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NEWS

Japan finalizing UWB rules

From "UWB to be Available in Japan in Early Summer 2006," by Tetsuo Nozawa, Tech-ON!, 2 February 2006:

"The Telecommunications Council of Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) has compiled a plan regarding the allowed output values for the ultra wide band (UWB) radio system to be used in Japan.

"The plan is based on the report submitted by MIC at the ITU-R meeting held in October 2005. It determines an extension period up to the end of 2008 in which the use of devices without Detect and Avoid (DAA) function across a certain bandwidth is allowed. MIC will invite public comments in order to publish a report by the end of March 2006. It is expected that products equipped with UWB systems will be available in Japan as soon as early summer 2006.

"The Information and Communications Technology Sub-Council of the Telecommunications Council of MIC held the sixth UWB Radio Systems Committee on January 31, 2006 and compiled the final report on the allowed output values for UWB system. The major change from the draft published in October 2005 is as follows: Until December 31, 2008, devices with UWB system operating on the frequency between 4.2 and 4.8 GHz may be sold even without DAA function. An MIC source has told it is a 'temporary measure' for permitting the products to be sold before DAA function is completely developed.

"Further, the final report includes the following requirements to make UWB feasible in combination with other radio communication systems:

Its application area is limited to indoors;
An AC power supply unit must be connected where the device works as a host in USB;
Use in aircrafts and vessels, and applications to toys and games are prohibited;
Technical requirements are to be revised when the actual usage status, e.g., user population density and usage occasions of the UWB system is varied significantly;
Validity of DAA must be confirmed through field experiments based on the official agreement;
Technical requirements are to be revised when UWB system causes radio disturbance to the existing radio systems."

[See our earlier report (Sept 2005) on Japan's draft UWB rules for additional details.]

[UWB: 7 February 2006]