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After a three-year battle that pitted defense and aviation officials against the giants of Silicon Valley and the consumer electronics industry, the Federal Communications Commission has approved the limited use of unlicensed wireless systems that transmit high-speed data across a broad portion of the spectrum band known as ultrawideband technology, or UWB.

The Pentagon and the Federal Aviation Administration had strongly opposed UWB based on concerns that UWB transmitters would interfere with aerial navigation systems such as ground-based microwave landing systems and radio altimeters. They also expressed concern about possible interference with the satellite-based Global Positioning System, which is used both for navigation and to guide smart bombs, which were heavily used in the Afghanistan campaign.

The FCC ruling Thursday should mitigate some of those concerns because it limits UWB usage to bands outside the frequency that GPS uses, say aviation industry officials.

Still Some Concerns

James Miller, a senior staff specialist for flight operations technology at Chicago-based United Air Lines, said that while the FCC didn't release details of its UWB decision, "It looks like they are going to protect GPS. I am encouraged by the FCC taking a stance to protect GPS."

All new aircraft United has on order from Boeing and Airbus will have built-in GPS navigation systems, Miller said. The technology is routinely used today in aircraft flying transoceanic routes, he said.

However, the FCC's decision doesn't protect microwave landing systems or radio altimeters operating in other frequencies from potential UWB interference, Miller said. This causes him "real concern," he said, because "for the first time, the commission is allowing the use of consumer devices in restricted bands."

The FCC said that it decided to "err on the side of conservatism" in its decision today, but added that within six to 12 months, it plans another proceeding that could explore "more flexible standards" for UWB. Miller said he is concerned that such an approach could lead to an encroachment on the GPS.

The UWB ruling will lead to better use of scarce spectrum resources by allowing the sharing of bandwidth, FCC Commissioner Kevin Martin said. Not sharing spectrum amounts to a "waste" of what Martin called a "precious natural resource."

Opportunities Heralded

Commissioner Michael Copps said that UWB "will play a significant role across America's communications landscape." The ground- and wall-penetrating ability of UWB will result in devices that can "save firefighters' and policemen's lives, prevent automobile accidents [and] assist search-and-rescue crews in seeing through the rubble of disaster sites," Copps said.

Time Domain, which has been developing UWB chip sets for the past two years, hailed the decision. The FCC made history today," said Ralph G. Petroff, president and chief executive officer.

"Commercial use of ultrawideband has been approved, and we are appreciative of the FCC's hard work and leadership in striving to develop these first regulations," Petroff said, noting he is "hopeful it provides a framework that will allow the important benefits of UWB to reach the public and the law enforcement and public safety communities."

Martin Rofheart, president and CEO of XtremeSpectrum, another UWB start-up, said the FCC ruling will help open a new era of wireless communications.

"Now, with FCC approval, consumer electronic companies will have access to a technology that can concurrently deliver high data rates at low costs and low levels of power consumption," he said. "XtremeSpectrum can now deliver the industry's first ultrawideband product over the next few months, which will result in many multimedia-centric consumer applications being realized by the end of 2003."

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