First Responder Cognitive Radio

First Responders require a robust wireless communication capability that must work in emergency situations where the communications infrastructure may be degraded or unavailable. First Responders rely heavily on voice communications but also need access to data applications that are readily available via commercial cellular networks. The current solution requires First Responders to carry both a Land Mobile Radio (LMR) and a cell phone, which is cumbersome and does not enable sharing across networks. Our solution is to create a rugged Cognitive Radio (CR) capable of participating in both networks simultaneously. As a member of both networks, the First Responder CR can realize the benefits of both the critical voice communications of the LMR network and the data hungry applications of the cellular network. The rugged handheld radio system is designed to meet the stringent environmental requirements of First Responders. The software-defined waveforms and applications allow rapid reconfiguration and Over the Air Programming (OTAP) to rapidly introduce new capabilities. The software-defined networking enables operation when disconnected from the network infrastructure through peer-to-peer communications and smart relay for range extension. The cognitive controller enables Dynamic PACE plans that learn from the RF environment to provide robust, assured communications across various network connectivity states and resilient communications that avoid interference and jamming.