MDS America
 | It has been suggested that this article be merged into MVDDS dispute. (Discuss) Proposed since May 2007. |
 | The neutrality of this article is disputed. |
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| Company type | Corporation |
|---|---|
| Industry | Telecommunication Manufacturing |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters |  Stuart, Florida, USA |
Key people | Kirk Kirkpatrick |
| Products | Direct broadcast television, Internet |
Number of employees | 20 |
| Parent | Al-Fawares Group K.S.C. |
| Subsidiaries | MDS Operations |
| Website | [1] |
MDS America or MDS America, Inc (MDSA) is a startup wireless Internet and wireless cable TV technology provider based in Stuart, Florida. MDS America was the primary party responsible for the invalidation of Northpoint Technology Inc's patents having to do with terrestrial rebroadcast of satellite signals.[1]
MDS Operations, an affiliated company, participated in recent auctions in 2005 and 2006 held by the FCC of the frequency band of 12.2 - 12.7 GHz, which it christened MVDDS.[2] MDSO acquired rights in both auctions for 80 markets covering more than 15 million television households in the US.[citation needed]
Andrew Kreig, President of Wireless Communications Association International (WCAI), a Washington, D.C. trade group, said, "MDS has rather quietly become established as a leader in this field, They have strong experience internationally." [3]
Technology
MDSA's primary product is a high-speed Multi-channel Video Distribution and Data Service (MVDDS) system developed in-house.[citation needed] This system is based in principle on established RF technology, and consists of discrete directional or omnidirectional low power transmitters positioned on towers, buildings, or other elevated objects. The coverage of the signal extends from the transmitter to the curve of the earth. The unique design of the transmitters and antennas results in a high resistance to interference from other RF sources. This allows for a high speed digital video and data link over greater distances than many conventional systems - up to 200 kilometers using a compact passive antenna. MDSA Technology may also cover a much wider area such a city or an entire country, using a cellular type network.[4][citation needed]
The receiver of MDSA's system uses a technology that is currently patent pending (Serial number 625806 filed 2003). [5]
The MVDDS system uses similar spectrum to a DBS (Direct Broadcast Satellite) system, and is capable of operating at the same frequencies without interference. The MDSA two-way system competes against satellite internet access; the shorter round trip distance of only a few hundred kilometers reduces the latency compared with a geostationary satellite's 44,000 mile 250ms latency. The MDSA system has the disadvantage of requiring infrastructure closer to the user - a satellite can cover a significant proportion of the country, instead of the maximum 200km radius of an MDSA base station.
Legal History
MDSA was sued by Northpoint Technology Ltd., [6] on the grounds of patent infringement (US Patents #5,761,605 and #6,169,878.) MDSA contended that the patents that Northpoint had been granted were invalid since the patents essentially covered attributes of a satellite dish and Northpoint had not invented satellite dishes. In 2004, a jury in Federal Court in Ft. Pierce, Florida invalidated both asserted Northpoint patents on four separate grounds [7]. This court case and subsequent invalidation of Northpoint's patents opened the way for the auctioning of MVDDS spectrum. [8]
Appeal
The above case was appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. On June 28, 2005, the court AFFIRMED the findings of the lower court permanently invalidating both patents. [9] [10]
Management
- Kirk Kirkpatrick: Founder, President, and CEO
- Peter Blond: Exec. Vice President and COO
- Grigory Kholodkov: Chief Engineer MDSA
- Sharif Rabah: Vice President, Sales and Marketing
- Allen Quinn: Vice President, Operations
- Gopiballava Flaherty: CIO
Ownership
MDS America is owned by Al-Fawares for Construction and Development K.S.C. and members of the management team.