WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission should begin to have rules in place for using ultra-wideband wireless technologies before the end of 2000, said FCC Commissioner Susan Ness.
Ultra-wideband radio frequency technologies long have been recognized as the technology of choice for ground-penetrating radars, but it is being recognized that the technology has the potential to address a far wider range of radar, communications and positioning applications, according to the Ultra Wideband Working Group, the sponsor of the first ultra-wideband conference at which Ness spoke.
“We still need to build on our record … I believe we should go forward with a rule making … It is my hope that we can initiate our proceeding within the next few months with the goal of completing our work next year,” Ness said.
The Ultra Wideband Working Group was formed after an initial meeting in 1998 showed a need for a trade association for these emerging technologies. The working group consists of more than 50 organizations and entrepreneurs devoted to developing and advancing ultra-wideband technology.
The notice of proposed rule making would be a continuation of work started by the FCC last year when it initiated a notice of inquiry.
Julius Knapp, deputy director of the FCC’s Office of Engineering and Technology, indicated coordination with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration needed to continue before an NPRM could be released.
“We are really taking in all of the information you gave us and coordinating with NTIA, developing a rule making that represents our best thinking … There is a lot of work going on to hopefully put together a rule making,” Knapp said.
In June, the FCC approved three waivers for ultra-wideband technologies after it negotiated some conditions with NTIA, Knapp said. The FCC manages spectrum for commercial use, while NTIA manages spectrum for government use. There is some concern ultra-wideband technologies will interfere with the global positioning system. While GPS has many commercial applications, it is a government-managed navigational system.
Ultra-wideband technology is at the same point today that the Internet was at in 1993, said Ralph Petroff, president and chief executive officer of Time Domain Inc. “Even though few people have heard of UWB, this technology will have a profound effect on society and the economy,” Petroff said.
The conference was held in Washington, Petroff said, “to educate [policy-makers] on the unprecedented benefits of this technology … There is an old Russian saying: `It is better to see it once than to hear about it 100 times.”‘
