Aura Network picks Federated Wireless for spectrum management system

AURA Network Systems has selected Federated Wireless to jointly develop a spectrum management system for AURA’s nationwide aviation network.

The partnership will assist AURA in delivering deterministic connectivity links for both crewed and uncrewed applications via its greenfield aviation-dedicated spectrum in the ultra-high frequency (UHF) band at 450 MHz.

AURA is deploying a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-compliant network utilizing Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-licensed spectrum to provide dedicated data and voice communication channels enabling safe integration of uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) into the National Airspace System (NAS). This also enables communications between autonomous and traditional aviation on a specialized, reliable, and secure private network. The spectrum management system the partners are developing together will leverage AURA’s spectrum and advanced technologies to deliver low latency, ultra-reliable, highly secure connectivity and to enable commercial beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight in controlled airspace.

Aura Network picks Federated Wireless

“Gaps in command and control cannot occur during BVLOS flights. Reliable, secure, and robust communication is critical to ensure safety between the pilot on the ground and the uncrewed aircraft,” said Bill Tolpegin, CEO of AURA Network Systems. “We selected Federated Wireless as our spectrum management partner because of its expertise in building reliable, high-performance management systems at scale. Our collaboration is instrumental to AURA’s delivery of deterministic command-and-control links at the right time and in the right place for both crewed and remotely piloted aircraft.”

While the partnership with AURA is the pair’s first jointly developed spectrum management system, it’s the third such project for Federated Wireless, underscoring its ability to bring innovative spectrum management to new industry sectors.

A clear CBRS market leader, Federated Wireless now claims over 48% of the CBRS shared spectrum marketplace, with an install base continuing to grow rapidly from new deployments across the continental U.S., Guam, and Puerto Rico. The company has also developed an Automated Frequency Coordination (AFC) for Wi-Fi 6E spectrum and has secured agreements with 100% of all enterprise access point providers that have announced plans to integrate an AFC in their device platforms. The spectrum management solutions are accelerating private wireless network deployments worldwide and driving digital transformation in diverse use cases across a broad spectrum of market segments.

“We are deeply proud to be selected to bring our spectrum management expertise to AURA’s innovative aviation network,” said Iyad Tarazi, CEO for Federated Wireless. “We’re not resting for a second in capturing new spectrum markets, and we get there first because we are the industry leaders in innovative spectrum deployments.”

Federated Wireless currently has more than 450 customers with over 150,000 connected devices across the U.S. and territories. Its customer base spans a broad array of marketplaces from government and education to energy and manufacturing, as well as tier one Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), including Verizon Wireless nationwide CBRS 4G and 5G.

Additional deployments include tier one cable operators and tower companies; more than 100 regional and rural Wireless Internet Service Providers (WISPs).