NIST’s Programmatic Approach to 

Advanced Communications: 

CTL, CAC, and NASTCN

Kent Rochford

Director, Communications Technology Laboratory

October 8, 2014
Outline

Drivers 

NIST organizational response

Communications Technology Laboratory: three priority goals

background

approach

key activities

Capability planning priorities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014
Trends and drivers

Societal demands: 

• Insatiable consumption of (mobile) data

• Public safety interoperability

Cisco Visual Networking Index: 2013–2018

Policy drivers:

2010 National Broadband Plan 

• Goals: 300 MHz by 2015; 500 MHz by 2020

2012 PCAST report recommendation

• Share underutilized spectrum to “maximum 

extent” possible

2012 “spectrum act” (Title VI of P.L. 112-96) 

• Transfers spectrum from government to commercial use

• Increases unlicensed spectrum 

• Authorizes public safety network; provides D block spectrum

2014 FCC 

• 3.5 GHz “innovation band” sharing proposal 

• “Frontier band” NOI for mm-wave (> 24 GHz)

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014
NIST response: Communications Technology Laboratory

Material 

Measurement 

Laboratory

Physical 

Measurement

Laboratory

Engineering 

Laboratory

Information 

Technology 

Laboratory

Center for 

Nanoscale

Science and 

Technology

NIST Center 

for Neutron 

Research

Driving innovation through 

Measurement Science and 

Standards

Metrology Laboratories

Accelerating the adoption and 

deployment of advanced technology 

solutions

Technology Laboratories

Providing world class, unique, cuttingedge research facilities

National User Facilities

Communication

Technology 

Laboratory 

CTL promotes the development and deployment of advanced communications 

technologies through the conduct of:

• leading edge R&D on both the metrology and understanding of physical 

phenomena, materials capabilities, complex systems relevant to advanced 

communications; 

• research targeted at supporting testing, including the development of precision 

instrumentation, validated test-protocols, models, and simulation tools necessary 

to support the testing and validation of new communications technologies;

• a “Center for Advanced Communications” (with NTIA/ITS) to provide 

opportunities for collaborative R&D and access to test-bed resources. 

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014
Communications Technology Laboratory: organization

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Create CTL as a NIST measurement science laboratory to address 

current and next-generation issues (March 2014)

Public Safety Communications Research Division

Chief, Dereck Orr

RF Technology Division

Chief, Mike Kelley

RF Electronics Group 

RF Fields Group 

Communications Test Coordination Office (new)

Program manager - Mike Janezic

Boulder Laboratory Director Office

Director, Kent Rochford

Network Operations Group

High-Speed Measurements Group

From ITL

From PML

Advanced Communications 

Research Group

Communications Technology Laboratory

Director, Kent Rochford

Wireless Networks Division 

Chief, Nada Golmie

• Realign to bring communications related programs into CTL (Oct 1)

Communications Technology Laboratory

Director, Kent Rochford

Executive assistant, Annie Smith

Executive officer, Brian Copello (acting)
CTL priority goals

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Through the development of appropriate measurements and standards:

1. Enable robust, mission-critical, interoperable public safety communications

2. Enable effective and efficient spectrum use and sharing

• Center for Advanced Communications

• National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN)

3. Enable advanced communications technologies
Public safety communications: background

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Interoperability among 8000+ public safety jurisdictions is 

challenging

• Public Safety Communication Research (PSCR) program established 

by NIST in 2002

o provides research, development, standards, testing, and 

evaluation to foster nationwide communications 

interoperability.

• PL 112-96 (2012) created “FirstNet”

o First Responder Network Authority to provide emergency 

responders with the first nationwide, high-speed, broadband 

network dedicated to public safety.
Public safety communications: approach

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

The Public Safety Communications Research program has 

taken a leadership role

• PSCR R&D is driven by practitioner requirements

o National Public Safety Telecommunications Council

o Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials

o DHS-Office of Emergency Communications

o DHS- Office for Interoperability and Compatibility

o Public Safety Broadband Stakeholder Conferences

o PSCR R&D Roadmap Workshop

• PSCR transforms practitioner 

input into real-world results
Pre-emption by device priority

Public safety communications: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Develop and validate public safety comms requirements

• Gather first responder requirements

• Develop required LTE standards within 3GPP

o Direct Mode

o Mission Critical Push-To-Talk

o Group Communications

• LTE Demonstration network

o 5 LTE base stations

o Over 75 CRADAs

• Testing & Evaluation

o Quality of Service

o Priority & Pre-emption

Pre-emption by device priority
Public safety communications: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Inform FirstNet requirements

• Modeling & Simulation

o Incident Modeling

o Site count estimation 

o Excess capacity analysis

o Resiliency analysis

Scenario: “toxic gas leak in a large public building near the 

National Mall in Washington, DC.” 

• Use known geodata and cell coverage for DC

• Incident perimeter is 1.6 km x 1.6 km

• Incident command concentrated in a small area 

• 327 responders and 127 vehicles are deployed 

uniformly in the incident area.

