AgWireless’26
August 29 – September 3, 2026 (plenary program: 08/31 – 09/01)
Ames, Iowa
6G is expected to “connect the unconnected” while advancing service frontiers such as integrated AI and communications, non-terrestrial networks (NTN), and hyper-reliable, low-latency communications (HRLLC). Pioneering use cases such as collaborative aerial and ground vehicles for precision AI weed control, agriculture is an ideal industry vertical for piloting 6G technologies towards their real-world adoption. With worldwide 6G efforts transitioning from requirement investigation to solution development, 2026 is a critical year to solidify the strategy and to build the ecosystem partnership for addressing the last-acre connectivity challenge of agriculture while advancing 6G and its multi-use applications in defense, public safety, transportation and so on!
With the world’s premiere AgTech event Farm Progress Show coming to its coverage area during September 1-3, 2026 and with its first-of-its-kind platforms supporting at-scale, high-capacity wireless x-haul, heterogeneous wireless access, and LEO satellite communications, ARA serves as a living lab for fostering transformative collaboration across wireless and application ecosystems, including academia, industry, government, and communities. Building on the success of prior ARA community events such as AraFest’24, the mission of AgWireless’26 is to celebrate progress across wireless, AgTech and other application domains (e.g., defense, public safety, and transportation), to strengthen collaborative communities and scaffolding, and to ignite wireless, AgTech and multi-use innovation initiatives.
There are ample opportunities for you to co-shape AgWireless”26:
- Interested in presenting demos/talks or joining expert panels or breakout sessions of a specific topic (e.g., AI across wireless and AgTech, Open RAN, AI RAN, satellite communications, cross-TRL & cross-sector collaborations)? Please fill in this Program Participation Form. (Questions can be directed to Hongwei Zhang, Principal Investigator of ARA and Director of the Center for Wireless, Communities and Innovation [WiCI] at Iowa State University.)
- Interested in using a booth at the Farm Progress Show to engage 150,000+ visitors from around world? Please fill in this Show Participation Form. (Questions can be directed to e2@arawireless.org.)
- To attend AraWireless’26 and enjoy the training, collaboration, competition, poster/demo, and visioning activities the program has to offer, please check here.
Confirmed speakers/participants so far:
- Than Hartsock, Vice President (Precision Upgrades), John Deere
- Josh Gelinske, CTO, NSF AgTech Engine in North Dakota
- Nadilia Gomez, CTO, Digital and Precision Ag Biosciences Platform
- Jack Kilian, Founder, Poultry Patrol
- Dave Krog, Founder & CEO, Salin 247
- K. Venkatesh Prasad, Research Affiliate, MIT Sloan School of Management; Retired Senior Vice President of Research & Chief Innovation Officer, Center for Automotive Research (CAR); Retired Sr. Technical Leader & Technology Advisory Board Member, Ford Motor Company
- Dimitris Zermas, Director (Machine Learning), Sentera
- Jaydee Griffith, Managing Director, Next G Alliance
- Ryan Guerra, Founder & CEO, Skylark Wireless
- Larry Peterson, Chair, Technical Steering Team, Aether, a project of Linux Foundation; Robert E. Kahn Emeritus Professor of Computer Science & Senior Research Scholar, Princeton University; Member, National Academy of Engineering
- Greg Santoro, Senior VP & Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC)
- Joshua Seidemann, Vice President (Policy and Industry Innovation), NTCA – The Rural Broadband Association
- Muhammad Shahbaz, Assistant Professor (CSE), University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
- Cong Shen, Associate Professor (ECE), University of Virginia
- Matthew Behrens, Chief Information Officer, State of Iowa
- Richard Candell, Project Leader (Industrial Wireless Systems), National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Sudharman Jayaweera, Program Director (Emerging Technologies), Directorate for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships (TIP), National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Deep Medhi, Program Director (Networking Technology and Systems), Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE), National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Rodney Murphy, Senior Spectrum Management Program Analyst/Counter-UAS Lead, USDOT Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology (USDOT OST-R)
- Mari Silbey, Program Director, PAWR Project Office; Chief Program Officer, National Spectrum Consortium; Senior Director, US Ignite
- Amanda Toman, Director (Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund), National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)
(Note: the specific program is in development, and the timeline may be subject to refinement.)
