Carleton Researchers Lead $13.5 Million Project to Accelerate Canada’s Digital Future
Reliable mobile connectivity is essential to economic growth, public services and daily life. While today’s mobile networks can deliver coverage to urban centres within range of terrestrial towers and antennas, Canada’s vast geography and low population density make reliable connectivity difficult to maintain beyond them.
To help address Canada’s connectivity challenges, Carleton University researcher Halim Yanikomeroglu has been awarded more than $5 million through the latest Canada Foundation for Innovation’s (CFI) Innovation Fund for his work on advancing non-terrestrial networks (NTN). Carleton is just one of 32 higher education institutions nationwide selected to receive funding.
NTN use satellites, high-altitude aircraft and drones to extend mobile coverage beyond traditional towers, reaching rural, suburban, urban and even airborne areas. Still in early development, most consumer devices can’t yet connect to them directly.
Yanikomeroglu, an international leader in NTN research, is advancing this work through a major research project titled Non-Terrestrial Networks for Accelerating Canada’s Ubiquitous Connectivity and Digital Future (NTN-CAN), helping pave the way for Canada’s next-generation mobile networks.
Supported by the CFI award and leveraging additional funding for a total investment of $13.5 million, the project is co-led by Yanikomeroglu and Gunes Karabulut-Kurt of Polytechnique Montréal. It includes participation from the University of Ottawa, the National Research Council of Canada and the Communications Research Centre Canada.
Carleton’s research team also includes Jie Gao from the School of Information Technology and Winnie Ye from the Department of Electronics.
Advancing the Next Generation of Mobile Networks
NTN-CAN focuses on the technologies needed to make non-terrestrial networks practical and scalable, organized around two research pillars.
The first focuses on developing new protocols and technologies that allow non-terrestrial systems to connect reliably with terrestrial networks and consumer devices. The second addresses cost and resource management to enable large-scale deployment.
Using open network protocols, artificial intelligence, mobile edge computing and digital twin technologies, the research team will model and test new network designs. They will also leverage collaborations with government and industry partners to train the next generation of experts in advanced communications technologies.
Positioning Canada for Future Connectivity
As demand for reliable network access grows, future wireless systems will need to support communication across land, air and maritime environments. Yanikomeroglu’s research will help meet this demand by integrating terrestrial and non-terrestrial networks to deliver high-speed service across Canada.
By developing the technologies required to design, manufacture, deploy and operate NTN, Carleton’s research will position Canada to play a leading role in next-generation communications systems.
The project also supports broader national priorities by closing the digital divide, strengthening the country’s telecommunications capabilities and ensuring sovereignty over critical connectivity technologies.
“Congratulations to Halim Yanikomeroglu and his team, whose work exemplifies the research leadership that defines Carleton,” said Rafik Goubran, Vice-President (Research, Innovation and International). “This project will help advance next-generation communications technologies and strengthen Canada’s digital future.”
About the Canada Foundation for Innovation
The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) is a non-profit corporation that invests in research infrastructure at Canadian universities, colleges, research hospitals and non-profit research institutions. Projects funded through the CFI’s Innovation Fund help Canada remain at the forefront of exploration and knowledge generation.
The CFI invests 40 per cent of the total project funding, leveraging an additional potential 40 per cent from the Province of Ontario, pending a final decision.
Related News
Carleton Researcher Wins Polanyi Prize in Chemistry
Kate Marczenko has been awarded the prestigious John Charles Polanyi Prize for her groundbreaking research in advanced functional materials and crystalline systems.
Carleton Alum to Lead Canada’s U.S. Trade Negotiations
Distinguished public servant and Carleton University graduate Janice Charette is Canada’s new Chief Trade Negotiator to the United States. Charette, who was appointed to the ...
Carleton Welcomes Significant Investment in Ontario’s Higher Education Sector
Carleton University welcomes today’s announcement from the Government of Ontario of a $6.4 billion investment in the province’s postsecondary sector over four years. This new ...