Kumu Networks has been an early proponent of full duplex technology to boost capacity in wireless applications, including 5G, wireless and backhaul, but it has struggled to hit the commercial mainstream. Now it has secured a $5m award from the US Department of Defense (DoD) to prototype a 5G full duplex system for integrated access and backhaul (IAB), an important aspect of the 5G Release 16 standards. This will make heavy use of Kumu’s signature IP in self-interference cancellation (SIC). IAB can extend coverage by using spectrum from a cell site both for backhaul and for access to surrounding sites, essentially setting up a mesh network. Full duplex allows the same channel to be used for transmit and receive, potentially…