TAUZIN AIDE QUESTIONS SCIENCE AND PROCESS OF UWB ORDER

Waltzman’s boss has been supportive of UWB, but Tauzin refrained in Part 15 proceeding from calling on FCC to approve UWB devices, merely urging it to move quickly and in way that would expedite deployment of new technology. Last month, he said he hoped FCC would take “good look” at UWB. Among issues that Waltzman said he and Tauzin thought were raised by UWB order approved by FCC Feb. 14 were: (1) Potential for future efforts to limit other unlicensed spectrum devices that could produce intentional emissions in govt. bands. He asked: “What is next for Part 15?” (2) “We don’t feel at this point that the [emissions] mask put forward by the FCC is based on what’s understood as sound science,” he said, saying restrictions appeared designed to meet interference concerns of agencies such as Pentagon and Dept. of Transportation. “If that’s the kind of speculation about interference that’s going to drive 3G, that’s going to be very troubling.” If that’s case, it will be long time before “we see 3G services at 3G speeds in this country,” he said. (3) Regulatory implications of UWB extend to international competitiveness of U.S. in high-tech arena, he said. At this point, regulators elsewhere are looking to what U.S. has done to allow technology to move forward, he said. FCC has said it plans to revisit limits set on UWB within year to assess whether they need to be tighter or if they can be loosened. “I would hate to see what happens from a regulatory perspective to drive this technology overseas,” Waltzman said. “We want to see the regulatory process based on truly sound science,” he said. He said Tauzin was pleased FCC would conduct its own UWB tests in next several months instead of relying on industry results.

One issue that emerged repeatedly in panel discussions was extent to which main users of UWB technology so far had been military agencies. DoD also has been among agencies that urged FCC to impose stringent power limits on UWB, although there have been pockets of strong support in Pentagon for allowing commercial volumes of technology to go forward. Waltzman emphasized importance of protecting military users from harmful interference. “I hope there is not a discrepancy between what the commercial side is permitted to use and what the military side is permitted to use,” he said. Before FCC vote on Feb. 14, Army program official had been on Hill demonstrating technology, saying that concerns about GPS interference were overblown because GPS didn’t work well indoors, he said. “I'm not knocking GPS,” Waltzman said, but was simply “skeptical” of claims that indoor UWB use could interfere with GPS operations. Among “myths” that he said were debunked as UWB proceeding moved forward were concerns that UWB devices could cause airplanes to “fall out of the sky.”

FCC’s Office of Engineering & Technology Deputy Chief Bruce Franca said Commission had effort under way to test UWB devices headed to market under new rules. Agency has said it plans to take another look at order’s limits in 6-12 months to ascertain whether some parts are too restrictive or need to be tightened. “I don’t think we have a predilection here” either way, Franca said. Text of order hasn’t been released because it’s undergoing final editorial touches. Staff would like to have it out as soon as possible, with release possibly coming in next 2 weeks, Franca told us.

Several CIT panelists cited ways that FCC’s order could limit UWB applications. But Samir Soliman, Qualcomm vp- technology, said technology issues still needed to be resolved on power outputs of receivers in spectrum used by UWB. He also raised concerns that report and order approved by FCC didn’t adequately take account of aggregation issues for multiple UWB devices. Qualcomm had raised concerns during proceeding that UWB devices could cause harmful interference to GPS systems used by wireless operators for E911 services and cellular systems. Qualcomm had submitted test results to FCC during proceeding that disputed emissions mask proposal that would be as low as 35 dB below certain Part 15 levels. “We believe strongly there is not sufficient protection for cellular and GPS systems in the report and order,” he said, saying that Qualcomm wasn’t opposed to UWB per se. He also took exception to Waltzman’s comment that GPS didn’t work indoors, saying Qualcomm had spent $1 billion to develop assisted-GPS technology that could work on wireless phones indoors. Number of technical issues needs to be resolved before UWB devices can be deployed in commercial quantities, he said. Way in which order allows UWB devices to operate between 3.1 and 10.6 GHz means that center of frequency for operations in that spectrum would be around 5 GHz, he said.

NTIA had attempted to predicate its input to UWB rule on “as much technical and scientific information as we could put together,” said Frederick Wentland, dir.-spectrum plans & policies. “Some may call the results of the report and order ‘conservative,'” he acknowledged. He called rules that FCC approved last month “point of departure.”

Panels at conference had higher representation from backers of UWB technology than from opponents. Washington attorney Craig Blakeley said airline and military communities were invited, but couldn’t participate. Sony Electronics Vp Geoffrey Anderson said it was important that UWB radio manufacturers get technology into hands of developers in 6-12 months so regulators could get sense of its relevance in real world. Sony, which has backed standards development related to UWB in IEEE forums, sees potential uses of UWB including downloading CD in less than one min. on UWB radio. On wireless data system running at 740 Mbps, that would take up to 10 min., Anderson said. Jeff Ross, vp-corporate development for UWB developer Time Domain, said technology occupied “sweet spot” between 802.11 and Bluetooth because it enabled applications such as downloading video from digital camera to TV set top or PC. “Over the next 12 months, the biggest customer for UWB will continue to be the Defense Department,” he said. “We have a lot of issues of spectrum management that have to be addressed to allow new technologies to get out to market,” he said.