The radio spectrum is a mess: it's congested, expensive and there's no room for expansion. But DARPA has a plan to change that, by building a system where radio waves can work together using artificial intelligence, rather than fighting for space. DARPA launched its latest Grand Challenge last week, and it plans to encourage researchers around the world to develop "smart systems that collaboratively, rather than competitively, adapt in real time to today's fast-changing, congested spectrum environment... to maximize the flow of radio frequency". That sounds exciting, because making radio frequency flow more easily means -- theoretically, at least -- faster data rates, fewer dropped signals, and cheaper connections. How does it plan to do it?

The radio spectrum is a mess: It's congested, expensive, and there's no room for expansion. But DARPA has a plan to change that, by building a system where radio waves can work together using artificial intelligence, rathe than fighting for space. DARPA launched its latest Grand Challenge last week, and it plans to encourage researchers around the world to develop "smart systems that collaboratively, rather than competitively, adapt in real time to today's fast-changing, congested spectrum environment... to maximize the flow of radio frequency." That sounds exciting, because making radio frequency flow more easily means--theoretically, at least--faster data rates, fewer dropped signals, and cheaper connections. How does DARPA plan to do it?

The radio spectrum is a mess: It's congested, expensive and there's no room for expansion. But DARPA has a plan to change that, by building a system where radio waves can work together using artificial intelligence, rathe than fighting for space. DARPA launched its latest Grand Challenge last week, and it plans to encourage researchers around the world to develop "smart systems that collaboratively, rather than competitively, adapt in real time to today's fast-changing, congested spectrum environment... to maximize the flow of radio frequency." That sounds exciting, because making radio frequency flow more easily means--theoretically, at least --faster data rates, fewer dropped signals, and cheaper connections. How does it plan to do it?