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’s Virtual Lab Tour Now Available to the Public

September 30, 2021

NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division is pleased to announce the public release of its Virtual Lab Tour, a “behind the scenes” look into

NIST Wireless Networks Division Releases a Model for the IEEE 802.11ay Physical Layer

September 22, 2021

On September 22th, 2021, NIST released its Matlab implementation of the IEEE 802.11ay Enhanced Directional Multi-Gigabit (EDMG) Physical Layer. It is available

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

Projects and Programs

5G & Beyond

Ongoing

“5G and beyond” refers to future generations of mobile wireless communication systems. The vision for these next-generation systems are to enable groundbreaking

700 MHz In-Building Coverage App & Measurement System Development

Ongoing

The Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) program is researching the development of in-building apps for RF coverage evaluation, which is critical for

A measurement-based approach to 5G supply chain security

Ongoing

Revolutionizing the American economy comes from advancements in communication networks that enable a fully connected world through millions of devices providing

Advanced High Frequency Devices

Ongoing

The Advanced High Frequency Devices Program develops measurement methods to determine the characteristics of advanced electronics and devices at high

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.

Taking Measure Blog

$close up of a clear fractured glass like substance with some rainbow distortions$

Clear as Glass: Studying Drug-Delivery Materials as a NIST SURF Student

October 6, 2021

This summer was an interesting one, to say the least. I was in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program offered by the National Institute of

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

CTL Demo Adds Key Capability to Atom-Based Radio Communications

NIST Method Uses Radio Signals to Image Hidden and Speeding Objects

Our Focus Areas

News and Updates

PSCR’s Virtual Lab Tour Now Available to the Public

NIST Wireless Networks Division Releases a Model for the IEEE 802.11ay Physical Layer

PSCR Staff Spotlight: Prize Competition and Challenge Specialist Sarah Hughes

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

Projects and Programs

5G & Beyond

700 MHz In-Building Coverage App & Measurement System Development

A measurement-based approach to 5G supply chain security

Advanced High Frequency Devices

Industry Impacts

Alliance for 5G Networks

First Responder Communications

Tools and Instruments

Public Safety Communication Innovation Laboratory

LTE Coverage Tool

Awards

Mary Theofanos Honored with INCITS Award

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

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

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

Taking Measure Blog

Creating and Commercializing the NIST RoboCrane

Post-Quantum Encryption: A Q&A With NIST’s Matt Scholl

Consumer Cybersecurity Labeling for IoT Devices: A Q&A with NIST’s Katerina Megas

Clear as Glass: Studying Drug-Delivery Materials as a NIST SURF Student

Contacts

Director, Communications Technology Lab and Director, NIST Boulder Laboratory