Can you hear me now? Spectrum-enabled RFID tags store and share data

CHIPS, Summer, 2004

Advanced Technology Ordnance Surveillance (ATOS): Real-time surveillance and inventory updates for ordnance. DoD RFID initiatives will invariably impact Navy and Marine Corps information technology. The expanded scope of logistics management enabled by RFID will assist the warfighter, the command and control elements, and the essential support team members.

The impending change in DON business processes due to RFID adoption is not likely to be disruptive, despite the scale of the effort, because at critical stages the technical and policy decisions embraced a standard shared in the commercial world.

A comparison of the benefits, concerns and applications related to
different spectrum frequency bands.

                                                           Typical
Frequency                                                    DoD
Band                 Benefits            Concerns        Applications

100-500kHz    * Inexpensive          * Short to        * Access control
(Low          * Better penetration     medium read     * Inventory
Frequency)      of non-metallic        range             control
                items                * Slow reading
                                       speed

10-15 MHz     * Short to medium      * Potentially     * Access control
(High           read range             inexpensive     * Smart cards
Frequency)    * Medium reading
                speed

850-950 MHz   * Long read range      * Line of sight   * Vehicle
(Ultra-High   * High reading speed     required          Identification
Frequency)                           * Expensive         and Entry
                                                         Control
                                                         Systems

2.4-5.8 GHz    * Long read range      * Line of sight  * Vehicle
(Microwave)    * High reading speed     sight            Identification
                                        required         and Entry
                                      * Expensive        Control
                                                         Systems
                                                       * 802.11
                                                         generation of
                                                         WLANs

Contact the DON Spectrum Team at DONSPECTRUMTEAM@navy.mil.