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Prof. Jeff Andrews and Prof. Robert Heath of Texas ECE have been named co-recipients of the 2019 IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award for their contributions to wireless communication systems. The IEEE Kiyo Tomiyasu Award is an IEEE Technical Field Award, meaning it spans all subfields of electrical engineering. It was established in 2001 to recognize "outstanding contributions to technologies holding the promise of innovative applications." The award is sponsored by Dr. Kiyo Tomiyasu, the IEEE Geoscience and Remote Sensing Society, and the IEEE Microwave Theory and Techniques Society.

The FCC recently announced new spectrum for millimeter wave. The new rules open nearly 11 gigahertz of high-frequency spectrum for mobile and fixed wireless broadband, which include 3.85 GHz of currently licensed spectrum and 7 GHz of unlicensed spectrum. This decision could prove critical for the U.S. to retain its leadership in the field of wireless communications.

As mobile wireless communications progress, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is exploring technologies that could lead to the emergence of a new generation of millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless spectrum by the year 2020. Before mmWave carrier frequencies can be applied to cellular networks, spectrum allocations and regulatory frameworks must be determined.