Digital Signal Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1.1
Standards continue to accommodate higher mobility and achieve higher throughput. To
accommodate the wishes of the wireless user, a divergence, rather than a convergence, of wireless
standards, can be seen today
1.2.1 Wireless Landscape Giving Challenges and Opportunities
Wireless standards continue to diverge, driven by heterogeneous user and applica-
tion requirements. Increased flexibility in radios may offer the long desired seamless
connectivity. This increased flexibility is not only a functional wish, due to the in-
creasing cost of ASIC designs it also becomes an economic necessity [1].
1.2.1.1 Heterogeneity Desires Flexibility
Wireless communications are routinely used today for a large variety of applica-
tions, including voice, data transfer, Internet access, audio and video streaming and
social networking. For one specific service, several systems have been standardized
and some have become the preferred option in several regions of the world.
Pushed by the insatiable demand for bandwidth and pulled by the steady im-
provement of semiconductor technology, the performance delivered by wireless
standards is destined to improve, seemingly without bounds (see Fig.
1.1
). To ac-
commodate the diverse wishes of the wireless user, we are witnessing a divergence,
rather than convergence, of wireless standards. This is especially true in terms of
various modes of use.
From a user perspective, it is, hence, attractive to have a single handheld device
that can support a large variety of wireless standards. This ensures interoperabil-
ity and gives the user access to a wide variety of applications. As a result, mobile
