IP: FCC: We'll Revisit UWB In February

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

> From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
>
>
> FCC: We'll Revisit UWB In February  By Kristy Bassuener
> December 12, 2001
> <http://article.WirelessWeek.com/UM/T.ASP?A3.3.391.8.460395446>
>
> During the final open meeting of the year, FCC officials said the decision 
> to pull commercial approval of ultra wideband technology from the agenda 
> was in deference to the U.S. Department of Commerce. The commission plans 
> to revisit the issue in February.
>
> At 5 p.m. EST yesterday, the eve of its last open meeting of the year, the 
> FCC pulled consideration of proposed rules governing commercial use of 
> ultra wideband technology from the agenda. Despite the high hopes of 
> companies that develop the hardware and applications using the short-range 
> wireless technology, wishes of the U.S. Department of Defense and the 
> Commerce Department won out.
>
> This month, Pentagon officials called upon Commerce Secretary Donald Evans 
> to request that the FCC hold off on approving UWB for commercial use until 
> February, giving more time to test the potential interference effects of 
> UWB. Evans responded with a letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell 
> requesting a similar reprieve. Insiders expected that the commission would 
> wait until next year to vote on the UWB issue.
>
> The concern is that the technology, which uses wide spans of spectrum, 
> could interfere with secure, defense transmissions or global positioning 
> systems. Currently, only government agencies use UWB legally.
>
> Wireless Week Washington, D.C., reporter Allyson Vaughan contributed to 
> this report.

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