Wireless Technologies Available Today

Umar Zai

An Overview of the Different Types of Wireless Technologies Available Today

Wireless technologies enable communication between users or the movement of data between locations without the use of cables or wires. When information is transferred across the atmosphere utilizing electromagnetic (EM) or acoustic waves rather than any propagation channel that uses wires, it is sometimes referred to as wireless communication. Radio frequencies and infrared waves are used for a lot of communication. 

In fact, wireless technologies might be more crucial than ever right now. It accomplishes a lot, from delivering speed, flexibility, and network efficiency to information transfer and productivity enhancement. The dependence on WiFi will only increase over time.

The phrase is frequently used in the telecommunications sector to describe telecommunications devices like receivers, radio transmitters, and remote controllers that send data through streams that are wire-free and using acoustic or radio waves. This method of information transmission works across both short and long distances.

Types of Wireless Technologies

The current Wireless Systems that we have include;

• Wireless LANs ( Local Area Network)

An Internet connection is provided by wireless LANs (WLAN) within a structure or in a small outside area. Now, restaurants and shops also use WLAN technology. As office workers, students, teachers, and others were compelled to work and study from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of home networks significantly grew. 

Most home network layouts are straightforward. The cable or fiber of a local service provider is where a modem connects. An attached wireless router to the modem picks up the signal from the modem. The wireless access point (AP), which is also the router, broadcasts using a wireless protocol, for example.

• Wireless PANs (Personal Area Network)

Wireless personal area networks have a very small range, usually no more than 100 meters for the majority of applications employing Bluetooth and Zigbee protocols. Bluetooth enables hands-free phone calls, earpiece connections, and signal transmission across smart devices. An IoT network’s stations are connected through Zigbee. Infrared technology can only be used in limited line-of-sight situations, such as connecting TV remote controls to TVs.

• Wireless Mans ( Metropolitan Area Network)

In order to give people access outside of an office or home network, wireless MANs, or metropolitan area networks, have been constructed in cities all over the world. Compared to networks in workplaces or households, these networks have a wider coverage area. APs can be spotted all throughout the covered area, on telephone poles or on the exteriors of buildings. They then transmit a wireless signal throughout the region while being hooked up to the internet. In order to reach their destination, users connect to the nearest AP, which then redirects the connection over its internet connection.

• Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a close-range network technology standard used to create personal area networks and exchange data between stationary and mobile devices at close ranges (PANs). The main applications for it include replacing wired connections, transferring files across nearby portable devices, and pairing wireless headphones with cell phones and music players.

 Between wired and wireless communication, there are three key differences:

• In wired communication, each cable is a different channel while in wireless communication only one media (cable) is shared by all.
• In Wired technology, signal attenuation is low and in wireless technology there is high signal attenuation.
• There is no interference in wired technology / communication as opposed to wired technology / communication the interference is high. 

Wi-Fi Technology

This is one of the many wireless technologies available today. It is a low powered wireless electronic network. We find Wi-Fi networks at cafes and shopping malls whenever we visit these places from a long day work or visiting for leisure and refreshments.

Importance of Wireless Technologies

Why should we adopt wireless technologies? Users desire apps that are independent of access, device, and location, which is why wireless is mobilizing all services.

Mobile Phones

With more than 6.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions globally as of the end of 2010, the mobile phone, often known as a cellular phone, is one of the most well-known examples of wireless technologies. These wireless phones allow their users to make phone calls from a variety of locations across the world by utilizing radio waves from signal-transmission towers. They can be utilized in close proximity to the mobile phone site that houses the necessary hardware for sending and receiving radio signals from these instruments.

In The Business Sector

One of the many advantages of wireless technologies is improving employees’ capacity to work remotely, but there is also the matter of cost. According to AMS Technologies, wireless networks are often less expensive to establish and maintain than other types of networks. Wireless networks enable speedier data transfer and accessibility from any location at any time.

In The Manufacturing Industry

More people than ever before shop online, which has raised the need for commercial real estate space for factories and warehouses. As manufacturers began to use these industrial areas, it became increasingly important for buildings to have a solid in-building wireless network. Today, running a warehouse without wireless access would be quite challenging. In order to move products out of the warehouse and onto the road to customers as quickly as possible, warehouses need to automate a lot of manufacturing, in part due to the high level of consumer demand.

In The Office Setup

Wireless technologies allow office workers to travel throughout the building without losing access to the corporate network. In the meantime, anyone can use any device to access the same crucial data and programs across the network.

In The Medical Field

Blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen saturation, and body temperature can all be tracked with the help of modern wireless technologies like mobile body area networks (MBAN). The MBAN operates by transmitting wireless signals at low power to receivers that feed nursing stations or monitoring stations. With the aid of this technology, the intentional and unintended risks of infection or disconnection associated with wired connections can be reduced.

Benefits of Wireless Technologies

User mobility

A benefit of wireless networks is mobility. Employees can effortlessly switch desks without the need for additional cabling.

Cost

Wireless networking hardware costs slightly more than its wired counterparts. The labor and cost savings involved with physically running wires almost always offset any potential increase in cost.

Expandability

Wireless networks are able to accommodate a sudden growth in the number of users using their current hardware. Additional customers would necessitate more cable in a wired network.

Convenience 

Users can access network resources from almost any convenient position inside their primary networking environment because of the wireless nature of such networks (a home or office). Given the increasing oversupply of PCs in the laptop form factor, this is particularly crucial.

Limitations of Wireless Technologies

Speed 

Even the slowest common wired networks are faster than the majority of wireless networks, which typically have speeds of 1 to 54 Mbps (100 Mbps up to several Gbps). However, the throughput of a wired network could be required in particular environments.

Security

Data leakage is always a possibility because wireless networks send data over the air. When compared to copper cable, wireless networks have a larger risk of data loss and tampering. Higher data encryption levels are thus absolutely required in wireless networks.

Range

Communication Range In wireless networks, the range is always smaller. You must spend extra money on additional wireless access points or repeaters if you want to enhance the range. This will frequently lead to increased costs.

Conclusion

The arrival of 5G has raised the possibility of a fifth form of wireless that would be smaller than most MANs but larger than a WAN. Ongoing research is looking towards 5G for the house or workplace as a potential less expensive cable replacement. The majority of cable internet and TV services currently use fiber or coax cables to connect to users. Installing and maintaining cable throughout a neighborhood is expensive. 

However, with 5G, service providers might attach a 5G AP to an existing power pole, with mounted receivers added to each dwelling or structure. Although 5G can rival cable in terms of data throughput and latency, there are a number of issues with the idea that may impede its implementation.

As long as the worldwide rules and guidelines for wireless technology are embraced and integrated into national regulatory frameworks and everyday life, both developed and developing nations will profit from them. As a result, the ecosystem will be accessible, spectrum and standards will be standardized, and citizens will have access to services and products that are inexpensive and fulfill their needs.

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Posted on: November 1, 2022 at 12:51 pm