Dielectric Tapped to Develop Communications Lab at U of Maine

Dielectric Communications has received a $2.2 million grant from the Maine Technology Asset Fund (MATF) to develop a wireless communications laboratory at the University of Maine.

"The establishment of a new state-of-the-art laboratory at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department will allow University researchers and Dielectric engineers to work toward the creation of the next generation of wireless communications devices and networks," said Dr. Mohamad T. Musavi, chair and professor of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University.

Dielectric and the University of Maine will work together to develop capabilities for environmental testing, high-power RF and microwave circuit design, and wireless networking and communication system design.

One project mentioned in the Dielectric news release concerned the development of "enhanced design, testing and fabrication of complex wireless systems with 10 times the coverage provided by existing technology."

Dielectric said that the technology would allow a substantial reduction in the number of cell towers needed for wireless coverage and significant energy savings.

The Maine Wireless Communication Laboratory is expected to begin operations by the end of 2009.

Doug Lung

Doug Lung is one of America's foremost authorities on broadcast RF technology. As vice president of Broadcast Technology for NBCUniversal Local, H. Douglas Lung leads NBC and Telemundo-owned stations’ RF and transmission affairs, including microwave, radars, satellite uplinks, and FCC technical filings. Beginning his career in 1976 at KSCI in Los Angeles, Lung has nearly 50 years of experience in broadcast television engineering. Beginning in 1985, he led the engineering department for what was to become the Telemundo network and station group, assisting in the design, construction and installation of the company’s broadcast and cable facilities. Other projects include work on the launch of Hawaii’s first UHF TV station, the rollout and testing of the ATSC mobile-handheld standard, and software development related to the incentive auction TV spectrum repack.
A longtime columnist for TV Technology, Doug is also a regular contributor to IEEE Broadcast Technology. He is the recipient of the 2023 NAB Television Engineering Award. He also received a Tech Leadership Award from TV Tech publisher Future plc in 2021 and is a member of the IEEE Broadcast Technology Society and the Society of Broadcast Engineers.