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Technology Stocks : LAST MILE TECHNOLOGIES - Let's Discuss Them Here -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Peter Ecclesine who wrote (12335)	12/12/2002 2:13:14 AM
From: Jeff Hayden	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 12823

The second, less widely recognized, is the proposal to permit greater deployment of wireless equipment that relies neither on a license nor on a property right. This open wireless network approach-often called "spectrum commons" or "open spectrum"-aims to provide a space for a market in intelligent end user equipment, rather than a market in infrastructure rights. Very interesting! A little over a year ago I attended MILCOM 2001 in October. 9/11 was a major hiccup to the conference - most of the papers were, all of a sudden, very irrelevant. But the plenary sessions were very interesting as CJCS Gen Meyers and others made it clear that the DoD and the other of the government's specialized communication systems were completely useless on that day. About the only thing that worked was instant messaging - most of the net was congested and only short packets would get through. The special varied radio systems of the services could not intercommunicate because they were all built to disparate incompatible specs. Apparently, the pilots in those B2 bombers that flew from US bases to Afghanistan and back were connected back to DC via satellite networks using commercial satellites, on-board radios, and IBM ThinkPads on their laps since the standard comm systems didn't give decent coverage over the middle east. Meyers got religion on that day and stressed that the DoD solution was to convert communications to use standard networking technologies. Anyway, while there I suggested to a Navy Rear Admiral that the DoD should offer-up some of their protected spectrum, particularly in the 20-30GHz band to license-free use. I mentioned that 802.11 was becoming extremely popular due to commercial innovation and that the DoD could promote that in the much higher bandwidth-capable Ka-band and get their technology essentially for free. He thought that was a great idea and said I should suggest it to others in DoD. Later on in Dec 01 I did write a letter suggesting that but never heard back. I wonder if... Now DoD is working on the Transformational Communications System (TCS) which will implement the conversion of existing equipment to networking standards and the initiation of newer network compliant systems utilizing microwave and free space optical equipment. The architecture of TCS is essentially 802.11-like only over tactical areas from ground soldier (PDA, small mobile VSAT) to UAV to AWACS to satellites at LEO and GEO. The DoD wants the soldier to be able to view most anything around him.