EC2V51 Wireless Broadband Networks Unit I Evolution of Wireless Networks

UNIT I EVOLUTION OF WIRELESS NETWORKS 9 When talking about cellular IoT connectivity you’ll always stumble upon the
abbreviations 2G, 3G, 4G and even 5G. Additionally to that, the terms NB-IoT or
Review of cellular standards, migration and advancement of GSM architecture and
LTE-M come to the surface. When choosing a cellular network standard for
CDMA Architecture, WLAN – IEEE 802.11and HIPERLAN, Bluetooth
connecting your devices with the Internet of Things, what should you aim for?
Review of cellular standards This article aims to give you an overview of current cellular mobile network
standards.
 Cellular standards
In the first part of our three-part blog series about choosing an adequate radio
These standards, such as 4G and 5G, are the blueprints for the networks and radio technology for your IoT project we compared licensed with unlicensed network
systems that allow mobile communication and global device connectivity. standards and highlighted the many obstacles you may be facing, when choosing
 Cellular network generations unlicensed technologies such as LoRa or SigFox. On a first impression, unlicensed
technologies keeps your IoT project independent from third-party network
The "G" in 2G, 3G, 4G, or 5G stands for "Generation". The first generation of operators but comes with much more complexity in terms of implementation and
commercial cellular networks, 1G, was introduced in 1987 by Telstra, an regulation, especially when you plan to distribute your product in various regions
Australian operator. of the world. We concluded that licensed standards allow a faster and easier
implementation since they come with less hassle in terms of regional adaption, and
 Cellular networks
certification and are overall more reliable and therefore better suited for critical
Cellular networks break a large geographical area into smaller units called applications.
cells. This allows the same frequency to be used for multiple links as long as they
While not all cellular communication standards were initially designed solely for
are in different cells.
machine-to-machine communication, they can all be used for devices in the
 Cell types Internet of Things. Depending of the standard in use, they come with different
advantages. Here is our overview of cellular mobile network standards from the
Macro cells are large cells that cover expansive areas, often thousands of past, the present and the near future.
kilometers. They are typically deployed in remote, sparsely populated areas.
Overview of available cellular standards
 Cell structure
The G in 2G, 3G, 4G or 5G stands for “Generation”. The very first generation of a
A mobile telephone unit contains a control unit, a transceiver, and an antenna commercial cellular network, 1G, was developed since the late 1970s and
system. A cell site provides the interface between the MTSO and the mobile units. introduced 1987 by Telstra, an Australian operator. On a frequency of 30 kHz and
 Cellular network benefits a bandwidth of 2 kilobit per second (kbps) it was a technology that came with very
poor battery life, low voice quality and not much security. It did not survive long.
Cellular networks offer several benefits, including more capacity than a single
large transmitter, and mobile devices use less power than a single transmitter or 2G - The first digital standard
satellite. 2G has been established in 1991 and is the first digital standard. It delivered more
 Cellular network drawbacks reliable and secure communication. The 2G standard implemented the CDMA and
GSM concepts:
Some drawbacks to cellular networks include limited mobile data plans, potential
for slow speeds, and security concerns.

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 CDMA (Code division multiple access) enables several transmitters to

