New threat to amateur bands
---------------------------
The European Radiocommunications Office has announced plans to hold a 
public consultation into ultra wide band – a technology that potentially 
poses a threat to the amateur radio microwave bands. Ultra wide band is 
a wireless version of the popular USB technology used to connect devices 
such as keyboards and mice to personal computers.

UK communications regulator Ofcom is keen for ultra wide band to use the 
3.1-10GHz spectrum, But this could interfere with the microwave bands 
used by radio enthusiasts. Amateur groups such as AMSAT-UK, the UK 
Microwave Group and the British Amateur Television Club are fighting 
Ofcom's proposals. The European Radiocommunications Office meanwhile is 
proposing to protect the 5-6GHz band and use interference mitigation 
techniques below 5GHz. Amateurs are urged to respond to the European 
Radiocommunications Office consultation, if only to offset the views of 
commercial organisations keen to use 3.1-6GHz for ultra wide band.
www.ero.dk

(RSGB)

new: UWB is capable of interfering with radio services,"
Ireland concluded. "If the UWB device and the radio system--including
antenna--are in the same room and so forth, interference is likely." Walls
or distance between a UWB device and a radio system make interference less
likely, he added.

"In other words, for Amateur Radio stations, UWB interference most likely
would be a self-inflicted wound," Rinaldo suggested. "That is, a computer
wireless UWB mouse would probably interfere with receivers in the shack
operating in the same bands."

(ARRL)