High-speed WPAN: Technology and Market Development

PracTel Inc, November 2007

This report addresses developing technologies for high-speed (hundreds of Mb/s and up to several Gb/s) WPANs. The analysis allows concentrating on requirements for wireless transmission of HDTV signals and similar applications, where Gb/s speed promises supporting uncompressed exchange information between TV, cameras, DVD and other appliances.

It is envisioned that in the 2008-2009 time frame, broadcasters release more and more frequencies for HDTV, and in several years most of cable systems will be truly HD. At the present time, most HD connections inside of a home or office are wired, and such a situation created complex and expensive cable channels. Wireless WPAN with high-speed of transmission is a subject of our report. Several standard organizations (IEEE 802.15.3c and Ecma) as well as a number of companies are working on standardization of WPAN 60 GHz radio; in parallel, for the same purposes, the industry is working to make IEEE 802.11n and UWB to serve WPANs.

The report provides a comparative analysis of three major candidates for high-speed WPANs:

-60 GHz radio-IEEE 802.15.3c
-IEEE 802.11n, and
-UWB.

It shows that all evolving technologies can be adopted for wireless high-speed PAN. At the same time, at least as it is envisioned today, only 60 GHz radio can support uncompressed HDTV signals communications, which makes this technology development very important (this may include UWB working in the 60 GHz band). The report provides the marketing and technical analysis of all three candidates; it is expected the market will be picking up in the 2008-2009 time frame with further standardization of these technologies.

Target Audience

This report provides the UWB, 802.11n and 60 GHz radio technology and market analysis and assessments. These materials are useful for service providers, vendors, network operators and managers, Enterprise IT staff, investors and end users seeking to gain a deeper understanding of the UWB, 802.11n and 60 GHz radio opportunities and barriers.

For systems vendors, integrators and others, the report provides an analysis and assessment of competing UWB, 802.11n and 60 GHz radio products currently available for the WPAN implementation as well as an estimation of the overall opportunities in the coming years. The end users can gain a more thorough understanding of product’s market and capabilities as well as the economics of using these technologies products to improve cost efficiency.

Methodology

Considerable research was done using the Internet. Information from various Web sites was studied and analyzed; evaluation of publicly available marketing and technical publications was also conducted. Telephone conversations and interviews were held with industry analysts, technical experts and executives. In addition to these interviews and primary research, secondary sources were used to develop a more complete mosaic of the market landscape, including industry and trade publications, conferences and seminars.

The overriding objective throughout the work has been to provide valid and relevant information. This has led to a continual review and update of the information content.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Goal

1.2 UWB

1.3 IEEE 802.11n

1.4 60 GHz Radio

1.4.1 Specifics

1.5 Report Structure

1.6 Research Methodology

1.7 Target Audience

2.0 WPAN and IEEE 802.15.3

3.0 UWB: Technology and Market Specifics

3.1 General

3.1.2 History

3.1.3 Obstacles

3.2 Definition

3.2.1 Rates

3.3 Spectrum Allocation

3.3.1 Choices

3.4 Major Features

3.4.1 Communications Features

3.5 Standards and Regulations

3.5.1 Multiband OFDM

3.5.2 DS-UWB

3.5.3 Standards Bodies

3.5.4 Groups

3.5.4.1 Forces

3.5.5 FCC and ETSI

3.5.6 ECMA International

3.5.7 Ofcom and Others

3.5.8 Comparison

3.5.8.1 Impulse Radio– Pulse Link, Time Domain

3.5.8.2 DS-CDMA – Motorola and other

3.5.8.3 Multi-Band OFDM (FH) – MBOA

3.6 Applications

3.6.1 General

3.6.2 Home Security-UGS

3.6.3 Phones

3.6.4 RFID

3.6.5 Communications and Imaging

3.6.6 WPAN

3.6.7 Imaging systems

3.6.8 Vehicular radar systems

3.6.9 Ranging

3.6.10 Public Safety

3.7 Issues

3.8 Applications Summary

3.9 UWB Market

3.9.1 General

3.9.1.1 Major Segments

3.9.2 Forecast

3.10 Industry

Aether Wire & Location (localization devices)

Alereon (chipsets)

Artimi (chipsets)

BBN (radio, first responders)

Camero (radar, equipment for first responders)

decaWave (chipsets)

Focus Enhancement (chipsets)

Freescale (chipsets, systems)

General Atomics (chipsets)

Multispectral (RFID and others)

Parco (RFID-Health Care)

Pulse~ Link (chipsets)

Philips

Radiospire (HDTV)

Realtek

Staccato (chipsets)

TriQuint (chipsets – homeland security applications)

Time Domain (chipsets-fusion of communications & radar)

Tzero (chipsets)

Ubisense (RFID-tracking)

Wisair (chipsets)

WiQuest (chipsets)

