Telecommunications and Networks - Principles of Information Systems - page 230

at a regional, national, and global level resulting in a dizzying array of communications stan-
dards and options. 11 Some of the more widely used wireless communications options are
discussed next.

Short Range Wireless Options
Many wireless solutions provide communications over very short distances including near
field communications, Bluetooth, ultra wideband, infrared transmission, and Zigbee.

Near Field Communication (NFC)
Near Field Communication (NFC) is a very short-range wireless connectivity technology
designed for cell phones and credit cards. With NFC, consumers can wave their credit cards
or even cell phones within a few inches of point-of-sale terminals to pay for purchases. Con-
sumers are using the technology in Germany and Austria, and pilot projects are being
conducted in London, Singapore, the Netherlands, and Finland. In the United States,
MasterCard and Visa are testing devices with embedded NFC and are looking for partners
to explore the widespread use of NFC technology in phones and credit cards. 12

Near Field Communication
(NFC)
A very short-range wireless connec-
tivity technology designed for cell
phones and credit cards.

Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a wireless communications specification that describes how cell phones, com-
puters, personal digital assistants, printers, and other electronic devices can be interconnected
over distances of 10-30 feet at a rate of about 2 Mbps. Bluetooth enables users of multi-
functional devices to synchronize with information in a desktop computer, send or receive
faxes, print, and, in general, coordinate all mobile and fixed computer devices. The Bluetooth
technology is named after the tenth century Danish King Harald Blatand, or Harold Blue-
tooth in English. He had been instrumental in uniting warring factions in parts of what is
now Norway, Sweden, and Denmark—just as the technology named after him is designed
to allow collaboration between differing devices such as computers, phones, and other elec-
tronic devices.
All types of businesses find Bluetooth technology helpful. For example, MedicMate is a
mobile software developer with an application designed for medical professionals who can't
carry patient files from one patient or facility to another. The application is also intended for
institutions who want to provide electronic patient or pharmaceutical data wirelessly, but
have not implemented broadband infrastructure. The application runs on any mobile handset
with a touch screen and the Windows Mobile 2003 operating system. With it, the user can
create or display patient data, problem lists, sticky notes, and patient alarms. The application
works with infrared or Bluetooth technology to send and receive data wirelessly. 13

Bluetooth
A wireless communications specifi-
cation that describes how cell
phones, computers, faxes, personal
digital assistants, printers, and
other electronic devices can be
interconnected over distances of
10-30 feet at a rate of about 2 Mbps.

Ultra Wideband (UWB)
Ultra wideband (UWB) is a wireless communications technology that transmits large
amounts of digital data over short distances of up to 30 feet using a wide spectrum of fre-
quency bands and very low power. Ultra wideband has the potential to replace Bluetooth's
2 Mbps transmission speed with 400 Mbps rates for wirelessly connecting printers and other
devices to desktop computers or enabling completely wireless home multimedia
networks. 14 The manufacturers of electronic entertainment devices are particularly interested
in the use of UWB. With UWB, a digital camcorder could play a just-recorded video on an
HDTV without anyone having to fiddle with wires. A portable MP3 player could stream
audio to high-quality surround-sound speakers anywhere in the room. A mobile computer
user could wirelessly connect to a digital projector in a conference room to deliver
a presentation.

ultra wideband (UWB)
A wireless communications tech-
nology that transmits large
amounts of digital data over short
distances of up to 30 feet using a
wide spectrum of frequency bands
and very low power.

infrared transmission
A wireless communications tech-
nology that operates at a frequency
of 300 GHz and above that requires
line-of-sight transmission and
operates over short distances—
such as a few yards.

Infrared Transmission
Infrared transmission sends signals at a frequency of 300 GHz and above. Infrared trans-
mission requires line-of-sight transmission and short distances—such as a few yards. Infrared
transmission allows handheld computers to transmit data and information to larger com-
puters within the same room and to connect a display screen, printer, and mouse to a
computer.