NSF Invests in Five Teams Developing Secure 5G Connectivity Solutions

The National Science Foundation’s Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships has selected five teams to receive a $25 million investment to develop prototypes of their proposed technologies for securing 5G connectivity.

Work will be performed over two years under the second phase of the NSF Convergence Accelerator Track G: Securely Operating Through 5G Infrastructure program, which aims to improve the 5G wireless infrastructure and enable military, government and critical infrastructure operators to securely use untrusted 5G networks, the NSF said.

The awardees include an SRI International-led team focused on developing a security platform for managing Open Radio Access Network-compliant 5G+ mobile infrastructure and a Johns Hopkins University-led team that will work on critical 5G communications protection against adversaries.

The Phase 2 winners, selected from the 16 teams that participated in the first phase of Track G, will also develop sustainability plans to ensure their technologies can be developed further beyond the NSF program, said Douglas Maughan, head of the Convergence Accelerator.