Wireless Technology

The term wireless technology is generally used for mobile IT equipment. It encompasses cellular telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and wireless networking. Other examples of wireless technology include GPS units, garage door openers, wireless computer mice and keyboards, satellite television, and cordless telephones.

Wireless networks are telephone or computer networks that use radio as their carrier or physical layer.

Wireless MAN - Metropolitan area network

Wireless LAN - Local area networks

Wireless PAN - Personal area networks

GSM - Global standard for digital mobile communication, common in most countries except South Korea and Japan

PCS - PCS - Personal communication system - no single standard, this covers both CDMA and GSM networks operating at 1900 MHz in North America

Mobitex - Pager-based network in the USA and Canada, built by Ericsson, now used by PDAs such as the Palm VII and Research in Motion Blackberry

GPRS - General Packet Radio Service, upgraded packet-based service within the GSM framework, gives higher data rates and always-on service

UMTS - Universal Mobile Telephone Service (3rd generation cell phone network), based on the W-CDMA radio access network

AX.25 - Amateur packet radio

NMT - Nordic Mobile Telephony, analog system originally developed by PTTs in the Nordic countries

AMPS - America Mobile Phone System

D-AMPS - Digital AMPS, also known as TDMA

ZigBee - Small-power wireless network protocol

A mobile phone, also known as a cellular or cell phone, is an electronic telecommunications device with the same basic capability as a conventional fixed-line telephone, but which is entirely portable and does not a hard-wired connection to the telephone network. Most mobile phones connect instead to the network using a wireless radio wave transmission technology. The mobile phone communicates via a cellular network of base stations, also known as cell sites, which are linked to the conventional telephone network.

In addition to the standard voice function of a telephone, a mobile phone can support many additional services such as SMS for text messaging, packet switching for access to the Internet, and MMS for sending and receiving photos and video.

Some of the world's largest mobile phone manufacturers include Alcatel, Audiovox, Fujitsu, Kyocera (formerly the handset division of Qualcomm), LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic (Matsushita Electric), Philips, Sagem, Samsung, Sanyo, Sharp, Siemens, SK Teletech, Sony Ericsson, and Toshiba.

There are also specialist communication systems related to, but distinct from, mobile phones. These include satellite phones and Professional Mobile Radio. Mobile phones are also distinct from cordless telephones, which generally operate only within limited range of a specific base station.

The Global Positioning System, usually called GPS (United States military refers to it as NAVSTAR GPS - Navigation Signal Timing and Ranging Global Positioning System), is currently the only operational satellite navigation system. For a list of other proposed and partially developed systems, including Russia's GLONASS and Europe's Galileo, see satellite navigation systems.

Satellite Navigation Systems can be used for determining one's precise location and providing a highly accurate time reference almost anywhere on Earth or in Earth orbit. The accuracy of the GPS signal itself is about 5 meters (16 ft) as of 2005 and has steadily improved over the last 15 years. Using differential GPS and other error-correcting techniques, the accuracy can be improved to about 1 cm (.4 in) over short distances.

The GPS system was designed, and is controlled, by the United States Department of Defense and can be used in both military and civilian applications. GPS is available for public use, free of charge.

Bluetooth is a telecommunications industry specification that describes how mobile phones, computers, and personal digital assistants (PDAs) can be easily interconnected using a short-range wireless connection. Using this technology, users of cellular phones, pagers, and personal digital assistants can buy a three-in-one phone that can double as a portable phone at home or in the office, get quickly synchronized with information in a desktop or notebook computer, initiate the sending or receiving of a fax, initiate a print-out, and, in general, have all mobile and fixed computer devices be entirely coordinated.

Bluetooth requires that a low-cost transceiver chip be included in each device. The transceiver transmits and receives in a previously unused frequency band of 2.45 GHz that is available globally (with some variation of bandwidth in different countries). In addition to data, up to three voice channels are available. Each device has a unique 48-bit address from the IEEE 802 standard. Connections can be point-to-point or multipoint. The maximum range is 10 meters and data can be exchanged at a rate of 1 megabit per second (up to 2 Mbps in the second generation of the technology). A frequency hop scheme allows devices to communicate even in areas with a great deal of electromagnetic interference. Built-in encryption and verification is provided.

The Future of Bluetooth

Rumors of the next step in Bluetooth technology are based on increased transfer speeds a much improved range. The increased bandwidth and improved data rate may threaten to make Wi-Fi technology obsolete, although some would argue that the opposite could be true as Wi-Fi chips become cheaper and power consumption is reduced.

However, since both technologies are constantly increasing in penetration, it is very hard to predict what will happen. Because Bluetooth penetration is largely driven by phone headsets and Wi-Fi penetration almost purely driven by internet access, it is quite possible that they will continue to coexist for different purposes.

IEEE 802.11, the Wi-Fi standard, denotes a set of Wireless LAN/WLAN standards developed by working group 11 of the IEEE LAN/MAN Standards Committee (IEEE 802). The term is also used to refer to the original 802.11, which is now sometimes called "802.11legacy." For the application of these standards see Wi-Fi.

The 802.11 family currently includes six over-the-air modulation techniques that all use the same protocol, the most popular (and prolific) techniques are those defined by the b, a, and g amendments to the original standard; security was originally included, and was later enhanced via the 802.11i amendment. Other standards in the family (c–f, h–j, n) are service enhancement and extensions, or corrections to previous specifications. 802.11b was the first widely accepted wireless networking standard, followed (somewhat counter intuitively) by 802.11a and 802.11g.

