Intel dumps ultrawideband research

CHIPZILLA has dumped a five-year research effort in ultrawideband and shut down its UWB startup WiQuest Communications.

Basically ultrawideband is a turkey which has gobbled its way past five Christmases for no real reason.

It is pants in almost every way. UWB is slow, power hungry, expensive and has a tendency to annoy government regulators. The technology clearly needs a lot of work and there are some better options out there.

Getting into the market is at least a year away and, by then, what is left of the technology will be consolidated under a couple of small companies.

About a month ago, Intel decided to scrap the effort after a regularly-scheduled review by the company's product groups failed to find a sponsor for the design team.

In other words, no one wanted it internally and when they went outside the only place interested was a startup called Staccato Communications which recently rolled out a second-generation device.

However, Staccato is short of cash and only has two months of financing left. The dark satanic rumour mill said that it was also about to shut down, although this has also been denied.

Either way UWB is fast going the way of the dodo and George Bush's popularity. µ

L'Inq
EETimes