Spectrum Efficient Technology (SET): Continuous-mode High-efficiency bi-directional Amplification for 5G Environments (CHAnGE)

On 13 September 2024, in accordance with 10 U.S. Code§ 4022, the Army Contracting Command Orlando has awarded an Other Transaction Agreement (OTA) via the Training and Readiness Accelerator II (TReX II) for the Continuous-mode High-efficiency bi-directional Amplification for 5G Environments (CHAnGE) Prototype Project. A Request for Solutions for this effort was issued to the TReX II consortium on 12 January 2024, which resulted in the submittal of 2 total responses.

As a result of the competition, the prototype project was awarded to Advanced Technology International, Inc. (ATI) as the managing prime to Altio Labs LLC located in Frisco, TX. The purpose for the Continuous-mode High-efficiency bi-directional Amplification for 5G Environments (CHAnGE) effort is to fill a capability gap. Current airborne mobile telemetry (AMT) transmission methods rely upon single carrier, constant envelope waveforms that do not require linear amplification.

As solutions using 5G waveforms are developed or adapted for use with AMT, there is a need for linear power amplification that can be packaged for use in flight and weapons testing including 5G Non-Terrestrial-Networking (NTN) applications. As space to install instrumentation systems on modern military aircraft and weapons is limited, antennas cannot always be placed near a transceiver. This will require a bi-directional amplifier to minimize cable losses for the transmit and receive chains. This bi-directional amplifier is targeted at Time Division Duplex (TDD) 5G applications.