THE NETHERCOMM SOLUTION

A unique wireless broadband technology has been recently introduced by a California company called
Nethercomm. At this point its possible impact on the market cannot be determined, but the technology forms
an interesting option that may provide real benefits in certain networks.
Nethercomm’s system is based on ultrawideband (UWB) radio technology where the whole available
radio spectrum from the low kilohertz to the tens of gigahertz is utilized. Unlike more conventional over-theair
UWB systems, Nethercomm’s radios transmit over waveguides, closed metal pipes that contain the signal
and prevent interference with other radios. The idea of using waveguides for propagating radio transmissions
is not new, and beginning in 1947 much of the long-distance telephone traffic in the United States took place
over underground waveguides. What’s different about the Nethercomm system is the use of UWB in lieu of
conventional modulation techniques and the notion of employing infrastructure that is already in place, namely
gas lines.
Nethercomm claims that their prototype systems are capable of outputs of several gigabits per second,
faster than most passive optical systems, and that the outlay for equipment is far less. If these claims are true,
the system could succeed, though it is arriving in the marketplace critically after many rival technologies have
already established themselves.
Of course, such a network depends on forging an agreement with the local natural gas utility, a process
fraught with uncertainties. As is, most gas utilities with an interest in broadband have opted to exploit dark
fiber or install new types of armored fiber inside the gas lines.