WORKSHOP BACKGROUND

There is a need for cost effective wireless alternatives to new fiber installation for gigabit rate access to mobile-wireless infrastructure sites to meet the emerging demand for broadband services.

Applications which are being considered include:

• Network transmission infrastructure applications
• Wireless backhaul
• Distributed antenna system umbilical
• Business class end user last mile access
• Enterprise networks
• WISP consumer access
• High Speed LANs/PANs

Licensing rules have recently been issued for use of the E-Band for wireless communications (71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz). This Band has unique characteristics which show promise for offering gigabit rate wireless alternatives to new fiber installation.

Wireless systems such as 60 GHz links and Free Space Optics are more mature but to date have not been shown to satisfactorily meet all the conditions currently desired for the fiber substitution in both range and capacity.  Recently, rule changes are being considered by the FCC for use of the 60, 70, 80 GHz bands.

Workshop Goal

The goal of this workshop will be:

• To examine the characteristics and needs of these different applications sectors;
• To examine and explore the cost and performance feasibility of E-Band systems for high data rate fiber substitution;
• To identify the key technologies and technology advances needed to bring down the costs to competitive levels;
• To explore the possibility of establishing an ongoing discussion group to continue to move forward on these cost reductions.

An out put to be discussed is to establish a table of parameters affecting the cost of wireless or fiber links for this applications as a basis for overall cost comparisons.

Monday, March 7, 2005

7:00 PM

Registration
Social and Networking Reception

DoubleTree Hotel

Tuesday, March 8, 2005

7:00 AM

Breakfast & Registration

8:00 AM

Opening Remarks

8:15 AM

Introductions

Each person will be asked to introduce him/herself and share how they can contribute to this process

SERVICE PROVIDER and USER KEYNOTES

9:00 AM

Sprint KeynoteS

OVERVIEW of the NEEDS

From a service provider perspective: 

• Fiber infrastructure E-band substitution:

  • Wire line network architecture and role fiber plays today.

  • How and where E-band can potentially play a role in new fiber construction substitution for infrastructure.

  • Distributed antenna systems (DAS), Remote antenna networks (RANs) and wireless network backhaul architecture.

  • How E-band can potentially play a role in Distributed Antenna System (DAS) umbilical substitution and conventional (future focused demand) traffic wireless backhaul.

  • E-band systems a potential "step stone" to fiber network expansion.

  • Who are the candidate service providers who may benefit from E-band system applications?

  • Why 60 GHz, FSO and WiMAX are not appropriate for the fiber substitution application?

• End User last mile access opportunity:

  • How does Sprint see the increase in BW demand shaping up?

  • What problems for the enterprise or business class customer are we trying to solve?

  • When and how much does "last mile" cost-of-access become an economic hurtle to win business?

  • Thoughts about "wireless fiber" as a successful means to deliver telecommunications services.

  • Thoughts about a potential market trial with a significant enterprise customer (Fortune 100 class company)?

  • Perspectives on early market acceptance.

• E-band technical performance and evaluation:

  • How does Sprint view performance minimums for E-band? 

  • How should E-band stack up relative to Fiber as a substitute?

  • What thoughts does Sprint have about a technical evaluation of E-band?

  • What are the critical areas of focus?

E-Band: Fiber Network Substitute

Harold Johnson

Director/Access Technology

Sprint

E-Band Technology Assessment

Durga Satapathy, PhD

Technical Architect

Technology R&D

10:00 AM

BREAK

Sprint KeynoteS

OVERVIEW of the NEEDS

(Cont'd)

Last Mile Access Opportunities

Randy Olsen 

Manager

Sprint Access Services Marketing

11:00 AM

Other Service Providers and WISPs

Other Service Providers and WISPs will be invited to add their views to those of the Sprint Keynote speakers

• Other Service Providers will be invited to expand on the perspectives presented by Sprint.

• WISP Perspectives

  • What is the business case for use of E-Band in WISP Networks?

  • How will WISPs use millimeterwave broadband links?

  • What are the key parameters of importance to them?

  • What kinds of volumes might be anticipated?

Opportunities for Millimeterwave in a WISP Environment

John Scrivner

WISPA Founder and President 

and
President

Mt. Vernon.Net, Inc.

Enterprise Use of High Bandwidth Wireless for Fiber Substitution

Alan Burgess
Director
Wireless Associates Ltd., UK

Other Service Providers Present

• First Avenue Networks

• Nextel

• Progress Telecom

12:00 PM

 NETWORKING LUNCH

1:00 PM

Alternative Access VENDORs

OVERVIEW of the NEEDS

• Alternative Access Vendor (AAV) competitive fiber based service business:

  • Who are the customers?

  • What are their needs?

  • How do AAVs build out their networks and grow their business?

• Perspective of AAVs concerning the potential opportunity for an E-Band "wireless" fiber last mile substitute for new fiber construction, Enterprise and business class customer applications.  What are the parameters for comparison besides cost?

• AAV opportunities in providing DAS RF coverage as a WSP service. 

• AAV perspectives about potential benefits of having a wireless fiber substitute for DAS umbilical?

Extending Fiber Based Services via Wireless Last Mile

Greg Hadlock

Director, Network Architecture & Tech.

Progress Telecom

1:30 PM

Panel of Keynotes, Operators and Alternative Access Vendors

All previous speakers and other Service and Access Providers present will be given the opportunity to clarify their needs, requirements and views and will engage in a panel session where the audience is invited to ask questions and they will be given the opportunity to ask each other and the audience questions.

Previous speakers plus other Operators and AAVs Present

• Sprint Speakers

• FiberTower

• First Avenue Networks

• Mt. Vernon.Net, Inc.

