FY17 Supplemental to Wireless Connectivity System Design and Evaluation for North American Passenger Rail Service Operators | FR RRD 17 005

Opportunity Information: Apply for FR RRD 17 005

The FY17 Supplemental to Wireless Connectivity System Design and Evaluation for North American Passenger Rail Service Operators is a discretionary research grant offered by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), focused on science and technology and other research and development activities. The opportunity supports a targeted research study intended to help North American passenger rail operators plan for and implement reliable, high-speed wireless connectivity systems. In practical terms, it is aimed at improving the onboard connectivity experience for passengers and supporting the operational communications needs that increasingly depend on robust wireless links, especially as expectations for continuous broadband access continue to rise.

The core purpose of the study is to investigate what it will take to design and deploy a high-speed wireless connectivity system suited to passenger rail environments over the next decade or so. This includes identifying the technical requirements that such a system would need to meet, such as coverage expectations across varied terrain, performance at speed, network capacity for dense passenger loads, reliability targets, handoff behavior between network nodes, latency considerations, and integration with existing rail and telecommunications infrastructure. Because passenger trains move through heterogeneous coverage areas and can experience rapid changes in signal conditions, the study is positioned to clarify requirements that are specific to rail operations rather than assuming that solutions designed for stationary or roadway environments will transfer directly.

A second major objective is to determine the best technology choice, or combination of technologies, for successful implementation. While the notice does not prescribe a specific solution, the intent is to evaluate candidate approaches and identify which technologies are most suitable for delivering high-speed service in a rail context. This kind of technology selection work typically weighs factors such as achievable throughput, spectrum and licensing constraints, the practicality of trackside versus satellite versus cellular-based architectures, compatibility with emerging standards, cost of deployment and maintenance, vendor ecosystem maturity, and the ability to scale as demand grows. The emphasis on a forward-looking timeframe indicates the research is meant to inform strategic decisions that remain relevant as wireless technologies evolve.

The third key objective is performance evaluation of the proposed or selected system concept. This means assessing how well the connectivity approach performs against the identified requirements, likely through modeling, simulation, analysis of link budgets and handover performance, and potentially field-relevant evaluation methods. The aim is to move beyond theory to evidence-based conclusions about what performance passenger rail operators can realistically expect, under what operating conditions, and what design tradeoffs may be necessary to meet service goals.

Administratively, this opportunity is identified by Funding Opportunity Number FR RRD 17 005 and is cataloged under CFDA 20.313. It was created on 2017-08-11 with an original closing date of 2017-08-16, reflecting a short application window typical of a supplemental or narrowly scoped award. The maximum award amount (award ceiling) is $100,073, and it is structured as a grant. The eligible applicant pool is uniquely restricted: only the Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska, University of Nebraska-Lincoln is eligible to apply. This limitation indicates the supplement is intended for a specific institution, often because it builds on existing work, prior awards, or specialized capability already established with that recipient.

Overall, the opportunity is a focused FRA-sponsored effort to define requirements, choose appropriate technologies, and evaluate performance for next-generation high-speed wireless connectivity on passenger rail, with the output expected to help guide deployment decisions and reduce uncertainty for rail operators planning connectivity improvements over the coming years.

• The DOT - Federal Railroad Administration in the science and technology and other research and development sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "FY17 Supplemental to Wireless Connectivity System Design and Evaluation for North American Passenger Rail Service Operators" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 20.313.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-08-11.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-08-16. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $100,073.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: Others.

Apply for FR RRD 17 005

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