Wireless Networks

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Two important information technology trends are: i) increased mobility via the laptop computer, and ii) increased connectivity via local- and wide- area networks. The wireless Internet results from the convergence of these trends.

The latest generation of PDAs and smartphones have built-in networking features to allow them to get on the Internet or connect wirelessly to other devices. This is chiefly done through three technologies:

• WiFi or 802.11x, a family of wireless networking protocols, with 802.11b being the most common for now. Offers up to 11 Mbps speeds. 802.11b is already used in laptops.


• 3G, a networking standard that uses cell phone frequencies to send Internet data to handhelds at up to 144 Kbps, nearly three time as fast as a 56Kbps modem. Not as fast as 802.11x, but offers broader coverage.


• Bluetooth will not get you online, but instead is a way to wirelessly connect to printers, computers, cell phones, and other devices. This is already used on cell phones in Europe and will continue to be built into handhelds as the technology develops.

3G promises transmission speeds of up to 2.05 Mbits per second in stationary applications, 384 Kbits per second for slow-moving users, and 128 Kbits per second for users in vehicles. 3G technology comprises three primary standards: W-CDMA (wideband CDMA), CDMA2000, and TD-CDMA (time-division CDMA).