Spectrum Issues: UltraWideband Operations

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Spectrum Issues Ultra-Wideband Operations

NASA Spectrum Managers Association
May 20, 2003 Holiday Inn Hotel Rosslyn,
VA James E. Hollansworth NASA Glenn Research
Center
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Current Issues

• Protection of existing public safety and space
  science spectrum dependent services from RFI
• UWB
• MSS ATC
• Other new unlicensed services/devices
• Unregulated spectrum usage on a widespread scale
  will inevitably lead to an increased man-made
  noise environment

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Ultra-wideband Regulatory Activities

• Report Order released May, 2002
• Numerous Petitions for Reconsideration filed
• Additional Order allowing legacy Ground
  Penetrating Radars released July, 2002
• Memorandum Opinion and Order and Notice of
  Proposed Rule Making adopted by FCC February 13,
  2003, released March 12, 2003
• Published in Federal Register/Vol 68 No.
  77/Tuesday, April 22, 2003 Rules and Regulation
  Pages 19746-19752
• Published in Federal Register/Vol 68,
  No.77/Tuesday, April 22, 2003/Proposed Rules
  Pages 19773-19777
• Anticipate Numerous Petitions for Reconsideration
  to be filed

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UWB Activities

• FCC approves first UWB device
• Time Domains PulsOn200 chip set meets FCC UWB
  rules
• Device reportedly emits unintentional
  radiation in 1-3 GHz range
• FCC interpretation of RO rules in question
• Sets dangerous precedent
• Authorization expected to be challenged
• MultiSpectral Solutions Inc. Spider 650 meets
  FCC UWB rules.

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Ultrawideband (UWB) Characteristics / Concerns
A Monocycle Pulse in Time and Frequency

• UWB proponents seek to manufacture unlicensed
  commercial UWB devices that will occupy
  frequencies allocated to other services
• Forecast commercial applications in 10s/100s of
  millions
• Aggregation effects raise the noise floor and
  interfere with low-power signals first (GPS,
  space sensors, astronomical RF signals, etc)

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Optical Effects of Single Light Source
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Effects of Multiple City Light Sources
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Light Pollution in the USA
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Immediate UWB Concerns

• Why does NASA care?
• Impacts to multiple bands
• Not limited to UWB, but with a variety of new
  technologies
• Devices proposing to operate unlicensed.
• Operational densities which could raise the Noise
  Floor.
• NASA, DOT/FAA, NOAA, DOE and the private sector
  are coordinating in a time-urgent effort
• NASA is conducting a thorough Noise Floor Study
  (2 Parts)
• University effort to characterize model UWB
  effects
• Interference effects testing simulations
• DoD and DOT/FAA are conducting related analysis
  and testing efforts
• Adequate time is needed to permit systematic
  scientific assessments to be performed and
  peer-reviewed

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NASA UWB Investigation

• NASA/LaRC EMC testing reveals potential RFI from
  UWB to aircraft avionics June, 2002
• NASA initiating a broad program of investigation
  of effects from FCC approved UWB devices
• Effects on noise floor in select frequency bands
• Effects on aircraft avionics and GPS signal
  reception
• Collaboration with other Federal Agencies and
  Departments
• Collaboration with private industry.
• Efforts expected to aid in quantifying potential
  impact of UWB emissions prior to FCC release of
  new RO
• Provide sound scientific/engineering basis for
  safe and efficient regulation of UWB operations.
• We were able to support the first RO and MOO

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NASA UWB Study Organization
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Current NASA Recommendation

• No further changes to UWB rulemaking until
  results of ongoing noise floor analyses and
  interference test efforts have been subjected to
  peer-review by all stakeholders and made
  available to the public

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Stay Tuned