• Aggregate 7.4 Mb/s uplink; 11 Mb/s downlink

Incident traffic only Incident and daily traffic
Public safety communications: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Inform FirstNet requirements

• Modeling & Simulation

o Incident Modeling

o Site count estimation 

o Excess capacity analysis

o Resiliency analysis

88

90

92

94

96

98

100

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

Population coverage (%)

Number of sites (thousands)

Population coverage

95% urban outdoor / 85% rural outdoor/ 85% NHS

95% urban indoor / 85% rural outdoor/ 85% NHS

95% urban outdoor / 95% rural outdoor/ 95% NHS

95% urban indoor / 95% rural outdoor/ 95% NHS

x

x

Target scenarios
CTL priority goals

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Through the development of appropriate measurements and standards:

1. Enable robust, mission-critical, interoperable public safety communications

2. Enable effective and efficient spectrum use and sharing

• Center for Advanced Communications

• National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN)

3. Enable advanced communications technologies
Spectrum sharing: background

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

The Administration has directed the reallocation or sharing of 500 MHz from 

federal use to commercial use to spur innovation

• National Broadband Plan directs efficient use of federal spectrum

• PL 112-96 (2012) transfers some spectrum and increases unlicensed spectrum 

• PCAST report (2012) and FCC’s 3.5 GHz 

“innovation band” proposal (2014) 

encourages tiered access (Spectrum Access 

System) and small cells

• DOD and other agencies with target 

spectrum are seeking ways to analyze 

trade-offs and understand impacts using 

less conservative estimates
Spectrum sharing: approach

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Create the Center for Advanced Communications (CAC)

A joint NIST / NTIA center 

CAC is to advance the fundamental understanding of spectrum usage to 

promote spectrum sharing approaches and innovation.

Key Functions:

• Enhance mission effectiveness of NTIA and NIST by coordinating research, 

standard development and testing functions

Communication 

Technology Laboratory

Institute for 

Telecommunication 

Sciences

Center for Advanced 

Communications

NIST

Co-director

ITS

Co-director

NIST NTIA

• Promote interdisciplinary research, 

development, and testing in advanced 

communications

• Provide a single focal point for engaging 

both industry and other government 

agencies on advanced communications 

technologies
Spectrum sharing: approach

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

National Advanced Spectrum & Communication Test Network (NASCTN)

A DOC and DOD partnership

NASCTN is a network of government, academic and commercial capabilities 

able to coordinate the use of intellectual capacity, modeling and simulation, 

laboratory, and test ranges to meet national spectrum interests and 

challenges. 

Key Functions:

• Facilitate and coordinate spectrum 

sharing and engineering capabilities

• Create a trusted capability for spectrum 

sharing evaluations

• Protecting information (proprietary, 

classified, and sensitive) while 

facilitating maximum dissemination

Center for Advanced 

Communications ITS

Co-director

National Advanced Spectrum &

Communication Test Network 

(NASCTN)

NIST co-chair ITS co-chair

DOD co-chair

Communication 

Technology Laboratory

Institute for 

Telecommunication 

Sciences

NIST

Co-director

NIST NTIA
Spectrum sharing: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Develop methods for NASCTN engagement

• NASCTN provides a framework for negotiating a measurement sciencebased test plan, facilitates access to test ranges and laboratories, and 

methods for validating results.

Start Screening

Spectrum 

Impact 

Assessment

Test Plan

Metrology Plan

Implementation 

Plan

Contract

Report 

Findings

Execute and 

Validate Test

Pre-Test Test Post-Test

Stop
Spectrum sharing: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Improve measurements and analyses that enable sharing 

Interference metrics determine spectrum re-use

• ITS/CTL clutter measurement campaign

o 3.5 GHz a hot area for reallocation / sharing

o Better understanding of 3.5 GHz propagation may improve decision-making

o ITS to provide field measurements

o Apply CTL/SED DOE and uncertainty analyses

o Compare to “state of the art” models

1. TERRAIN 

HEIGHT

2. LAND USE

(CLUTTER)

3. CLUTTER 

HEIGHT

4. BUILDING

MORPHOLOGY

AVERAGE RSS 

PREDICTION
Spectrum sharing: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Improve sensing and monitoring techniques 

Determine spectrum occupancy for coordination and planning

• Develop a spectrum monitoring pilot program (CTL/ITS collaboration)

• Wideband sensing using sub-Nyquist sampling; Sensing in low S/N environments

Develop sharing technologies

• Evaluate dynamic spectrum access systems

• Develop distributed algorithms for spectrum sharing by secondary systems

• Evaluate control channel alternatives

PUCCH

Data SAS Secondary 

Network

Request

Grant

Incumbent
CTL priority goals

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Through the development of appropriate measurements and standards:

1. Enable robust, mission-critical, interoperable public safety communications

2. Enable effective and efficient spectrum use and sharing

• Center for Advanced Communications

• National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN)

