ACM TechNews

KU Researchers Hoping to Improve Broadband Wireless Services

University of Kansas News (08/19/08) Ward, Michelle

The University of Kansas' Information and Telecommunication Technology Center (ITTC) is leading a multidisciplinary research effort to correlate the performance of millimeter wave communication systems with weather events that can weaken signals and disrupt transmissions. The research could aid in the widespread deployment of high-speed wireless access. Millimeter wave systems can transfer up to a billion bits of data per second and reduce the cost and improve the performance of broadband wireless services. The ITTC researchers will develop resilient network technologies that can redirect data around impacted links. Sprint Nextel and Sunflower Broadband are collaborating on the effort. The researchers have placed weather stations that collect meteorological data at Sunflower Broadband sites around Lawrence and on the university's campus. Onsite cameras will take pictures every 30 seconds to provide additional observations. The Sunflower cable network will transport the weather data back to the ITTC, where researchers will analyze the different weather measurements. "A variety of substances in the atmosphere may affect network performance," says professor Donna Tucker. The researchers also will test the range of millimeter wave systems, which are typically used only in close proximity to one another. Initial results from the study have found that millimeter wave systems work well over a relatively long distance in clear weather and are accessible most of the time.

http://www.news.ku.edu/2008/august/19/broadband.shtml

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