Component testing for the multi-gigabit wireless communication system.

‘World’s fastest wireless’ team wins top CSIRO award

Reference: 07/233

The team of scientists who developed the world’s fastest, most spectrally-efficient wireless communications link has been awarded the highest accolade CSIRO can bestow on its scientists – the 2007 CSIRO Chairman’s Medal.

• 20 November 2007

The award recognises the success of CSIRO’s ICT Centre Gigabit Wireless Team in producing the world’s first six gigabit per second (Gbps) wireless communications link at millimetre-wave frequencies which employs innovative system architecture, high performance monolithic millimetre-wave integrated circuits (MMIC) and novel signal processing techniques.

Operating at 80GHz, the communications link can transfer data much faster than other wireless technologies, operate in cloudy, foggy or smoky conditions and is much easier and cheaper to deploy than fibre optics in many circumstances.

 CSIRO Chairman, Dr John Stocker, said the team’s success was another example of CSIRO’s ability to lead the world in the development of cutting-edge technology.

“Under the leadership of Val Dyadyuk, the team showed that with dedication and support CSIRO’s scientists can compete successfully against the world’s leading public and private research institutions,” he said. “The development of this ‘next-generation’, super-fast, super-efficient communications link technology is an exciting development with considerable commercial potential.”

During the presentation ceremony – held this afternoon at the CSIRO Discovery Centre in Canberra – one of Australia’s leading astronomers, Dr Richard Manchester, was also awarded CSIRO’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Presenting the award, CSIRO Chief Executive Dr Geoff Garrett said Dr Manchester had spent the past 40 years contributing to the discovery and study of pulsars in the Galaxy.

“One of the highlights of Dr Manchester’s distinguished career was playing a major role in the 2003 world-first discovery of a double-pulsar system – a discovery which provides unprecedented insights into fundamental physics. His dedication not just to leading groundbreaking research in this fascinating area of science but also to mentoring and inspiring his colleagues, makes Dr Manchester a worthy winner of this prestigious award,’’ Dr Garrett said.

The other CSIRO Medal winners were:

John Philip Award for the Promotion of Excellence in Young Scientists:

• Dr David Newth – for significant advances in massive agent-based modelling and its application to Australia’s response to infectious disease outbreaks, bio-terrorism, climate change and national security issues.

CSIRO Medal for Business Excellence:

• CSIRO T-Mag Technology Commercialisation Team – for establishing a joint venture (T-Mag Pty Ltd) with an SME consortium which plans to use the T-Mag technology to develop and commercialise a new magnesium alloy casting machine designed to produce strong, lightweight, cost-competitive automotive components that will reduce overall vehicle weight.

CSIRO Medals for Research Achievement:

• Water for a Healthy Country Flagship Irrigation Team – for research that has significantly advanced the sustainable management of Australia’s irrigative water resources;
• CSIRO Bee Team – for raising awareness of biosecurity threats to Australia’s pollination services and the viability of key agricultural industries;
• The LANDTEM Team – for developing a new system of minerals exploration (LANDTEM) based on high-temperature superconducting devices.

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