Motorola claims wireless spread-spectrum breakthrough

Working in the Chicago region, Motorola conducted a series of demonstrations using OFDM on a 20MHz channel with multiple-antenna handheld devices. This work, the company says, has proven that a 20MHz mobile OFDM channel can support peak uncoded channel data rates of up to 300Mbps.

During the tests, applications such as videoconferencing and high-quality streaming video worked effectively on mobile gadgets being operated in vehicles travelling at up to 60 miles per hour.

OFDM is a radio spread-spectrum technology that transmits data simultaneously at a number of different frequencies. This makes it an efficient and quick way to send data, and also results in less interference and distortion.

Motorola is now planning to play a major role in pushing OFDM as a broadband wireless standard.

"The promise of affordable, available mobile broadband is driving Motorola's vision of seamless mobility," said Padmasree Warrior, Motorola's chief technology officer, in a statement.

WiMax, or 802.16, has been widely tipped as the technology that will power broadband wireless networks that are much faster than the Wi-Fi hot spots of today. Motorola says that OFDM is already used in fixed and nomadic broadband wireless applications such as Wi-Fi and WiMAX, and is being studied for use in the next generation of cellular equipment.