(September 25)

Broadcom Corporation, a provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications, has announced availability of the Broadcom BCM2002 radio chip qualified to provide high performance Bluetooth radio capabilities for Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and third generation (3G) wireless phones featuring the QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies (QCT) Mobile Station Modem (MSM) series of chipsets.

The Broadcom BCM2002 all-CMOS radio transceiver is a member of Broadcom's Blutonium family of Bluetooth Qualification Board (BQB) version 1.1-qualified system solutions for Bluetooth applications. The BCM2002 is the latest in a product family offering performance in high-interference environments, such as inside cell phones and laptop computers.

Broadcom's BCM2002 radio chip works in conjunction with the Bluetooth baseband and protocol stack to provide Bluetooth functionality for wireless devices. By offering a Bluetooth radio solution that works in coordination with an embedded Bluetooth baseband, Broadcom is enabling a low added bill of materials (BOM) cost for a Bluetooth solution.

Features

 - Spurious emissions performance - the BCM2002 minimizes interference with transmissions taking place in the bands used by mobile phones.

 - Blocking performance - a linear design eliminates radio frequency (RF) filtering to receive reliable signals from other Bluetooth devices.

 - Cell phone integration - the radio design eases integration into the harsh environment within cell phones while maintaining performance and optimizing overall phone performance.

 - Fractional-N frequency generation technology - this enables the BCM2002 to base its operation on a number of different reference frequencies.

The BCM2002 is offered in multiple packaging options, including an ultra-small chip scale package. The Bluetooth version 1.1-qualified radio is available in production quantities. It is also available as a module through selected module companies.

http://www.broadcom.com

0142.2 Story of the Issue

***Wireless Technology Helps Rebuild New York

By James Sneeringer

On September 11, during the attack on the World Trade Center, it is estimated that over 6,000 people lost their lives--this can never be forgotten. Beyond the human tragedy, though, lies more: the stories of destruction and cooperation, the loss of equipment, records, and resources, and the spirit of unity that responded. While we mourn the lives lost, the story of rebuilding has already begun, and will go on for some time.

One such story the WAVE investigated was that of the Microwave Communications Division of Harris Corporation, an international communications equipment manufacturer based in Melbourne, Florida. The New York Port Authority, owner and one of the main tenants of the World Trade Center, has been a customer of Harris for many years. The prominent broadcast mast atop Tower 1, in fact, was a product of Harris's Broadcast Division. Most notable among the relationships with the Microwave Division is the wireless private networks Harris supplies for communications between the Port Authority and Newark, La Guardia, and Kennedy International Airports.

September 11, 2001

With the collapse of both towers of the World Trade Center on September 11, many companies, including the Port Authority, lost their offices and communications. We spoke with Carleton Smith, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Harris's Microwave Division, for the story of how Harris responded.

Smith stated that following the collapse, the Microwave Division immediately put together a team to find out what equipment they had in inventory. This information was passed on to reps in Washington, DC and New York, who started receiving calls almost immediately from companies affected by the attacks. In many cases Harris contacted other customers awaiting shipments, and requested permission to delay delivery so that the equipment in inventory could remain available for disaster relief. Smith emphasized that in all cases, customers were very cooperative, and that to him this was the most interesting and positive aspect of the situation, given the extremely competitive nature of the telecommunications industry. He also stated that in the interest of time, the Microwave Division had taken extra steps such as shipping to established customers without purchase orders, or recalling trucks to adjust orders as needed.

Customers

One of the first companies to contact Harris was the Port Authority, which had set up a temporary office in New Jersey. Harris was able to set up temporary wireless communications within a few days, to preserve the private networks with the airports. As the Port Authority plans its move to a more permanent site in New Jersey, Smith stated that Harris is working closely with them as they go through the site identification process. A major factor in the planning is the longer hop (distance the wireless signal must travel) from the two New York airports to New Jersey, a factor aggravated by a lack of elevation. New antennas will be much closer to the ground than the ones lost from the top of the 1300-foot Towers, increasing the number of obstacles in the path of the signals. As a result, Harris has had to switch from the original 11 GHz radios to 6 GHz radios, which have longer range but less bandwidth per channel.

The second company to contact Harris was cellular service provider Nextel. The World Trade Center Towers had housed two major Verizon switches, with a third in a nearby building. When the towers were destroyed, Nextel lost a major connection between its network and the Verizon network. Smith estimated that almost every Nextel customer in lower Manhattan was affected; we were unable to confirm a number with Nextel. The Microwave Division worked with Nextel to restore communications as quickly as possible by connecting Nextel to Verizon wirelessly, using Harris 18 GHz Microstar radios. Harris also helped Nextel work with an emergency Federal Communications Commission (FCC) group formed to fast track new wireless spectrum licenses.

Other companies Smith mentioned Harris was working with are construction supplier Bechtel and AT&T Wireless, who also lost connection to the Verizon network with the destruction of the switches.

Industry

We also asked Smith for his insights into the future of the telecommunications industry. He stated that it was his opinion that over time, the incidents of September 11th would spur growth in the telecom sector, not limit it. Two aspects of the tragedy stood out in his mind: the emphasis on cellular communications during and after the attacks, and a desire for heightened security and durability in communication networks.

Worldwide, he reminded us, the United States does not rank highly in population cell phone use. The emphasis on the use of cell phones on September 11th, he believed, would result in increased demand nationwide for cellular communications. The resulting growth in service providers would spur demand for equipment and engineering.

Smith told us that he expects that demand for wireless private networks will grow as a result of the desire for increased security and durability. He also believes alternate paths (which relate to network durability) will take on new importance to customers. This would be especially true in large, prominent buildings such as the World Trade Center or the Sears Tower - buildings where the network investments are huge due to the number of people inside; buildings that are now also perceived by many as potential targets.

He also stated that in Harris Corporation's work in foreign countries, the increased security of a wireless network was attractive to suppliers. In some cases copper cable would be stolen just a few days after being strung, whereas a wireless tower could be guarded with only one or two people. While most US companies do have fixed wireless components to their networks, Smith believes that component will grow in the future, to create enhanced back-up to wired networks.

As we discussed the effects of the destruction of the Trade Center on wireless communications in New York, Smith pointed out that since the tops of the Towers were so large and flat, they were ideally suited for locating large amounts of telecom equipment. According to Smith, almost every other tall building in New York is pointed at the top. As result, the scarce amount of physical real estate available for locating equipment high over New York will be a limiting factor on the rebuilding process, especially as the prices for available real estate multiply in response to demand. We asked Smith if he thought the Trade Center Towers would be rebuilt. "I don't know," he responded, "but knowing New York, I'd expect to see some tall buildings up there."

http://www.harris.com

0142.3 Television

***CN8 Celebrates Five-Year Anniversary

(September 4)

CN8, The Comcast Network, has celebrated its five-year anniversary. The Network was launched on September 3, 1996 to serve the local programming needs of Comcast Cable customers in the tri-state area. Five years and 4 million homes later, CN8 has evolved in a regional cable network offering 11 hours of live news, sports, talk and entertainment programming across Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. This year, the network’s reach grew by more than 450,000 viewers.

http://www.cn8.tv

0142.4 Semiconductor

***Virage Logic to Deliver Embedded Memory on TSMC 0.10-Micron Process