Broadband Access

• CRC participated in the formation of a new IEEE 802.22 standardization project aimed at developing the air-interface for Wireless Regional Area Networks (WRAN), especially suited for extending broadband access in rural areas by taking advantage of the lightly used TV broadcast spectrum in these low-density areas. This TV broadcast spectrum has the advantage of better RF signal propagation resulting in larger coverage cells (up to some 30 km radius) and therefore allowing sufficient subscriber bases for cost effective broadband access operation in these rural areas. The 802.22 standard, which will have an international applicability because of its cognitive radio features, should result in the user terminals being available at low cost because of high volume production. CRC has provided for the vice-chairmanship of the working group, has made sure that the requirements for bringing broadband access to rural Canada are well covered, and brought in a number of contributions on technology, systems and interference aspects to help advance the work of the group. The plan is to deliver an approved 802.22 standard to the industry in early 2008, so that low cost equipment complying with the standard becomes available on the market in early 2009.
  
• CRC has been extensively involved in the development of the new IEEE 802.16h standard that will allow WiMAX to have a coexistence capability, allowing for a more equitable sharing of the electromagnetic spectrum. The new standard will support spatio-temporal sharing of common spectrum, allow for white space identification, and provide a method for ad-hoc radio networks to communicate common electromagnetic sensing criteria in an altruistic manner.
  
• The Broadband Applications and Demonstration Laboratory (BADLAB), a CRC facility providing integrated fibre-optic, satellite, and radio communications systems, took advantage of its network capability to host various interactive multi-media events and demonstrations. The subjects of these activities included CA*net 4, satellite links to remote and rural communities as part of the Virtual Classroom program (MusicGrid, Library and Archives Canada, and Algonquin College Interior Design projects), and the National Capital Institute of Telecommunications tele-haptics project.

Radio Spectrum

• CRC has been studying Ultra Wideband technology, which promises to bring wireless, highspeed connections into homes and offices. This work has focused on the challenges posed by measurements and sharing problems, with researchers participating in working groups of the International Telecommunications Union's Radiocommunications Sector, as well as simulating a novel butterfly-shaped dipole antenna to address these issues.
  
• CRC-COVLAB software was used to study coverage of Digital Video Broadcasting Handheld (DVB-H) systems, research that is being conducted with three different Canadian industrial clients.
  
• CRC helped demonstrate the feasibility of Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) technologies in Mexico City, one of the world's largest urban centres, using an L-band distributed emission system.
  
• CRC is collaborating with International Partners on the Assessment of Radiowave Propagation for Satellite Communication and Navigation Systems in Tropical and Sub-Tropical Areas. CRC is focusing on cloud attenuation modeling and fading dynamics, as part of a larger evaluation of tropical propagation impairments, model testing, and compilation of rain-rate data.
  
• CRC is collaborating with Carleton University in the European consortium Wireless World Initiative New Radio (WINNER), tasked with developing the air interface for mobile radio systems to become capable of offering more than the current "third generation" services for voice communications and data.

Internet and Convergence

• CRC-developed software components were used to create a full real-time Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) transmission chain. This kind of compact, flexible, open and low-cost platform has many potential uses in the rapidly growing field of mobile multicast communications.
  
• Virtual reality systems, enabling a user to simulate travel through a remote multimedia environment, are being developed by CRC in collaboration with academic and government partners. The work is part of an NSERC Strategic grant, "Virtual Navigation in Image- Based Representations of Real World Environments" (NAVIRE), employing a large database of images to model any particular setting.
  
• CRC has joined the European Reconfigurable Ubiquitous Networked Embedded Systems (RUNES) project, developing localization and routing techniques that would make it possible to deploy a sensor network within tunnels.
  
• Users may soon be able to discard their television or DVD remote and simply tell these machines what to do verbally, thanks to a technology known as the voice-enabled electronic program guide (Voice EPG) that is on the verge of entering the marketplace. Working with South Korea's Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), CRC concluded the first phase of an ongoing collaboration on such voice-enabled broadcast applications.
  
