EE Times has reported that UWB chipset company has closed its doors, and indicated that Intel has ended its research efforts in UWB. So, is it a death knell for ultra-wideband? Eric Broockman, Alereon's CEO, says no in a blog he posted last Friday. His indication is that WiQuest's struggle to get a single-chip solution that could meet the widely varying regulatory restrictions that different countries have put in place was a reason why it - but not the entire UWB industry - failed. The WiMedia version of UWB has the backing of both the Bluetooth SIG and the USB Forum, but if I'm a handset maker, I'd be leery of implementing a short-range radio solution in my devices if I wasn't 100% assured that it could meet the regulations set forth in international markets.

Others argue that the lack of a killer application and a subsequent inability by UWB chipset makers to grow volumes significantly to drive down chipset costs (which are estimated still at $15) are reasons why the industry hasn't seen the growth that was once projected. Finally, it does appear that companies are continuing to take a close look at a variety of wireless solutions that can serve as both short-range cable replacement and for whole-house distribution of video content. So, the field appears wide open for Wi-Fi, 5 GHz, 60 GHz, and the remaining UWB companies.