[ISN] DOD, wireless LAN industry debate 802.11a standard

From: InfoSec News (isnat_private)
Date: Wed Dec 18 2002 - 01:43:52 PST

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    Forwarded from: William Knowles <wkat_private>
    
    http://www.nwfusion.com/news/2002/1217dodwirel.html
    
    By Tom Krazit and Ephraim Schwartz
    IDG News Service, 12/17/02
    
    The Department of Defense (DOD) and various industry groups are
    discussing ways to avoid interference between the next generation of
    wireless LAN (WLAN) devices and military radars that operate at
    frequencies above 5GHz, said various industry sources Tuesday.
    
    One of the fastest growing segments of technology has been wireless
    Internet access devices based on the 802.11b standard, commonly known
    as Wi-Fi. This standard operates on the 2.4GHz frequency of the
    electromagnetic spectrum, and allows users to download data from the
    Internet at speeds up to 11M bit/sec.
    
    However, another WLAN standard is coming into vogue. The 802.11a
    standard was also developed by the IEEE and operates at frequencies
    between 5GHz and 6GHz. It allows data to be exchanged at faster rates,
    up to 54M bit/sec, but has a shorter operating range than the 802.11b
    standard.
    
    Because the DOD operates a number of radar systems in the same
    frequencies as the 802.11a standard, the DOD is worried that increased
    adoption of 802.11a devices will cause interference between radar
    signals and the WLAN signals, said Badri Younes, director of spectrum
    management at the DOD at the Pentagon in Arlington, Va.
    
    Concerns that the DOD was trying to reduce the spread of WLAN
    technologies in general was fueled by a report in the New York Times
    Tuesday that didn't distinguish between the fast-growing 802.11b
    technologies and the just-emerging 802.11a standard.
    
    The DOD has no issues with the 802.11b standard, as it doesn't operate
    any radar equipment on that frequency, Younes said.
    
    "But if the 5GHz frequency is compromised, there's no more spectrum"  
    in which that radar equipment can operate, he said.
    
    The debate boils down to the sensitivity of DFS (dynamic frequency
    selection) technology that currently exists in 802.11a devices to
    detect the presence of radar beams. When DFS detects a radar beam on a
    certain channel, it switches to another channel to avoid interfering
    with the radar beam. The DOD and the industry disagree on exactly how
    sensitive those devices should be, with the industry concerned about
    the ability of the device to operate correctly if they are constantly
    switching between channels.
    
    "If the DFS technology is not sensitive enough, military radar may not
    be adequately protected from interference. On the other hand, if the
    DFS technology is too sensitive, the communications equipment won't
    work. The trick is to find the 'sweet spot' where radar is adequately
    protected and the communications equipment will work effectively,"  
    said Scott Harris, an attorney with Harris, Wiltshire & Grannis in
    Washington, D.C. Harris represents Microsoft, Intel and Cisco on
    technology matters before the government.
    
    One IT expert in the military who asked not to be named spoke of the
    modern-day logistics of warfare where military engagements are more
    likely to occur in heavily populated civilian locations and not on
    isolated battlefields. In such cases, there is more likelihood of
    civilian infrastructure interfering with the military infrastructure.
    
    However, this is more of a battle over turf than over technology, said
    Barclay Jones, vice president for field operations for wireless
    infrastructure company Flarion Technologies, in Bedminster, New
    Jersey.
    
    "This comes up all the time and they (DOD) throw their weight around
    at the cost to business and consumers," said Jones.
    
    The DOD has been giving testimony for some time over conflicts between
    public and private access to wireless technology, and not just with
    the 802.11a standard.
    
    In testimony last June, Steven Price, deputy assistant secretary for
    Spectrum, Space, Sensors and C3 Policy with the DOD testified over the
    use of another technology, called UltraWideband. The U.S. Federal
    Communications Commission earlier this year opened up that technology
    for public use.
    
    Price testified that UWB "degraded the ability to use GPS to navigate
    and land military aircraft and commercial airliners" and also degraded
    "the operation of government airport radars."
    
    The DOD is working with the WLAN industry in hopes of reaching a
    compromise over the 802.11a technology before the June meeting of the
    World Administrative Radio Conference in Geneva, said both Harris and
    Younes. The WARC recommends spectrum allocation policies to regions
    around the world, which are not enforceable, but are generally
    followed by most countries, according to a source.
    
    Two U.S. senators will propose a bill in the next session of Congress
    seeking to dedicate no less than 255MHz of spectrum below the 6GHz for
    the exclusive use of Wi-Fi devices. The bill will stipulate that the
    dedicated spectrum must not interfere with military uses.
    
    Ephraim Schwartz is a correspondent with InfoWorld
    
    
     
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