New DARPA challenge takes aim at spectrum sharing -- Defense Systems

The Defense Department has decided to make a game out of the problem of spectrum crowding. The Spectrum Collaboration Challenge (SC2), the Defense Advanced Projects Research Agency's newest Grand Challenge, will reward teams that develop systems that collaboratively (as opposed to competitively) adapt in real time to changes in congested electromagnetic spectrum, DARPA said in a release. SC2's primary goal is to imbue radios with advanced machine-learning capabilities to collectively develop strategies for optimizing use of the wireless spectrum that aren't possible today due to the intrinsically inefficient approach of pre-allocating exclusive access to designated frequencies. Making more efficient use of the finite spectrum environment has become a DOD priority as the spectrum becomes ever more crowded, and DOD has to comply with a presidential order to free up 500 MHz of its spectrum for commercial use by 2020. "I think today we're in a good spot…We did well with the last auction and the money is there to change where DOD can move and share spectrum," DOD CIO Terry Halvorsen said on March 22.