Deputy Defense Secy. Paul Wolfowitz raised concerns to Commerce S...

Deputy Defense Secy. Paul Wolfowitz raised concerns to Commerce Secy. Donald Evans about potential interference risks posed by ultra-wideband technology. In sign of broad range of feedback top military brass have received internally on UWB, Sept. 25 letter to Evans mentioned both “number of uses for this promising technology” as well as “deep concern that, unless properly controlled, proliferation of UWB devices intended to be mass-marketed to the public could cause harmful interference” to GPS. Wolfowitz letter followed similar correspondence from Transportation Secy. Norman Mineta and NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, who expressed concerns about potential interference to GPS and asked that Commerce Dept. urge FCC to conduct further rulemaking before issuing final UWB rules. Wolfowitz stopped short of asking for further notice, but urged Evans to work with “FCC to ensure that a final decision is not made without full consideration of its implications.” He cited possibility of “aggregate interference to DoD systems and other GPS users resulting from a proliferation of UWB devices.” Wolfowitz said NTIA should conduct thorough assessment of aggregate interference impact of proposed UWB emission limits, including high data rate applications “which may exacerbate the potential impact of these devices.” (UWB developers have argued in ex parte filings at FCC that devices don’t pose aggregate interference risk). Wolfowitz told Evans: “Testing has shown that the rules proposed by the FCC would not provide adequate protection for GPS and other critical systems under all circumstances. NTIA must work closely and firmly with the FCC to ensure that appropriate technical and regulatory limitations are established and rigorously enforced.” He cited precedent-setting aspects of UWB decision, saying it appeared to be “impractical” to let UWB devices operate with or without licenses “without accepting UWB emissions at some level in at least some of the Part 15 restricted bands.” Such emissions will raise noise floor and pose risks to low-powered GPS signals, he said. He said DoD opposed “intrusion of nonlicensed device narrowband fundamental emissions into Part 15 restricted bands that are so critical to the ability of the Department to carry out its war fighting mission, as well as to the ability of GPS to support a multitude of civil worldwide uses.”