TELECOMMUNICATION ANTENNAS

Telecommunication Antennas

Telecommunication Antennas

Introduction

A wireless network is an infrastructure for communication “through the air”, in other words, no cables are needed to connect from one point to another (Ahn, 1999). These connections can be used for speech, e-mail, surfing on the Web and transmission of audio and video. The most widespread use is mobile telephones. Wireless networks are also used for communication between computers (Albaek, 2007). This note focuses on ways to set up wireless connections between computers. It gives a basic overview without becoming too technical. It will help to determine whether a wireless network might be a suitable solution. It also is a guide to more resources. Many links are to a document by Mike Jensen (Armstrong, 2007). The links used are examples; they are not preferred products.

Discussion

The use of wireless networks in developing areas is promising. Since ground cables are only economic in high-density environments, a wireless network will be much cheaper when long distances need to be crossed to rural areas (Armstrong, 2002a). Also in a local community, the use of a WLL (Wireless Local Loop) can be cost-effective. The costs can be earned back by charging for services like telephone and computer use. However, the costs of ownership are of course higher than the prices mentioned for equipment.

What can wireless networks be used for? Some of the uses are:

1. Voice services

2. Video/audio services

3. Data services (file sharing etc)

4. E-learning

5. E-trade

6. E-mail

7. Internet browsing

8. Remote signaling

9. Remote control

Wireless communications is a rapidly growing segment of the communications industry, with the potential to provide high-speed high-quality information exchange between portable devices located anywhere in the world (Armstrong, 2002b). Potential applications enabled by this technology include multimedia Internet-enabled cell phones, smart homes and appliances, automated highway systems, video teleconferencing and distance learning, and autonomous sensor networks, to name just a few. However, supporting these applications using wireless techniques poses a significant technical challenge.

Cellular and cordless phones rapidly became mass-market consumer products. There were about 250 Million subscribers in the year 2000, and a market of 500 to 600 Million handhelds per year. Around that year many operators invested Billions of Euros on spectrum for Third Generation (3G) systems, such as UMTS (Ausubel, 1997). However, the insight that these could only be recouped over periods of rapid growth for ten years or more may have accelatered the malaise in the telecomm markets after 2001.

Products for enhanced communication services, such as data, electronic mail, high resolution digital video or even full multimedia communication entered the market. Services such as the GSM Short Message Service greatly extent the capabilities of pagers. I-mode is a successful text and multimedia service in Japan and Europe is bettering on WAP: The Wireless Application Protocol. The projected growth of the number of Internet users to 500 Million worldwide indicates potential when wireless and computing technologies are merged (Bekkers, 2002). The revolutionary development of such systems appeared is focussed towards larger capacity, better quality, more bandwidth, wider coverage, lower power consumption and more ...