Wireless Communications touches the lives of more than two-thirds of the world population. It is an ever evolving field and has been one of the fastest growing technology sectors from a consumer, business and research perspective. In this article, I have tried to put together a few trends that could define the direction of the wireless world in the next few years.
Long Term Evolution (LTE) – LTE is the next generation wireless broadband technology, also referred to as 4G. It is seen as an evolution of the current GSM and WCDMA networks. Salient features of the standards based on LTE include increased download and upload rates, use of MIMO (Multiple Input and Multiple Output) as antenna technology, OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) as the modulation technique, improved spectral efficiency and quality of service, better integration with existing standards, embedded security and an all ‘IP’ network. The world’s first LTE network has been launched in Sweden. In most parts of the world, including US, LTE is still in testing stages and is expected to be launched commercially by 2011-2012.
WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access is the name given to the IEEE 802.16 standard. It would be used to provide last mile mobile boradband as well as backhaul or network access applications. It is projected to provide 10s of mbits/sec of speed to a stationary or mobile client many kilometers away. WiMax is especially considered a viable solution for developing countries to provide coverage in the rural areas. One of the biggest debates in the telecom industry is which technology will be more widely adopted 5 years from now – WiMax or LTE? In my opinion both can logically and technically coexist.
Femtocells – Femtocell is a small base station or an access point for providing cellular service in a residential or office environment where signal penetration is weak and limited. They connect to the service provider’s core network through an existing wired broadband connection. Femtocells are considered a good solution for subscribers who live in remote areas where the service providers’ coverage is limited and thus they can help in providing coverage and quality of service as good as the wireline phones. They are not standard specific and can be used with GSM, CDMA, and 3G.
Location based services – Location based services or maps on cell phones have gained importance in the past few years in both commercial and emergency situations. Many different GPS techniques have been used for determining the geographic location of a caller or the phone, but the nearest accuracy possible with current technology is about 100 meters. While tracking people through their cell phones may raise privacy concerns, a precise location determination can be very helpful in times of crisis or a calamity. In the US, E911 services are available, though many companies are working on increasing the precision and accuracy of such services.
Social Networking – From updating status about current location to viewing photos of loved ones, social networking has become a part of our daily lives. The need to be socially desired and connected 24/7/365 with a group of friends and relatives has made social networking sites some of the most visited sites from cell phones. Some latest applications include spreading social awareness and exchanging ideas. On the business side, the ability to access them from anywhere and anytime has opened a new revenue stream for these sites as well as the service providers.
Open Access – Globally most service providers keep their network open, but there are networks in certain countries which are locked and the user does not enjoy the ability to utilize the network for his own applications. The ability to use the mobile phone on any network and for any application has been gaining voice among the consumers especially in America. Recognizing this demand and to keep up with competition, most service providers have planned to open their networks in the future. Some companies are designing open source mobile platforms, whose code can be modified and developed to suit certain applications. This has the potential to give birth to new services. Similarly, unlocked phones and pre-paid cellular service which give more flexibility to the consumer, are gaining traction in the US.
Cognitive and Software defined radios – The efficiency of a wireless network to some extent depends on the radios it is using. Cognitive radios are designed to understand their environment and location and modify their own parameters like frequency, power, and modulation in such a way so as to utilize the unused spectrum dynamically in order to maximize spectral efficiency and minimize interference. Software defined radios are the ones in which the otherwise hardware components like amplifiers, receivers, modulators etc. are implemented using a software. Thus they can be used to run on different radio protocols just by modifying the software. A lot of academic research has been done on these two radio technologies and they are expected to be deployed soon commercially.
Spectral Efficiency – Achieving a higher spectral efficiency is one of the primary goals for any radio technology. Simply defined, it is the amount of useful information that can be communicated across a fixed bandwidth network. It is generally measured in Bits/second/hertz. Minimizing interference and increasing throughput are the best ways to increase the spectral efficiency. With each new technology, the spectral efficiency generally goes up. With the spectrum becoming more and more crowded, a better spectral efficiency is in the interests of both providers and handset manufacturers on one side and the consumer on the other.
