Secure with 50 converts and confident of its quality, the torch bearers of the Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) technology believe that telecom companies are heeding their call to make it a global standard.
The association, known as the OFDM Forum, seeks to foster a single, compatible OFDM standard for cost-effective, high-speed wireless networks on a variety of devices.
Established in 1999, the market development association embodies telecom companies and other users interested in the technology, and membership has leaped from eight last year to about 50.
“OFDM’s strength lies in its ability to continually evolve into a high data rate technology,” said Lee Warren, business development vice president of Wi-Lan, the forum’s chair company.
Applauding the technology’s current high-speed capacity of 54 Mbps, Warren says it can evolve into 155 mbps.
She said OFDM products are suited to IEEE 802.11a and ETSI BRAN.
She said the technology also has the “ability to address multipaths which is a significant issue in broadband wireless.”
In its last meeting in November in Canada the forum beat its chest when it welcomed four new principal members to its fold. They were BreezeCom, DIBCOM, Mixbaal and WON Technology Inc.
BreezeCom is an Israel-based company that provides broadband wireless access solutions to service providers and enterprises.
“OFDM represents the next generation of wireless technology,” said Bernard Herscovich, president of BreezeCom USA. “Having a single global standard for the technology will help reduce costs for deploying wireless networks and will translate into reduced costs to the consumer for high-speed wireless access.”
DIBCOM, a start-up company, provides integrated silicon solutions for wireless access to broadband mobile receivers.
Mixbaal offers last-mile telecom equipment like spread spectrum radio, E1/T1 multiplexors and miniDaCs.
WON Technologies Ltd. develops and manufactures high-speed wireless data communication technologies and products for Internet networks, local area network, small offices, home offices and wireless personal digital assistants. It also develops wireless RF accessories for voice communications.
Warren says it has no membership targets and the forum will continue to welcome new companies interested in the research, development and manufacture of OFDM products as it promotes the virtues of the standard around the world.
The forum has industry heavyweights on its roster including founding members like Ericsson, Nokia, Phillips Semiconductors, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Sony and the Testbed Center for Interoperability at the University of California at Santa Barbara.
The forum was born after Wi-Lan and Phillips Semiconductors invited 101 representatives from 60 companies around the world to meet in December 1999. The group deliberated on interoperability between market segments, harmonizing standards and spectrum allocations and other issues.
“As the organization continues to work toward its goal of helping drive the standards that are used around the world, we are seeing increased commitment from industry colleagues with respect to the future of wireless technology and the role OFDM will play,” said Warren.