send information simultaneously. Basically, it allows several users to share
4G - High speed and ubiquitous computing
a band of frequencies.
The fourth Generation 4G was introduced in 2012. Its main purpose is to deliver
 GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is a standard to
high speed communication with enhanced security to enable high definition mobile
describe the protocols for second-generation digital cellular networks.
TV, video conferencing and pervasive computing respectively ubiquitous
Developed in the early 1990s in Europe it became a global standard by the
computing with bandwidths up to 150 Mbps. While 4G sets the standards and
mid-2010s.
general conditions, LTE delivers the technological fundament to fulfil these
2G networks introduced many of the fundamental mobile services we still use standards. But only the enhanced LTE+ or LTE Advanced is meeting the 4G
today. One of them: The Short-Message-Service SMS. SMS was doing machine- requirements.
to-machine (M2M) communication long before the term "internet of things" made
NB-IoT and LTE-M
its rounds. With “General Packet Radio Service” (GPRS) and “Enhanced Data
Rates for GSM Evolution” (EDGE) the 2G Standard was updated twice to 2.5G In connection with 4G, two more technologies emerged: NB-IoT and LTE-M.
and 2.75G enhancing its maximum speed to 171 kbps and 384 kbps. Both spe-cifically designed for machine 2 machine communication as mentioned
in part one of this article. The NB in NB-IoT stands for Narrow Band and utilizes
2G connectivity is up to now a reliable standard for connecting low-bandwidth radio waves, which enable particularly large area coverage. At the same time, they
devices with the Internet of Things. However, the days of 2G are counted. Since can penetrate thick concrete walls and thus reach even remote corners of a
newer standards have emerged, Telstra was one of the first operators abandoning building. NB-IoT is perfectly designed for constrained devices that usually
2G in December 2016. In Europe the 2G phase out will start by the end of 2020. transmit small data packets only once an hour or a day , making them perfect to
run on batteries over a very long period. LTE-M however delivers higher
3G - Introducing mobile multimedia capabilities
bandwidths with lower latencies than NB-IoT but comes with a slightly higher
3G was introduced in 2003. At its core network it used a new architecture called energy consumption.
“Universal Mobile Telecommunications System” (UMTS). Its main advancement
5G - The future standard
to its predecessor 2G was a significantly higher bandwidth. This made 3G the first
mobile “multi-media standard”. For the first time, video streams could be 5G is the latest standard in cellular communication. Its worldwide deployment has
transmitted via mobile cellular networks. In 2006 3G was updated to 3.5G by just begun. It is estimated that by 2023 up to 32 percent of North America mobile
introducing the High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) communication connections will work on a 5G network. Also, in Europe 5G rollout is heavily
protocol further increasing the data bandwidth of 3G up to 42 Mbps. underway. With bandwidths of up to 1 Gbps 5G is designed to enable high speed
Another update introduced the “Long Term Evolution” (LTE) standard that communication with high capacities and very low latency making it the perfect
increased the capacity and speed of mobile communications once more. Even communication technology for augmented reality applications, gaming, machine to
though LTE has been marketed as “4G” or “4G LTE” it does not meet the machine communication and smart devices when quick reaction plays a vital role.
technical criteria of “real” 4G wireless service. Technically LTE is a “3.9G”. For the time being 5G is not designed to replace its predecessor 4G. The parallel
operation of both technologies will enable larger capacities and faster network
However, the days of 3G are counted as well. The phase out has already begun. By speeds to be served in the future.
mid-2021, Vodafone plans to shut down its last 3G stations in Germany.
Telefónica and Deutsche Telekom have also started to remove 3G stations in
favour of newer technologies.

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recover lost data in case of, for example, shadowing or interruptions due to
handover.
 Non-transparent bearer services use protocols of layers two and three to
Migration and Advancement of GSM Architecture implement error correction and flow control. These services use the
transparent bearer services, adding a radio link protocol (RLP). This
protocol comprises mechanisms of high-level data link control (HDLC),
and special selective-reject mechanisms to trigger retransmission of
erroneous data. Using transparent and non-transparent services, GSM
specifies several bearer services for interworking with PSTN, ISDN, and
packet switched public data networks (PSPDN) like X.25, which is
available worldwide. Data transmission can be full-duplex, synchronous
with data rates of 1.2, 2.4, 4.8, and 9.6 kbit/s or full-duplex, asynchronous
from 300 to 9,600 bit/s.
GSM Architecture
A GSM system consists of three subsystems, the radio sub system (RSS), the
network and switching subsystem (NSS), and the operation subsystem (OSS).

GSM Services
 GSM is the most successful digital mobile telecommunication system in
the world today. It is used by over 800 million people in more than 190
countries. GSM permits the integration of different voice and data services
and the interworking with existing networks. Services make a network
interesting for customers. GSM has defined three different categories of
services: bearer, tele and supplementary services.
 Bearer services: GSM specifies different mechanisms for data
transmission, the original GSM allowing for data rates of up to 9600 bit/s
for non-voice services. Bearer services permit transparent and non-
transparent, synchronous or asynchronous data transmission.
 Transparent bearer services only use the functions of the physical layer
(layer 1) to transmit data. Data transmission has a constant delay and
throughput if no transmission errors occur. Transmission quality can be
improved with the use of forward error correction (FEC), which codes
redundancy into the data stream and helps to reconstruct the original data
in case of transmission errors. Transparent bearer services do not try to

