SpectrumX research partners, students present research findings at TPRC 51

Christina Clark on November 8, 2023

In September, SpectrumX researchers—along with industry and government representatives—came together at TPRC 51: The 51st Annual Telecommunications Policy Research Conference in Washington, DC. 

For many of the Center’s spectrum researchers, TPRC is a regular part of their annual calendar.

“TPRC once again provided an exceptional forum to discuss spectrum management. What seemed different – and even better – is that the SpectrumX participation is becoming an annual feature and expectation,” said Ilia Murtazashvili, SpectrumX lead of Project Team Rights (PT-Rights) and professor at the University of Pittsburgh.

October SpectrumX Center Meeting a Success

Christina Clark on October 24, 2022

The SpectrumX Center Meeting on October 3 and 4, held at the University of Virginia (UVA), brought together over 65 learners and leaders for cross-cutting discussions on timely and interdisciplinary topics.

“The meeting provided an opportunity for students, researchers, stakeholders, and professionals in policy making to come together at UVA to discuss some of the most important subjects in our field,” said Bobby Weikle, SpectrumX Steering Committee Chair and Radio and Network Technologies Research Lead, and Professor at the University of Virginia. “UVA has a long history of collaboration with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), and it was a great opportunity to bring their teams and our center together in-person and online.”

Publication: Spectrum Sovereignty on Tribal Lands: Assessing the DIGITAL Reservations Act

Christina Clark on October 18, 2022

Published on SSRN, August 3, 2022
Authored by: Darrah Blackwater (Independent), Ilia Murtazashvili (University of Pittsburgh – Graduate School of Public and International Affairs), and Martin B.H. Weiss (University of PIttsburgh – School of Computing and Information)

Abstract: The Federal Communications Commission currently has unlimited authority over governance of electromagnetic spectrum on sovereign tribal lands in the United States. This monocentric system, with spectrum governed exclusively by the FCC, essentially eliminates opportunities for tribal governments to develop innovative ways to manage spectrum to close the digital divide on Tribal lands, to choose how much of spectrum is available for commercial, public, or community use, and eliminates ability of tribes to fully control revenue from spectrum on tribal lands. The Deploying the Internet by Guaranteeing Indian Tribes Autonomy over Licensing (DIGITAL) Reservations Act envisions a new path for spectrum governance which affirms self-management and self-governance of spectrum on tribal lands. In this paper, we consider the extent to which the DIGITAL Reservations Act contrasts with current spectrum governance in the United States. We argue that the DIGITAL Reservations Act envisions a polycentric system of spectrum governance and that it is a workable system of spectrum governance that acknowledges tribal sovereignty over one of its most valuable assets.

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4178671

SpectrumX hosting Fall 2022 center meeting at the University of Virginia

Christina Clark on September 27, 2022

 SpectrumX, a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Spectrum Innovation Center, will host its next semi-annual center meeting on October 3 and 4, 2022. The event will bring together the center’s members and partners, including faculty and student researchers, industry collaborators, and government agency representatives, in a hybrid meeting format with in-person attendees enjoying the University of Virginia campus in Charlottesville. The center launched in September 2021 with a $25 million grant from the NSF Spectrum Innovation Initiative, and its members have been working hard to execute on plans and realize its vision as the world’s largest academic hub in the radio spectrum ecosystem.

Ilia Murtazashvili

Yvonne Chang on January 19, 2022

Interested in American Political development and the challenges of public administration, Murtazashvili focuses his research on the relationship governance and legal titling in the developing world. Using the American frontier as an example, he investigates current challenges developing countries face, and how they can improve their prospects for economic development and political stability.

Teaching and Research Areas

  • Political Economy
  • Property Rights
  • Commons Governance
  • Governance of Technology
  • Public Choice
  • Austrian Economics
  • Institutional Economics

Martin B. H. Weiss

Yvonne Chang on January 19, 2022

Martin B. H. Weiss

  • Professor, School of Computing and Information
  • Associate Director, Center for Governance and Markets
Martin B.H. Weiss is Professor in the Department of Informatics and Networked Systems in the School of Computing and Information at the University of Pittsburgh.  He earned his PhD. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University.  He earned an MSE in Computer, Control, and Information Engineering from the University of Michigan and a BSE in Electrical Engineering from Northeastern University.  His overall research theme is the analysis of situations where competing firms must cooperate technically; this has expressed itself in studying the standardization process, internet interconnection, and, most recently, radio spectrum sharing.
His current research focus is on dynamic spectrum access and intelligent wireless systems.  He is currently studying spectrum sharing and spectrum trading with a focus on understanding the system-level factors supporting and constraining the adoption of these technologies.  Recent aspects of this have involved studying enforcement in cooperative spectrum sharing approaches, secondary users’ constraints and decisions using decision analysis and real options analysis.  Past projects include technical and cost studies new technologies, bandwidth markets, interconnection of packet networks that support quality of service (QoS), and technical standards.

Education & Training

  • Carnegie Mellon University, 1988 PhD Engineering and Public Policy
  • University of Michigan, 1979 MSE Computer, Information, and Control Engineering
  • Northeastern University, 1978 BSE Electrical Engineering

Mariya Zheleva

Yvonne Chang on January 19, 2022

Dr. Mariya Zheleva is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Director of the Ubiquitous Networking Laboratory (UbiNET Lab) at the University at Albany. In 2019, she became the recipient of the highly competitive National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award. This award came with funding of $510,494 which is being used to develop a framework for spectrum measurement and a long-term, integrated program of research, education and outreach related to spectrum sharing. Dr. Zheleva’s CAREER Award came at the heels of another NSF grant of $1.5 million to support her research helping rural communities in Upstate New York to substantially improve emergency preparedness and response. She was also a recipient of a 2019 University at Albany President’s Award for Exemplary Public Engagement for her leadership in closing the connectivity gap in rural communities.

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Dr. Zheleva’s research focus is on wireless networks for infrastructure-challenged regions, characterized with low-bandwidth Internet gateways, lack of reliable electricity and sparse populations. In order to connect such regions, she has designed distributed cellular network systems to provide voice, text messaging and data connectivity. She is also working on Dynamic Spectrum Access systems for long-distance high-bandwidth connectivity.

In the past, Dr. Zheleva has worked on other projects related to wireless networking including monitoring, medium access control for 60 GHz networks and smart phones.