Cell phone inventor Marty Cooper will lead "Solving Spectrum Shortages," a webinar that also features wireless researcher Professor Ted Rappaport, policy expert Michael Calabrese and Dr. Felix Gutierrez. This first of a series of "Marconi Expertise" webinars on telecommunications and Internet technology and policy issues sponsored by the Marconi Society takes place January 15, 10 a.m. Pacific, 1 p.m. New York, 6 p.m. London.

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Cooper says, "We've never had a scarcity of spectrum in the past," questioning common belief in policy circles. "Technology has always kept up with the increasing needs and most often stayed ahead of these needs. We haven't exhausted the ability of technology to continue multiplying the available throughput of spectrum and I'm optimistic that increased capacity will outpace increased demand."

Professor Ted Rappaport of NYU, a leading researcher on 5G wireless technologies, joins the panel. Rappaport and his students are already testing 28 GHz and other high frequency signals in Manhattan, helping pioneer the technology. Says Rappaport, "There's a clear path to multi-gigabit wireless for urban areas." Dr. Felix Gutierrez, one of Rappaport's former students, taped out and fabricated the first millimeter wave on-chip antenna in University of Texas history. Michael Calabrese, director of the Wireless Future Project of New America's Open Technology Institute, is a member of the U.S. Department of Commerce Spectrum Management Advisory Committee.

"Leading engineers and top policy people suggest highly different futures for wireless," says moderator Dave Burstein, Editor of Fast Net News. "The engineers see remarkable progress in wireless technology that has kept up with demand and will likely continue doing so. Policy people point to the large growth in demand from smartphones and worry whether the networks will be congested. This webinar is an attempt to bridge that gap."

The webinar series "Marconi Expertise" is an initiative of the Marconi Society, bringing the knowledge of engineering leaders to today's issues. Marconi Fellows include many of the most honored engineers in the world. The second Webinar, featuring MIMO inventor and entrepreneur Arogyaswami Paulraj, takes place March 6th. More details may be found at: www.marconisociety.org/

Marconi Society
Hatti Hamlin, 925-872-4328
Hattihamlin@comcast.net