It’s fitting that TechConnect at this time showcases the innovations of broadband in Arizona. Just as we all have been through a great deal of change during nearly two years, we still have managed to discover our own new ways of staying connected. While the technology has helped, so has the resiliency of the human spirit.
The NAI Fellows Program highlights academic inventors who have demonstrated a spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society. Election to NAI fellow is the highest professional distinction accorded solely to academic inventors. The university’s new fellows are Liesl Folks, UArizona’s senior vice president for academic affairs and provost; Terry Matsunaga, professor of medical imaging at the College of Medicine in Tucson; and Mark Van Dyke, associate dean of research and professor of biomedical engineering at the College of Engineering.
Research being conducted in the MTP Lab at Arizona State University directed by Saeed Zeinolabedinzadeh, an electrical and computer engineer and assistant professor in Arizona State University’s Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, focuses on designing high-speed integrated circuits and systems operating at various electromagnetic frequency bands ranging from millimeter-wave frequencies to optical frequencies.
Through her research, assistant professor Morgan Vigil-Hayes of Northern Arizona University’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems has established a reputation for working with underrepresented populations to solve problems related to disparities in internet access and the resulting digital inequalities. Using her expertise in network analysis, Vigil-Hayes is designing and implementing community-centric networked systems that can operate in resource-limited environments.
Across the country, a 21st century divide separates those with high-speed internet from those without. The pandemic highlighted this divide and its serious consequences. Remote learning isn’t possible without reliable internet access, and many families found themselves abandoned and isolated as public services shut down.
Reflecting the most substantial growth since its launch nearly two decades ago, a new report shows the total annual economic impact on Arizona by the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen) now exceeds a half-billion dollars.
Transforming the transmission of data using today’s state-of-the-art infrastructure to make tomorrow’s global economic seismic shift possible is the mission of Tucson-based FreeFall 5G. FreeFall 5G was formed to commercialize the unique antenna innovations developed by Electronic Design and Development Corporation and FreeFall Aerospace. Combined, these two entities developed a new low cost, low power, extremely low latency 360-degree high bandwidth solution branded as the FreeStar5G mmWave Advanced Antenna System. Designed for high volume manufacturing, the unit contains no moving parts and delivers ultra-low latency. The system represents unique operating expense and capital expense opportunities for the wireless network.
The Arizona Broadband Stakeholder Network, which was created to provide participants opportunities to collaborate on initiatives and strategies to accelerate deployment of fast, affordable and reliable broadband internet access in Arizona communities.
The Sun Corridor Network is Arizona’s gateway to the Internet2, which is the national research and education network. Lofty credentials for sure. As one of the founders in 2013, Derek Masseth speaks with pride as he describes what has grown to connect Arizona’s three state universities and other educational research partners to a far-flung community that includes over 1,400 universities, 800 community and vocational colleges, and 84,000 K-12 schools.
The program brings internet equity to rural students and families who have either no home internet, slow internet or unaffordable internet. It works to extend the broadband capacity provided to schools and libraries through the federal E-rate program to the homes of students by capitalizing on existing infrastructure.