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Network Switching Subsystem: The NSS is responsible for performing call Base station controllers (BSC): The BSC provides all the control functions and
processing and subscriber related functions. The switching system includes the physical links between the MSC and BTS. It is a high capacity switch that provides
following functional units: functions such as handover, cell configuration data, and control of radio frequency
(RF) power levels in BTS. A number of BSC‘s are served by and MSC.
Home location register (HLR): It is a database used for storage and management of
subscriptions. HLR stores permanent data about subscribers, including a Base transceiver station (BTS): The BTS handles the radio interface to the mobile
subscribers service profile, location information and activity status. When an station. A BTS can form a radio cell or, using sectorized antennas, several and is
individual buys a subscription from the PCS provider, he or she is registered in the connected to MS via the Um interface, and to the BSC via the Abis interface. The
HLR of that operator. Um interface contains all the mechanisms necessary for wireless transmission
(TDMA, FDMA etc.)The BTS is the radio equipment (transceivers and antennas)
Visitor location register (VLR): It is a database that contains temporary
needed to service each cell in the network. A group of BTS‘s are controlled by an
information about subscribers that is needed by the MSC in order to service
BSC.
visiting subscribers. VLR is always integrated with the MSC. When a MS roams
into a new MSC area, the VLR connected to that MSC will request data about the Operation and Support system: The operations and maintenance center (OMC)
mobile station from the HLR. Later if the mobile station needs to make a call, VLR is connected to all equipment in the switching system and to the BSC.
will be having all the information needed for call setup. Implementation of OMC is called operation and support system (OSS). The OSS is
the functional entity from which the network operator monitors and controls the
Authentication center (AUC): A unit called the AUC provides authentication and
system. The purpose of OSS is to offer the customer cost-effective support for
encryption parameters that verify the users identity and ensure the confidentiality
centralized, regional and local operational and maintenance activities that are
of each call.
required for a GSM network. OSS provides a network overview and allows
Equipment identity register (EIR): It is a database that contains information about engineers to monitor, diagnose and troubleshoot every aspect of the GSM network.
the identity of mobile equipment that prevents calls from stolen, unauthorized or
The mobile station (MS) consists of the mobile equipment (the terminal) and a
defective mobile stations.
smart card called the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM). The SIM provides
Mobile switching center (MSC): The MSC performs the telephony switching personal mobility, so that the user can have access to subscribed services
functions of the system. It controls calls to and from other telephone and data irrespective of a specific terminal. By inserting the SIM card into another GSM
systems. terminal, the user is able to receive calls at that terminal, make calls from that
terminal, and receive other subscribed services.
Radio Subsystem (RSS): the radio subsystem (RSS) comprises all radio specific
entities, i.e., the mobile stations (MS) and the base station subsystem (BSS). The The mobile equipment is uniquely identified by the International Mobile
figure shows the connection between the RSS and the NSS via the A interface Equipment Identity (IMEI). The SIM card contains the International Mobile
(solid lines) and the connection to the OSS via the O interface (dashed lines). Subscriber Identity (IMSI) used to identify the subscriber to the system, a secret
key for authentication, and other information. The IMEI and the IMSI are
Base station subsystem (BSS): A GSM network comprises many BSSs, each independent, thereby allowing personal mobility. The SIM card may be protected
controlled by a base station controller (BSC). The BSS performs all functions against unauthorized use by a password or personal identity number.
necessary to maintain radio connections to an MS, coding/decoding of voice, and
rate adaptation to/from the wireless network part. Besides a BSC, the BSS contains CDMA Architecture
several BTSs.
CDMA (Code-Division Multiple Access) refers to any of several protocols used in
second-generation (2G) and third-generation (3G) wireless communications. As

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the term implies, CDMA is a form of multiplexing, which allows numerous signals
to occupy a single transmission channel, optimizing the use of available
bandwidth.
There are multiple users which are provided or assigned variant CDMA codes and
thus the users can access the entire band of frequencies or the whole bandwidth.
This method does not limit the frequency range of the user. Hence, with the help of
CDMA, multiple users can share a band of frequencies without any kind of undue
interference between them. CDMA makes the use of spectrum technology along
with analog to digital conversion(ADC). It is thus used by various radio
communication technologies. Mainly, it is used for mobile communication.

Characteristics of CDMA
 It allows more users to connect at a given time and thus provides improved
data and voice communication capacity.
 A full spectrum is used by all the channels in CDMA.
 CDMA systems make the use of power control to eliminate the
interference and noise and to thus improve the network quality.

