Freedom to Connect 2012 speaker MIke Marcus on the history of wireless. The video for this presentation is here: http://youtu.be/H41zqtyxLW4 Marcus is introduced by Dewayne Hendricks.

1. www.marcus-spectrum.com
Michael J. Marcus, Sc.D., F-IEEE
Former Associate Chief for Technology
FCC Office of Engineering and Technology
Director, Marcus Spectrum Solutions, LLC
Cabin John, MD, USA
www.marcus-spectrum.com
Adjunct Professor
Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering
Virginia Tech
N3JMM/
7J1AKO
Technology Regulation

2. Overview
 Will review interaction of regulation and technology in wireless
technology
 How a bipartisan political movement for deregulation
unexpectedly removed roadblocks that kept a promising
wireless technology & underutilized bands locked in “Pandora’s
box”
 Serendipity and (generally good) unexpected consequences
 Today’s ubiquitous Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and other useful
niche applications
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3. Why Is Wireless Different than Other
Technologies?
 Basic spectrum policy concepts were formed in
aftermath of Titanic sinking 100 years ago
 Many regulators resemble Soviet economic planners,
projecting demands and allocating resources
 Classically, entrepreneurs, “disruptive innovation” and
niche applications get little attention
 Wi-Fi started as a niche application!
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4. 4
Birth of Unlicensed in US
 US legislation does not provide
explicitly for unlicensed use
 1st system was a Philco remote control
system for radio receivers in late 30s
 FCC ruled that since it was unlikely to
cause interference license was not
needed
 Subsequent legislation has noted
unlicensed but never explicitly
authorized it
 ARRL claims FCC has no legal basis for
unlicensed
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5. The Strange Case of iTrip: 5
T
The Classic Problem for Unlicensed in Some Countries
 Prescriptive nature of spectrum
regulation in many countries held
back unlicensed innovation, e.g.
 iTrip is a low power FM transmitter
user to connect iPod music to
nearby FM broadcast receivers
 In US, FCC has allowed such low
power systems for decades
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
media/news/2006/11/nr_2
0061123b
 But were banned in Europe for
several years because of lack of
rules in this area
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6. Traditional Spectrum Policy
 Prioritize uses of spectrum
 Controls interference and market entry
 Pick technological winners and losers
 GSM was extremely successful and came from
such a policy environment
 Only GSM equipment can be sold in Europe and
some other countries (prior to 3G)
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7. But Wi-Fi and Bluetooth can from a Very
Different Background than GSM!
 Rest of presentation will explore technical and regulatory
roots of of Wi-Fi
 If traditional spectrum management is similar to Soviet
economic policy, the origins here are based
Госплан on Field of Dreams concepts
“If you believe the impossible,
the incredible can come true.”
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8. Roots of Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth)
 Wi-Fi came about as a result of spectrum deregulation
creating a “blank slate” for innovators
 Spread spectrum (SS) was the basis for creation of
spectrum that became the home of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
 Prior to FCC 1981-1985 action, SS was implicitly banned in
general
 Carter-era FCC sought to remove barriers from technology to
stimulate economy
 SS was selected as initial area
 SS was the core technology of Wi-Fi until 802.11(g)
and continues as Bluetooth core
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9. Hedy Lamarr:
Legendary Inventor of Spread Spectrum
 As is often reported in popular press, Hedy Lamarr
was awarded an early frequency hopping spread
spectrum* patent during WWII
 But invention was not reduced to practice
 Like with the computer, it is probably impossible to
identify a single inventor of spread spectrum
• Spread spectrum comes in 2 “flavors”: direct
sequence/pseudonoise and frequency hopping.
Wi-Fi started as DS/PN, Bluetooth is FH
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10. 1953 MIT Lincoln Lab System
 Developed by Paul Green
(later of IBM) as a thesis
project
 One of earliest SS/PN
systems
 More related to early Wi-Fi
and Qualcomm CDMA than
Lamarr concept
 Technology of the day
required large size
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11. Early Literature
 In the 1950-1970’s spread spectrum generally remained a
classified technology with only occasional references in the
open literature.
 My first exposure was at a classified 1972 conference
 Only textbook-like discussion was a classified Sylvania
report for NSA
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12. Dixon’s Book 1975
 First comprehensive, though
mathematically inelegant, unclassified
treatment of spread spectrum
 Introduced a generation of designers to the
technology
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13. Commercial Spread Spectrum
c. 1979
 Magnavox produces a
“civil” version of
AN/ARC-50/90
 Unit shown is modem,
separate transceiver
needed
 Japan MPT purchases
and tests for possible civil
applications
 Concludes no practical
value for civil use!
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14. Setting the Stage for Wi-Fi:
Prophets of Deregulation
Pres. Carter Alfred Kahn Pres. Reagan
Cornell University Professor
Former Chairman of
New York PUC
US Civil Aeronautics Board
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15. FCC Chairman Ferris (1977-81)
Makes Deregulation FCC Focus
 Translates Kahn’s concepts and Carter’s mandate into more
specific program:
 Identify technologies that are being held back by anachronistic
regulations and “liberate” them - so they can sink or swim
under their own merits
 Hires former (D)ARPA Director Steve Lukasik to implement
program
 Spread spectrum identified as a candidate technology
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16. FCC Chairman Fowler (1981-87)
Makes Spread Spectrum Deregulation Part of “Reagan Agenda”
 Chmn. Fowler replaces Chmn. Ferris after the Reagan election
 While disagreeing with predecessor on many issues, he
embraces the spread spectrum initiative seeing its connection to
Reagan’s deregulatory agenda – despite mainstream industry
opposition
 “Looking back, it is clear that adoption of these rules was one of the
significant achievements of the Reagan FCC —though I doubt if anyone
thought so at the time.” 4/08
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17. Early FCC Action
 1980 MITRE Corp. report to
study options for civil use of
spread spectrum
 Best 70K FCC ever spent!!
 Raises unlicensed option
 Available from NTIS as PB81-165284
and on MITRE site
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18. Early FCC Action
 1981 2 initiative begun:
 Docket 81-413 – General use
 Docket 81-414 – Amateur radio use
 While H-P (now Agilent) was supportive, most industry
opposed
 IEEE IT Society filed support
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19. 1985
 May 9, 1985 FCC adopts spread spectrum
rules in ISM bands
 1 W limit
 PN or FH
 Almost any application
 But no explicit mention of Wi-Fi-like RLANs
 Same basic rules until 2002
 incorporated July 1985
 CDMA becomes major cellular player
 Key part of most 3G mobile systems
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20. “First Light”
 In 1988 the first real commercial
spread spectrum product
appeared – a LAN
 “Spontaneous generation” –
developer was a Canadian
startup aiming at using new
FCC rules!
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21. Creation of IEEE 802.11
 5 years after 81-413 decision - after several
proprietary products tested the market and
explored technologies - 3 pioneering firms joined
in IEEE 802.11 to explore 2 niche applications:
 Wireless cash registers
 Warehouse mobile bar codescanners
(building on supermarket scanners)
 Vic Hayes of NCR’s lab in Holland
leads standardization discussions