3. Enable advanced communications technologies
From Moray Rumney, Keysight Technologies

Advanced communications technologies: background

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

CTL is to perform leading edge R&D on both the metrology and understanding 

of physical phenomena, materials capabilities, and complex systems relevant 

to advanced communications

Expert measurement science is required to support CAC/NASCTN, spectrum 

sharing, and public safety challenges

Forward-looking opportunity

• Trends predict 1000x increase in 

wireless capacity density demand

• Foresee new and diverse use cases

• Industry participants are now 

discussing next generation “5G” 

wireless technology for an 

aggressive 2020 launch. “5G”

M2M

Public safety
Advanced communications technologies: background

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Europe and Asia are leading 5G activities

• 5GPPP (EU)

o Horizon2020 program: €1.4B 

o Framework 7: €125M 

• METIS (EU)

o Funded €29 M (2012-2015)

• Korean 5G forum

o ROK to expend $1.5B through 2020

o EU and ROK signed agreement to cooperatively 

define global 5G standards

• UK 5G Innovation Center / Spectrum Policy Forum

o ₤35M university center

• IMT2020 Promotion Group (China)

o Three Chinese ministries (MIIT, NDRC and MOST)

• “2020 and Beyond Ad Hoc (20B AH)” (Japan)

• Global ICT Standardization Forum for India
Advanced communications technologies: approach

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

5G is still in the technology development and definition phase

• 5G may include use of 

o Licensed spectrum and shared use of unlicensed spectrum

o Dense, heterogeneous, and agile networks

o Device-to-device and multi-hop modes

o New modulation techniques

o Higher frequency spectrum

o Multiple radio technologies 

o Advanced antennas

CTL has a window to 

develop measurement 

R&D that enables US 

technology development 

and standards

Forbes.com 5/17/2013
Advanced communications technologies: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Waveform measurement and traceability

Supports modulated signals characterization

• Electro-optic sampling to provide calibration of waveform 

instruments to >100 GHz

• Large-signal analysis to 300 GHz

• Precision reference source to 94 GHz for EVM

• Robust point-by-point uncertainty framework

• Calibration services 

45GHz 16QAM @ 17% and 0.2% Error Vector Magnitude (EVM)

Electro-optic sampling probe

This work provides a fundamental measurement core to support NASCTN, sharing, 

next-generation frequencies/bandwidths, and test equipment manufacturers

NIST calibrated photodiode
Advanced communications technologies: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Coexistence measurement science

More wireless in more places demands better 

interference criteria

• Improve EMC measurements to ensure 

compatibility of varied wireless applications

• Improve interference criteria to decrease 

exclusions zones and increase spectrum reuse

• Develop a measurement science approach that 

includes uncertainties, confidence intervals, and 

statistical performance.

This work also provides measurement science support to NASCTN and sharing activities
Advanced communications technologies: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

“5G wireless” – millimeter waves

Require 3D channel and propagation models

• Improve measurements in 

o Channel sounding (directional)

o Large-scale path loss and blocking

o Small-scale delay characteristics

o 3D Spatial channel characteristics for MIMO

• Create measurement-based statistical models of 

realistic channels

• Use models to identify gaps in current 

communication protocols

NIST 83 GHz channel sounder

Small cells within macrocell
Samsung May 2014

Advanced communications technologies: key activities

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Massive MIMO (multiple input multiple output) antennas

A key 5G technology for throughput

• Requires entirely new antenna characterization 

methods

200 antenna MIMO simulation

• Compare: Current LTE MIMO is 2x2; CTIA OTA test uses 8 transmitter cluster 

o Long calibration and test time (8 channels)

o Test zone limited to ~0.7λ (small for M2M devices?)

o Limited “sampling”: 8 angles, azimuthal only

o Uncertainties unknown; Test plan is not final 

o Not scalable to 20, 50, or more antennas!
Current collaborations

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

Federal agencies:

DHS, FirstNet, DOD, DARPA, DOE, FDA

Telecommunication Standard Development Organizations:

IEEE 802, 3GPP, CTIA, ISA, TIA, ATIS, IETF, ETSI, IEC, ISO

Industry Alliances:

WiMAX, WiFi Alliance, Zigbee Alliance, Bluetooth SIG, OneM2M

User’s groups: 

National Public Safety Telecommunications Council, Association of Public 

Safety Communications Officials

Manufacturers: 

Network equipment, Electronics devices and modules, Test equipment

National Metrology Institutes

NPL (UK), PTB (Germany)
Capability planning priorities

1. National Advanced Spectrum and Communications Test Network (NASCTN)

• Create program infrastructure 

• Build competence for technical execution (incl. ITL/SED hires)

2. Situational awareness measurements & analytics for public safety comms

• R&D into applications to drive new standards

Current funding

Not funded

Scope decision

Seed key areas 

anticipating future 

growth

NIST’s Programmatic Approach to Advanced Communications October 8, 2014

3. Metrology for next generation wireless networks 

• Strengthen spectrum sharing, coexistence, and channel 

propagation and modeling expertise 

• Develop measurements to support 5G features: massive-MIMO, 

mm-wave, ultra-dense networks

• Support development of 5G standards and pre-standards 

activities

4. Optical communications metrology 

• Address fiber bottleneck as wireless challenges are solved