August 29 – 30, 2026: ARA User Program (community highlights, training, collaboration & competition events; program structure expected to similar to AraFest’25)
Location: ISU Student Innovation Center (SICTR)
August 31, 2026 (NSF Workshop on Ag-Inspired NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership – Day1)
Location: Iowa State University Alumni Center
8:00 – 8:30 am: Registration & Breakfast
8:30 – 9 am: Welcome Remarks by university / state / federal leadership
9 – 9:45 am: Keynote 1: Precision Agriculture, Autonomy, AI
- Than Hartsock, Vice President (Precision Upgrades), John Deere
9:45 – 10:30 am: Keynote 2: 6G for AI, Ag and Synergistic Verticals (e.g., Defense, Public Safety, Transportation)
10:30 – 10:45 am: Break
10:45 – 11:15 am: Keynote 3: NSF Vision and Programs on NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
11:15 – 12:30 pm: Government Panel on Cross-TRL and Cross-Sector Collaboration in NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
12:30 – 2:00 pm: Lunch
2:00 pm – 2:45 pm: Industry & Academic Panel on Cross-TRL and Cross-Sector Collaboration in NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
2:45 – 4:30 pm: Plenary Demos
4:30 – 6:00 pm: Field Trip to ARA Site at ISU Ag Engineering & Agronomy Research Farm
6:00 – 8:00 pm: Posters, Demos and Reception
- Qiang Liu, Assistant Professor (Computing), University of Nebraska–Lincoln
- Tianyu Zhang, Assistant Professor (CS), University of Iowa
September 1, 2026 (NSF Workshop on Ag-Inspired NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership – Day 2)
Location: Iowa State University Alumni Center & Farm Progress Show
8:00 – 8:30 am: Registration & Breakfast
8:30 – 9:15 am: Keynote 4: Social-Economic-Technical Lens of NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
9:15 – 10:45 am: Breakout 1: 6G/Wireless Perspective on Cross-TRL and Cross-Sector Collaboration in NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
9:15 – 10:45 am: Breakout 2: Ag & Multi-Use Perspective on Cross-TRL and Cross-Sector Collaboration in NextG Research, Innovation and Partnership
10:45 – 11:15 am: Break
11:15am – 12:15 pm: Breakout Report & Visioning Discussion
12:15 – 12:30 pm: Concluding Remarks & Plan for Rest of AgWireless’26 and Beyond
12:30 – 1:30 pm: Lunch
1:30 – 4:00 pm: Demo & Exhibit at ARA Site in 2026 Farm Progress Show
September 2-3, 2026 (Demo & Exhibit)
Location: Farm Progress Show
8:00 am – 4:00 pm: Wireless & AgTech Exhibit
Note: all times are in US Central Time.
Venue
The ARA User Program of AgWireless’26 will be held at the Iowa State University (ISU) Student Innovation Center on August 29-30, the NSF Workshop will be held at the ISU Alumni Center on August 31 and September 1, with part of the program on September 1 held at the 2026 Farm Progress Show, and the Demo & Exhibit will be held at the 2026 Farm Progress Show on September 2 – 3.
Fun facts about the Farm Progress Show can be found here.
Fun facts about the Iowa State University campus and the City of Ames can be found here.
Hotels
With the Farm Progress Show coming to the ARA coverage area, hundreds of thousands of visitors will book up hotels around the City of Ames soon. AgWireless’26 participants are strongly encouraged to book hotels ASAP before hotel rooms run out or become very pricy. (orbitz.com can be good platform to find hotels.)
Comfort Inn & Suites
603 S 16th St, Ames, IA
(515) 663-9555
w/Cancellation till Aug 29th: $332/night*
Non-Ref: $266/night
CyRide Accessible ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Sleep Inn & Suites
1310 Dickinson Ave, Ames, IA
(515) 425-4120
w/Cancellation till Aug 24th: $441/night*
CyRide Accessible 3 ~ 4 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Quality Inn & Suites
2601 E 13th St, Ames, IA
(515) 425-4115
w/Cancellation till Aug 30: $311/night*
Non-Ref: $264/night
~ 4 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Days Inn by Wyndham Ames
229 S Duff Ave, Ames, IA
(515) 203-3080
w/Cancellation till Aug 30: $259/night*
CyRide Accessible ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Iowa House Ames – Historic Inn Hotel
405 Hayward Ave, Ames, IA
(515) 292-2474
~$145 per night
CyRide Accessible 1 ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Gateway Hotel and Conference Center
2100 Green Hills Drive, Ames, IA
(515) 292-8600
~$284 per night; free cancelation within 24 hours of stay*
CyRide Accessible ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, Ames
2609 University Blvd, Ames, IA
(515) 259-1973
~$285 per night; free cancelation within 24 hours of stay*
CyRide Accessible ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Best Western Plus University Park Inn & Suites
2500 University Blvd, Ames, IA 50010
(515) 296-2500
~$160 per night; free Cancelation within 24 hours of stay*
CyRide Accessible ~ 2 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Econo Lodge
2600 SE 16th St, Ames, IA 50010
(515) 233-6060
~$215 per night; free cancelation within 24 hours of stay*
4 ~ 5 miles from ISU Alumni Center
Other great hotels in Ames can be found here. Besides Ames, hotels are available in nearby cities such as Boone, Ankeny, and Des Moines.
