Step closer for market of future wireless devices
A single market for a new generation of mass-market consumer electronics (laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, TV etc) that can exchange data wirelessly at very high rates over short distances is a step closer, according to the European...
A single market for a new generation of mass-market consumer electronics (laptops, mobile phones, digital cameras, TV etc) that can exchange data wirelessly at very high rates over short distances is a step closer, according to the European Commission.
The Commission decision just adopted outlines the mandatory conditions for using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology in these next generation wireless devices all across the European Union.
UWB devices can transmit data at very high rates by "spreading" the signal over very broad ranges of the radio spectrum. With rates comparable to devices connected by cable, UWB is an attractive technology for the increasingly bandwidth-hungry consumer electronics industry.
While the spectrum is already used by many sectors (such as mobile operators, broadcasters and the aviation community), the extremely low transmission powers of UWB signals ensure that harmful interference with these applications is avoided.
With UWB, many electronic devices so far linked by cable, will have a wireless alternative offering the same data rates (up to 480 Mbit/s or the speed of USB wired connections available today). Devices will therefore be able to seamlessly "speak" to each other whenever in range. UWB will provide this ease-of-use to users while operating in the existing spectrum, which is currently a scarce and often very expensive resource.
The technical conditions in the Commission's decision, which must be applied within the next six months throughout the EU's 27 member states, were developed following extensive compatibility studies between UWB and all other spectrum users that could potentially have been affected. The studies were done by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) for the Commission. (European Commission)
The Commission decision just adopted outlines the mandatory conditions for using ultra-wideband (UWB) technology in these next generation wireless devices all across the European Union.
UWB devices can transmit data at very high rates by "spreading" the signal over very broad ranges of the radio spectrum. With rates comparable to devices connected by cable, UWB is an attractive technology for the increasingly bandwidth-hungry consumer electronics industry.
While the spectrum is already used by many sectors (such as mobile operators, broadcasters and the aviation community), the extremely low transmission powers of UWB signals ensure that harmful interference with these applications is avoided.
With UWB, many electronic devices so far linked by cable, will have a wireless alternative offering the same data rates (up to 480 Mbit/s or the speed of USB wired connections available today). Devices will therefore be able to seamlessly "speak" to each other whenever in range. UWB will provide this ease-of-use to users while operating in the existing spectrum, which is currently a scarce and often very expensive resource.
The technical conditions in the Commission's decision, which must be applied within the next six months throughout the EU's 27 member states, were developed following extensive compatibility studies between UWB and all other spectrum users that could potentially have been affected. The studies were done by the European Conference of Postal and Telecommunications Administrations (CEPT) for the Commission. (European Commission)