FCC Establishes First Two 5G Innovation Zones: NYC and Salt Lake City

The Federal Communications Commission announced the creation of its first two Innovation Zones, in New York City and Salt Lake City. These Innovation Zones will be city-scale test beds for advanced wireless communications and network research, including 5G networks. These wireless technology test beds extend the geographic areas in which already-licensed experimental program licensees can conduct tests. Under this initiative, parties have flexibility to conduct multiple non-related experiments under a single authorization within a defined geographic area to develop new technologies and services while protecting incumbent services against harmful interference. This initiative allows experimental program license holders which are licensed to operate elsewhere to also use the New York City and Salt Lake City Innovation Zones.

In New York City, the Innovation Zone will support COSMOS (Cloud Enhanced Open Software Defined Mobile Wireless Testbed for City-Scale Deployment). COSMOS, located in West Harlem, will be run jointly by Rutgers University, Columbia University, and New York University, in partnership with the City of New York. In Salt Lake City, the Innovation Zone will support POWDER (A Platform for Open Wireless Data-driven Experimental Research with Massive MIMO Capabilities). POWDER, which will operate in several connected corridors of Salt Lake City, will be run jointly by the University of Utah and Rice University, in partnership with Salt Lake City.