FCC SEEN AS DECIDING THORNIER UWB ISSUES EARLY NEXT YEAR

Despite continued strong opposition from GPS supporters, several sources said one initial area of agreement might have to do with ground-penetrating radar. In letter this week to Powell, 4 wireless carriers and Qualcomm said they wouldn’t oppose authorization of ground-penetrating radar systems operating below 1 GHz. Carriers -- AT&T Wireless, Cingular Wireless, Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless -- also said they wouldn’t oppose unlicensed UWB communications systems operating above 3.1 GHz. They urged FCC to exclude UWB devices from 1 to 6 GHz range until more testing could be done to assess potential for interference.

Mitchell Lazarus, attorney for UWB developer XtremeSpectrum, said company remained optimistic that recent proposal it made to FCC would become basis for solution. “We think it resolves all the interference concerns that have been documented in the proceeding -- both government and nongovernment,” he said. In part, Xtreme has said it supported FCC position that outdoor receivers could be protected by limiting UWB operations to indoors (CD Nov 29 p3). It has urged agency to ban outdoor infrastructure for UWB and give manufacturers choice of either complying with peer-to-peer operation for indoor-only use at notice of proposed rulemaking levels or developing peer-to-peer operation at greatly reduced emission levels. Another industry source said one area where Commission could move ahead now might be ground-penetrating radar below 1 GHz, which could become more contentious if it were broadened to include GPS band. Evans letter stressed that Commerce Dept. and NTIA “stand ready to devote” resources need to reach “fully coordinated decision” on UWB in next 2 months. Sixty additional days would allow FCC to consider report and order as early as its Feb. meeting, Evans said.

In Dec. 4 letter to Powell, Boeing underscored previous position that allowing authorization of any UWB devices on unlicensed basis under Part 15 shouldn’t occur. While it develops GPS systems and is largest aircraft manufacturer, Boeing told Powell it was involved in Defense Dept. contracts that were evaluating UWB systems. Boeing Vp & Deputy Chief of Washington Operations Bill Barager said company shared concerns of Deputy Defense Secy. Paul Wolfowitz on potential of UWB systems to cause harmful interference to GPS and other critical systems. “Boeing has participated in recent meetings with the Federal Communications Commission and understands that the Commission may authorize UWB under its Part 15 rules using a ‘conservative approach,'” Barager wrote: “However, data from reliable studies do not demonstrate that the power limitations of Part 15 alone are adequate to ensure that UWB devices will not interfere with GPS and other safety of life services.” Boeing said it would like FCC to approve “conditional licensing structure” to resolve unanticipated interference concerns in way that wouldn’t be possible under Part 15.

Wireless carriers also have stepped up concerns at Commission on UWB proceeding. In Dec. 4 letter to Evans and Powell, 4 carriers and Qualcomm said technologies such as UWB “should not be advanced to the detriment of existing wireless services.” Companies cited joint testing last year by Sprint PCS and UWB developer Time Domain with Telcordia on impact that UWB devices might have on PCS wireless networks. Carriers said tests showed that UWB devices operating in that band would block some PCS calls from being completed when PCS handsets were close to UWB device. “The potential impacts of UWB devices on commercial wireless networks are significant and cannot be ignored,” companies said. They also said they agreed with Wolfowitz that UWB could interfere with GPS systems. “Since many wireless carriers are using GPS to deploy E911, interference to GPS-related systems would have a detrimental impact on E911 services as well as on commercial GPS applications related to location and network synchronization,” companies wrote.

Calling himself “strong supporter of GPS,” Burns warned against jeopardizing “the effectiveness of this established infrastructure.” He said he was “intrigued by GPS” technology but noted that NASA, Transportation Dept. and DoD had expressed concerns about interference. “We need to remain vigilant in our efforts to protect GPS spectrum,” he said.

Still, others on Capitol Hill have supported UWB. In letter this fall to Powell, Republican Ala. Sens. Sessions and Shelby, who sit on Senate defense panels and represent Time Domain’s home state, stressed military applications of UWB. They said Pentagon had more than 100 contracts to fund UWB technology. “Many of these defense contracts use UWB at power levels significantly greater than the levels proposed by the Federal Communications Commission for commercial use of the technology,” they wrote. “We urge the Commission to approve UWB under rules without undue restrictions to enable the technology to fulfill its potential.” In Oct. letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Sessions and Shelby said that without “robust rules permitting commercial approval of UWB,” military wouldn’t be able to take advantage of technology. Companies wouldn’t be able to develop commercial off-shelf solutions for military unless they could reach volumes of selling into commercial market, Sessions and Shelby wrote to Card.