DARPA progress towards affordable, dense, and content focused tactical edge networks

Abstract

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) wireless network after next (WNaN) program was established in order to develop the technologies for, and to demonstrate the viability of military networking using high density, low cost cognitive radio nodes that can leverage commercial components in a military purpose-built wireless node. The network of these nodes would derive its reliability and robustness from adaptive networking technology, such as dynamic spectrum access (DSA), content-based networking, (CBN), delay and disruption tolerant networking (DTN), and reliance on policy-based controls for network and spectrum decision-making. The objectives of this program are to show self-managing, dense and scalable content networks, and volume production cost of under $500 per multi-transceiver node.