Intelligent CIO North America Issue 36 | Page 48

COUNTRY FOCUS : WEST COAST
How Cal Poly ’ s private wireless network enhances connectivity on campus and provides a leading-edge platform for innovation .

Cal Poly , Federated Wireless unveil interoperable and sup public-private campus netwo

Aerial view of San Luis Obispo , California

Federated Wireless and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo ( Cal Poly ) are partners in the expansion of Cal Poly ’ s private wireless network – that comes along with a new neutral host capability enabling the network to support T-Mobile customers .

The network runs on Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) Combined with the neutral host capability and T-Mobile service , operating in the Citizens Broadband Radio Service ( CBRS ) band , the converged 4G and 5G private wireless technology is pitched as not only improve connectivity and safety for the campus community , but also unlocking new opportunities for academic innovation with global impact in critical industries such as construction , agriculture and energy .
The first deployments of this CBRS neutral host solution at Cal Poly are outdoors in remote hiking areas as well as inside the new William and Linda Frost Center for Research and Innovation .
Much like three colleges – the College of Science and Mathematics , the College of Agriculture , Food and Environmental Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts – coming together in the Frost Center to collaborate in a shared space , the network is a convergence of technologies working together to support cutting-edge wireless capabilities and research projects .
“ The wireless communications world is on the Edge of exciting and beneficial advancements and the innovative capabilities around private 5G , Wi-Fi 6E , and commercial 4G / 5G are expansive ,” said Bill Britton , Cal Poly ’ s
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