What is Wireless Technology?
The term wireless technology covers a very broad spectrum of devices and innovative systems that have developed and grown for the last century or so. The use of the word wireless has itself changed in its long life to refer to different things and whereas a wireless was once used to talk about radios, today wireless can be used to mean a range of different things. In a nutshell, the clue is in the title and wireless technology or wireless communications refers to any devices which do not require the use of wires. Mobile phones, portable radios, PDAs, television remotes, wireless internet, Bluetooth and DECT are just a few of the applications of wireless technology.
A Brief History
Wireless was once used to describe radio receivers, but today it is more common to hear wireless with regards to wireless broadband internet networks or mobile phone systems. The most important early scientific breakthrough in triggering the long history of wireless technology was made by Heinrich Hertz in 1988. He demonstrated that invisible electromagnet waves could be transmitted and received. These electromagnetic waves travelled in straight lines and this discovery prompted numerous imaginative ideas of possible applications, with revolutionary communication systems at the top of the list.
Wireless communication can be carried out using a number of different invisible, electromagnetic waves of different frequencies and wavelengths. Radio waves, microwaves and infrared are some of the most common. All these waves have different properties where infrared is ideal for short-range transmissions such as in television remote controls, for example, microwaves can travel massive distances and are used in mobile phone communications.
These invisible waves can be transmitted easily. Data, which can be in the form of a text message, voice or information, for example, is coded and sent as a wave of some sort. The receiver is then able to access this wave of information and de-code the data into its original meaningful form.
Applications of Wireless
There are countless applications of Wireless currently used. Below is a brief outline of a few of the most important and most recent exciting developments in the wireless communications industry.
Bluetooth is a wireless system that uses short-range communications to allow the transmission of data over relatively short distances. Fixed and mobile devices can both use this service to create ‘personal area networks’. Bluetooth allows the exchange of data and information across devices such as computers, mobile telephones, video games consoles and headsets.
DECT, or Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications, is another commonly found wireless technology. DECT is very commonly used in more domestic or corporate settings. Its technology effectively allows the use of digital portable phones or cordless home phones. It utilises electromagnet waves for communication and is hugely popular around the world.
Wi-Fi is a wireless technology used in offices, homes, mobile phone networks, gaming consoles to name a few. Wi-Fi allows the creation of local area networks without the use of cables or wires. It is now a standard in-built function in laptops and wireless networks are set up in places from cafes to airports for people to connect to the internet.