The objective of SPEED-5G is to research and develop technologies that address the well-known challenges of predicted growth in mobile connections and traffic volume. A major challenge is the cost of meeting the objective, in terms of both infrastructure and deployment. Today, lack of dynamic control across wireless network resources is leading to unbalanced spectrum loads and a perceived capacity bottleneck. These will be solved by SPEED-5G through eDSA (extended DSA), which is resource management with three degrees of freedom: densification, rationalized traffic allocation over heterogeneous wireless technologies, and better load balancing across available spectrum. SPEED-5G will investigate indoor and indoor/outdoor scenarios where capacity demands are the highest, but also where the eDSA will be the most effective at exploiting co-operation across technologies and bands. The project will focus on two major innovations which are currently missing: resource management techniques across technology ‘silos’, and medium access technologies to address densification in mostly unplanned environments. It will leverage flexible radio approaches expected in 5G (e.g. FBMC). SPEED-5G has a very strong consortium, with a mix of operators, industrial partners, SMEs and leading European research institutes. They bring considerable knowledge and technology background to the project in architecture, resource management, protocols, radios, standardization, trials and tests, along with the most advanced of trial facilities, like the 5GIC centre. The SPEED-5G innovations will be considered in an architectural framework consistent with the 5GPPP. They will be researched, implemented and trialled in SPEED-5G in order to reach high level of maturity and confidence. This will guarantee impact on the 5GPPP program as a whole, on standards and on European technical leadership.

In recent years a lot of attention has gone into the concept of integrating Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) services. While no clear criteria exist for what exactly constitutes “integrated” CNS, a common interpretation is that a single radio technology will serve multiple purposes, potentially covering all three domains. This perspective is most attractive in the sense of spectrum efficiency, as each radio link will serve multiple domains simultaneously, instead of a single one. In addition to the multi-domain utility of L-band digital aeronautical communication system (LDACS), MIAR will also implement various Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) technologies to concurrently provide a modular approach to navigation. The project aims to demonstrate that LDACS can support CNS services on an aircraft. The proposal is centered around flight experiments, which will use LDACS-based CNS services to provide optimized separation between aircraft in real time, thus making optimal use of the airspace while being spectrum efficient. In addition to multi-domain use of one technology, MIAR will also feature the ability to support NAV services from multiple, modularly interchangeable technologies. This aspect will be an important piece to the standardization of “Modular APNT”. A real-time, in-flight demonstration of separation controls will be the first of its kind using a single physical layer: LDACS. This fact, combined with the ambition of bringing all components to TRL-6, is a show of the potential for LDACS and other new technologies to support the future of aviation. MIAR will cover two crucial developments, which will be world-first: use of LDACS for integrated CNS and the use of multiple non-GNSS technologies to provide an integrated navigation solution. Neither of the two has ever been demonstrated in flight, so MIAR poses a unique opportunity to accomplish two world firsts in one project.