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 CDMA encodes the user transmissions into distinct and unique codes in transmitted signals; they normally function as routers. Clients may include
order to secure its signals. a variety of devices such as desktop computers, workstations, laptop
computers, IP phones and other cell phones and Smart phones. All
 In CDMA systems all the cells can thus use the same frequency.
stations able to communicate with each other are called basic service sets
 CDMA systems have a soft capacity.Thus there is no particular limit to the (BSSs), of which there are two types: independent and infrastructure.
number of users in a CDMA system but with increase in the number of Independent BSSs (IBSS) exist when two clients communicate without
users the performance degrades. using APs, but cannot connect to any other BSS. Such WLANs are called
a peer-to-peer or an adhoc WLANs. The second BSS is called an
infrastructure BSS. It may communicate with other stations but only in
other BSSs and it must use APs.

Characteristics of wireless LANs

 Advantages very flexible within reception area Ad-hoc networks do not
need planning (almost) no wiring difficulties (e.g. historic buildings,
firewalls) more robust against disasters like, e.g., earthquakes, fire
 Disadvantages low bandwidth compared to wired networks (1-10 Mbit/s)
many proprietary solutions, especially for higher bit-rates, standards take
their time (e.g. IEEE 802.11) many national restrictions for wireless.
IEEE 802.11 Architecture
The IEEE 802.11 standard, commonly known as Wi-Fi, outlines the
architecture and defines the MAC and physical layer specifications for
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) wireless LANs (WLANs). Wi-Fi uses high-frequency radio waves instead of
cables for connecting the devices in LAN. Given the mobility of WLAN
 In the early 1990s, WLANs were very expensive and were only used nodes, they can move unrestricted within the network coverage zone. The
when wired connections were strategically impossible. By the late 1990s, 802.11 structure is designed to accommodate mobile stations that participate
most WLAN solutions and proprietary protocols were replaced by IEEE actively in network decisions. Furthermore, it can seamlessly integrate with
802.11 standards in various versions (versions "a" through "n"). WLAN 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.
prices also began to decrease significantly.
 WLAN should not be confused with the Wi-Fi Alliance's Wi-Fi The Wi-Fi standard represents a set of wireless LAN standards developed by
trademark. Wi-Fi is not a technical term, but is described as a superset of the Working Group of IEEE LAN/MAN standards committee (IEEE 802).
the IEEE 802.11 standard and is sometimes used interchangeably with The term 802.11x is also used to denote the set of standards. Various
that standard. However, not every Wi-Fi device actually receives Wi-Fi specifications and amendments include 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11e, 802.11g,
Alliance certification, although Wi-Fi is used by more than 700 million 802.11n etc.
people through about 750,000 Internet connection hot spots.
 Every component that connects to a WLAN is considered a station and
falls into one of two categories: access points (APs) and clients. APs Important Terminologies of IEEE 802.11 Architecture
transmit and receive radio frequency signals with devices able to receive

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Station: Stations (STA) comprise all devices and equipment that are bridges the wireless and wired L2 Ethernet frames, allowing traffic to flow
connected to the wireless LAN. It can be of two types: from the wired to the wireless network and vice versa. Each wireless network
has a unique SSID.
 Wireless Access Point (WAP): WAPs or simply access points (AP) are
wireless routers that bridge connections for base stations. The 802.11 architecture provides some basic services for WLANs whose
implementation is supported by MAC layer:
 Client: Examples include computers, laptops, printers, and smartphones.
Basic Service Set
Access Point: It is a device that can be classified as a station because of its
functionalities and acts as a connection between wireless medium and The Basic Service Set configuration consists of a group of stations and relies
distributed systems. on an Access Point (AP), which serves as a logical hub. Stations from
different BSSs interact through the AP, which functions as a bridge, linking
Distribution System: A system used to interconnect a set of BSSs and
multiple WLAN cells or channels.
integrated LANs to create an ESS.
Operating Modes
Frame: It is a MAC protocol data unit.
Depending upon the mode of operation, BSS can be categorized into the
SSID (Service Set Identifier): It’s the network name for a particular WLAN.
following types:
All-access points and devices on a specific WLAN must use the same SSID to
communicate.  Infrastructure BSS: Communication between stations takes place
through access points. The AP and its associated wireless clients define the
SDU: It is a data unit that acts as an input to each layer. These can be
coverage area and form the BSS.
fragmented or aggregated to form a PDU.
PDU: It is a data unit projected as an output to communicate with the
corresponding layer at the other end. They contain a header specific to the
layer.
Network Interface Controller: It is also known as network interface card. It
is a hardware component that connects devices to the network.
Portal: Serves as a gateway to other networks
IEEE 802.11 Architecture and Services
In the year 1990, IEEE 802.11 Committee formed a new working group, the
IEEE 802.11 standard which defines protocols for Wireless Local Area
Networks (WLANs). Just like how Ethernet provides services for wired Infrast
media, IEEE 802.11 architecture is designed to provide features for wireless ructure BSS
networks.
An AP supports both wired and wireless connections. The 802.11 standard
calls the upstream wired network the distribution system (DS). The AP

