Charlie Baylis

Transcript

Derek Smith:
Hello and welcome to Baylor Connections, a conversation series with the people shaping our future. Each week we go in-depth with Baylor leaders, professors and more, discussing important topics in higher education, research and student life. I'm Derek Smith, and today we are talking wireless communications with Dr. Charlie Baylis.
Charlie Baylis is a nationally-recognized expert in wireless communications. He serves as professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor and is director of SMART Hub. SMART Hub is a Baylor-led Department of Defense Innovation Center with 25 researchers across 15 institutions engaged in groundbreaking spectrum communications research.
In February, Baylis was called to share expert testimony before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, highlighting Baylor's innovation and approach to adaptive spectrum usage on that stage. It's been an exciting time, a lot of great work taking place within Dr. Baylis's lab and within SMART Hub here at Baylor, and excited to visit with you today on the program.
Charlie, thanks so much for joining us today. Good to have you with us.

Charlie Baylis:
Well, thank you very much for having me, Derek. It's my honor to be part of this.

Derek Smith:
Well, it is fun for us to get to talk to you. And we've talked for a while behind the scenes and certainly leading in to that great opportunity you had last month to testify before the US Senate. We're going to unpack all of this, but I have to ask you, when you find out that the US Senate wants you to share expert testimony in your area of expertise, what are the immediate range of feelings that you experience when you hear that news?

Charlie Baylis:
Well, I'm really just tremendously honored to be able to help my country. I remember you think about all that this country gives us and the freedoms that we enjoy and the leaders who make decisions that impact those freedoms. And it's just really special. So you feel a tremendous sense of honor. And I believe God's given us a voice in our nation to help solve some of its greatest technological challenges. And I also realize there's a responsibility that God's giving us a platform to point people to the hope available in Jesus. And we just really pray that we'll use that faithfully.
And so I've been interested in government my entire life. I always enjoyed civics in high school and that type of thing. And so the ability to take training as an engineering researcher and then be able to help our nation's leaders understand and solve problems in an area that's of interest to them right now is just, it is really truly an honor and it's something I really look forward to doing. So that is an interesting question, but really just being honored at the opportunity.

Derek Smith:
Well, and I think you answered part of this when we talked about the Lord opening this door. But I'm curious, another question is, why? Why did the Senate call on you to represent Baylor, to represent SMART Hub and a lot of great colleagues you work with to testify before them on these important issues?

Charlie Baylis:
I think that they see SMART Hub as a collection of many of the nation's best spectrum experts in one organization. Since SMART Hub is a center that encompasses 25 researchers across 15 universities, they can come to us and we're a one-stop shop to develop holistic and multidisciplinary solutions for spectrum challenges. And so it wasn't really me that they're calling to testify, it's the fact that I represent a huge organization that has experts in spectrum policy, wireless communications, radar systems, and even circuit technology.
So when they're dealing with a problem that involves the Department of Defense and many commercial wireless operators like Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile for example, you really want to try to get someone who has the ability to speak into the problem from all angles. And as a center, SMART Hub has that ability and I think they realize that, "Look, you're getting a lot of the universities across our nation's best expertise in this one organization."

Derek Smith:
I'm visiting with Charlie Baylis here on Baylor Connections.
And Charlie, let's zoom out here a little bit. We're going to use terms that I think a lot of us have heard in some form or fashion, but we want to make sure we all have a good grasp on these when we talk about the spectrum, when we talk about a spectrum innovation center and SMART Hub and all these things. So let's start with the spectrum.
Give us a 101 if you would. If you were going to talk to a freshman class or a high school or something and you were telling them what the spectrum is, what are some of the basics that we should know?

