Communications of the ACM
Rice Breakthrough Could Double Wireless Capacity With No New Towers
Rice University graduate student Melissa Duarte with a full-duplex test device. The technology, which allows wireless devices to talk and listen to networks on the same frequency, could double throughput on wireless phone networks.
Credit: Courtesy of Jeff Fitlow/Rice University
Rice University researchers have developed technology that could enable wireless phone companies to double their network's throughput without adding new cell towers.
Full-duplex technology enables wireless devices to both talk and listen to cell towers on the same frequency, an ability that normally requires two frequencies.
The Rice researchers used the full-duplex system to set new performance records with a real-time demonstration of the technology that produced signal quality at least 10 times better than any previously published result. The researchers were able to make the full-duplex system work by using an extra antenna and several computing tricks. They used multiple-input multiple-output antenna technology for the full-duplex system.
Rice is planning to roll its full-duplex innovations into its wireless open-access research platform (WARP), according to Rice professor Ashutosh Sabharwal. WARP is a collection of programmable processors, transmitters, and other technologies that make it possible for wireless researchers to test new ideas without building new hardware for each test.
From Rice University
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