4.0 802.11n Technology and Market

4.1 General

4.2 Advanced Technologies: MIMO and Others

4.2.1 Concept

4.2.1.1 Benefits

4.2.1.2 Channel

4.2.2 Spatial Multiplexing

4.2.3 OFDM

4.3 Directions

4.4 Standardization Process

4.4.1 Ratification

4.4.2 Second Draft

4.4.3 Process

4.4.4 Standard Details-Progress in IEEE802.11x Development

4.4.4.1 EWC

4.5 Details: Technology

4.6 Market

4.6.1 General

4.6.2 Market Forecast

4.6.2.1 Model Assumptions

4.6.2.2 Market Forecast

4.6.2.2.1 Chipsets

4.6.2.2.2 Equipment

4.7 Industry Players

Airgo (Acquired by Qualcomm)

Atheros

Belkin

Broadcom

Intel

Linksys (Cisco)

Marvell

Metalink

NEC

Netgear

RedPine

Ruckus

SiGe

5.0 Comparison: 802.11n and UWB

5.1 General

5.2 802.11n

5.3 Features Comparison

5.4 Major Applications

5.5 802.11n and UWB Standardization

5.5.1 Similarities and Differences

5.5.2 Assessment

5.5.2.1 Home-Office Environment-WPAN

5.5.2.2 Mobile Applications

5.2.2.3 Inter-Room Connection

5.2.3 Further Development

5.2.3.1 Transmit Power and Signal Bandwidth

5.2.3.2 The Impact of Multipath Fading on Receiver SNR Requirements

5.2.3.3 System Complexity and Power Consumption

6.0 60 GHz Radio-IEEE 802.15.3c

6.1 General

6.2 Specifics

6.2.1 Benefits for WPAN

6.2.2 Applications

6.2.3 Challenges

6.3 Standardization and Development: WirelessHD, IEEE 802.15.3c and Other

6.3.1 WirelessHD

6.3.1.1 Details: WirelessHD Technology

6.3.2 IEEE 802.15.3c

6.3.3 ECMA

6.4 Market

6.4.1 General

6.4.2 Market Obstacles

6.4.3 Forecast

6.5 Players and Projects

6.5.1 Amimon

6.5.2 IBM

6.5.3 SiBeam

6.5.4 Phiar-Motorola

6.5.5 Phiar

6.5.6 NEC

6.6 Comparison

6.7 Applications: 60 GHz WPAN

7.0 Conclusions

Appendix: FCC Ruling

Figure 1: Wireless Technologies

Figure 2: UWB Spectrum

Figure 3: DS-UWB Characteristics

Figure 4: Spectrum Illustration

Figure 5: UWB-WPAN Place

Figure 6: Market Estimate: UWB Circuitry ($B)

Figure 7: Market Estimate: Multiband OFDM UWB Circuitry ($B)

Figure 8: Market Estimate: DS UWB Circuitry ($B)

Figure 9: Estimate of UWB Market – Communications Applications ($B)

Figure 10: Market Estimate for UWB-WPAN Market

Figure 11: Basic two-antenna MIMO system with two-stream SDM example

Figure 12: 802.11 Protocol Family MAC Frame Structure

Figure 13: 802.11n IC Market Estimate ($M)

Figure 14: Market Estimate: 802.11n Equipment Shipping ($B)

Figure 15: Market Estimate-IEEE 802.11n WPAN

Figure 16: 60 GHz “Open” Spectrum

Figure 17: IEEE802.15 Structure

Figure 18: Market Estimate- WPAN 60 GHz Radio (M $US)

Figure 19: 60 GHz WPAN Example

Table 1: IEEE 802.15.3c Tasks

Table 2: WPAN Major Requirements

Table 3: Comparison: DS-UWB and MB-OFDM

Table 4: FCC Emission Limits

Table 5: Comparison: ECMA Standard

Table 6: UWB Applications: Summary

Table 7: UWB Market Segments

Table 8: Comparison of different 802.11 transfer rates.

Table 9: Feature Comparison

Table 10: Attenuation

Table 11: Properties

- Airgo (Acquired by Qualcomm)

- Atheros

- Belkin

- Broadcom

- Intel

- Linksys (Cisco)

- Marvell

- Metalink

- NEC

- Netgear

- RedPine

- Ruckus

- SiGe
- Aether Wire & Location (localization devices)

- Alereon (chipsets)

- Artimi (chipsets)

- BBN (radio, first responders)

- Camero (radar, equipment for first responders)

- decaWave (chipsets)

- Focus Enhancement (chipsets)

- Freescale (chipsets, systems)

- General Atomics (chipsets)

- Multispectral (RFID and others)

- Parco (RFID-Health Care)

- Pulse~ Link (chipsets)

- Philips

- Radiospire (HDTV)

- Realtek

- Staccato (chipsets)

- TriQuint (chipsets – homeland security applications)

- Time Domain (chipsets-fusion of communications & radar)

- Tzero (chipsets)

- Ubisense (RFID-tracking)

- Wisair (chipsets)

- WiQuest (chipsets)

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