Broadband Wireless Multimedia Networks

PREFACE

Wireless access has evolved rapidly over the last two decades and has become the dominant medium for network connectivity due to the recent proliferation of sleek personal devices, such as smartphones and tablets. These devices primarily target high-resolution video consumption but have been employed in diverse applications. Ultra-thin touchscreen tablets may well replace flip-to-open laptops in the future, and this will eradicate the need for bulky wired network interfaces. It started with the cellular revolution (1990), followed by Wi-Fi (2000), and many personal devices are now demanding ever-increasing wireless bandwidth to enable high-quality video service. When the cellphone became the first wireless innovation to be available for widespread public use, it helped consumers in many ways, ranging from the convenience of casual conversations to mobile entertainment to emergency calls to preventing burglars from “cutting” the wire phone line before entering a house. Since then, impressive improvements in wireless data rates and coverage have directly benefited enterprise, home, and public access networks. This book covers a broad range of key wireless technologies with a comparative assessment of the strengths and weaknesses. It also discusses the role of high-speed indoor networks and broadband 4G systems in driving the utility of new personal devices with mobile video support. A specific emphasis will be placed on challenging deployments and implementation, such as ...