Charlie Baylis:
That's a great question. And I think it's something that we all want to become familiar with because it's become such an issue of national importance. And so you're going to hear these terms thrown around a lot in the upcoming near future.
So spectrum is the real estate of wireless transmission. That's kind of how many of us put it. And to transmit information, radios actually have to modulate, which means change the amplitudes and phases of different frequency sine waves to transmit them. So if you understand a sine wave, a sine wave changes in time at different frequencies, and that's how fast it changes in time. Well, different frequencies we can modulate different signals on and transmit them.
And so it's kind of like real estate in the sense that if I want to transmit a cell phone signal and a first responder radio and maybe a radar signal, as long as I modulate my information onto different frequencies, I can transmit them at the same time over the same airspace. So thinking about it as real estate and every transmission has to have a piece of that real estate is a pretty reasonable and true analogy to use.
So if the spectrum is real estate. The reason that spectrum has become a problem is that if you go back, let's say 40 years, no one was using wireless transmission in our society. Everyone had the old dial phones and that's how you would talk. And now when I got to college, you started taking around these brick cell phones that really take up most of your pants pocket and create quite an obstruction with fairly large antennas. But now wireless transmission has become miniaturized, it's become used for everything. We do multiple things with one device on probably multiple applicational frequencies. Like you send text messages, you do emails, you can talk all on a phone.If you use Wi-Fi and cellular transmission, you're using two different frequency bands for those things. Your computer uses wireless transmission. You have smartwatches and other types of devices that use wireless transmission.
So the fact that all of these devices including, and then you've got also the military uses of radar, you've got weather radar, you actually have weather radiometers out there that just read emissions from water vapor and oxygen in the atmosphere, all of these need this bandwidth or this real estate, the spectrum, to be able to operate. And as you get more devices, you have to cram them in to a limited amount of real estate. And so we're running out of real estate for all these operations.
So we really need a different way of doing things. And that's where SMART Hub comes in. And SMART stands for Spectrum Management with Adaptive and Reconfigurable Technology. And we want to bring in a paradigm shift in the technology and making it flexible so that spectrum use can be more flexible based on what environment you're in and who needs to use the spectrum at any given moment in time.

Derek Smith:
Charlie, maybe this is a bad analogy, and you can feel free to tell me if it is. But I remember growing up in my home state of Indiana, we had three area codes. And then fax machines and cell phones and wireless devices came in and now I think there's six or eight. They've had to add more to accommodate all the numbers. Is that sort of what we're seeing happen with the spectrum, except you can't just add what? Conceivably 999 different area codes. You got to find new ways to adapt?

Charlie Baylis:
That's really a great point. I think that the expansion of area codes showed the increase in wireless use, and that was at the very beginning. Or not wireless use, but communications use. You weren't using wireless then. You were probably using cabled communications, but it showed that the number of cable communicators were increasing. And we need more frequencies now because we're using wireless transmission. So to transmit wirelessly, you need your own frequency. And because we're adding so many wireless devices, we're running out of frequencies to transmit at. We can't just keep adding frequencies.
Now you can go high and low, but there are propagation limitations that we can get into detail about that limit really both your high and low frequency capabilities in being able to use those for wireless applications, at least many applications.

Derek Smith:
I'm visiting with Charlie Baylis here on Baylor Connections. And Charlie, I want to go into that a little bit more, but I think it's important to ask this first, the Department of Defense. Obviously they helped make it possible for SMART Hub to start, it's a Department of Defense Innovation Center. Why are they so interested in leading in this area?

Charlie Baylis:
It's really interesting to talk about why the defense is interested in leading, because the defense actually did lead the development of a lot of what we call microwave technology, which is in the actual frequency ranges that most of our cell phones use today. It turns out that radar in World War II historically was a driver of this technology that's now been put in cell phones and other capabilities to actually use the same frequency ranges. So the defense technology has actually been a leader all along.
Now it turns out that the Department of Defense, for example, has access to certain frequencies that are of interest to it for doing radar and other operations. Like for example, the 3 gigahertz band right now is being highly discussed at a national level. And the Department of Defense has traditionally operated its radars in that band. And it does it for certain reasons. It turns out that the frequency is high enough that you can actually still get the propagation characteristics you need, which means you can propagate long enough distances to be able to do reasonable radar detection, detect targets far enough out, but you can still build the system. It's small enough. If you go down to 1 gigahertz or below, you've got to build a much bigger antenna to be able to do this effectively. So around that 3 gigahertz band, for example, is a sweet spot because it has good propagation and you can also make it small enough that you can do directional types of transmission and other things you need to do.
So obviously the DOD is interested in those frequencies. For years now, there's been a movement to share this with wireless communications. In fact, Citizens Broadband Radio Service, which is the upper part of that, has been shared now since... Oh, that started in about 2016. And so we've been continuing to move towards sharing. Now it turns out that much of this DOD radar band at 3 gigahertz is actually being considered for either sharing or complete auction to commercial wireless providers. So the DOD realizes a need to change how it is doing things in terms of its operating of spectrum. And so that's what we're here to do, is to be able to help the Department of Defense make sure that their radar and communication systems can survive, essentially can still do the job while being able to facilitate a lot of these things that happen in peacetime and maintain superior technologies in wartime that can outmaneuver the enemy.

Derek Smith:
Well, and so you talk about that. I mean, we're talking about those precious seconds or that ability to communicate. Could be life and death at times when we talk about our defense, the men and women who serve the country.

Charlie Baylis:
Absolutely. We have to be able to reconfigure and adapt quickly. Adapting really is what is going on in my environment. Reconfiguring is changing my operation so that I can maximize my performance while being agile. And the difference between doing this in seconds and microseconds is precious, very, very precious in terms of being able to keep a technology edge over the enemy.
And in terms of allocations, if we have flexible technology, we'll be more likely to be able to allocate seamlessly on the fly in peacetime to make sure that our military interests are protected. But it's interesting that technology has to be the driver of this. We can't just keep re-regulating. We have to actually have fast adaptive technology. And that's where really we come in.