• Nextel

• Progress Telecom

• Wireless Associates

2:30 PM

Regulatory issues and Changes Pending

• A review of the FCC E-Band Regulations and how they are applied.

• An overview of the current regulations for use of the 60 GHz band and an update on changes which are being considered.

• An overview of key issues in the 60-95 GHz areas worldwide.

71-95 GHz Registration: A   Streamlined Approach to Licensing

Laura Fontaine

Director, Spectrum Management

Comsearch, An Andrew Company

60 GHz Regulatory Status

Gregg Levin

Senior VP/Marketing & Business Dev.

BridgeWave

3:20 PM

NETWORKING BREAK

3:50 PM

SEMICONDUCTOR and MILLIMETERWAVE MMIC SUPPLIERS

• What are the semiconductor candidates for applications at 60 GHz and 70-90 GHz?
  

• How do their performances compare at these frequencies?
  

• What level of MMIC integration makes sense for these volumes?
  

• What are the cost projections vs. appropriate  volumes? 
  

• What advice do semiconductor providers have for others in the supply chain to keep the cost down?
  

• Can Millimeterwave MEMs Contribute to Millimeterwave system cost reduction?

E-Band MMIC Evolution: GAINing Altitude

Schaffer Grimm
E-Band Product Manager

NGST Velocium

Title TBA

Dr. Jim Carroll
Advanced Technology Design Manager

TriQuint Semiconductor

SiGe Technology and Circuits for 60 GHz to 90 GHz Applications

Dr. Herbert Knapp
Corporate Research
INFINEON Technologies AG

Fully-integrated SiGe Transceiver for Wireless Communication at 60GHz

Dr. Ullrich Pfeiffer
Research Staff Member
IBM

5:30 PM

Adjourn

7:00 PM

Dinner

Kansas City Style  

Bus Transportation provided to and from hotel

Wednesday, March 9, 2005

7:00 AM

Breakfast

PACKAGING, ASSEMBLY and ENABLING TECHNOLOGY PROVIDERS

Suppliers of the key E-Band systems components will present emerging solutions and innovations and their perspectives on options for cost reductions at what quantities and in what time frames.

• Millimeterwave MEMS

• Module Integrators

• Antennas and antenna integration techniques

• Material options

• Shielding

• Design Tools

• Testing- field and manufacturing

• Others

Status of CMOS for Millimeterwave Systems

Luiz Franca-Neto

Technical Leader and Manager

Broadband/ WiMAX Team

Intel Communications Group

Cost Effective Components for 60 GHz and E-band - Murata's Module Development

Koichi Sakamoto

Manager, Development section

Development Department

Microwave Technology Group

Research & Development Unit

Murata Electronics N.A.

Mm-Wave-Guide Filter Activities - Can High Q Cavity Wave-Guide Filters be Manufactured for Low-Cost?

Raffi Hershtig

VP of Advanced Engineering 

and R&D

K&L Microwave

Taconic's Taclamplus; A Low Cost, Laser Ablatable, Low Loss PCB Substrate for MMWave Technology

Ed Sandor

Manager, Application Engineering

Taconic

Title TBD

Mark Hebeisen

Vice President, Marketing

Endwave

10:00 AM  

NETWORKING BREAK

EQUIPMENT Systems Providers

E-Band, 60 GHz and FSO Equipment System suppliers will present emerging solutions and innovations and their perspectives on options for cost reductions at what quantities and in what time frames.

• Equipment providers’ perspectives and solutions on ways to address the need for broadband access services to distributed antenna systems and picostations.

• Can the necessary price points be met for E-Band links? In what quantities?  In what time frame?

• What are the key limiting technologies?

• What volumes are needed to realistically see breakpoints in the costing?

• Equipment providers’ perspectives on E-Band vs. 60 GHz, FSO and WiMAX.

E-Band and Competitive Options for Fiber Substitution

Dana Wheeler

VP RF & Millimeterwave Operations

Terabeam

E-Band Enabled Applications for Carriers and Enterprises

Daniel Scharre

President/CEO

Loea Corporation

60 GHz: The Low-Cost Alternative for Sub-mile Gigabit Connectivity

Gregg Levin

Senior VP/Marketing & Business Development

BridgeWave

12:00 Noon

 LUNCH

1:00 PM

E-BAND EQUIPMENT Systems Providers
(Cont'd)

High Frequency Broadband Communications

Dr. Rudy Emrick

Manager MMWave

Motorola

Wireless Metro Ethernet Backhaul for Mobile Cellular and WiMAX Access Networks

Erik Boch
CTO/VP Engineering
DragonWave

WiFi, WIMAX, Wi-Fiber?- GigaBeam's E-Band

Doug Lockie

President/CTO

Gigabeam

2:30 PM

PANEL/DEBATE

Equipment System Providers discuss and debate the pros and cons of the FSO, 60 GHz and E-Band solutions as Fiber Access Alternatives

Equipment System Provider Speakers and others present

3:15 PM

 NETWORKING COFFEE BREAK

HOST PANEL

Hosts, service providers, AAVs and WISPs discuss if/how the workshop met their expectations

• Sprint Speakers

• Other Service Providers

• Alternative Access Vendors

• WISPs Present

4:30 PM

Take Aways & Closing Remarks

And

What Can the IWPC Do To Help the Industry Move Forward?

5:30 PM

Adjourn

7:00 PM

Dinner (Dutch *)

* = in this context, Dutch is a term which means that each person will be responsible for their own dinner costs.

For those who desire to join us, we get together to enjoy good friends, good food, good wine and [really] bad jokes