U.S. COMMERCE DEPARTMENT'S INSTITUTE FOR TELECOMMUNICATION SCIENCES JOINS SDR FORUM

DENVER, CO, Nov. 26, 2007 -- The Software Defined Radio (SDR) Forum, (www.sdrforum.org), a nonprofit international industry association supporting the advancement of reconfigurable wireless technology, announced today that the Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS; www.its.bldrdoc.gov) has joined the Forum as a new member.

Based in Boulder, Colo., ITS is the research and engineering laboratory of the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). ITS supports such NTIA telecommunications objectives as promotion of advanced telecommunications and information infrastructure development in the United States, enhancement of domestic competitiveness, improvement of foreign trade opportunities for U.S. telecommunications firms, and facilitation of more efficient and effective use of the radio spectrum.

ITS also serves as a principal resource for solving the telecommunications concerns of other federal agencies, state and local governments, private corporations and associations, and international organizations.

According to Rob Stafford of ITS's Network Planning Division, ITS is currently investigating the use of software defined radios as versatile, field-programmable test instruments for specialized measurement applications, as well as the potential for SDR technology in the public safety arena.

"We are also researching the potential use of low-cost SDR platforms as rapidly reconfigurable test instruments for tests of digital wireless technologies," Stafford said. "The dynamic modulation flexibility inherent in software defined radios is of some interest for applications addressing public safety radio interoperability."

Stafford added that members of the Forum include researchers and manufacturers "whose information and assistance may be useful in accomplishing these aims. Access to other members with similar interests as a concentrated source of information about these rapidly changing technologies implicit in software defined radios will also be beneficial."

Stafford said that ITS envisions taking an active role in the Forum's Public Safety Special Interest Group, since it parallels some of the organization's current efforts in public safety telecommunications. He said ITS is also investigating possible roles in the security and cognitive radio groups, among others.

"The SDR Forum is excited to have ITS join its growing list of federal government agencies focused on the public safety sector," stated Forum CEO Lee Pucker. "By collaborating at the SDR Forum with radio system providers, end users, and technology developers at all levels of the value chain, these member organizations can leverage both the latest in reconfigurable radio technologies and lessons learned in supporting the needs of first responders and other public safety personnel."

More information on joining the SDR Forum is available on the web at www.sdrforum.org/pages/secure/joinTheForum.asp.

About the SDR Forum

Established in 1996, the SDR Forum is a nonprofit international industry association dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of software defined radio systems that enable flexible and adaptable architectures in advanced wireless systems. Currently numbering some 100 organizations, the Forum's membership spans commercial, defense and civil government organizations, including wireless service providers, network operators, component and equipment manufacturers, hardware and software developers, regulatory agencies, and academia from Asia, Europe, and North America. The SDR Forum's administrative office is headquartered in Denver.

Editorial Contacts

Lee Pucker, SDR Forum, 604-828-9846, Lee.Pucker@SDRForum.org or
Neal Leavitt, Leavitt Communications, 760-639-2900 or 760-212-9112, neal@leavcom.com

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