Move to ease restrictions on RF tags will benefit shippers

By Staff -- Logistics Management, 10/1/2000

T wo international groups overseeing bar-code standards have agreed to increase the ultra-high-frequency (UHF) range allowed for radio-frequency tags used in supply chain applications. EAN International and the Uniform Code Council (UCC) have agreed to accept all tag solutions for global supply chain applications in the 862 to 928 MHz range. In the past, the tags' range was limited to 862 to 897 MHz.

The two groups added the higher-frequency range to accommodate spectrum-hopping technologies that are being offered by an increasing number of manufacturers. The frequency expansion should also make it easier for these applications to pass regulatory muster in more nations. "The addition of frequency-hopping solutions that operate in the 862 to 928 MHz range and meet the performance requirements of our users will speed up the delivery of workable global solutions by minimizing the effects of regional regulatory issues that exist today with respect to frequency, power, and duty cycles of radio devices," says UCC representative Terry Mitchell Erman.

The two groups are behind the RFID Global Tag Initiative program, which was launched last year to set standards for tag applications involving returnable containers, asset management, transportation, and logistics. Many industry experts believe that tags could provide an alternative to bar codes for tracking products in distribution.