It’s a $100 million national competition, and if Notre Dame’s team finishes in the Top Four, all of South Bend will benefit from part of it.

A project called SBXG is the combined effort of the city and Notre Dame’s Wireless Institute.

The goal is to create advanced wireless technology that would win the funding support to set up $25 million worth of antennae that would blanket the city, including the wireless control of drones and the next generation of WiFi. This would help the city test future drone usage for deliveries, emergency response, and other uses.

Only four cities will be awarded the National Science Foundation grants over the next several years, and the first is likely to be announced at the beginning of next year.