> Meeting Report
> US Task Group 1/8 (UWB)
> Federal Communications Commission
> September 12, 2002
>
> Prepared by: Paul L Rinaldo, Manager, Technical Relations
>
> Amateur issues: Defense of frequencies
>
> This was the organizational meeting of US TG 1/8, as announced by the
> Department of State as part of ITAC-R. The meeting was chaired by Ron
> Chase, FCC/OET. He's a relatively new FCC employee, somewhat new to ITU
> work, with an extensive engineering background elsewhere and with marching
> orders. Because of the interest in UWB, about 50 people atttended the meeting.
>
> For openers, the chairman said the job of US TG 1/8 is to provide input
> papers to the international ITU-R TG 1/8 in accordance with the First
> Report and Order on UWB. He repeated this about 3 more times throughout the
> meeting, saying there will be no deviation from the R&O. John Reed, OET,
> sitting next to me muttered the same thing. Chase said that if you are here
> to change the US policy you are in the wrong meeting and should be
> participating in the reconsideration of the R&O. There was stunned silence
> by most of the people, but Julie Knapp nodded affirmatively and so did
> Bruce Franca somewhat uncomfortable.
>
> Several people in different ways asked, "Why are we here; why doesn't an
> FCC employee just write all the input documents to TG 1/8 if it's all
> decided?" Chase had no good answer for that but said it wasn't possible
> just to chop up the R&O and reassemble it in ITU format. The participants
> are here to digest the R&O and develop contributions that support, or at
> least don't contradict what the R&O plus erratum says.
>
> Chase said that there will be four deliverables:
>
> a. Characteristics of UWB
> b. Compatibility between UWB and radiocommunications services
> c. Guidance to administrations on a spectrum management framework for UWB
> d. UWB measurement techniques
>
> He then asked for a show of hands who would like to work on which group.
> About 4 people (mostly UWB manufacturers and their law firms) indicated
> willingness to work on "a." Practically everyone in the room raised their
> hands for "b," which seemed to surprise the chairman. There were about 5
> interested in "c" and "d" drew little or no interest, probably because
> measurement people were not there.
>
> Someone asked, "How can we assess the impact of UWB on radio systems if we
> don't have the UWB characteristics?" Chase said to work on them
> simultaneously. There are characteristics in the FCC UWB proceeding. A
> followup question asked "Even if we have the technical characteristics, is
> there any information on operational characteristics, e.g., deployment?"
> There was no answer, probably because there is little or no deployment
> except for ground penetrating radars.
>
> According to the ITU-R circular letter, there is supposed to be an
> organizational meeting of TG 1/8 early next year. Rob Haines guessed around
> April. The circular didn't name the international chairman but Haines said
> it will be Salim Hanna (Canada). Chase and Haines said they will telephone
> Hanna within the next two weeks. One subject to be discussed is the role of
> the task group vs the service study groups. Is  TG 1/8 going to be taking
> on the entire subject of UWB including impact on various services?
>
> Chase requested contributions or at least fact sheets at the next meeting
> of US TG 1/8, which would include effects on radio services (of course, in
> accordance with the R&O). I commented to Kris Hutchison with earshot of
> some others that ARRL is job simple because the FCC rejected our comments.
> Several voices said, ours too.
>
> The next meeting of this group is scheduled for 0930 on October 10.
> November 7 was mentioned as the possible subsequent meeting.
>
> Haines said those interested should see recent WP 1B TEMP documents 21-26,
> which he will place on the NTIA Web site. These documents already have a
> start on the four deliverables.
>
> Attachments: None