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Technology Stocks : CellularVision (CVUS): 2-way LMDS wireless cable. -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Night Writer who wrote (1327)	2/25/1998 9:57:00 PM
From: Bernard Levy	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 2063

To all: Here is a summary of technical information that technically oriented SI members might want to read if they wish to familiarize themselves with the potential of LMDS as a technology. a) Propagation studies S. Seidel, H. Arnold, ''Propagation measurement at 28GHz to investigate the performance of local multipoint distribution service (LMDS)'' IEEE Globecom 95, pp. 754-754, Nov. 1995. P. B. Papazian, G. A. Hufford, R. Achatz, R. Hoffman, ''Study of the local multipoint distribution service radio channel,'' IEEE Trans. Broadcasting, June 97. Quick summary: antenna height is important in cities with tall skyscrapers, rain is not a major impediment, but foliage is a major problem. Non-LOS transmission deteriorates seriously in rain-- more appropriate to use reflectors or microcells. b) System architecture (*) J. Langston, ''Local multipoint distribution service (LMDS) system concepts and implementation,'' 1997 IEEE-MTT Symposium on Technologies for Wireless Applications Digest, pp. 12-15, Feb 97. D. Gray, ''A broadband wireless access system at 28GHz,'' 1997 Wireless Communications Conf., pp. 1-7. D. Gray, '' Optimal hub deployment for 28GHz LMDS systems,'' 1997 Wireless Communications Conf., pp. 18-22. Langston describes the TI (now Bosch Telecom) system, Gray describes the HP system. Per Gray, the LMDS infrastructure cost per house passed is $200 for a 2km hub spacing. This cost includes license costs. It is quite low when compared to cable. You would have to add the customer premises equipment (CPE)-- need an antenna, downconverter, broadband modem (for example the modem supplied by HLIT to CVUS) and an MPEG-2 decoder (will later be incorporated in HDTV sets). The cost depends probably heavily on the volume. How companies will charge customers is unclear -- either through rental costs, or could be very little in exchange for a long term contract. My guess for the cost in volume - around $400. Langston's article explains why Gaas chips are needed . The requirement for speeds of about 1GHz excludes DSPs right now (probably the reason why TI dropped out of the LMDS business). c) Long term assessment of LMDS capabilities. G. Stamatelos and D. Falconer, ''Millimeter radio access to multimedia services via LMDS,'' IEEE Globecom 1996, pp. 1603--1607. Contains a description of the services mix that LMDS can offer. Falconer is probably the top academic researcher in the area of high-frequency broadband wireless networks. The bottom line-- LMDS has tremendous potential to offer bundled data/telephony/video services. However, entrenched entities (RBOCs, cable companies) will certainly play hard ball. The new entities (WNP, Craig McCaw, Mario Gabelli) are not choir boys either. Let's hope that CVUS will be able to emerge as a participant in the ultimate success of LMDS. Best regards, Bernard Levy PS: Most of the papers listed above are not available online. You will need to get them the old fashioned way. The papers in the starred section do not require a significant technical background.