Wireless Innovation Forum
Wireless Innovation Forum is a 501-style non-profit standards development organization founded in 1996 that builds consensus-based specifications and reference implementations for CBRS, SDR, 6 GHz spectrum sharing, and SCA/SOSA interoperability, serving telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, and regulatory stakeholders.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersWashington, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Wireless Innovation Forum does
Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) is a non-profit mutual benefit corporation founded in 1996 and headquartered in Washington, DC, that operates as a consensus-based standards development organization for advanced wireless communications. It develops technical specifications, reference implementations, and test plans across four primary domains: Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum sharing in the 3.5 GHz band, Software Defined Radio (SDR) and the Software Communications Architecture (SCA), 6 GHz unlicensed band standards including Geofenced Variable Power (GVP), and military interoperability via SCA/SOSA. The Forum's technical output directly informs FCC rulemakings and is developed through member-staffed committees under a lean standards development model.
The organization is funded primarily through membership dues paid by equipment manufacturers, telecommunications service providers, government/regulatory bodies, and technology integrators who participate in committee work and gain access to work products. Named members and board participants include AT&T, Google, Federated Wireless, HPE, Charter Communications, Nokia, RKF Engineering, and WISPA. Distribution occurs through secure member portals, public repositories, conference proceedings, free webinars, the "Setting the Standard" video blog, and sponsored workshops. The Forum maintains an India Regional Committee and publishes Springer-indexed conference proceedings.
Recent strategic initiatives include an AI-powered CBRS standards query tool built on Google's NotebookLM (launched January 2026), a new GVP Task Group for next-generation 6 GHz devices (March 2026), and the inaugural WInnAI workshop on AI/ML in advanced wireless communications (February 2026). The leadership team comprises CEO John Glossner, Chairman Colby Harper (Chair of the Board of Directors), and Chair Emeritus Manuel Uhm. The Forum is a 501(c)-style governance entity, not a venture- or PE-backed company, and operates with a small staff of 1-10 employees.
Wireless Innovation Forum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Wireless Innovation Forum
- Legal name
- Wireless Innovation Forum
- Website
- https://wirelessinnovation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Wireless Innovation Forum is a 501-style non-profit standards development organization founded in 1996 that builds consensus-based specifications and reference implementations for CBRS, SDR, 6 GHz spectrum sharing, and SCA/SOSA interoperability, serving telecom operators, equipment manufacturers, and regulatory stakeholders.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Wireless Innovation Forum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Wireless Communications Standards
- NAICS
- Business Associations (813910)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards) (MPAJACAB)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Defense Communications (Secure Radios, SATCOM Terminals, Crypto) (IMABAGAG)
Keywords
Where Wireless Innovation Forum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Washington
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Wireless Innovation Forum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership Dues: Organization operates through member companies who pay dues to participate in standards development and access work products
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels6 records
Wireless Innovation Forum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) is a member-driven standards development organization that creates technical specifications, reference implementations, and work products for advanced wireless communications. Its core activities center on developing standards for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), Software Defined Radio (SDR) including the Software Communications Architecture (SCA), 6 GHz unlicensed band devices, and dynamic spectrum sharing technologies. Members access standards documents, test plans, and committee collaboration materials through secure portals.
Product overview
Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) is a standards development organization founded in 1996 that develops specifications and standards for advanced wireless technologies. The organization operates as a platform-based approach with multiple core standards initiatives including CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) standards, Software Defined Radio (SDR) standards, and 6 GHz spectrum standards. These standards work together to enable dynamic spectrum sharing, flexible radio systems, and next-generation unlicensed devices. WInnForum also provides supporting resources including reference implementations, conference proceedings, and more recently, AI-powered tools like the CBRS Standards Query Tool to help organizations develop compatible equipment. The organization hosts annual meetings and workshops including the WInnAI workshop focused on AI/ML applications in wireless communications and spectrum management.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CBRS Standards Development Standards, specifications, recommendations, and technical work products for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), including spectrum sharing protocols and database requirements. Used by equipment manufacturers, SAS providers, and service providers developing CBRS-compatible systems in the 3.5 GHz band.
- Software Defined Radio (SDR) Standards Standards development for software defined radio systems, including the SCA (Software Communications Architecture) and related specifications enabling flexible, interoperable radio systems. Targets equipment manufacturers and defense communications integrators.
- 6 GHz Spectrum Standards Standards development for 6 GHz unlicensed band devices, including Geofenced Variable Power (GVP) requirements, automated frequency coordination, and incumbent databases for next-generation wireless devices.
- AI-Powered CBRS Standards Query Tool AI-powered research tool using Google's NotebookLM technology that provides streamlined access to CBRS standards, delivering fast contextual answers to technical questions to facilitate development of CBRS-compatible equipment.
- WInnAI 2026 Workshop First Annual Workshop on AI/ML and Agentic AI in Advanced Wireless Communications and Spectrum Management (WInnAI 2026), covering technical tracks spanning dynamic spectrum sharing, software-defined radio systems, and 6 GHz automated frequency coordination.
- Reference Implementations Reference implementations of WInnForum standards that organizations can use as templates or starting points for their own implementations.
