How will UWB impact the industry?
UWB has the potential to eventually dominate every wireless “area network,” from wireless personal area networks (WPANs) to wireless wide area networks (WWANs). In its current restricted state, UWB will most likely be the preferred technology for wireless personal area networks, replacing Bluetooth’s 1-2Mbps bandwidth with 400-500Mbps data rates. As far as WLANs are concerned, UWB is not in an immediate position to take over. This has to so with the power limitations imposed by the FCC, but even if the limitations are lightened some say that it could take at least five years before UWB will become a dominant player in the wireless LAN market. There has been discussion of using UWB to provide cheap, fast, last mile wireless access systems, which would solve the interference issues that plague current spread spectrum-based Metropolitan Area Networks (MANs). These UWB systems could be set up in rural areas, bringing never seen before high-speed connectivity to those users. Right now the b
