GOVT. IS SIGNIFICANT USER OF UWB, AS OTHERS EXPRESS CONCERNS

Two dozen govt. projects, 17 of them military, involve evaluation of Time Domain UWB technology. UWB developer Multispectral Solutions Inc. (MSSI) said it had 24 mostly military govt. customers, although it also listed Dept. of Transportation as client. Geophysical Survey Systems Inc. (GSSI), which said it had conducted UWB project for Denver International Airport, told FCC recently that company had sold UWB-based ground-penetrating radar for years without waiver. While it’s not unusual for NTIA to face disparate views on such proceedings, breadth of govt. agency interest in UWB emphasizes its appeal. Industry source said NTIA “generally [was] being pulled in 2 directions.”

GPS interests, air transport groups, wireless carriers, satellite radio operators, equipment makers and others have urged FCC to proceed cautiously and not issue final order on UWB operations under Part 15 unlicensed spectrum rules until it issued further notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM). UWB developers such as XtremeSpectrum have continued to express optimism that final FCC decision remained on track for later this year (CD Aug 9 p4). Commission released NPRM on ultra-wideband operations last year (CD May 11/2000 p1) and has received deluge of ex parte filings and test results, many of which allege or dispute potential interference to GPS, cellular and federal radar systems.

FAA spokesman confirmed Transportation Secy. Norman Mineta recently sent letter to Commerce Secy. Donald Evans on UWB, but said dept. wasn’t releasing it because it was “confidential.” This summer, broad coalition of wireless carriers, GPS providers, airlines and satellite interests took UWB interference concerns to heads of Commerce, Defense and Transportation departments and NASA. When FCC issued notice of inquiry on UWB in 1998, FAA told Commission it had “serious concerns” about proposal to accommodate UWB under Part 15 “because these devices will cause interference to critical aeronautical safety systems.” But elsewhere in federal govt., U.S. Navy program director told FCC in Sept. 2000 of service’s interest in using UWB technology.

“We view it as a positive dynamic that there is a strong interest in the government for using it,” said Jeff Ross, vp- corporate development and strategy at Time Domain. “I think there is strong interest in using UWB technology both in the federal user and the commercial user communities.” Hope is that program people in agencies who are using UWB on limited basis will be able to communicate their experiences with spectrum managers in their departments “so the FCC and NTIA can work out appropriate use for commercial and government use of the technology,” he said.

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) late last month issued solicitation for research proposals for new wireless networking technologies focusing on UWB radios. Goals of program include creating “robust networks in complex and hostile environments,” including densely populated urban warfare scenarios, DARPA said. It said program, “Networking in the Extreme,” also would look at coordinating assignment of available spectrum. “The problem of spectral allocation is compounded by the trend of decreasing domestic military bandwidths and by the inconsistencies of the international spectrum allocation environments,” DARPA said. Request for research proposals lists advantages of UWB, including its low probability of detection and enhanced penetration capability.

Among federal agencies using UWB for limited applications is Dept. of Energy (DoE), whose chief information officer said on Web page that “all UWB applications in operation by, or for, DoE must be certified by NTIA prior to obtaining RFAs [radio frequency authorization].” That stipulation includes ground penetrating radar systems provided commercially by GSSI. Other UWB technologies in DoE include Lawrence Livermore National Lab system called micropower impulse radar, used in High-Performance Electromagnetic Roadway Measurement and Evaluation System (HERMES). DoE said HERMES was developed for Federal Highway Administration as survey tool for using 3D imagery to essentially “see” through bridges. DoE outlined NTIA regulations that required agencies to obtain approval for “major spectrum systems” from spectrum planning subcommittee of Interdepartment Radio Advisory Committee (IRAC) and receive NTIA certification before submitting RFA request to IRAC’s Frequency Assignment Subcommittee. DoE said NTIA had allowed it to use spectrum certification granted to Justice Dept. for use of specific GSSI system.

In July 1999, FCC issued waivers that allowed 3 companies to market ultra-wideband devices that detect objects buried or located behind walls. NTIA agreed to waivers if distribution of devices were limited and records of users were kept. Companies involved were Time Domain, U.S. Radar, Zircon. Regardless of commercial waivers, federal users operating UWB devices still must go through NTIA authorization process and frequency coordination, several sources said.

