Ultra-Wideband Signal Impact on the Performances of IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth Networks

Abstract

This paper presents the results of a coexistence study investigating the impact of ultra-wideband (UWB) interference on IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth networks. The results are based on the experimental test measurements made at the University of Oulu, Finland. Simple high-power UWB transmitters are used to interfere with victim networks. Preliminary results show that only under extreme interference conditions with thousands of equivalent Federal Communications Commission– (FCC)-compliant devices in close proximity, will the IEEE 802.11b and Bluetooth networks experience significant performance degradation. The impact of the UWB interference on the IEEE 802.11b network was insignificant if the distance to UWB transmitters was greater than 40 cm. The impact on Bluetooth was even less noticeable. In our study, several high-power UWB transmitters that greatly exceed the FCC radiation regulations have been used, and the measurement settings presents the worst case scenario because of the very short distance between the interferers and the victim system. Effectively our study approximates the use of thousands of FCC-complaint UWB devices in the same space.