Proposed ITU/WRC Spectrum And Usage Allocation For Terahertz Frequencies

1. Proposed ITU/WRC Spectrum And Usage Allocation For Terahertz Frequencies Authors: Date: 2007-08-29 David Britz AT&T Labs

2. Abstract With out much fanfare the ITU/WRC organization have proposed and allocated broad spans of the most usable Terahertz spectrum for exclusive scientific/satellite and amateur radio usage, and surprisingly to the apparent exclusion of commercial radio market opportunities! How will loss of this currently unlicensed spectrum effect near future development of small-cell GigE wireless networks ? David Britz AT&T Labs

3. Demonstrations of microwaves refractive “optical” properties Malcom W. P. Strandberg Professor of Physics, Emeritus MIT Published in Life Magazine November 1945 9.6GHz 3.3cm wavelength microwave horn, 100 watts average power , 1 µs pulse 1000Hz Plastic Lens Microwave Radiation Is Focused by a Lens On Steel Wool, Heats It to Burning Temperature My thanks to Don Schultz, The Boeing Company Proof of the common physics David Britz AT&T Labs

4. Terahertz Link Budget – Work In Process • Note; Suggested near term realistic power output for room temperature transmitter, Ref. Trevor Bird CSIRO • 2 Antenna diameter assumed to be symmetrical and 10mm for all channels David Britz AT&T Labs

5. Terahertz & Extreme Gigahertz frequencies can propagate like radio, but be brought to a focus like light. • Astronomy • Orbital and ground based study of cold interstellar molecular clouds of singly ionized nitrogen and carbon monoxide -contributing to early galactic formation • Remote Sensing • Atmospheric sensing of pollutants and composition • Medical Imaging • Penetrates non polar materials, skin and soft tissue • may be a safe X-Ray replacement • Materials Analysis • THz frequencies interact aggressively with polar molecules (water), most molecules have vibration and rotational emission and absorption spectral • Security • Terahertz detectors can now detect passive emissions from human bodies and objects hidden within clothing • Terahertz scanners can penetrate sealed packages • Return spectra can identify material composition (spectral fingerprint) • Indoor and Outdoor Wireless LANs • (10-100+ Gbps) • Radio tags • Intelligent home device interface • Personal Space Broadband Networks ESA -Herschel Spacecraft 100 Gigahertz Terahertz Imaging David Britz AT&T Labs

6. My thanks to Phair Corporation for the use of their published material Companies are beginning to produce THz transceivers It took many years for cost effective spectrum and power efficient Cell - phone transceivers to catch on and become the vast market they are today. David Britz AT&T Labs

7. O2 O2 CO2 CO2 CO2 20” 1Atm H2O H2O H2O H2O H2O Infrared Millimeter Sub-Millimeter Spectrum of interest to ITU/WRC/IARU 275 -1000GHz 1000 FOG (0.1gm3 Visibility 50m 100.0 Deluge 150mm/Hr Heavy Rain 25mm/Hr 10.0 ATTENUATION dB/Km 1.0 DRIZZL 0.25mm/Hr 0.1 O3 Visible 0.01 1000 THz 0.3µm 100 THz 3 µm 1 THz 0.30 mm 10 THz 30 µm 10 GHz 30 mm 100 GHz 3 mm FCC 300GHz Radio Boundary Avoiding Deep Molecular Absorption Bands David Britz AT&T Labs

8. Water Vapor (6g/m³) and Oxygen Molecular and atmospheric Attenuation Plot Source; Interim Meeting Of The IARU Region 1 VHF/Uhf/Microwave Committee Vienna February 24 -25.2.2007 David Britz AT&T Labs

9. “The following are the bands preferred for the IARU Amateur and Amateur-Satellite Services, they are within the “better bands” identified and are free of other radio-frequency interference and bands that are of the greatest importance to radio astronomy service. Primary allocations within these bands appears feasible, and the bands from 510 GHz and below are the most ideal for the amateur services, based on atmospheric attenuation, and where the bulk of the allocations within these bands is preferred.” Source; Interim Meeting Of The IARU Region 1 VHF/Uhf/Microwave Committee Vienna February 24 -25.2.2007 David Britz AT&T Labs

10. IARU and German Amateur Radio Allocations overlaid Spectral Data from ALMA Atacama Large Millimeter Array German Amateur radio Allocations 444 – 453 GHz 510 – 546 GHz 711 – 730 GHz 909 – 926 GHz 945 – 951 GHz Frequencies above 956 GHz FCC Boundary Unlicensed Shared spectrum proposal between IARU, Radio Astronomy and passive Earth Exploration & Space Research Services Source; Interim Meeting Of The IARU Region 1 VHF/Uhf/Microwave Committee Vienna February 24 -25.2.2007 David Britz AT&T Labs

11. Science Frequencies ALMA Atacama Large Millimeter Array The colored bands are the tunable receivers that will be used on ALMA:- FCC Boundary Unlicensed Source; Interim Meeting Of The IARU Region 1 VHF/Uhf/Microwave Committee Vienna February 24 -25.2.2007 David Britz AT&T Labs

12. ITU/WRC/ IARU Terahertz 2000-2010 Focus ITU – International Telecommunications Union WRC – World Radiocommunications Conference 2000 -2010 IARU – International Amateur Radio Union Region 1: Europe, Africa, Middle East and Northern Asia • WRC-2000 extended the mandate of the ITU Radio Regulations from 275 - 400 GHz and then to 275 - 1000 GHzbut did not make any specific allocations to “radio-communication services”. • The WRC-2000 conference revised a footnote listing bands above 275 GHz used by passive services that should be avoided by “active” radio-communication services. • Amateur Services will require allocations of sufficient bandwidth to permit experimentation spaced throughout the range 275 - 1000 GHz. Studies of Amateur Services' requirements in this range should be completed in preparation for WRC-10. • The radio astronomy service has indicated a desire to share spectrum with the Amateur Services in this range. • The Amateur Services seek to obtain not less than 75 GHz of spectrum in the band 275 - 1000 GHz in order to provide for future development of the Amateur Services utilizing new technologies. • The ITU (2007) has begun studies of frequency bands above 3000 GHz (3 THz), considered the beginning of the optical spectrum. David Britz AT&T Labs

13. The recognition by the ITU of value and utility of the terahertz spectrum is both innovative and proactive! BUT The give away to the IARU of this precious spectrum is unexpected, capricious and irreconcilable with the evolution of future broadband wireless networks How will loss of this currently unlicensed spectrum effect near future commercial development of small-cell GigE+ wireless networks? • Terahertz Market potential? • R&D for non-available international spectrum? • Transceiver development/Vendor engagement? • ITU policy ignores spectrum sharing advantages of • small-cell THz networks David Britz AT&T Labs

14. Conclusions • Move to define and dominate Terahertz spectrum is already well underway – outside of the USA. • The best Terahertz spectrum is being carved up among science, satellite and amateur radio interests. • Commercial interests in Terahertz spectrum utilization appear to be actively and intentionally excluded by ITU/WRC • decision policies. • Does the 802/802.11 VHT community need to pay attention, actively engage and or push back via FCC on these proposed • exclusive ITU spectrum allocations? • What will happen if we don’t? Source; Interim Meeting Of The IARU Region 1 VHF/Uhf/Microwave Committee Vienna February 24 -25.2.2007 David Britz AT&T Labs

15. Thank you David Britz AT&T Labs

16. David Britz AT&T Labs