Techworld writes about the fast wireless landscape and whether the market is ready for yet another contender – this one, 60 Ghz. Gist:
Today’s 60GHz research has the benefit of fast processors. Bose plotted the non-linear reactions of semi-conductors, but he was 60 years too early for any solid state help in applying his research.
The Berkeley Wireless Research Centre, is developing CMOS chips for 60GHz, which could allow low-cost, low-power applications.
The IEEE has set up a task group to create a standard for the physical layer at that frequency. IEEE 802.15.3c is next-door to the 802.15.3a ultra-wideband group in IEEE-space, and is creating a lot of interesting according to its overseer, Bob Heile, who chairs the 802 committee told CommsDesign: “I’ve been surprised by the number of people attending the meetings. I figured maybe 10 people might attend, but we’re consistently getting 20 to 30 at the meetings.”
The group is about two years from a standard, but anything it produces could reach the market relatively easily, at least in the US. The spectrum regulator there, the FCC, has allocated a licence-exempt band at from 57 to 64GHz, enough to give up to 2Gbit/s throughput. Any equipment could be sold on the same basis as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The UK regulator Ofcom is consulting about this space as part of its Framework Review, but had no comment to make at this point.
…
With all this activity, is it time to start panning for gold in 60GHz?