An Introduction to Wireless Technology, Second Edition

critical asset for competition, requiring competence on working through

regulatory agencies and licensing bodies.

3. Mass Customization: Wireless devices must be easily tailored (that is,

programmable) to individual roles and preferences.

4. Price discontinuities: A price threshold will be found which ignites explosive

usage of cellular and RF data, fax, and voice usage.

5. Social/human/usability issues: The social acceptability of wireless devices

will affect demand. For example, wireless technologies could enable people

to have their personal whereabouts recorded, resulting in an undesirable

invasion of privacy. People may not want to be able to be reached in

circumstances where they are used to unwinding and being out of touch.

Human-centric solutions will be required.

6. Key applications, total systems solutions: critical vertical and cross-industry

applications will propel wireless technologies. Simply put, wireless

applications are crucial and product vendors will have to align with

application developers.

7. Merging industries: The computer, communications, networking, consumer

electronics, and entertainment industries of the next five years will be much

more integrated than they are today.

8. Wireless communities are emerging, especially in sparsely populated areas

(for example, the telephone connections in the Australian outback are mostly

wireless). The high cost of long cable runs in rural areas makes wireless

communication a more cost-effective solution. Wireless technologies will be

a credible and cost-effective alternative to upgrading some existing wired

infrastructures or creating a spontaneous communication situation, such as

in a disaster area.

9. Technological advances in batteries (life, weight), solar power, and circuit

miniaturization will increasingly enable attractive, functional, affordable, and

practical devices which will use wireless communications.

10. Incorporated intelligence will become more pervasive. Appliances,

automobiles, or remote equipment will use wireless devices to alert central

maintenance facilities when service is required. Intelligent vending

machines will automatically place just-in-time wireless calls for restocking,

cash removal, and service; allowing vendors to operate at enormously

improved levels of efficiency.

11. Wireless networks will provide value added services both directly and by

means of links into other services. Delivery of timely, accurate and relevant

information such as weather warnings, traffic delays and emergency

messages will become an essential part of any wireless network service.

1.2 Wireless Applications

The main driving force behind wireless and remote computing devices is the

applications. The successful introduction of a new technology depends on the

wide acceptance of those applications which use that technology. The

applications must meet a real need.

1.2.1 Voice Communication

Early wireless communications used Morse code followed by simple voice

communications. In the 1930s, radio equipment used valves (tubes) which

needed high-wattage power supplies. Radio receivers were either electric main

power source operated or needed large batteries for the high voltages required.

Police mobile radio allowed one-way communication from central dispatch to

cars who listened in on dedicated frequency bands. The police officer then

Chapter 1. Introduction 5