KENNESAW, Ga. | Feb 6, 2025

5G is known as the fifth generation of wireless technology. If you have a 5G cell phone, its connection is made faster and more flexible by 5G.

Xinyue Zhang, an assistant professor of computer science at Kennesaw State University, recently received funding for her project, Collaborative Research: CISE MSI: RDP: CNS: Towards the Resilient NextG Network Design for Federated Learning over Mobile Devices.

This project is looking to incorporate federated learning into the next generation network. Federated learning is a technique used in machine learning that allows multiple devices to train a model while keeping the data decentralized, meaning the data is kept separately on each entity and not in a cloud.

“It is a kind of distributed learning,” Zhang said. “This means that we train our model on the phone, and we also have a server on the cloud to complete the aggregation.”

That means the server on the cloud will work to sort the data that is being kept on your own device, which increases privacy.

"An everyday example of federated learning is emoji and next-word prediction," Zhang explained. "When you use your phone to communicate, it learns your unique way of speaking and based on previous inputs, suggests words or images that you’re likely to use next."

Another common application that uses federated learning are healthcare apps, which allow people to track their health status.

The integration of federated learning into the development of NextG networks will not only further what mobile technologies are capable of, but also enhance both privacy and data security for each user.

Zhang’s work at KSU aims to transform everyday applications by increasing their intelligence and security.

— Story by Alyssa Ozment
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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.