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 Independent BSS - Supports mutual communication between wireless Other components include:
clients. An ad-hoc network is spontaneously created and does not support
 Distribution System (DS): Links APs within the ESS.
access to wired networks.
 Portal: Serves as a gateway to other networks.

Independent BSS  Roaming: In an environment with multiple access points (like a large
office building or campus), a device can move from the range of one AP to
another and still maintain its connection. This is possible due to the
Independent Basic Service Set underlying architecture of the IEEE 802.11 standard which allows for
roaming between APs.
In the IBSS configuration, also referred to as independent configuration or ad-
hoc network, no single node is required to act as a server. The stations  Authentication and Association: Before a station can send or receive
communicate directly with one another in a peer-to-peer basis. Generally, data frames on a WLAN, it needs to establish its identity with an AP. This
IBSS covers a limited area instead of a large network. Typically covering a process is called authentication. After authentication, the station then
specific area, IBSS is used for specific, short-term purposes with a limited establishes a data link-layer connection with the AP through a process
number of nodes. called association.
Extended Service Set  Services provided by the WLAN
ESS connects multiple BSSs and consists of several BSS cells, which can be  IEEE defines 9 services that need to be provided by the WLAN:
interlinked through wired or wireless backbones known as a distributed
system. Multiple cells use the same channel to boost aggregate throughput to
network. The equipment outside of the ESS, the ESS and all of its mobile
stations comprise a single MAC layer network where all stations are virtually
stationary. Thus, all stations within the ESS appear stationary from an
outsider's perspective.

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 S  S
e e
r r
v   v  
ic Pr U ic Pr U
e e

     
Ass Di M Int Di M

     
Au St L MS St M

     
De- St L Pri St L

     
Dis Di M Re- Di M

Frame Format of IEEE 802.11

  
Dis Di M IEEE 802.11 MAC layer data frame consists of 9 fields:

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EC2V51 Wireless Broadband Networks Unit I Evolution of Wireless Networks

station goes into power-save mode. If the field is set to 0, the station stays
active.
 More data: It is used to indicate to the receiver that a sender has more
data to send than the current frame.
 WEP: It indicates that the standard security mechanism of 802.11 is
applied.
 Order: If this bit is set to 1 the received frames must be processed in strict
order.
Duration / ID
Frame Format for IEEE 802.11 It contains the value indicating the period of time in which the medium is
occupied (in µs).
Frame Control Address 1 to 4
It is 2 bytes long and defines type of frame and control information. The types These fields contain standard IEEE 802 MAC addresses (48 bit each). The
of fields present in FC are: meaning of each address is defined by DS bits in the frame control field.
 Version: Indicates the current protocol version. SC (Sequence Control)
 Type: Determines the function of frame i.e. management(00), control(01) It consists of 2 sub-fields i.e. sequence number (12 bits) and fragment number
or data(10). (4 bits). Sequence number is used to filter duplicate frames.
 Subtype: Indicates subtype of frame like 0000 for association request, Data
1000 for beacon.
It is a variable length field which contains information specific to individual
 To DS: When set indicates that the destination frame is for DS(distribution frames which is transferred transparently from a sender to the receiver.
system).
CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check)
 From DS: When set indicates frame coming from DS.
It contains 32 bit CRC error detection sequence to ensure error free frame.
 More frag (More fragments): When set to 1 means frame is followed by
other fragments. Note: To know more about the features of IEEE 802.11 MAC frame visit this
article.
 Retry: If the current frame is a re-transmission of an earlier frame, this bit
is set to 1. Advantages and Disadvantages of IEEE 802.11 Architecture

 Power Mgmt (Power Management): It indicates the mode of a station There are some list of Advantages and Disadvantages of IEEE 802.11
after successful transmission of a frame. Set to '1' field indicates that the Architecture are given below :
Advantages of IEEE 802.11 Architecture

