
Chapter 4: Physical Layer Concepts 175
Because IEEE 802.11b does not take advantage of the higher 5-GHz frequencies that
are now available courtesy of the FCC, most wireless networking products currently avail-
able operate in the 2.4 GHz band, which, as noted earlier, is also used by spread spectrum
cordless telephones. The growth of WLANs, coupled with the popularity of spread spec-
trum cordless telephones, is making the 2.4 GHz frequency band crowded and leading to
increased interference that reduces WLAN performance. To resolve this situation, another
WLAN standard was approved: IEEE 802.11a (yes, the letters are going in reverse), which
uses the ...