STTR Phase II: Optical Fiber Distributed 60 GHz Wireless Personal Area Network

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II research project will create novel technologies for the realization of a cost-effective, optical fiber distributed 60 Gigahertz (GHz) wireless personal area network (WPAN). The 60 GHz frequency region for wireless communications is attracting much interest worldwide because of the huge bandwidth it can provide. The integration of a 60 GHz WPAN with a fiber-optic signal distribution scheme will enable the required high data rate signals to be efficiently and cost-effectively delivered to a large number of radio access points ensuring optimized radio coverage. A cost-effective prototype wireless access point for a fiber distributed 60 GHz WPAN will be developed and multi-gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) bi-directional data transmission demonstrated. Consumers will directly benefit from the fiber distributed 60 GHz WPAN through the provision of new communication services and the increased affordability in gaining access to unprecedented multi-Gb/s data rate tetherless connectivity. The broader impacts of this research are the advancement of high data rate communication systems through the deployment of new integrated wired and wireless infrastructures with enhanced flexibility and scalability. The technologies created in this project will also greatly enhance the security of data on wireless networks due to the inherent security in the physical layer of the 60 GHz wireless network. The enhanced security of short range 60 GHz wireless networks will be of direct benefit to organizations such as law enforcement agencies, homeland security, financial institutions and medical institutions, for which the secure transmission of data is critical in ensuring the protection of individuals.