Ultra-Wideband Unleashed

SUMMARY

What is UWB and Why Should Operators Care?

If you haven't heard about Ultra-Wideband (UWB) yet, odds are you will shortly. UWB is an old technology with a new lease on life. Long used by the U.S. military, in February 2002 the FCC approved the commercial implementation of UWB, within limits. UWB's high data rate and increased security provide a number of niche opportunities for operators and vendors.

In The Enterprise: Value-added Services

WiFi is fast becoming part of an operator's product portfolio. But why stop there? An operator like Verizon could sell UWB alongside WiFi to organizations that demand military-grade security. UWB will provide operators with the ability to overcome the commonly heard "it's not secure enough for us" objection.

In The Home: Wireless HDTV

HDTV is coming. The FCC has mandated it, and yet we're not so sure consumers will embrace it. Costs are one obstacle, but assuming that costs do drop, installation "horror stories" will be another persistent obstacle.

Now that TV has as many peripherals as a computer, the time has come for vendors to "cut the cables." A wireless solution will be critical to driving home entertainment adoption, but WiFi simply cannot support the bandwidth demands of home entertainment. UWB can.

Coming Sooner Than You Think

Based on our discussions with vendors such as Intel, Xtreme Spectrum and Pulse-LINK, we expect to see real-world applications arrive by the end of 2003. The applications that succeed initially must provide end-to-end solutions and be narrowly focused. For instance, we see Sony selling camcorders that talk wirelessly to Sony computers and TVs that talk to DVDs. Sony and Philips are both devoting resources to UWB, along with a dozen other major and minor vendors. In this report, we profile these vendors and provide our vision of how UWB will develop.

Report Highlights

What Do We Think about UWB?

At a minimum, we believe UWB will succeed in niche, end-to-end applications -- with enterprises that won't settle for WiFi and with consumers who want to "cut the cables." However, if standards are implemented and no regulatory hurdles emerge, we believe UWB could dramatically alter the telecoms landscape -- bringing wireless broadband to the masses. While WiFi is succeeding with the "lean forward" home computer users, UWB will succeed with the "lean back" home entertainment users.

In-Depth Technical Review

This report digs beneath the hype of UWB and methodically analyzes the technical advantages and real-world potential of the technology. We also take a sober assessment of the many obstacles to UWB -- regulatory hurdles, market pressures, and standards.

Strategic Analysis

This report does not forecast UWB market size or vendor share; instead, it focuses on vendor and operator strategy. Our assumption is that UWB-enabled devices will enter the market (beginning in late 2003), but that most operators won't take advantage of it. We provide strategies for operators and vendors who do wish to capitalize on UWB.

Vendor Profiles

In producing this report, we spoke with a number of current and potential UWB vendors, including:

• Pulse-LINK
• Time Domain
• XtremeSpectrum
• MultiSpectral Solutions
• AetherWire
• Intel

Who This Report is For:

• Operators
  This is the only report to look at UWB from the operator's perspective. We highlight the near-term and medium-term opportunities as well as what operators should be doing today to profit from UWB tomorrow.
• Consultants
  We look at how UWB will transform the telecoms landscape - who stands to gain, who stands to lose.
• Vendors
  This report will help UWB vendors better understand how to sell their technology to operators.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents (tentative)

• Executive Summary
• Opportunity Timeline
• Our Take on UWB
  • Why Buy the Spectrum When You Can Get it For Free?
  • 802.11x: Training Wheels for UWB
  • From "Lean Forward" to "Lean Back" Opportunities
  • UWB Threats
  • Are Operators Up for the Challenge?
  • Real-World Applications Are Coming
• Overview
  • How UWB Works
  • The Regulatory Challenge
  • Too Wide To Contain
  • Define Harmful...
  • Unlicensed Spectrum Comparisons
  • UWB As WPAN
  • UWB As A WLAN
  • UWB Deployment: Two Key Sectors
  • Home Networking
  • Enterprise Networking
  • Longer-Term Opportunity: Mobile Hotspots
• UWB Regulation: A Long Way To Go
  • Limited Approval
  • The Interference Concerns
  • Limited... But Legal
  • The Political Pressure
  • Worldwide Approval Dynamics
• Technical Review: Advantage UWB
  • UWB Distinctions
  • Precision Location Applications
  • Radar Applications
  • "Market-breaking Potential" of UWB
  • Signal-Based Security: Finally, A Secure WLAN
  • Clear Signals
  • High Capacity
  • In Search of Standards
  • Advantages of UWB
  • Building a Platform
  • International Standards
• UWB Commercial Opportunities
  • The Timeline for Action
  • Near-term Opportunities
    • The Home Networking Market: Lean-Forward vs. Lean-Back
      • Lean-Forward Markets
      • Lean-Back Markets
      • Scenario: Cox Cable's Killer App
        • Capitalizing on UWB Over Wires
        • The Pulse-LINK "over wire" solution
        • Wireless Cable
    • The Wireless Enterprise: Security Standards and Logistics
      • Scenario: Verizon Targets Security-conscious Businesses
        • Non-standard Security Standards
        • Wireless Information Management and Logistics
      • Scenario: Best Buy Locks Down the Store
  • Medium-term Opportunities
    • Lean-Forward/Lean-Back Convergence
    • Broadband Internet Provider Opportunities
    • Scenario: Incumbent Telcos Cut the Wires
    • Enterprise Wireless Solutions
    • Scenario: UWB on the Production Line
      • UWB and Ford
    • From Network Operators to Wireless Solution Providers
    • Scenario: The Networked Home, v2.0
• Vendor Profiles
  • Looking Ahead
  • Multispectral Solutions (MSSI)
    • Market Position
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Key Patents
    • Key Markets
    • Regulatory Environment
    • SWOT Analysis
  • XtremeSpectrum
    • History of Company with Shareholder Funding
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Strategic Alliances
    • Key Patents
    • International Strategies
    • Key Lines Of Business
    • Regulatory Environment
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Time Domain
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Key Patents
    • Major Challenges
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Pulse-LINK
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Key Patents
    • Major Challenges
    • SWOT Analysis
  • AetherWire & Location, Inc.
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Major Challenges
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Wisair
    • Major Challenges
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Cellonics
    • Key Products And Contracts
    • Key Patents
    • Major Challenges
    • SWOT Analysis
  • Appairent Technologes
  • Sony
  • What about Intel?

List of Exhibits (tentative)

• U.S. Residential Access Lines and WLAN Users, 2000-2007
• Ultra-Wideband Pulses in the Narrowband Spectrum
• UWB offers significant advantages over Bluetooth
• UWB providers greater throughput over shorter distances
• UWB Home Mesh Networks
• Desk Phone Replacement: Two networks, same phone
• Markets for UWB
• Approved Spectrum Usage for Indoor Use
• Approved Spectrum Usage for Outdoor/Handheld Use
• Security Comparison: 802.11x and UWB
• Spectrum Bands Occupied by Multiple Providers
• Spatial Capacity for UWB vs. Other Technology
• Comparative Standards
• Near- and Medium-Term Outlook
• Operator Timeline: Exploiting UWB Opportunities in the Enterprise
• Operator Timeline: Exploiting UWB Opportunities in the Home
• Pulse-LINK provide seven levels of UWB security