Ultra Wideband (UWB) Tech to be Demoed at CES

LAS VEGAS - Dec. 16, 2004 - Sixteen of the world's leading semiconductor, personal computing and consumer electronics companies along with four key wireless industry organizations will appear together in the MultiBand OFDM Alliance (MBOA) Ultrawideband TechZone in the Innovations Plus area of the 2005 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), Jan. 6-9, in Las Vegas. The intent of this cooperative appearance is to excite and educate the CES audience about ultrawideband (UWB), a revolutionary high-speed, short-range wireless technology with enormous potential for consumer electronics slated for release as early as the second half of 2005.

Read the MBOA UWB White Paper

The TechZone will also show the broad industry support for MBOA ultrawideband technology.

"By collaborating today, the 170-plus members of the MBOA-SIG together with the WiMedia Alliance, Wireless USB Promoter Group and 1394 Trade Association are demonstrating a high degree of broad industry commitment and cooperation for the MBOA UWB technology," said Stephen Wood, technology strategist for Intel R & D and a member of the MBOA-SIG promoter group. "This industry convergence around a single technology helps to ensure seamless interoperability between future products and will fuel the creation of a robust and fast-growing market."

The MBOA Ultrawideband TechZone will include eight live demonstrations of the wireless technology including bulk data transfers, quality-of-service based streaming video from various sources using wireless USB and wireless IP approaches.

The exhibiting companies in the TechZone will include: Alereon, Commstack, Focus Enhancement Semiconductors, General Atomics Advanced Wireless Group, HP, Intel Corporation, Mitsubishi Electric, Orangeware, Philips Electronics, Staccato Communications, Samsung Electronics, Texas Instruments, Taiyo Yuden R & D of America (TRDA), TDK, WiQuest and Wisair.

The exhibiting specification-building bodies, who are closely working together to ensure interoperability for MB-OFDM ultrawideband products, will include: the MultiBand OFDM Alliance (MBOA-SIG), WiMedia Alliance, 1394 Trade Association and the Wireless USB Promoter Group.

About UWB
Ultrawideband (UWB) is a wireless communications technology that operates in a newly allocated unlicensed spectrum. Advantages of UWB include low power consumption, very low cost/complexity with high data rates (up to 640 Mbps raw uncoded, 480 Mbps coded). UWB specifications target emerging wireless personal area network (WPAN) communications which enable high-speed, short-range, cable-free connectivity for a wide array of multimedia consumer electronics, PC peripherals and mobile devices, including wireless USB, wireless 1394 and the emerging wireless UPnP/IP protocols.

About the MultiBand OFDM Alliance SIG
The MultiBand OFDM Alliance Special Interest Group (MBOA-SIG) ( www.multibandofdm.org ) is dedicated to delivering the best overall solution for UWB with maximum emphasis on peaceful coexistence with other wireless services and to provide the most benefits to the broadest number of end consumers. MBOA was formed in June 2003 and now numbers more than 170 member companies. MBOA members include many of the most influential players in the consumer electronics, personal computing, home entertainment, mobile phone, semiconductor and digital imaging spaces. Collectively, these companies retain much of the world's expertise and experience in designing and building systems and deploying consumer products.

The MBOA-SIG is working with worldwide regulatory agencies to promote and seek specific approval for MBOA-based ultrawideband devices worldwide. The MBOA has also created a forum for collaboration with and by all UWB ecosystem players including antenna vendors, test and measurement vendors, upper layer protocol applications and interfaces. Teams of engineers from all types of companies have helped to develop industry-supported specifications for products that are now being introduced for compliance and interoperability testing, additionally ensuring a competitive marketplace that will deliver high-performing, low-cost products for mobile connectivity, the digital desktop and living room.

MBOA members work in harmony with other organizations such as the WiMedia Alliance, Wireless USB Promoter Group, 1394 Trade Association, and the Consumer Electronics Association. MBOA members also remain active in the IEEE, and work with other industry bodies and consortia as appropriate.