ABSTRACT
Wireless communication has become one of the dominating applications in today’s world. Mobile communication devices are the largest consumer electronic group in terms of volume. In 2007, there was an estimated 3.3 billion mobile telephone subscriptions. This number is roughly half of the world’s population. Applications like web browsing, video streaming, e-mail, and video conferencing have all become key applications for mobile devices. As technology becomes more advanced, users will require more functionality from their mobile devices and more bandwidth to support them. Furthermore, in recent years, we have seen the emergence of an increasing number of wireless protocols that are applicable to different types of networks. Figure 21.1 lists some of these wireless protocols and their application domains, ranging from the home and office WiFi network to the citywide cellular networks. The next-generation mobile devices are expected to enable users to connect to information ubiquitously from every corner of the world.
