innovation, driving local economic development, and enabling rural communities to fully participate in the digital economy. We believe this platform will serve as a model for other rural regions around the world. With our focus on community and open source implementations we are creating a system that not only brings connectivity but also transforms how rural areas interact with technology."

"Wireless communication research is crucial for bridging the digital divide in rural America, and ARA's expansion is a significant step forward. By advancing technologies tailored to the unique challenges of these regions, we are not just improving connectivity but are also empowering communities, fostering innovation, and creating opportunities for everyone to participate in the digital economy," said Greg Hager, assistant director for NSF’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering directorate.

The ARA platform offers several unique avenues for research. Using OpenAirInterface and Aether software, the testbed enables 5G and O-RAN end-to-end open source networking from the mobile cores down to the base stations and user endpoints. Its mMIMO Skylark base stations come with new open APIs for configuring frequency, power, user grouping, and more. Multiple wireless backhaul links make it possible to study long-distance wireless performance for optimizing network connectivity in sparsely-populated areas.

ARA also maintains the only known commercial-grade 5G standalone network for research. Powered by Ericsson radios at the four original base station sites, this network supports application-level experiments, several of which will be demonstrated at this year’s AraFest and the nearby 2024 Farm Progress Show. The Farm Progress Show is the world’s premiere AgTech event. It coincides with AraFest this August, taking place in Boone, Iowa.

“I am so impressed by ARA’s level of progress over the last twelve months,” said Mari Silbey, Program Director for the PAWR Project Office. “Beyond the physical expansion of the testbed, ARA has experienced rapid user growth and sparked numerous new collaborations including several NSF AI Institute projects and commercial partnerships. Since being designated an Open Test and Integration Center (OTIC) by the O-RAN ALLIANCE in 2023, ARA has also demonstrated its commitment to enabling new Open RAN technologies. It's exciting to see the team continue to lower the barrier to entry for wireless research and foster innovation that will drive U.S. technology leadership for decades to come.”

In addition to ARA, PAWR wireless testbeds include POWDER in Salt Lake City, Utah; COSMOS in New York City; and AERPAW in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. The PAWR program also includes Colosseum, the world’s largest radiofrequency emulator, located in Boston.

For more information on ARA, visit https://arawireless.org/. For more information on the PAWR program, visit, https://advancedwireless.org/.

About the PAWR Project Office (PPO)

The Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research Project Office (PPO) manages the $100 million public-private partnership and oversees the research platforms. The PPO is co-led by US Ignite and Northeastern University, and funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and PAWR industry consortium. The PPO collaborates closely with the wireless research community, local communities, and industry, in part through the industry consortium, in the design, development, deployment, and initial operations of the research platforms.