SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Because parts of the wireless spectrum are under review
this year, companies with heavy interests in wireless data transfer are
approaching the government with renewed fervor.
Intel , Microsoft
, Atheros
and a host of other firms gathered at Intel’s headquarters here
Monday as part of the National Telecommunications and Information
Administration (NTIA) public forum. The Commerce Department is holding the
meetings following President Bush’s call in June 2003
for a yearlong review of spectrum use by the government and the private
sector. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which regulates
non-government use of spectrum, is also playing a role in the spectrum
review.
The meetings were convened to discuss better ways to manage the nation’s
airwaves, but the issue has become more political than technical. Each company spent at least 10 minutes pitching its own products and
advancements hoping to curry favor with the U.S. Department of Commerce
(DoC). The companies are chipping away at both sides of the spectrum,
including the low-end (700MHz) as well as the higher 5GHz frequencies, to
make sure their slice of the pie is as large as possible.
DoC Acting Assistant Secretary Michael Gallagher said the Department’s
goal is to create a modernized spectrum system; create incentives for better
use of spectrum; develop policy tools for deployment; and address national
security and homeland security.
“And when the department was given a choice between national security
and economic security, Secretary Evans said, ‘Do both,'” Gallagher said.
“Spectrum is the rocket fuel that will drive innovation in this space, and I
look forward to the high-octane solutions that will come as a result of
these forums.”
The challenge for enterprise, however, has been the “incumbent” players
in the space, including the government, broadcast television and cellular
carriers, which are getting hard pressed to give up their assets.
“One thing I’ve learned in this industry since I’ve been onboard is that
companies see two kinds of spectrum use… mine, which is good, and
everything else… which is bad,” Gallagher said. “The status of spectrum
policy was deadlocked when we arrived, and the Terror Tax looked to make it
worse. I’m pleased to say we proved them wrong.”
Gallagher pointed to the successes of underlying technologies such as ultra
wideband (UWB)
current spectrum. Other areas of consideration include the 700MHz
frequencies, which are currently populated by broadcast stations that are
migrating to digital signals.
Microsoft Chief of Incubation Pierre de Vries said the addition of the
low end of the spectrum would be perfect for Internet data transfer, despite
the frequency being somewhat “piecemeal” and without a critical mass.
“Lower frequencies equal better coverage,” de Vries said. “The frequency
means more range in rural to medium dense areas, more uniform coverage and
better indoor penetration. It is to some extent a chicken and egg situation,
where we are asking to help the government clear the spectrum, and we will
rebuild the spectrum. The idea is to develop point-to-multi-point
frequencies. I think development of the 700MHz spectrum is best, because
there has been no incentive to develop at this level, and the economics of
the other standards have challenges.”
Still, the opposite end of the spectrum is being touted as a more viable
alternative. Last May, the FCC published a proposal to double the amount of
spectrum available for wireless data services in the 5-Ghz band. San
Francisco-based Vivato as well as the University of California, Berkeley are
separately exploring work in this area with a combination of antenna and
CMOS
Vivato CTO Siavish Alamouti said he’d like regulators to remove a couple
of his barriers. The company wants them to consider a category called
“smart” devices; treat multi-user systems similar to multiple co-located
devices; and consider preferential treatment for standards that encourage
smart devices.
“Our obstacle is that current rules regulate devices, not systems,”
Alamouti said. “A hypothetical 10-watt unit that could replace thousands of
1-watt units could not be certified under current rules.”
Either way, more and more chip-making companies like Intel and Atheros are
approaching the problem from the inside out. Each company is fastidiously
adding radio components to its silicon processors. Intel, for example, is
working hard at developing the IEEE 802.16 (WiMAX) standard for silicon as
well as developing cognitive radio, interference temperatures. Atheros CEO
Craig Barratt said his company are combining the MAC, baseband processor, and
2.4 GHz radio on a single chip
Gallagher said the issue comes down to the government being flexible with
the policies it adopts as the administration has put stopgap measures in
place to avoid interfering with systems that are always in place. The other
consideration under review at the DoC is what Gallagher called “technical
trust,” in that the government needs to be able to know the systems are
secure and in place.
“It’s a political exercise as well as a technical exercise,” he said.
“The old wounds come back when we talk about revising the spectrum rules.
We’re looking to enterprise to help bridge the gap with the government, and
the trust that is built plants the seeds for the next one.”
The Commerce Department has scheduled a forum on April 1 to discuss the
current and potential uses of sensor technologies such as RFID
by both industry and government.
