Wireless Innovation Forum
Established in 1996, the Wireless Innovation Forum is a non-profit "mutual benefit corporation" dedicated to advocating for spectrum innovation and advancing radio technologies that support essential or critical communications worldwide. Forum members bring a broad base of experience in Software Defined Radio, Cognitive Radio and Dynamic Spectrum Access technologies in diverse markets and at all levels of the wireless value chain to address emerging wireless communications requirements. The forum acts as a venue for its members to collaborate to achieve these objectives.
Founded
1996
501(c)6 Mutual Benefit Corporation
Commercial, Civil, and Defense Communications [1]
Modular Multifunction Information Transfer System Forum, Software Defined Radio Forum
Worldwide
Industry standards, Conferences, Publications
80+ Member Organizations
Lee Pucker, CEO
2 (plus contractors and consultants)
Approximately 1200 Member Representatives
History[edit]
The Wireless Innovation Forum was founded in 1996 originally as "The Modular Multifunction Information Transfer System Forum".[1] The organization was created at the request of the US military services (led by the Air Force) as an industry association focused on advancing the development of software radio. In 1996, the Forum formed the Mobile Working Group to develop software specifications and standards supporting ground mobile radios.[2][3]
The Forum published its first technical report in 1997, outlining the current state of the art in software defined radio.[4] This document included a reference application framework for software defined radios, referred to as the Software Radio Architecture, that was developed based on the existing SPEAKeasy Architecture.[5] The late 1990s, also saw the initial meeting between the Forum and what later became the Joint Tactical Radio System.[6]
In 1998, the Modular Multifunction Information Transfer System Forum changed its legal name to The Software Defined Radio Forum and began doing business with a broader focus on commercial and international participation.[7] The Forum created three new internal groups — Markets and Regulatory Committees and the Base Station Work Group. Also, the Forum published a revised technical report.[8]
In 2001, the Forum contracted with Communications Research Centre Canada to provide a Software Communications Architecture (SCA) Reference Implementation (SCARI-Open).[9] The Forum also made filings with the United States Federal Communications Commission that helped form their public rule making on software defined radio.[10][11]
In 2002, the Forum hosted its first Technical Conference and Product Exposition, which has become an annual event with the presentation of technical papers along with tutorials, workshops and demonstrations.[12]
In 2004 and 2005, the Forum reorganized to support its members in exploring technologies that extend beyond IT. A key part of this reorganization was the formation of the Cognitive Radio Work Group, which worked to support IEEE P1900.1 in defining standard definitions for Software Defined and Cognitive Radio and to establish a reference architecture for a cognitive radio system.[13]
Between 2004 and 2010, the Forum signed memorandums of understanding with multiple international groups to allow collaboration in areas of mutual interest. These groups included the European End to End Efficiency Program, IEICE in Japan, IEEK in Korea, IEEE Standards Association, JTRS and the European Science Foundation. MOUs with a number of organizaitons continue to the present day.[14]
In 2007, the Forum initiated the Smart Radio Challenge, a worldwide competition in which student engineering teams design, develop and test technologies that address relevant problems in the advanced wireless market.[15]
Rebranding[edit]
In late 2009, the Software Defined Radio Forum was renamed the Wireless Innovation Forum, reflecting the fact that many of the projects undertaken by its members had expanded to include Cognitive Radio, Systems of Systems, Ad Hoc Networks, and Dynamic Spectrum Access Technologies.[16]
In addition, the Forum restructured to established separate “Commercialization Committees” focused on establishing “an ecosystem of vendors providing interoperable hardware and software radio components to drive the economies of scale that will ultimately reduce the costs of development, production and maintenance of wireless systems, while at the same time speeding time to market and time to deployment”.[17] These committees are managed by the Forum's elected officers, which include the chair, vice chair, technical director, the chairs of the committees, the secretary, and the treasurer according to the Forum's bylaws (https://www.wirelessinnovation.org/Bylaws).
Membership[edit]
The membership of the Wireless Innovation Forum consists of commercial, defense, and civil government organizations at all levels of the wireless value chain, including wireless service providers, network operators, component and equipment manufacturers, hardware and software developers, regulatory agencies, and academia.[44]
The Forum presents three achievement awards.[45]
Winners of the Wireless Innovation Forum Awards over the years can be found here: https://www.wirelessinnovation.org/sdr_achievement_awards
Awards are also made each year to the authors of the top papers from the previous year's Technical Conference, as determined by an independent panel of judges.