Emerging 60 and 70-90 GHz “GigaBit Wireless” Communications

Jan 2004

• Recent E-Band allocations by the FCC show great potential for the ability to deliver gigabits of data over short range private networks and dense broadband cellular backhaul services.
• GigaBit wireless markets and sizes are uncertain at this writing 
  (IWPC held the first in a series of conference calls to clarify the markets for 60-90 GHz.  Please contact rene.douville@iwpc.org to be part of the next conference call.)
• 70-90 GHz radios can be built with existing MMICs, although volumes consistent with sufficiently low costs are still not here.
• Combining markets for MMICs for 76-81 GHz radars and the new gigabit communications applications may drive the costs down.

Short Range Radio Outlook

April 2004

• The plethora of standards which already exist and are still emerging for SRR systems is confusing and fragmenting this volume/cost sensitive market place.
• Many successful implementations are based on proprietary standards.
• Device/module suppliers plead for reduced numbers of standards if the cost points being demanded continue to be eroded.
• The IEEE standards process has become extremely “application specific”—a new application starts a new standards making process. 

A Day with Ford Motor Company

April 2004

• Collaboration is underway between the US DOT and the automotive sector to develop DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), a modified version of the 802.11a standard.
•  The system to be deployed will install approximately 400,000 access points across the US at street and highway intersections plus ~200,000 access points on bridges and other unsafe roads by the end of this decade.
• The DOT is providing seed funding for the infrastructure based on the desire for improved highway safety.  The industry is being asked to cover the costs for vehicle deployment, based on expectations of many potential communications applications.
• HD (High Definition) Radio (CD quality sound over AM and FM bands) has come to market with over 300 Radio Stations now licensed with 100 already operational out of a total of 13,000 possible stations in the US.

Future SmartPhone Power Management

May 2004

• SmartPhones’ increased functionality requires more power, resulting in less “autonomous” operating time compromising consumer acceptance. Technologies are thus needed to provide and save power.
• A main power consumer in these large color phones, is the screen backlighting although a 30-40% improvement is foreseen.
• Other power saving technologies include:  very efficient DSP-based PA linearization; on demand control of power consumption by control of clock frequency by application.
• Forecast markets for full function SmartPhones is expected to be a small % of the total future phone market.
• Microsoft has formed relationships with dozens of ODMs and EMSs to design and develop future Microsoft OS based portable wireless products.
• Fuel cells do not look promising due to poor power conversion efficiencies resulting in very high heat generation into the user’s hand and to poor water vapor management.  A hybrid of fuel cells and chemical batteries may be the practical solution.

Wall Street Meets Wireless Industry Supply Chain

May 2004

• The wireless industry is the only secular market with growth – it is the largest industry by units in the world.  All other tech segments are cyclical.
• No one seems to have a clue how to make $ with wireless data.
• It is not clear which wireless standards will win out so suppliers must be flexible in being able to support ANY standard that a customer desires.
• The content providers desire a new business model based on forming alliances with service providers to develop content for the small screen experience.

NO COST VOICE COMMUNICATIONS

At IWPC, we have been using the FREE Voice-Over-IP Skype system ( www.skype.com ) the last several months to make NO COST COMPUTER-TO-COMPUTER VOICE CALLS between our offices in Pennsylvania, Chicago and Ottawa Canada.  We can do one-on-one calls and conference calls with perfectly acceptable voice quality.

All you need is a computer, speakers, low cost microphone and an internet connection (a dial up connection works OK, but broadband delivers better voice quality). 

Go to the Skype WEB site, download their free software and follow their install instructions.  You may have to check with your IT people to make sure there are no firewall issues.

If you install Skype, look me up in the Skype user directory, under “donbrown”  (one word, no punctuation).  Give me a Skype call to check it out.

If this works for you, pass this idea along to your friends, colleagues and customers.  We are moving into a new age.

NOTE:  If you want to make low cost Voice-Over-IP calls to any telephone in the world, check out www.vonage.com

Enjoy your cost savings….. especially for those trans-ocean calls.