• CRC is working with the Canadian Space Agency, Telesat, and Industry Canada's National Satellite Initiative program to deploy, in northern Canada, Digital Video Broadcasting Return Channel Satellite (DVB-RCS) terminals that would be compatible with the ANIK F2 ability to provide this capability.
  
• CRC has been developing a prototype system for efficiently forwarding multicast information in an on-line, Mobile Ad-hoc Network, as part of work being carried out with the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
  
• The CRC's Networked Media Laboratory, one of many organizations that were developing Web 2.0 applications before the term was coined, has released the final version of an on-line system that enables students to demonstrate their compliance with educational standards. This software has been used by a new Canadian company as a prototype, generating sufficient sales to American universities to allow the company to achieve financial viability.

Network Security and Public Safety

• The potential for interference between digital television broadcasting and signals transmitted for public safety communications at 700 MHz , such as police or fire radio, is the focus of the Radio Advisory Board of Canada's 700 MHz Joint Working Group (JWG). The CRC prepared a test plan for laboratory evaluation and field tests were conducted with the CBC in Ottawa and Montreal.
  
• The current and future requirements of public safety and emergency services are being explored by CRC. As part of a survey of system interoperability, regulations, policy, and market information, CRC is matching aspects of relevant services with various agencies or companies that can provide the appropriate technology.
  
• CRC has designed protocols for Mobile Ad-hoc Networks (MANETs), self-organizing wireless networks of mobile nodes that do not require pre-existing infrastructure, as part of the Interoperable Networks for Secure Communications (INSC) project.

Defence Communications

• In a field demonstration that was part of the ISTAR military exercise in Petawawa, CRC designed, tested and deployed a secure, classified, wireless broadband communications network to interconnect various battlefield sensors and provide broadband connectivity back to the central base. The experimental IP-based tactical radio made it possible to implement an electronic battlefield for integrated Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance.
  
• CRC chairs the NATO Research Task Group investigating interference and other effects of Power Line Telecommunications technology on the HF spectrum.
  
• CRC is working in collaboration with DRDC Ottawa on the development of a military version of the CRC Spectrum Explorer unit, a powerful software tool CRC developed to monitor the increasingly complex RF communications spectrum.
  
• CRC has been developing components critical to the interoperability of the next generation of NATO's Tactical Area Communication System, a mobile, survivable, flexible and secure real-time network to support all communication needs in a battlefield setting. CRC's contribution made a significant impact on standards being considered for NATO future Army coalition deployments. This was tested in field trials with research teams from a number of NATO nations in 2005 and 2006.
  
• CRC has refined neural network classifiers, which have proven capable of distinguishing satellite imagery of naval vessels with significant accuracy.
  
• In collaboration with DND, CRC has developed a prototype thin profile, high-gain antenna based on holography principles.
  
• CRC has initiated a DRDC Technology Demonstration Project, exploring the design of Self-Healing Autonomous Sensor Networks that would provide enhanced situation awareness in military operation environments.

Applications

• Architects and industrial designers at many different locations will be able to collaborate in real-time, sharing computational resources, geometry datasets, and multimedia content, thanks to work being conducted by CRC, Carleton University's School of Architecture, and NRC. The $1.5 million, one-year Participatory Design Studio project is supported by CANARIE's Intelligent Infrastructure Program, and the work is taking advantage of CRC's expertise in User Controlled LightPaths to develop these new Web services.
  
• Through a partnership with University of Toronto's Joint Centre for Bioethics, and Global E-Health and Innovation Network, CRC researchers are developing broadband technologies to support the activities of these organizations in education and outreach, as well as citizen engagement.
  
• CRC has developed a novel multichannel loudness meter, which is being presented to the Radiocommunications Sector of the International Telecommunications Union, as the basis for an international standard to be used by broadcasters around the world. The technology will be distributed to several regional broadcast organizations around the world and used in a loudness project sponsored by the World Broadcasters Union.
  
• CRC was involved in the successful integration of the European DVB-RCT (Digital Video Broadcasting, Return Channel Terrestrial) downlink system into the American Advanced Television Standards Committee digital television infrastructure, to create a new interactive multimedia datacasting system. This is the first time that DVB-RCT, which was developed for the European DVB-T system, has been used in conjunction with the American system.