Is xMax the next big thing or just technology hype that will disappoint?
XG Technology L.L.C., the privately held Sarasota, Fla.-based company developing xMax, describes it as a spectrum-sharing technology, a ground-breaking radio-frequency modulation and encoding technology that enables faster, farther and cheaper communications, taking high-speed communications beyond broadband.
Basically, the technology makes use of lower frequencies, but does not interfere with other signals in the lower bands.
“XG technology can deliver broadband speeds with a remarkably efficient use of the radio spectrum,” said Dr. Stuart Schwartz, a professor of engineering at Princeton and adviser to xG Technology’s board. “It is a technology that has the potential for a major impact on the area of wireless communication.”
Indeed, xG’s technology is intriguing. The company explains that while traditional wireless technologies move power from the carrier channel into the side bands, xMax places more than 99 percent of its power within a narrowband carrier. Somewhere between -60 decibels and 100 decibels below the carrier, the xG Flash Signal, which is xMax’ information-bearing sideband, can be 100,000 times below the FCC’s Part 15 regulations.
By enabling wireless broadband at sub-gigahertz frequencies, xG says xMax makes use of lower frequencies instead of higher frequencies, solving the spectrum-overcrowding problem. Gigahertz frequencies can require 25 times to 50 times more towers to provide wireless coverage for a given area than sub-gigahertz frequencies. But using the lower frequencies has never been done on a large scale because they are split into small segments for thousands of uses.
XMax aims to enable wireless broadband at sub-gigahertz frequencies, placing its signal on a narrow slice of unused spectrum, while its xG Flash Signal is sent with drastically low-power levels, preventing it from interfering with other signals and enabling it to share spectrum with other users.
President of xG and xMax inventor Joe Bobier said that until now, his six-member engineering team has been focused solely on developing the technology for practical use, and that, “We’re beginning to stick our heads up and pay attention to the other stuff.”
Part of the other stuff are test demonstrations for an industry-laden audience. Bobier said his team is set to conduct open-house-style trials in November between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., where his team plans to demonstrate that a 150-milliwatt signal can travel 15 miles to 20 miles from a single tower.
Industry analysts seem to be onboard with both xG’s technology claims and the company’s nonmarketing strategy.
Craig Mathias, principal with the Farpoint Group in Ashland, Mass., said he thinks the engineering group at xG is on to something, and, “The technology seems to obey the laws of physics.”
“These guys seem legitimate. This is a nonobvious technology and is patentable. I would be surprised if xG does not market xMax,” Mathias added.
Of the seemingly lacking existence of marketing by xG, Mathias said, “These guys are engineers. They probably haven’t given marketing a lot of attention. They’re focused on developing the technology.”
Robert Syputa, analyst with Montreal-based Maravedis, witnessed a live demonstration in late July. “XG has taken the right steps in that they have not put the apple before the cart,” said Syputa. “They are developing their technology and testing it in the lab. The next step is field testing and proving the commercial viability, the practical applications of the technology, which is where xG is at now.
“The technology looks like it makes sense; it’s viable both theoretically and in the lab, and companies should take a look at it during the field trials.”
“xMax,” said Rick Mooers, executive chairman of xG, “is likely to be an equation changer in the wireless and wireline telecom industries.”
It’s true the possible applications of the xMax modulation technology seem infinite. But the proof lies in the test trials.
