Ultrawideband: Waiting in the wings

Termed by knowledgeable analysts as "one of those very rare technology

changes that bring really interesting potential in several dimensions,"

ultrawideband seems real exciting stuff. But the catch is, we have to wait a

little while longer, perhaps till early 2001 before products using this

wireless technology hit the market. This will happen only after the final approval from

apex communications bodies after considering various aspects like airline signal

interference etc, and other patent and regulatory battles, which have slowed

down its full-scale deployment.

What is ultrawideband?



It is a technology that is based on very short pulses of radio energy sent over
a wider spectrum. Its wide bandwidth yields low probability of intercept and

excellent multi-path immunity. Though the ultrawideband technology has earlier

been used in a variety of applications, the excitement generated is due to the

plethora of uses possible for communication and ranging.

It’s a technology, which has been floating along the fringes of mainstream

networking for quite sometime now. Its major advantage is it can dramatically

reduce the pressure on the existing wireless spectrum, which today carries both

mobile phone voice conversations and increasing data transmissions.

How does ultrawideband work?



As in traditional wireless where a continuous wave is sent, ultrawideband sends
pulses of data in a binary format. Since the pulses are sent over a much wider

radio spectrum, they are not locked to a specific frequency. So, no interference

with other wireless devices, which means enlarging available bandwidth.

The ultrawideband technology differs from the traditional wireless

communications technology, both in the use of spectrum and in the capabilities

of transmission. While cell phones use a small slice of wireless airwaves to

send information, ultrawideband sends signals across a wide strip of the

spectrum. That too at such low power that it is impossible for it to be

distinguished from the background static by anything else other than the

receiver at which it is pointed.

Advantages of ultrawideband



Ultrawideband devices can operate on spectrums already occupied by existing
radio services without causing any interference. This means that the scarce

spectrum resources can be used efficiently.

In an already clogged spectrum, today one of the critical issues confronting

the wireless industry is spectrum management. Ultrawideband could well be the

panacea the industry has been waiting for.

Some applications of ultrawideband



An Ultrawideband Working Group with 80 member companies pledging to work
together to ensure the safety of the technology, has already been formed. We can

look forward to some exciting applications using ultrawideband technology once

it gets the approval, of course. These would basically be in the field of

communications, distance determination and remote sensing. Let us look at some

possible applications:

• Surface penetrating radar: As this technology uses different antenna
  
  points, it can locate objects through surfaces that can usually befuddle
  
  radar–like concrete
• It would enable concrete workers and highway contractors to "see
  
  through" solid slabs of concrete. Help saving expensive diamond-tipped
  
  drills from hitting hard steel embedded in concrete
• It can be a better positioning device than ordinary GPS in terms of
  
  accuracy
• Can be used to track children in crowded parks, locate lost pets etc
• Help firefighters see what or who is in burning buildings or help locate
  
  earthquake victims trapped underneath huge debris.

The range of ultrawideband applications probably number in thousands. Once

the technology gets the final approval, there is sure to be a slew of

applications from vendors.

With ultrawideband promising a multitude of potential applications, are we

going to see a shift in focus from broadband wireless to ultrawideband

technology?

We may have an answer to this question in the not too distant future.