WiMedia Alliance aims to bypass IEEE on UWB

In a move to bypass IEEE standardization processes, the WiMedia Alliance received ECMA approval of its standards for ultra wideband (UWB) based on the WiMedia UWB Common Radio Platform. The Alliance also plans to lobby the IEEE to halt all proceedings on UWB standardization because it says the process has taken too long. The standards will allow for the interoperability of UWB devices and the implementation of wireless personal area networks (WPANs). The ECMA-368 standard specifies the Physical (PHY) and Media Access Control (MAC) layers and mandates that each device must support 53.3, 106.7 and 200 Mbps to ensure QoS. The ECMA-369 standard enables the integration of PHY and MAC layers specified in the ECMA-368. UWB technology will enable high-speed, short-range multimedia file transfers on mobile phones and other devices including digital cameras, computers, and high-definition TVs.

For more on the WiMedia Alliance's standard:
- take a look at this article from InformationWeek