802.11b and 802.11g standards use the 2.4 gigahertz (GHz) band, operating under Part 15 of the FCC Rules and Regulations. The 802.11a standard uses the 5 GHz band. Operating in the 2.4 gigahertz frequency band, 802.11b and 802.11g equipment can incur interference from microwave ovens, cordless phones, Bluetooth devices, and other appliances using the same 2.4 GHz band.

While it is true that 802.11a and g devices may be legally operated in the US without a license, it is not true that 802.11a and g operate in an unlicensed portion of the radio frequency spectrum. Unlicensed (legal) operation of 802.11 a & g is covered under Part 15 of the FCC Rules and Regulations. Frequencies used by channels one (1) through six (6) (802.11b) falls within the range of the 2.4 gigahertz Amateur Radio band. Licensed amateur radio operators may operate 802.11b devices under Part 97 of the FCC Rules and Regulations that apply.

Personal digital assistants (also called PDAs or palmtops) are handheld devices that were originally designed as personal organizers, but became much more versatile as they developed. A basic PDA usually includes a datebook, address book, task list, memo pad, clock, and calculator. Many PDAs can now access the Internet via Wi-Fi, cellular or Wide-Area Networks (WANs), or Bluetooth technology. One major advantage of using a PDA is their ability to synchronize data with a PC or home computer.

The term "personal digital assistant" was coined on January 7, 1992 by John Sculley at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, referring to the Apple Newton. Earlier devices like the Psion and Sharp Wizard have the functionality to be considered PDAs, however. In fact, PDAs by other names were available as early as the mid-1970s -- first as very advanced calculators, then as electronic organizers, and later as palmtops. PDAs are some times referred to as "Palms" or "Palm Pilot" after an early PDA created by Palm, Inc. This usage is a case of generalized trademark, similar to referring to a tissue as a "Kleenex"; or a bandage as a "Band-Aid".

The currently major PDA operating systems are:

Palm OS - owned by Palm, Inc.

Windows Mobile (Pocket PC), (based on the Windows CE kernel) - owned by Microsoft

BlackBerry - owned by Research In Motion

Many operating systems based on the Linux kernel - free (not owned by any particular company) These include:

GPE - Based on GTK+/X11

OPIE/Qtopia - based on Qt/E Qtopia is developed by Trolltech, OPIE is a fork of Qtopia developed by volunteers

Symbian OS (formerly EPOC) owned by Ericsson, Panasonic, Nokia, Samsung, Siemens and Sony Ericsson

Many PDAs run using a variation of the ARM architecture (usually denoted by the Intel XScale trademark). This encompasses a class of RISC microprocessors that are widely used in mobile devices and embedded systems. Its design was influenced strongly by a popular 1970s/1980s CPU, the MOS Technology 6502.

According to a Gartner market study, the overall market for PDAs grew by 20.7% in the third quarter (Q3) of 2005, compared to Q3 2004, with market share resolving as follows (by operating system):

Palm OS for Palm, Inc. PDAs and some other licensees- 14.9% (declining)

Windows Mobile for PDAs that comply with the Microsoft's Pocket PC specifications - 49.2% (increasing)

BlackBerry OS for BlackBerry PDA (produced by Research In Motion) - 25.0% (increasing)

Symbian OS - 5.8% (increasing)

Various operating systems based on the Linux kernel for various special designed PDAs (many other supported) - 0.7% (stable)

Other - 4.4% (stable)

The reason usually cited for the resumption in PDA market growth (after market declines in 2002 - 2004) is the growing interest in PDAs offering wireless email capabilities (such as BlackBerries), and PDAs with built-in GPS capabilities for navigation. Smartphones — mobile phones with PDA-like abilities will likely curtail PDA growth in the near future, as smartphones are becoming very popular.

A wireless LAN (or WLAN, for wireless local area network, sometimes referred to as LAWN, for local area wireless network) is one in which a mobile user can connect to a local area network (LAN) through a wireless (radio) connection. The IEEE 802.11 group of standards specify the technologies for wireless LANs. 802.11 standards use the Ethernet protocol and CSMA/CA (carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance) for path sharing and include an encryption method, the Wired Equivalent Privacy algorithm.

High-bandwidth allocation for wireless will make possible a relatively low-cost wiring of classrooms in the United States. A similar frequency allocation has been made in Europe. Hospitals and businesses are also expected to install wireless LAN systems where existing LANs are not already in place.

Using technology from the Symbionics Networks, Ltd., a wireless LAN adapter can be made to fit on a Personal Computer Memory Card Industry Association (PCMCIA) card for a laptop or notebook computer.

CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2006 September 12-14, 2006 Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles,CA

CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2006 is the largest wireless data event in the industry, truly embodies the ever-changing, dynamic and innovative world of wireless data in Enterprise and in Entertainment. This is the one show that brings key audiences such as enterprise users, solution providers, content owners and mobile distribution channels together to form strategic partnerships, service industry needs and create new innovations in wireless data.

Antenna Systems 2006 and Short-Range Wireless 2006 will take place September 6-7 at the Sheraton Premier, just outside of Washington D.C. and focus on the most recent advancements and applications in antenna systems and short-range wireless technology.