Derek Smith:
This is Baylor Connections. We are visiting with Charlie Baylis. Charlie Baylis serves as professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Baylor and is director of SMART Hub.
And Charlie, when you talk about it being adaptable, I realize you could probably get very technical on this. For those of us who don't have an engineering mind, how can we think about what it means to make it adaptive and how that would work?

Charlie Baylis:
Well, right now, and at least traditionally we've been actually seeing some movement of afoot towards this already. But traditionally, spectrum is allocated rigidly by predetermined laws and regulations. In fact, you can find the National Telecommunications and Information Administration has a big chart. It's very well known in spectrum circles. And this big chart shows you every frequency and how it's to be allocated, who gets to use that frequency as a primary or secondary or other user.
Now, this is very rigid. Adaptive says, "If I'm in an environment where other users are using the spectrum, can I adapt to those users and fit my spectrum, use around their uses?" So instead of saying, "I'm transmitting and receiving at this frequency and I'm going to do that and that's how I'm going to stay," it says, "What's going on around me?" It actually has to have some ability to see what's happening around it, to sense what's happening around it, and then make adjustments to its performance to adapt so that it can actually coexist with these other devices.

Derek Smith:
That's fascinating. The way you've described this, you can see where that would be very valuable in a crowded environment. And pretty cool to see that happening here at Baylor as we visit with Charlie Baylis.
And Charlie, I want to ask you more about that and how that led you to testify before the Senate. But before we do that, I want to pivot just a little bit here. You joined Baylor, we were talking beforehand, I believe here in 2008. You've been here a while and I know you've been building towards things like this. And SMART Hub represents an exciting step for the university, for the School of Engineering and Computer Science and for you personally.
Now, I'm curious, what was it that really brought you here to Baylor in the first place, and what has it meant to alongside your colleagues, contribute to some pretty exciting aspects of growth here in our reach and scope and just ability to serve as a light to others in your fields?

Charlie Baylis:
Boy, I appreciate that question. It's one that's really... Especially first of all, I just have to say how much I appreciate Baylor for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to do what I'm doing today. A lot of universities coming in as a junior faculty member, you would be relegated to typical faculty duties. But Baylor and my department and the administration have been so supportive of my creative and sometimes wild ideas, and I appreciate that. I appreciate the ability to come here and be part of the growth and build my career here at Baylor. I've looked back at the last 16 years and they've been wonderful 16 years.
What brought me here, interestingly, was I had just finished my PhD. I had spent a year as a visiting professor. I was actually at the University of South Florida, an excellent institution. And I looked at the ads, I was looking at applying for permanent jobs. And I was looking through the ads and I saw in my trade magazine an ad saying, "We want someone who is going to help Baylor's research potential as well as be committed to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. "And I said, "That's exactly where I want to be." And I went through the application process and it just ended up being a great fit. It was a no-brainer to me. This is where I wanted to go.
And so six months after seeing that ad, I was here starting a faculty job with a desk in an office. And it's kind of neat when you sit there because the sky is the limit and you just ask God, "Lord, what do you want to do through me here?"
Randall Jean, who was my colleague here when I started in microwaves, was very supportive of the efforts. And we, together, launched a wireless program. We formed an industry advisory board right away. And we started getting out there. It was a struggle for the first few years, but it turned out someone tipped me off back when I first started here, that spectrum would be an issue to the DOD. And so I started kind of working on that. And sure enough it has ballooned to the point where it seems that it has been a useful area to build a career.
And then seeing SMART Hub form on top of that, we really just wanted to do spectrum differently. And we said we're going to build a center around the idea that we can do spectrum differently than it's already been done and create a new way to use spectrum that will allow our nation, our defense, and our economy to grow. And this idea just really, really gained traction and we wanted to use that unashamedly for the spread of the gospel of Jesus.
And so we've continued with that mantra. We've been through some ups and downs as a team, but it's been really exciting because every one of our team members is a team player and has been so much fun to work with and has made my job very easy. And I've gotten to work with great staff, Tom Brooks and Austin Egbert and Andy Clegg and others who have just been really, really... Doug Sicker, who have been great mentors and experts for me in so many ways that when you have people like that on your team, it makes your job very, very easy.

