OpenZMS is a prototype automatic spectrum-sharing management system for radio dynamic zones. OpenZMS provides mechanisms to share electromagnetic (radio-frequency) spectrum between experimental or test systems and existing spectrum users, and between multiple experimental systems. We are building and deploying OpenZMS within the context of the POWDER testbed in Salt Lake City, Utah, part of the NSF-sponsored Platforms for Advanced Wireless Research program, to create POWDER-RDZ.

Spectrum access challenges currently create significant constraints on experimentation and testing at wireless testbeds. Automatic spectrum sharing that provides safe access to additional frequencies beyond those reserved exclusively for testing will relax these constraints, and thus increase the nation's capacity to conduct wireless research and development. Increasing this capacity will help accelerate growth and global leadership of the US communications industry, strengthen academic research into wireless systems, and benefit other spectrum-dependent sectors such as radar, public safety, and national defense.

As a pathfinder for the National Radio Dynamic Zone concept, OpenZMS and POWDER-RDZ will help future federal/non-federal spectrum sharing arrangements assure that spectrum sharing does not negatively impact existing and incumbent spectrum use. By building and operating an end-to-end radio dynamic zone (RDZ), we will validate the RDZ concept and functionality by performing spectrum sharing experiments and field studies. The project uses the existing POWDER mobile and wireless testbed as the physical infrastructure of the RDZ. POWDER's existing radios and other equipment supports the spectrum sharing experiments and provides part of the RF sensing functionality needed by the RDZ.

POWDER-RDZ implements a modular zone management system (ZMS) to manage, control, and monitor all aspects of the RDZ. The project plans to conduct experiments on spectrum sharing with users outside of POWDER. Experiments potentially include RDZ shared access to federal, non-federal, and commercial spectrum, such as coarse- and fine-grained spectrum sharing with a commercial mobile operator and spectrum sharing with a weather radar.