WiMAX Blog International WiMAX and the DoD

The US Dept. of Defense would be wise to consider a new technology and frequency for its current air navigation radar.

The news this past week from DoD officials said at the ACEA DOD Spectrum Summit (Dec. 6) was that WiMAX threatens DoD radars. While the article was not specific enough for noncognoscenti, allow me to translate: 3.5 GHz is perhaps the most popular frequency for WiMAX. In most nations outside the US, 3.5 GHz is one of 3 things: unregulated, lightly regulated and where regulated, it is officially known as "The WiMAX Band". To the US Department of Defense, 3.5 GHz is "air navigation radar". Its been 15 years since I left the US Navy and 20 years since I left the EA-6B (tactical jamming) squadron to which I was attached. Correct me if I'm wrong, but one use of "air navigation radar" is the radar in the nose of the aircraft that enables it to fly in pitch darkness and driving rainstorms and deliver "bombs on target" in same (ie "all weather attack").

In the looming battle between the US DoD and the Rest of the World over 3.5 GHz, here's my free advice to former comrades in arms at the Pentagon: find a new frequency or even a new technology to replace "air navigation radar". You won't win this one. Many were the NATO and other exercises I worked in where close coordination among military and civilian agencies was essential to ensure open frequencies for radios and to ensure our jammers did not spark an "international incident". That Cold War era spirit of cooperation is past.

Let me cut to the chase: the Cold War is over. Giving priority to the US military for 3.5 GHz use over basic civilian telecommunications needs would be political suicide for any non-US politician. Countries like Mexico aren't going to give up their drive to radically boost teledensity and its subsequent boost to economic development to please the Pentagon. Ditto for Canada. Colombia is handing out no fewer than 25 licenses in 3.5 GHz. You won't hear of Bogota going back on those licenses to please some far off DoD bureaucrats. You can REALLY forget European Union nations reserving 3.5 GHz for the Pentagon at the expense of new telecom (especially WiMAX) products.

Truth be told, staying with the 3.5 GHz is not all that smart. Its time for new thinking. First, "the bad guys" can track US aircraft whenever 3.5 GHz is emitted. Moving to another technology that is not so easily detected would be a wise choice. Second, WiMAX will be as prolific as WiFi, ergo, intentionally or unintentionally, there will be interference on 3.5 GHz. We don't need our air navigation radars being jammed by what could be a ubiquitous wireless technology. I can envision a "poor man's jammer" using a WiMAX radio, amplifier and directional antennas.

Finally, knowing that 3.5 GHz air navigation radar will have problems outside the US, why have an air navigation frequency that can operate only in the US or far out to sea? Why not "bite the bullet" now and move to a frequency or technology that WILL be useful in a time of conflict? While we're at it, lets shift that 3.5 GHz band from Pentagon control to FCC control and open its use to WiMAX service providers?

Sunday, December 10, 2006 in Applications | Archives | Business  | Permalink |  Comments (0)