Derek Smith:
We describe that team, Charlie, and I know you mentioned at the top of the show. In many ways you were just getting to stand in and be a spokesperson for all of them, certainly not just you. And we think about you testifying before the Senate committee in February.
And I'm curious, for you, what did it mean to you to have that? We talk about that idea of the seat of the table as Baylor's grown as a research university. What did it mean? I mean, it was a literal seat at the table in front of names that we all recognize in the political realm. Just tell us what it meant to you to be able to advocate for the work being done at Baylor and through SMART Hub. And as you said, that new way, that third way, if you will, that's not either/or, but kind of yes/and it sounds like.

Charlie Baylis:
It's interesting that we have gotten that opportunity. I know that it's from the Lord because those things don't come and we don't take them lightly. I take with very heavy weight the opportunity to help our nation find a path forward in spectrum.
I look at the biblical character of Daniel as someone that I just really think is worthy of emulation for anyone who's doing scholarly research. And certainly in our area, Daniel was somebody who under multiple administrations, so to speak, stood up and helped and was a godly influence. And the Bible actually said he possessed an extraordinary spirit. They could see God's presence in his life and God working through his life. And he also was a very wise man, and God used him to speak into the issues that were in his time. And people saw that.
I think that's what we wanted to do here, is we want to have that seat at the table so that we can offer ourselves. And we want to make sure that we're technologically astute to be able to make those offerings. So obviously we build a big team, a team that's unified in purpose and scope and also has tremendous expertise and provide this aid humbly and with a servant heart to our nation's leaders.
And so going forward, I hope and pray that we'll continue to have these opportunities to have the seat at the table. I mean, we desire to be available as a resource for our senators, our representatives, our national agency leaders, our president, his cabinet. We really prayerfully want to be able to help them and be a resource for them to help our nation be first in spectrum and in these other areas,

Derek Smith:
Visiting with Charlie Baylis here on Baylor Connections. And Charlie as we had in the final couple of minutes here, I want to ask you, you paint the picture of what SMART Hub is doing and what it meant to get to testify before the Senate.
Obviously you're pursuing the development of technologies, but as you look ahead at what SMART Hub is doing here, what are you most excited about and what are the opportunities that continue to motivate you as you develop these new technological advancements?

Charlie Baylis:
That's a really great, great question. I think that there's a couple of things here that I'm really excited about. I look towards the growth potential upward. And by upward I mean the opportunity to influence and come alongside and provide a resource for our nation's leaders. And by that I mean just what you saw, our senators, our congressmen, President Trump, his administration, cabinet, I really see that as a potential because we are, in my view, one of the best collections of university scholars and spectrum around the country. And so we want to be that resource. That's growing up. That's what I see as a great opportunity upward.
But what's really interesting is also I see a great opportunity downward. And by downward, I mean by building... It's not talking about, in any way, less importance, but it's talking about building the future of spectrum. And the future of spectrum is its future workforce. And as educators, we have this ability each day in our classrooms. But even going beyond that, so we are funded by the National Science Foundation right now to actually do something called the Spectrum Sizzle. It's an undergraduate spectrum workshop. And we involve four of our institutions in this Baylor, Colorado State, Virginia Tech, and NYIT will all be hosting Spectrum Sizzle this summer, which will involve 40 undergraduate students from around the country convening at that campus. They'll have folks that are associated with SMART Hub as their clinicians, teaching them about spectrum policy, wireless communications, radar, passive systems, and circuits. And these students will get a four-day intensive there from these folks. And we've done this on our campus and now it's expanding.
We're seeing that we have the ability to influence the future of spectrum in our country, to build a knowledgeable workforce that can handle the technological challenges of spectrum and will be technologically astute in addressing the policy-based challenges of spectrum moving forward. That is going to be one of the biggest pieces of the puzzle in solving the spectrum crisis in our nation. It's not just technology development, but it's developing a workforce that can move those technologies forward.
So I see that as a big opportunity for a national center like us that a single university out there is going to have trouble doing, but because of our national footprint, we can grow the nation's future in spectrum. And so I see that as a huge potential for us.

Derek Smith:
That's exciting. You can see where there's a lot of need for that, for these young people and in the future. It is exciting to see how SMART Hub is doing that.
Well, Charlie, we're at the end of the program here, but I want to thank you for jumping on with us. We are proud to see you there in Washington, DC testifying. I hope this was a little less stressful than that, but you did a great job in both. We appreciate it.

Charlie Baylis:
Oh, thank you, Derek. And I appreciate the work you do for Baylor and getting the word out about what we're doing. So thank you for the opportunity to come on the podcast today. I really appreciate it.

Derek Smith:
Well, it's fantastic work for sure. Thank you. And thank you for your time.
Charlie Baylis, professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and director of SMART Hub, our guest today on Baylor Connections.
I'm Derek Smith. A reminder, you can hear this and other programs online at baylor.edu/connections. And you can subscribe on iTunes. Thanks for joining us here on Baylor Connections.