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FCC looks to approve new technology
Monday, January 07 2002
by Matthew Clark


According to reports, the FCC in the US is on the verge of approving a new
wireless technology despite concerns from airlines and mobile carriers. 

The technology is called ultra-wideband (UWB) and when approved the standard is
expected to have a profound effect on the wireless industry. Although the
versatile technology has a variety of interesting capabilities, some of its more
touted applications include wireless local area networks, search and rescue as
well as collision avoidance systems. 



Unlike more common wireless systems used in the US and Europe which emit radio
waves on specific frequencies, UWB devices send out up to 1 billion pulses of
radio waves per second on random frequencies. By timing returning pulses,
UWB-enabled devices can determine where objects and people are and can measure
their position, with impressive accuracy. 



The multiple frequencies allow UWB enabled devices to operate high speeds and
very low power levels, thus making it able to penetrate walls and other obstacles
more easily.



On the surface, the technology seems to be more like radar than a wireless
communication technology and it is thought that the technology could threaten
global positioning system makers. But in addition to its ability to track
objects' locations, UWB can also be used to establish wireless Local Area
Networks similar to Bluetooth and 802.11. 



But the technology has been opposed by airlines and mobile phone companies who
claim that its multi frequency standards will cause interference with their
systems. The Federal Communications Commission in the US is thought to be
negotiating with opponents, but reports in the US are suggesting that the FCC is
dismissing these interference claims and it is thought that approval will be
reached by next month. New consumer products using ultra-wideband could be on the
market as early as this year.



In 2001 the FCC granted temporary permission for the use of ultra-wideband
devices to locate victims of the World Trade Center disaster in New York.
Approval for the new technology may come under the same FCC regulations that
unlicensed wireless devices, such as cordless phones and baby monitors, must
adhere to. Nevertheless, it is thought that the FCC will initially limit
ultra-wideband networks to small areas such airports, offices or shopping
centres.



TimeDomain, a leader in the currently small UWB market, is already selling
products to the US Navy to detect possible dangers in ammunition stores and says
that if the technology receives approval, consumer products will be launched
soon. In April of last year, the company announced a deal, along with General
Electric Corporate Research and Development, for the formation of a multi-million
dollar technology partnership to develop an innovative indoor wireless tracking
and communications network using Ultra Wideband Radio Frequency (RF) technology.
That partnership included the execution of a potential USD3.2 million contract
with the US Department of Commerce that spans three years. 

TimeDomain's network, known as the Integrated Communication and Tracking System
(ICATS), is one of 54 new technology research and development projects awarded by
the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Advanced Technology
Program, a programme designed to provide Federal assistance to high-risk, high
pay-off technologies that offer significant benefits to the US economy.