2008 European Microwave Week

European Microwave Week (EuMW) is coming up at the end of Oct. in Amsterdam. As we gear up for the show and coverage, I noticed that there are quite a few spin offs from Aachen University of Applied Sciences including Mician, MiG, IMST and Heuermann HF-Technik. We have worked with Mician, MiG and IMST - all of them have very impressive products and now we noticed that Heuermann HF-Technik also has developed some interesting products such as lap timing microwave devices for racing applications. Quite an impressive incubator of new companies coming out of Aachen University indeed.

Our September issue is dedicated to complete coverage of EuMW with articles covering the conference and exhibition plus a historical look at EuMW and the industry in Europe. We also have articles covering Amsterdam highlighting places of interest, how to get around and where to eat. We will also be beginning our Online Show Daily coverage of the show beginning in Oct. here.

We also invited our readers of the magazine in Sept. to join in here on the blog and comment on any interesting events or places to visit in Amsterdam. Please post your comments below!

Microwave will ease '4G' backhaul strain

According to wireless technology leader, Radio Frequency Systems (RFS), high-capacity microwave links could provide relief to the strain felt by backhaul infrastructure, as high data throughputs and subscriber demand consume network capacity. RFS Area Product Manager, Asad Zoberi sees backhaul capacity as a likely bottleneck unless the networks (traditional T1 lines, opitical fiber and mircowave radio links) are upgraded. Zoberi is an advocate for microwave networks as they are less costly and far quicker to install.

Accommodating the higher-capacity services opens the way for innovative system architectures in microwave backhaul networks. Dual-polarized antennas double the capacity of the antenna system. Moreover, the superior interference characteristics of ultra-high performance antennas allow the installation of additional antennas on existing sites as new microwave backhaul systems are deployed. Zoberi expects two sections of the E-band spectrum, which are available between 71 and 86GHz, to come into frequent use in 2009. Trial systems have already been deployed. Using 1- or 2-foot antennas, E-band microwave systems provide 200 to 600Mbit/s capacity over distances up to two miles.

According to Zoberi, the growing demand for enhanced wireless data services to be available ‘anytime and anywhere’ is increasing pressure on operators to re-assess their backhaul infrastructure--with higher capacity the key. “For the network operators, the expression ‘time is money’ rings true,” he said. “Quick to install, high-capacity microwave systems offer a flexible and reliable solution to the backhaul dilemma as we embark on the next steps of wireless evolution.”

Perhaps some "Optical Fiber Guys" would like to argue their case for superiority in this area. We're all ears.

E-Ink Cover for Esquire Magazine

By now most people have heard of or seen the 75th anniversary issue cover of Esquire magazine with the E-Ink display that flashes messages electronically (see link to Engadget video above). But why is this interesting to the RF and microwave community? Well, the future E-Ink technology might enable electronic newspapers or e-books to be transmitted via wireless to your piece of E-Ink "paper" in real time. Imagine picking up your E-Ink sheet each day off the kitchen table and seeing the latest news from your favorite newspaper or reading your e-book on the way to work. What an Eco-friendly technology that could save massive amounts of trees each year.

It could become the new display technology that is easy to read for more complicated articles or even videos rather than your small cell phone or Blackberry display. E-books do not seem to have caught on yet probably due to the limited display technology that would allow us to read them easier like a real book or newspaper (the Kindle is probably the closest thing to date). What ideas do you have for your E-Ink sheet of paper???

CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO worldwide users surpass 450 million and 100 million, respectively

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced that CDMA2000 and 1xEV-DO technologies have surpassed 450 million and 100 million users, respectively, worldwide. The total cumulative cdmaOne and CDMA2000 subscriber base has reached 463 million, growing 12 million net subscribers during the second quarter of 2008.

CDMA2000 subscriptions grew at pace of 19 per cent between June 2007 and June 2008, with the strongest growth coming from the Asia Pacific region, followed by North America, Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific accounts for 52 per cent of the global CDMA market, adding more than 51 million new CDMA2000 subscribers during the same period. North America (including the U.S. and Canada) saw an addition of over 18 million new CDMA2000 users over the year and, with 144 million subscribers, CDMA now accounts for more than 51 per cent of the wireless market in the region. Europe, the Middle East and Africa added more than 13 million CDMA2000 subscribers in the past year, more than doubling its subscribers at a 142 per cent growth rate.

Operators added almost 25 million EV-DO users from June 2007 to June 2008, representing a 33 per cent annual increase. The CDMA2000 1xEV-DO broadband solution has 123 operators in 62 countries offering high-speed CDMA services. Up to 44 of these operators have deployed CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A networks to offer mobile broadband services, and another 36 operators are in the process of deploying the solution. CDG says that EV-DO is growing the fastest among North American operators, gaining more than 17 million subscribers at a 46 per cent growth rate. Europe, the Middle East and Africa saw the number of EV-DO subscribers triple over the past year, while Latin America and Asia Pacific users increased by 29 per cent and 16 per cent, respectively