Subject: [NEXTEL-1] UWB to ace out WiFi

From: [email-masked]
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 04:20:17 -0400

UWB to ace out WiFi
Barbara Gengler
JULY 29, 2003

LOW power requirements and up to 60Mbps speed will boost ultrawideband (UWB)
technology over WiFi wireless networking and Bluetooth, an analyst says.

US market researcher West Technology Research Solutions (WTRS), which specialises
in emerging technologies, says the dominance of UWB in high data rate wireless is
almost inevitable.
"Despite its market potential, UWB product release is, and will continue to be,
incremental, in direct relation to overcoming challenges from industries concerned
with RF interference," WTRS analyst Kirsten West said.

The potential throughput of UWB, 1000 times greater than 802.11b (WiFi), and its
support for a piconet (an ad hoc network of devices using the Bluetooth networking
standard) of unlimited size, could displace technologies in LANs, PANs (Personal
Area Networks) and ultimately WANS, she said.

"Many companies in technology and communications, notably cellular phone handset
manufacturers, are fully aware of UWB's immense commercial application, and
anticipate that UWB will create a wealth of options that will probably leave CDMA
behind as no longer sufficient," Ms West said.

Given 4 per cent global Gross Domestic Product growth, annual shipments for UWB
chip sets for communications alone would exceed 63 million units by 2007, the
analyst estimated.

UWB had attracted attention because the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
Engineers (IEEE) 802.15.3a working group expected to define the physical aspects
of high-speed personal wireless networking before August.

The new interface would use the current 802.15.3 media access control (MAC).

Two groups have argued that their specification was more sensible.

Texas Instruments, which recently teamed up with the Intel-led Multiband
Consortium, backs the Multiband OFDM Alliance (MBOA).

The consortium advocates splitting the recently authorised UWB radio spectrum into
three or seven bands.

The other major group, which includes Motorola and XtremeSpectrum, proposes
continuous spectrum.

MBOA says its solution will be more scalable and could more easily handle
temporary interruptions to streaming, while Motorola and its supporters says its
standard is better for the stringent limits placed on UWB.

 http://australianit.news.com.au/articles/0,7204,6826627%5E15343%5E%5Enbv%5E15306-15318,00.html

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for Your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at Myinks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada. http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=5511
http://us.click.yahoo.com/sO0ANB/LIdGAA/ySSFAA/61FxlB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/