* Information is for informal reference only. Please check with the individual hotels for the latest information on room rates and cancellation polices.
Travel
Many commercial and commuter airlines serve the Des Moines International Airport (DSM) which is 35 miles away from Ames, Iowa. Private planes use the Ames Municipal Airport. Car rental is available at the Des Moines airport.
Parking & Transportation
Parking is available at the Iowa State University Memorial Union (lots 73, B3, Lot 62, and Lot 54), and detailed information can be found here.
Transportation is expected to be provided between the Alumni Center and the Schilletter Village (SUV), in the early morning (before the first session) and late afternoon (after the last session).
| Type | Early Registration (until August 2, 2026) | Regular Registration (until August 16 / 23, 2026) |
| Registration Fee | $300 (in person) $100 (online) | $400 (in person, until August 12) $150 (online, until August 26) |
| Fee Waiver/ Discount | Full consideration for potential waiver/discount of registration fee | If fund is available after all the early registrants have been considered. |
| Travel Grant | Full consideration for academics as well as industry and government professionals from U.S. institutions. | If travel fund is available after all the early registrants have been considered. |
(Note: to help best plan the event, registration at your earliest convenience and well before the deadlines is appreciated.)
Waiver/Discount of Registration Fee: to make the event accessible to as many participants as possible, the ARA team is trying its best to secure resources for potentially providing a registration fee waiver/discount to participants who may need it. If the registration fee waiver/discount is critical to your participation, please fill in this application form.
Travel Grant: a limited number of travel grants are expected to be made available to academics as well as industry and government professionals from U.S. institutions (with students given the highest priority). If you are interested in applying for a travel grant, please submit the following information in a single PDF file via this application form.
- CV
- [Student Only] Personal statement (no more than 2 pages) with approval signature from the student’s advisor/supervisor. It is recommended that the personal statement discuss (1) the applicant’s research accomplishments so far, (2) how the participation in AraFest’26 (e.g., ARA Use Training Session) may help with the applicant’s current and future research, spelling out specific research topics for which ARA can serve as a testbed, and (3) whether or not the participant will be willing to serve as an active user of ARA and share ARA use experience and insight with the broad community for collaborative learning.
Poster & Talk Sessions: We encourage all attendees (especially travel grant applicants) to submit for the Poster Session and/or Talk Session using this form.
- Poster & Demo Session: Showcase your current research and/or how you plan to use ARA. Awards will be given for Best Poster and Honorable Mention.
- Talk Session: Present your research and how you have used—or plan to use—ARA.
Travel grant application deadline: applications will be reviewed and grants will be awarded on a first-come-first-serve basis; participants are invited to submit applications ASAP and by 11:59pm July 15, 2026 US Pacific Time. (Applications may be considered after July 15, but early applications are strongly encouraged.)
Early registration deadline: 11:59pm August 2, 2026 US Pacific Time
Regular registration deadline: 11:59pm August 16/23, 2026 US Pacific Time
AraFest’26 is made possible by the generous support of the following sponsors. If your organization may be interested in co-sponsoring the event, please contact partner@arawireless.org.
Platinum
Program Chair
Hongwei Zhang, Iowa State University (ECE)
NSF Workshop Committee
Jaydee Grififth, Next G Alliance
Larry Peterson, Princeton University & Linux Foundation Aether Project
Brett Ramirez, Iowa State University (ABE)
Soumik Sarkar, Iowa State University (ME)
Muhammad Shahbaz, University of Michigan (ECE)
Ness Shroff, Ohio State University (ECE)
Asheesh Singh, Iowa State University (Agronomy)
Zhi-Li Zhang, University of Minnesota (CSE)
ARA User Program & Local Organizing Committee
Sarath Babu, Iowa State University (ECE)
Joshua Ofori Boateng, Iowa State University (ECE)
Taimoor Ul Islam, Iowa State University (ECE)
Daji Qiao, Iowa State University (ECE)
Mohamed Selim, Iowa State University (ECE)
Tianyi Zhang, Iowa State University (ECE)
Event Management
Ali Tallaq, Iowa State University (WiCI)
To reach out to the organization team, please email e2@arawireless.org.