22. 1991 Snapshot
 Many key players went to Quebec
woods to discuss the future of
spread spectrum
 “Myth or Reality”
 Future was still not clear
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23. Wi-Fi Growth
Niche applications
 worldwide demand!
Early Growth
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24. Unexpected Uses of Wi-Fi
& Related Systems
Municipal Wi-Fi
Supermarket
Public system at marina customer product
scanning while
shopping
Bathtub with Wi-Fi iPod music link §15.249 Equipment – Cousin of ISM Band rules
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25. The FCC Team That Lead ISM Band
Policy 1979-1985
From left: Robert Powers, Stephen Lukasik, Elliot Maxwell, MM, Marjorie "Peggy" Reed Greene
May 2010

26. Are “Unlicensed” or “802” Magic
Elixirs of Success?
 “.com” once seen as magic elixir
 Some other unlicensed initiatives, some with broad
industry support, have had little success:
 U-PCS, U-NII, UWB, HiperLan
 Unlicensed with detailed regulations may not be able
to adapt to meet demand
 802 efforts to standardize UWB were unsuccessful
 802.16 (WiMax) has had mixed success
 Today’s 802 is very different than 1990

27. Conclusions “If you believe the impossible,
the incredible can come true.”
 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth had their roots in White House-directed deregulation to stimulate
economic growth
 A major break from previous “Soviet style” planning of radio spectrum where bureaucrats
tried to predict markets, technologies, and demands years in advance
 Deregulatory concepts grew into a new worldwide market serving unanticipated needs
for mobility
 Synergy of unlicensed and regulatory flexibility is powerful approach to facilitate wireless
innovation and economic growth
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More details and other sources at:
http://www.marcus-spectrum.com/SSHistory.htm
Technology Regulation