The Ultra-wideband space hots up
3 July 2002
News
With the continued popularity of wireless home networking and marked interest expressed by major players such as Intel, Cisco, Motorola and Sony in future applications of the technology, the Ultra-wideband (UWB) market is reported to be full of potential.
With the recent FCC approval of the marketing and legal sale of UWB products in commercial markets, UWB will begin penetrating the home market in late 2003 and increasingly grow its share of the home wireless market, although 802.11x technology will dominate the market throughout 2006. The earliest glimpse of future UWB-enabled devices is expected to be at the January 2003 Consumer Electronics Show, with actual end-products shipping out in time for the 2003 Christmas holiday season.
"UWB has much to offer in the home networking arena," says Gemma Paulo, an analyst at In-Stat/MDR. "With the popularity of 802.11x technology, especially the growing presence of Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11b) in the home environment, wireless home networking has come into the forefront.
"Even though Wi-Fi has done very well for data transmission purposes, many questions have been raised over 802.11x's ability to provide sufficient support for streaming audio and video applications in the home. From a topline level, UWB is extremely appealing, since all of its strengths really do address many of 802.11x's perceived weaknesses."
In-Stat/MDR expects that the first UWB end-products will be designed for the PAN (Personal Area Network) environment and will have speeds around 100 Mbps and a range of 10 m. XtremeSpectrum hopes to have its chipsets shipping to OEMs in 2002, it says, with the first consumer end-products shipping out in the Christmas 2003 time frame from the likes of consumer electronic and set-top box companies. Other UWB companies planning to enter the home networking market include Time Domain and General Atomics.
For further information see www.instat.com/catalog/cat-rc.htm
Further reading:
Rooibos heads to space
News
A South African scientific initiative linking agriculture and space research has officially launched today with the Rooibos in Space programme at Parklands College’s Innovation Centre in Cape Town.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: Local can be international
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
Welcome to the July 2026 issue of
Dataweek. As you can see from this introduction,
Dataweek’s regular editor, Peter Howells, is on extended leave and I am filling the void in his editor’s column – hopefully without being too boring.
Read more...
Landis+Gyr EMEA introduces new company name: EYKON
News
EYKON is the new company name of Landis+Gyr EMEA, formerly part of the Landis+Gyr Group. The company supports electricity, gas, water and thermal utilities in managing increasingly complex networks, improving operational efficiency and enabling more sustainable use of resources.
Read more...
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX
Manufacturing / Production Technology, Hardware & Services News
Yamaha Robotics will show visitors to EFX 2026, the Expo for Electronics Manufacturing, in Stuttgart from 6-8 October 2026, how advanced surface-mount automation helps companies grow their business and increase productivity.
Read more...
From the editor's desk: The art of measuring the truth
Technews Publishing
Editor's Choice News
All electronic measurements are a lie. The trick is making the lie as small as possible.
Read more...
TSE has relocated
News
The Technology Station in Electronics (TSE) has entered a new chapter with its relocation from the CSIR campus to TUT-owned building at Ditsela Place in Hatfield.
Read more...
Innovative MyLegrand app
RS South Africa
News
Legrand SA is set to launch the MyLegrand mobile application, a digital platform designed to strengthen engagement across its professional network.
Read more...
Kulani Energy acquires critical assets from Optipower
News
Kulani Energy preserves engineering, procurement, and construction capability and positions a wholly women-owned firm at the forefront of South Africa’s grid expansion.
Read more...
From Cape Town to Johannesburg
News
Würth Elektronik South Africa has taken a significant step forward with its recent relocation from Cape Town to Johannesburg, marking a new phase of growth and ambition for the company.
Read more...
Lesley Havenga: Building partnerships for Africa’s electronics future
Editor's Choice News
As Würth Electronik expands its footprint across South Africa and the broader sub-Saharan region, Havenga’s blend of manufacturing expertise, supply chain knowledge, and people-centred leadership appears well suited to the task.
Read more...
printer friendly version