Published online by Cambridge University Press: 21 July 2025
Introduction
Communication industry is one of the fastest growing industries with several researchers contributing to make it more efficient with every passing day. Guglielmo Marconi‘s demonstration of radio telegraphy in 1897 can be regarded as the beginning of the wireless revolution. Since then, wireless systems have been advancing at a very high rate. Owing to the multiple advantages provided by these systems, the customer base is increasing exponentially.
Wireless communication can be implemented using different technologies. Some of the popular choices are infrared and radio frequency. Infrared technology is implemented by transmitting infrared light as a diffused beam or direct beam. For high data rate and effective performance, direct Line Of Sight (LOS) transmission is desirable. Although, this technology is simple, relatively secure and cheap, it is suitable for short-range wireless solutions. Radio frequency technology, on the other hand, is frequently employed for large-range solutions. Popular examples of systems using this technology are mobile communication standards like GSM, cordless phone standards like DECT, satellite communication and so on. Although, radio signals can cover a larger distance, penetrate through obstacles like walls to provide indoor solutions, they suffer from the major problem of security and interference.
In the following sections, the advantages and challenges of wireless communication will be highlighted. The functional blocks that make up the transmitter and receiver entities will be explained. Since, wireless communication entities attached to different systems can co-exist, frequency allotment must be done carefully to prevent excessive interference. Different frequency allotment techniques will be explained and finally, popularly employed wireless communication systems will be introduced with their standards.
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