At least one wireless intercom company is offering a solution to the 2009 DTV post-transition spectrum squeeze. Crowded conditions in the 500 to 600 MHz are expected, as many broadcasters settle into new channel assignments. Ditto with users of 700 MHz channels, as this real estate will be auctioned to new users later in 2009.
To sidestep these potential congestion problems, Clear-Com is launching Tempest 900 and 2400--systems designed to operate in the unlicensed 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz portions of the spectrum, which will be unaffected by fallout from the DTV transition.
The Tempest systems are built around spread spectrum frequency hopping, in conjunction with TDMA technology. A transmission voice data redundancy feature sends out each packet of audio data twice in different frequencies to ensure uninterrupted communications.
The new systems can operate with existing Clear-Com intercoms, as well as those from other manufacturers, through two- and four-wire connections.
