We all think Microsoft's monopoly on PC operating systems is bad
business, but now after the U.S. is under attack from terrorists, the
FCC delays in approving ultra-wideband for licensed-exempt (free use) is
worst since the greed of AT&T Wireless, Cisco, Sprint and Boeing now
impacts our society's emergency rescue and security capabilities.
"In recent months a laundry list of heavyweights including AT&T
Wireless, Cisco, Sprint and Boeing have all filed protests, claiming
that UWB would disrupt cellular networks, global positioning systems and
satellite transmissions. AT&T Wireless argued that UWB should not be
widely deployed “until more is known about the harm this technology
could cause to existing services.”
Nonsense, says Dewayne Hendricks, an FCC adviser and principal of the
Dandin Group < http://www.dandin.com >, which wants to prove naysayers
wrong by building a high-speed Internet access network on, of all
places, the Pacific island of Tonga. “UWB is well below the
noise floor, so it can’t cause interference,”says Hendricks."
In May 2001, a team of researchers from the University of Southern
California, the University of California at Berkeley, and the University
of Massachusetts at Amherst were awarded a Multidisciplinary University
Research Initiative (MURI) Grant from the Department of Defense. The
focus of this effort is on Short-Range Ultra-Wideband Systems. Click to
view or download information on this effort.
< http://ultra.usc.edu/New%20Site/Muri_Abstract.html >
Overall, I'm hoping the Bootstrap Institute and it's international
alliance of stakeholders can help me find a way of getting these UWB
micro-radar chips approved and/or experimental waivers for use during
our national emergency. Any other ideas for finding help is greatly
appreciated.
Sincerely,
-- John Deneen
P.S.
See below for Statement on Ultrawideband Test Results and remarks by
Assistant Secretary Gregory L. Rohde:
Ref.
< http://www.ntia.doc.gov/osmhome/uwbtestplan/>
News Conference
January 18, 2001
Statement on Ultrawideband Test Results
This morning, I'm pleased to announce the results of our first phase of
testing of the promising new ultrawideband technology. After that
discussion, I also want to spend a moment talking about how we spent our
time here at NTIA over the past year.
Ultrawideband technology is one of the most promising technologies of
our time. It can be used for communications devices like wireless
networks; remote sensing or tracking; and ground penetrating radars. And
there are many applications that haven't been invented yet. The
challenge at the moment is to see where this new technology fits with
current services. Ultrawideband is fundamentally different from just
about everything else that exists today. Most other radio communications
technologies operate within a very narrow band of spectrum, and
interference is avoided by frequency assignments. Ultrawideband, as the
name implies, operates across a wide range of spectrum frequencies.
Marrying these two systems is nothing short of merging two different
paradigms.
Ultrawideband technology operates at low power levels using very narrow
pulses. Analyzing the characteristics of this new technology and
incorporating it into our existing spectrum management regime is no
small feat.
NTIA's Office of Spectrum Management and our Institute of
Telecommunication Sciences (ITS), located in Boulder, Colorado, have
done groundbreaking work to attempt to better understand ultrawideband
and its interaction with existing public safety and national security
systems. Today, I'm announcing the results of the first part of our
ultrawideband testing, dealing with devices other than Global
Positioning System (GPS). The ITS lab and OSM are still conducting the
study of ultrawideband devices and GPS .
We were provided with 25 assorted ultrawideband devices. We made
detailed measurements on five of the transmitters which seemed to be
fairly typical of the group. The devices were not selected based on the
manufacturer. We used a simulator to replicate a wide range of
ultrawideband characteristics in the measurements performed by ITS. For
the purposes of these tests, we are not disclosing who made the devices
we tested.
We tested these UWB devices against several Federal services. We did
interference tests for three systems: Air Route Surveillance Radar
(1240-1370 MHZ), Airport Surveillance Radar (2700-2900 MHZ) and Air
Traffic Control Beacon System (1090 MHZ). In addition, our spectrum
engineers developed some mathematical models based on the results of
those tests to allow us to analyze another nine systems, including
satellite and other radar systems.
Our conclusion based on these tests is that it there is a potential to
operate ultrawideband devices in the 3 GHz-6 GHz range. Distance, pulse
repetition frequency and power levels are the three major variables in
the various scenarios that were tested. Some of the services in this
area that will need further discussion are the fixed satellite services
at 3.7 GHz-4.2 GHz; microwave landing services, at 5.03 GHz-5.091 GHz
and Doppler weather radar, at 5.6 GHz-5.65 GHz.
The study being released today does not contain any policy conclusions.