Govt. source and several industry sources said Energy Dept. and Justice Dept. had gone through full-blown authorization process, but that in some cases other govt. operators hadn’t taken same steps. One govt. source said Justice Dept. had submitted another authorization proposal that now was pending at IRAC. To ensure that all agencies were going through proper authorization process, NTIA reportedly sent letter to officials involved in spectrum coordination year ago outlining authorization requirements but not singling out users who hadn’t taken those steps. (NTIA declined to comment for this story). One difficulty in ascertaining from public records who had taken all of needed steps and who hadn’t, several sources said, is that some defense programs involve sensitive security information and their regulatory authorization status on UWB isn’t readily available.

Justice Dept. official said it used ground penetrating radar to support U.S. crime scene investigations that required detection of buried or submerged items. To receive authorization and spectrum certification, he said DoJ received approval from IRAC’s spectrum planning subcommittee. Panel recommended NTIA approval of request subject to several conditions, including prohibiting airborne use of technology and ceasing operations if notified harmful interference from or to any federal agency. In Dec., DoJ submitted request for additional antenna heads “which change the operating frequency ranges used by DOJ” ground penetrating radar system, official said. “DoJ’s request is to obtain authorization to operate equipment available commercially and used by industry, state and local governments without restriction or authorization,” he said. NTIA action still is pending.

As of several years ago, “only one [agency] has dotted all its i’s and crossed the t’s and that’s the Department of Justice,” said consultant William Gamble, former deputy assoc. administrator at NTIA and chmn. of IRAC for 10 years. He left NTIA in 1997 and now is consultant for UWB developer XtremeSpectrum. NTIA authorization involves coordinating with numerous govt. agencies, including FCC and military spectrum users, to ensure planned UWB use won’t interfere with existing uses, he said. In some cases, federal agencies appear to not have gone through full authorization out of “lack of understanding or a lack of knowledge that they need all this authorization,” he said. In many cases, UWB uses in federal govt. are for ground-penetrating radar (GPR), he said. GPR has sparked fewer interference concerns from GPS users than broadband applications of UWB technology that operate in GPS bands. Once FCC, with input from NTIA, works out Part 15 rules for UWB to operate in unlicensed spectrum, Gamble said, individual authorizations for federal agencies no longer will be needed. “Until then, each agency needs to be authorized with a frequency assignment for UWB operations.”

Wide range of opinions isn’t necessarily unusual in UWB proceeding, Gamble said. But one thing that sets UWB debate apart is that other devices operating in Part 15 spectrum could exclude some of highly sensitive bands such as GPS, air traffic control and radio astronomy, he said. “With ultra-wideband, it cuts across everything, you can’t exclude anything. That’s where the high profile and difficult decision and policy matters come,” he said.

“It definitely sets up a challenging dichotomy for NTIA,” said Greg Rohde, who in Jan. stepped down as NTIA dir. and now heads e-Copernicus.com consulting arm of Dutko Group. “That is part of the tension that is inherent in the responsibility that the agency has.” On one hand, NTIA is tasked with responsibility for protecting incumbent systems from interference, Rohde said. “You are trying to protect systems from interfering with each other.” On other hand, NTIA also plays role in looking toward new technologies, such as UWB, he said. Additional challenge of UWB is that because it cuts across wide range of spectrum at very low power, “our existing regulatory structure does not accommodate a system like this,” he said. “I did not think that means we say no to it,” Rohde said, saying that policymakers were presented with challenge of having to “think outside of the box. It is a challenge. It’s not an impossible one.”

Meanwhile, Navy is assessing several technologies to more accurately locate personnel in “man overboard” and other emergencies, said Fred Crowson, technical dir.-safety & survivability in office of assistant secy. of Navy. Among technologies under review is UWB system from Time Domain. Navy has interest in developing man overboard indicators so that individuals aboard ships could wear device that would send signal back to bridge to put immediate rescue operation in place in emergencies, Crowson said. Navy has unique requirement of such radio signals needing to transmit through metal structure of ships, he said. “Ultra-wideband is of interest to us because of the way that the technology allows the signal to be transmitted,” he said. Agreement with Time Domain involves demonstration of technology. Crowson said because UWB project now was only demonstration, program hadn’t had to go through NTIA approval process.

Other Time Domain govt. projects include: (1) NASA Johnson Space Center, which is assessing UWB for position location and tracking for space walks. (2) Army tank automotive and armaments command, which is evaluating UWB as part of terrain-mapping radar system connected to mine-breaching program. UWB developer MSSI said its customer base included Office of Naval Research, U.S. Special Operations Command in Tampa and Ballistic Missile Defense Office.