Indoor Wireless Communications

2Indoor Wireless Technologies

This book is not exclusive of any indoor wireless technology; instead, an effort has been made to present an overview of design, planning and deployment issues that may be applicable to many wireless technologies. An understanding of the various standards and protocols is therefore a necessary asset for any in-building radio planner or designer, since nowadays the deployment of multioperator, multitechnology networks is becoming more frequent.

This chapter aims at providing a brief overview of wireless technologies that are frequently encountered inside buildings. Special emphasis is given to cellular and Wi-Fi, two of the most important wireless technologies deployed inside buildings for which coexistence and design issues need to be carefully considered.

2.1 Cellular

Perhaps one of the most revolutionizing developments in the communications industry in the twentieth century has been the invention of the cellular concept. Since the creation of fixed telephony and other wired communication systems such as the telegraph, the possibility of having mobility while holding a conversation seemed possible but maybe not so feasible, as the size of electronic equipment still made it prohibitive for a device to be portable within a reasonable cost. Nowadays, not only are mobile voice communications possible but also data communications are a reality with increasing data rates, utilizing the spectrum more efficiently. It could be said that cellular has been ...