Intel, the maker of Centrino wireless networking components - the stuff that many WiFi hotspots are made of - has outlined its plans for a "complete, standards-based, common platform" for high-speed ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology.
UWB is punted as an enabling technology platform for high-speed transfer of multimedia content "at lower costs, low power consumption" and without the hassle of wires.
UWB, says Intel, can be used for, among other things, wirelessly streaming video from a digital video recorder to a high-definition TV, or wirelessly connecting a notebook PC to a projector in a conference room to deliver a presentation.
Convergence again
"As the convergence of computing, communications and consumer electronics becomes more prevalent, there is a need for high-speed, interoperable wireless comms between devices," says Pat Gelsinger, Intel senior VP and CTO. "For Intel, this means driving the industry toward a common standards-based platform for UWB that enables multiple applications to run on one common radio, and devices to easily and wirelessly communicate with each other."
UWB uses a wide band of the radio frequency spectrum to transmit data within a short range, allowing for greater amounts of data to be transmitted than traditional wireless technologies.
This capability, combined with low power usage and pulsed data delivery, claims Intel, provides increased transfer without additional interference from other wireless technologies already in use, such as WiFi, WiMAX, and cellular wide-area communications.
In the driving seat
Intel engineers are working with "a wide variety" of the PC, consumer electronics and cellular industries to develop a standard UWB radio platform. The platform is made up of two core "layers": the UWB radio layer and the convergence layer. Together, these serve as the underlying transport mechanism for different applications that would operate on top of the single radio, such as wireless USB, IEEE 1394, the next generation of Bluetooth and universal plug-and-play.
The Multi-band OFDM Alliance, a special interest group made up of more than 60 companies in the PC, consumer electronics and cellular communication industries, is currently developing the UWB radio layer.
Intel also recently joined the WiMedia Alliance, an industry group that is developing a common abstraction layer for the UWB radio platform. It will enable multiple applications to run on one common radio. This software layer will sit on top of the UWB radio to allow for interoperability between applications.
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