Assessment of Compatibility Between Ultrawideband Devices and Selected Federal Systems

Recent advances in microcircuit and other technologies have allowed the use of very narrow pulses (typically less than a nanosecond) with very wide bandwidths in new applications in both radar and communication devices. These devices, called Ultrawideband (UWB) devices, may have instantaneous bandwidths of 25 percent or more of their center frequency. They are capable of locating nearby objects and can use processing technology to “see through walls” and communicate in multipath propagation environments, which makes them useful in many commercial and government applications. The developers of UWB devices, because of their low output power, low manufacturing cost, and anticipated wide marketability are seeking authorization from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to operate UWB systems on an unlicensed basis.