Communications Technology Laboratory

CTL promotes the development and deployment of advanced communications technologies through the dissemination of high-quality measurements, data, and research supporting U.S. innovation, industrial competitiveness, and public safety.

5G Coexistence Testbed for Today’s Challenges and Tomorrow’s Opportunities

The resiliency of the American workforce depends on trusted communications systems now, more than ever...

CTL Demo Adds Key Capability to Atom-Based Radio Communications

This gets us one step closer to a true atom-based communication system to benefit 5G and Beyond...

NIST Method Uses Radio Signals to Image Hidden and Speeding Objects

NIST has developed a method for using radio signals to create real-time images and videos of hidden and moving objects...

News and Updates

PSCR Staff Spotlight: Prize Competition and Challenge Specialist Sarah Hughes

September 13, 2021

Sarah Hughes is a Prize Competition and Challenge Specialist with the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division's Open Innovation team. In this role

A six-propeller drone sitting on the grass in front of a lake

NIST Announces Top 4 Winners in the National First Responder UAS Endurance Challenge

August 17, 2021

BOULDER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) recently announced the four winners of the 2021 PSCR

Man with beard and glasses in light grey sweater sitting on the right looking at computer screen on the left, with mass of blue wires in the foreground.

Encouraging Coexistence: NIST Model Cuts Measurement Needs for Spectrum Sharing by About 33%

August 12, 2021

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have developed a modeling technique that can save time and money in estimating how to

A firefighter wearing augmented reality glasses

PSCR Awards $9.7M for Augmented Reality Funding Opportunity

August 6, 2021

To accelerate research and development (R&D) for public safety user interfaces (UIs), NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division has awarded

Projects and Programs

Electric-acoustic spectroscopy for intermolecular interactions in solution

NIST’s Material Measurement Laboratory and Communications Technology Laboratory are developing a new spectroscopy for intermolecular interactions. The team is

Machine Learning in Network Modeling and Simulation

The integration of Machine Learning (ML) in network modeling and simulations is key to evaluating ML-based solutions and algorithms used to configure and

Optical Networking of Superconducting Quantum Nodes with Transduction Devices

A collaborative team working to establish the science and technology of networks for superconducting quantum computers by demonstrating the world’s first

Future Wireless Communications Systems and Protocols

5G and beyond communications will include several technical advancements that enable innovative applications such as wireless backhauling, Augmented/Virtual

Industry Impacts

Propagation-Channel Measurements and Hardware Verification

Alliance for 5G Networks

The next generation of wireless communications technology will allow many more devices to send information much faster, making possible everything from virtual

Photo of NIST scientists with the PSCR Deployable LTE Cell-on-Wheels

First Responder Communications

First responders must be able to communicate during an emergency. Too often in critical situations, communications among public safety agencies are hampered by

Tools and Instruments

This is a photo of a man in an augmented reality headset looking at the hologram of an IED.

Public Safety Communication Innovation Laboratory

Built in 2018, the PSCR Innovation Laboratory is focused on next-generation communication capabilities for first responders. The PSCR lab maintains a modernized

LTE Coverage Tool

This experimental application was developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Public Safety Communications Research Division (PSCR)

Awards

Mary Theofanos demonstrates NIST-designed fingerprint overlays on a fingerprint-scanning system in 2011.

Mary Theofanos Honored with INCITS Award

Mary Frances Theofanos is recognized for numerous contributions to the INICTS/M1 – Biometrics and INCITS/SSE – Software and Systems

2020 - Bronze Medal Award---Jason Coder, Adam Wunderlich, Michael Frey, Daniel Kuester, Azizollah Kord, Jolene Splett, John Ladbury, Robert Horansky, Duncan McGillivray

For development and execution of complex factor screening of wireless emissions from LTE cellular devices to enable efficient use of scarce spectrum.

2020 - Bronze Medal Award---Angela Stelson, Christian Long, Nathan Orloff, James Booth

For the development and application of novel microwave microfluidic techniques to quantify the electromagnetic response of complex fluids.

2020 - Bronze Medal Award---Joshua A. Gordon

For the development of the Pixel Probe Coordinate Measurement System, which has enabled unprecedented high-frequency antenna alignment accuracy.