It never occurred to Ben Clark that studying computer engineering at the University of Tennessee could lead to an appearance in a national advertising campaign. Clark made his star turn as one of the Tickle College of Engineering students featured in an AT&T 5G Lab video that is posted to the AT&T Business website.
In 2021, UT agreed to work with AT&T Business on research projects using the AT&T 5G+ millimeter wave spectrum network and AT&T Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) in a lab environment under the direction of Aly Fathy, a professor in the Min H. Kao Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. UT is one of only six universities in the nation to advance research initiatives in collaboration with AT&T.
Seeking to highlight the work being done at UT, AT&T sent a film crew to the lab, which is located at the UT Research Park at Cherokee Farm.
“I was super excited and nervous upfront about if I was going to come across well and do what they wanted me to do,” said Clark, a second-year master’s student who received his bachelor’s in computer engineering from UT in 2023. “But ultimately, I felt honored and flattered that they were coming to the lab and were interested in what we were doing there. I just didn’t want to disappoint them.”
AT&T 5G+ uses the millimeter wave spectrum to deliver super-fast speeds and unprecedented performance in high-traffic areas. The higher bandwidth supports better-quality video with less latency and faster download speed.
UT’s AT&T 5G Lab has used the enhanced capability for leading-edge research that involves cybersecurity, transportation, telemedicine, smart agriculture, and sports applications for interactive experiences, virtual tours, and player performance data.
“If two cars need to communicate, even a fraction of a second can mean the difference between safety and a collision. Similarly, if you’re in a rural area needing urgent telemedicine consultation with a specialist in a larger hospital, reliable connectivity becomes critical,” Fathy said. “These are precisely the types of scenarios we’re addressing with the capabilities developed in our lab.”
Bridging a Digital Divide
The initiatives at UT’s AT&T 5G Lab are instrumental in bridging Tennessee’s digital divide. By extending 5G connectivity to rural regions, the lab is enhancing quality of life and fostering greater equity through improved access to telehealth services, educational resources, and employment opportunities. Recently, UT was awarded an NSF grant aimed at training faculty and students from Tennessee’s community colleges, especially from rural areas, directly in the AT&T 5G Lab.
The enhanced connectivity, which enables virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality, has inspired innovative coursework and new learning methodologies. Students who may be prohibited due to cost, risk, or feasibility, have been able to receive immersive educational experiences, ranging from exploring nuclear power plants to virtually witnessing a rocket launch.
“It’s significant for UT to have this capability, and it’s only going to grow in the future with 6G and 7G,” Fathy said. “It’s going to happen, and we need to be part of this. Technology creates numerous opportunities for research and for education here at UT.”
Clark wants to work in automotive autonomous automation once he completes his master’s degree. Performing research in the AT&T 5G Lab has provided him with more marketable skills.
“It’s given me firsthand experience with a real 5G AT&T base station, and working with different edge and IoT devices, which I hadn’t had experience with before,” Clark said. “It’s definitely given me more confidence in the world of networking and cellular communication.”
Deborah Crawford, UT’s vice chancellor for research, Ozlem Kilic, the vice provost and founding dean of the College of Emerging and Collaborative Studies, and Marc Gibson, associate vice chancellor for partnerships & economic development, were vital in securing the partnership with AT&T to bring the 5G Lab to UT. Fathy is grateful for their efforts and for the video crew that showcased the lab’s work to the public.
“It’s good for people to see our research capabilities, and showcasing them helps attract more proposal funding,” Fathy said. “Not many universities have this capability. Our students actively participate, and we are leveraging this infrastructure for workforce development, fostering economic growth by educating undergraduate and graduate students, as well as engaging the broader community.”
Contact
Rhiannon Potkey (865-974-0683, rpotkey@utk.edu)