Ultrawideband - the next step in short-range wireless

Forces of economics and laws of physics have been driving the growth of short-range wireless technologies such as IEEE 802.11b/a, Bluetooth/spl trade/, and most recently, ultrawideband. Developed initially for defense-related communications, ultrawideband offers data rates of 100-500 Mbps at distances of 2-10 meters, using an average radiated power of about 200 microwatts. With its low cost, low power, and small size, ultrawideband looks attractive for inter-connecting portable data-driven devices without wires as well as maximizing wireless spatial capacity measured in terms of bits/sec/square-meter.