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 Fault Tolerance: The centralized architecture minimizes the bottlenecks including the physical layer for wireless communications equipment, while
and introduces resilience in the WLAN equipment. leaving decisions on higher level configurations and functions open to the
equipment manufacturers.
 Flexible Architecture: Supports both temporary smaller networks and
larger, more permanent ones. BLUETOOTH
 Prolonged Battery Life: Efficient power-saving protocols extend mobile "Bluetooth" was the nickname of Harald Blåtland II, king of Denmark from 940 to
device battery life without compromising network connections. 981, who united all of Denmark and part of Norway under his rule. Bluetooth is a
proprietary open wireless technology standard for exchanging data over short
Disadvantages of IEEE 802.11 Architecture
distances (using short wavelength radio transmissions in the ISM band from 2400-
 Noisy Channels: Due to reliance on radio waves, signals may experience 2480 MHz) from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks
interference from nearby devices. (PANs) with high levels of security. The Bluetooth technology aims at so-called
ad-hoc piconets, which are local area networks with a very limited coverage and
 Greater Bandwidth and Complexity: Due to necessary data encryption without the need for an infrastructure.
and susceptibility to errors, WLANs need more bandwidth than their wired
counterparts. Bluetooth Features:-

 Speed: Generally, WLANs offer slower speeds compared to wired LANs. Bluetooth is wireless and automatic. You don't have to keep track of cables,
connectors, and connections, and you don't need to do anything special to initiate
communications. Devices find each other automatically and start conversing
Applications of IEEE 802.11 Architecture without user input, expect where authentication is required; for example, users
must log in to use their email accounts.
 Home Networking: Connecting devices, laptops, smart TVs, speakers,
gaming consoles etc. Bluetooth is inexpensive. Market analysts peg the cost to incorporate Bluetooth
technology into a PDA, cell phone, or other product at a minimum cost.
 Wi-Fi Hotspots: Free or paid internet access to visitors in coffee shops,
hotels, airports, malls and restaurants. The ISM band that Bluetooth uses is regulated, but unlicensed. Governments have
converged on a single standard, so it's possible to use the same devices virtually
 Connectivity in Campus: Provide internet access in university, colleges, wherever you travel, and you don't need to obtain legal permission in advance to
schools or corporate campuses. begin using the technology.
Bluetooth handles both data and voice. Its ability to handle both kinds of
transmissions simultaneously makes possible such innovations as a mobile hands-
HIPERLAN
free headset for voice with applications that print to fax, and that synchronize the
 HIPERLAN is a European family of standards on digital high speed address books on your PDA, your laptop, and your cell phone.
wireless communication in the 5.15-5.3 GHz and the 17.1-17.3 GHz
Signals are omni-directional and can pass through walls and briefcases.
spectrum developed by ETSI. The committee responsible for HIPERLAN
Communicating devices don't need to be aligned and don't need an unobstructed
is RES-10 which has been working on the standard since November 1991.
line of sight like infrared.
 The standard serves to ensure the possible interoperability of different
manufacturers' wireless communications equipment that operate in this Bluetooth uses frequency hopping. Its spread spectrum approach greatly reduces
spectrum. The HIPERLAN standard only describes a common air interface the risk that communications will be intercepted.

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Bluetooth Applications
 File transfer.
 Ad-hoc networking: Communicating devices can spontaneously form a
community of networks that persists only as long as it's needed.
 Device synchronization: Seamless connectivity among PDAs, computers,
and mobile phones allows applications to update information on multiple
devices automatically when data on any one device changes.
 Peripheral connectivity.
 Car kits: Hands-free packages enable users to access phones and other
devices without taking their hands off the steering wheel.
 Mobile payments: Your Bluetooth-enabled phone can communicate with a
Bluetooth enabled vending machine to buy a can of Diet Pepsi, and put the
charge on your phone bill.
 The 802.11b protocol is designed to connect relatively large devices with
lots of power and speed, such as desktops and laptops, where devices
communicate at up to 11 Mbit/sec, at greater distances (up to 300 feet, or
100 meters). By contrast, Bluetooth is designed to connect small devices
like PDAs, mobile phones, and peripherals at slower speeds (1 Mbit/sec),
within a shorter range (30 feet, or 10 meters), which reduces power
requirements. Another major difference is that 802.11b wasn't designed for
voice communications, while any Bluetooth connection can support both
data and voice communications.

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