This study will form the basis of negotiations between NTIA and the FCC
to develop a final rule that will permit the development and
availability of ultrawideband technologies. The study results will be
part of the FCC's proceeding and NTIA looks forward to working with
industry and the FCC to develop policy determinations that will allow
for the deployment of ultrawideband technologies and preserve public
safety.
The issuance of this report will hopefully bring us one step closer to
the establishment of a final rule that will advance ultrawideband
technologies.
Let me stress that these tests apply only to non-GPS systems. The GPS
tests will be concluded at the end of February.
< http://www.ntia.doc.gov/ntiahome/press/2001/uwb011801.htm >
attached mail follows:
I don't see the Bush Admin accepting any "help" from the UN, but I would
expect that UWB will be accepted by FCC eventually.
At 09:52 PM 9/11/2001 -0700, you wrote:
> FYI about why UWB hasn't been approved by the FCC (yet). Can we get any
>UN help in breaking through this bureaucratic grid lock, at least for
>locating and rescuing trapped survivors and improving security provisions?
>Wide Open (excerpt)
>BYLINE: John C. Dvorak
>"The military wants to keep it as its secret communications technology. The
>big cellular phone companies claim it will ruin their business. The
>aviation industry hopes it doesn’t make planes fall from the sky.
>Meanwhile, this controversial technology, called ultra-wide-band or pulse
>radio, promises so many benefits — from cheap, high-speed wireless
>networking to the ability to see through clothing — that it can no longer
>be suppressed. Only an ongoing review by the Federal
>Communications Commission stands in the way of its widespread use. If
>current tests by the federal government show that it doesn’t interfere with
>frequencies already in use, ultra-wide-band radio may be approved for free,
>unlicensed usage by late spring. ... ... The new Republican Administration
>may cave in to the interests of large telcos. The good news for UWB fans is
>that new FCC Chairman Michael Powell always voted in favor of UWB when he
>was a commissioner. The more I learn about this technology, the more I
>believe it should be on an FCC fast track toward approval. We’ll see."
>< http://www.time-domain.com/Files/PDF/news/Forbes.pdf >
>
> "Jerome C. Glenn" wrote: Thank you for your solidarity. May it help wake
>up wise minds to work hard to build a better future. more later, Jerry At
>01:59 PM 9/11/2001 -0700, you wrote:
>>Jerry,
>>
>>I'm praying your OK and capable for helping others in saving the lives
>>of Americans and improving their security at home and abroad by
>>contacting the following principals about utilizing this micro-radar
>>technology ASAP.
>>
>< http://www.aetherwire.com > is a leader
>>in developing a network of 1000's of Ultra-wideband (UWB) radar chips
>>that can be dropped on a disaster scene and penetrate materials such as
>>rubber, plastic, wood, concrete, glass, ice, and mud for locating
>>victums by detecting their heartbeats. These same chips can also be used
>>to tagged victums for tracking changes in their location during
>>evacuation.
>>
>>The capability of this technology has been field tested and verified by
>>Dr. James Freenersyer, Program Officer at the Office of Naval Research
>>(Commmunications, Surveillance, and Electronics Combat Division)
>>(703) 696-0157
>>freebej@onr.navy.mil
><ftp://ftp.onr.navy.mil/PUB/freebej/>
>>
>>In addition, the chips are capable of providing "secured" communications
>>of data, voice, video and radar detection for improving security at
>>airports, etc, any where in the world. FCC approval has been delayed,
>>but perhaps the technology can be approved for used during a "National
>>Emergency".
>>
>>For more info, please contact Bob Flemming
>>(415) 662-2055
>>bob@aetherwire.com
>>(located near Marin, north of SF).
>>
>>and/or
>>
>>Tom Rosenbury, Mgr.
>>Ultra-wideband Group
>>Lawrence Livermore Nat'l Lab.
>>(925) 423-7510
>>rosenbury1@llnl.gov
>< http://www.llnl.gov/IPandC/op96/10/10o-mic.html >
>>
>>Tom McEwan, Micro-Radar Inventor (formerly at LLNL)
>>McEwan Technologies, LLC
>>21 Mandeville Court, Suite A
>>Monterey, CA 93940
>>(831) 333-0445
>< http://www.getradar.com/>
>>
>>If I can be of any further help, please don't hesistant to contact me
>>immediately.
>>
>>Sincerely,
>>
>>-- John Deneen
>>(650) 575-6169
>>
>>---------------------------------------------------------------
>>NetZero Platinum
>>Only $9.95 per month!
>>Sign up in September to win one of 30 Hawaiian Vacations for 2!
>>&refcd=PT97
>>
>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.0.0 : Wed Sep 12 2001 - 11:17:03 PDT