Quantifiable outcome
- Standards enabling CBRS deployment in 3.5 GHz band
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Wireless Innovation Forum
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Wireless Innovation Forum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Wireless Innovation Forum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- WISPA (Wireless Internet Service Providers Association)coreCo-chair of Geofenced Variable Power (GVP) Task Group developing technical standards for next-generation 6 GHz unlicensed devices. WISPA represents wireless internet service providers and brings industry perspective to standards development.
- Federated WirelesscoreCo-chair of GVP Task Group and CBRS SAS provider. Received FCC emergency waiver in September 2024 for temporary suspension of environmental sensing obligations due to hurricane outages.
- Wi-Fi AlliancecorePrior collaboration on testing frameworks for 6 GHz standards. Building on existing partnership to develop GVP testing specifications and interoperability guidelines.
- GooglecoreNew Board member company with involvement in CBRS standards development. Received FCC emergency waiver for temporary suspension of environmental sensing obligations. Launched AI-powered standards query tool on WInnForum website.
- HPE (Hewlett Packard Enterprise)coreNew Board member bringing enterprise technology perspective to standards development.
- Charter CommunicationscoreNew Board member representing cable operator perspective in spectrum sharing standards.
- NokiacoreNew Board member bringing infrastructure equipment manufacturer perspective to standards development.
- RKF EngineeringcoreNew Board member bringing engineering consultancy perspective to technical standards.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Wireless Innovation Forum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wi-Fi Alliance: Industry SDO governing Wi-Fi certifications and standards; WInnForum is already a partner on 6 GHz testing frameworks. Directly comparable membership-based, standards-development business model serving the same wireless ecosystem.
- ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions): North American telecom industry standards body addressing 5G, IoT, and network infrastructure. Closely comparable as a member-driven SDO serving telecom operators and equipment vendors with overlapping wireless subject matter.
- TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association): Trade association developing standards for ICT infrastructure including wireless, with a similar member-funded model and a comparable scope in telecom equipment and network standards.
- Bluetooth SIG: Membership-funded SDO governing Bluetooth specifications and certification. Closely analogous operating model (membership dues, standards, certification, reference implementations) in the adjacent short-range wireless domain.
Emerging players
- O-RAN Alliance: Operator-led consortium defining open RAN architectures for 5G and beyond. Comparable in being a member-driven SDO shaping telecom infrastructure, though focused on radio access network architecture rather than spectrum sharing.
- Small Cell Forum: Industry association driving small cell and densification standards for 4G/5G networks. Similar membership-driven SDO model addressing overlapping carrier and equipment-vendor stakeholders in wireless infrastructure.
Broad incumbents
- ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute): Larger, Europe-based SDO producing globally adopted telecom standards. Comparable business model as a membership-funded SDO, but operates at materially greater scale across the full telecom stack.
- IEEE Standards Association: Standards body behind 802.11 (Wi-Fi) and other foundational wireless specifications. Overlaps with WInnForum's spectrum-sharing and SDR scope but operates with vastly larger scope and resource base.
- 3GPP: Global cellular standards body driving 4G/5G/6G specifications. Tangentially adjacent in the wireless ecosystem but materially larger; CBRS and 6 GHz standards are sometimes coordinated alongside 3GPP outputs.
Regional players
- 5G Americas: Industry trade organization focused on the Americas mobile broadband ecosystem. Comparable member-funded advocacy and standards-adjacent activity, though narrower in technical scope than WInnForum's wireless standards work.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Wireless Innovation Forum social profiles
Digital presenceWireless Innovation Forum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Wireless Innovation Forum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Wireless Innovation Forum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Wireless Innovation Forum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Wireless Innovation Forum
What does Wireless Innovation Forum do?
The Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnForum) is a member-driven standards development organization that creates technical specifications, reference implementations, and work products for advanced wireless communications. Its core activities center on developing standards for Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS), Software Defined Radio (SDR) including the Software Communications Architecture (SCA), 6 GHz unlicensed band devices, and dynamic spectrum sharing technologies. Members access standards documents, test plans, and committee collaboration materials through secure portals.
Is Wireless Innovation Forum a public or private company?
Wireless Innovation Forum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Wireless Innovation Forum founded?
Wireless Innovation Forum was founded in 1996. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Wireless Innovation Forum based?
Wireless Innovation Forum is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.
How does Wireless Innovation Forum make money?
One revenue line is on record: membership Dues.
Who are Wireless Innovation Forum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wi-Fi Alliance, ATIS (Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions), TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) and Bluetooth SIG. Emerging players are O-RAN Alliance and Small Cell Forum. Broad incumbents are ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute), IEEE Standards Association and 3GPP. 5G Americas is listed as a regional player.
Does Wireless Innovation Forum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Wireless Innovation Forum.
What industry is Wireless Innovation Forum in?
Wireless Innovation Forum's product category is Wireless Communications Standards. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJACAB, Standards Development & Publishing (SDOs, Technical Standards), with a secondary code of IMABAGAG, Defense Communications (Secure Radios, SATCOM Terminals, Crypto). Its NAICS code is 813910 and its SIC code is 8600.