THREE LOCAL ENGINEERS RECEIVE HIGH HONORS FROM U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Boulder, Colo. — Three staff members of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s (NTIA) Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) in Boulder, Colo., received a group Silver Medal for Scientific/Engineering Achievement from the U.S. Department of Commerce at ceremonies in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, November 8, 2006.

Brent Bedford of Boulder, John Ewan of Erie, and J. Randy Hoffman of Longmont received a group silver medal for designing and developing a highly advanced mobile radio spectrum measurement system, capable of measuring the latest complex communications and radar signals. This accomplishment supports the Commerce Department’s goal of providing effective management and stewardship of the radio spectrum.

Comprised of a vehicle, measurement hardware, and software, the system can measure how much of the radio spectrum is being used. It can also determine sources of radio interference. It has already aided the Federal Communications Commission, the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the National Weather Service, and the Federal Aviation Administration.

The Department of Commerce has operated vehicle-mounted radio measurement systems since the 1920s. The first modern system was developed by ITS in the mid-1970s. This year’s award-winning design is the fourth generation.

ITS (http://www.its.bldrdoc.gov) is the research and engineering arm of NTIA. ITS performs telecommunications research to support NTIA, the Commerce Department, and the Executive Branch on domestic and international telecommunications and information policy issues.

For more information contact Margaret Luebs, ITS Publications Officer, telephone 303-497-3572, email mluebs@its.bldrdoc.gov.

(Press Release in PDF format)