UWB is a wireless radio frequency platform ideal for streaming media in the home or office. It sends out pulses of RF that last from 30 picoseconds to a few nanoseconds each, transmitting on many frequencies simultaneously. UWB is secure and energy efficient, and can be used for radar and electronic positioning. It operates legally in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range with limited transmit powers in the US, and there are competing standards represented by the WiMedia Alliance and the UWB Forum.
UWB (Ultra Wideband) is a radio frequency platform that personal networks can use to communicate wirelessly over short distances at high speeds. UWB is ideal for streaming media in the wireless home or office environment.
The increasing interoperability between devices such as digital video cameras, PDAs, cell phones, portable MP3 and DVD players, HDTVs, and computers makes wired technology less and less convenient or practical. Wireless technologies such as Bluetooth® wireless home devices, but slow data transmission. Ideally, a consumer should be able to wirelessly send data from one device to another at speeds equal to or better than a high-speed Internet connection. UWB, by enhancing existing WiFi and WiMax technologies, can deliver the goods.
While other wireless technologies use radio sine waves that provide a “continuous” transmission at a specific frequency, UWB is unique. A UWB transmitter sends out pulses or bursts of RF (radio frequency) that last from about 30 picoseconds (30 billionths of a second) to a few nanoseconds (billionths of a second) each. These RF bursts radiate outward in a wide band, transmitting on many frequencies simultaneously. The pulses are emitted with a unique rhythm for each transmitter. The receiver must know the rhythm signature or pulse pattern of the transmitter in order to “hear” the transmitted data.
Because of their ultra-low power, short bursts, and proprietary pulse signatures, several UWB networks can overlap each other without RF interference or eavesdropping. UWB is so secure that it’s a favorite technology of the military, which has used UWB since it was first developed for covert use in the 1960s during the Cold War.
Because UWB uses very little power, UWB networks are virtually undetectable and energy efficient. UWB works best over a short distance of about 30 feet (10 meters). Current versions can deliver data rates of 480 megabits per second (Mbps) at distances of six to ten feet (2-3 meters). Speed decreases as distance increases, but at 30 meters transmissions still reach or exceed 100 Mbps, the speed of a standard level DSL connection. Future UWB scaling is expected to push speeds to 2 Gbps (gigabits per second) or more.
In addition to networking, UWB can also be used for other industries including radar and electronic positioning or GPS-like technologies. With UWB’s ultra-low power consumption, it would also be ideal for mobile phone use. High-gain antennas could reportedly extend the distance barrier to just over half a mile, or about a kilometer. A cell phone running on UWB would reportedly last weeks before needing to be recharged, rather than days. While UWB transmitters are supposed to be pretty ubiquitous, they don’t cause radio interference.
In the United States, UWB can legally operate in the 3.1 GHz to 10.6 GHz frequency range with limited transmit powers. As of spring 2006 there are competing standards for UWB in the United States. The two main camps are represented by the WiMedia Alliance and the UWB Forum. A single standard matters to both consumers and producers, however, experts are still unsure which standard will prevail.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
