Status and prospects of wireless communications

TDMA based digital systems like GSM for cellular and DECT for cordless applications have created an increasing market within Europe since 1992 and gained widespread acceptance also outside Europe. In the meantime the cellular based 2/2.5G network is already reaching its limit in some megalopolis. The 3G WCDMA based UMTS system starts in 2003 service and will reasonably increases the available bandwidth and throughput. It will also enable further increased data service up to 2.048 MBit. This presentation gives overview on the status and the prospects of these systems. The discussion is focused on system requirements and their influences on highly integrated RF ICs for GSM, DECT and UNITS. A brief overview about the technologies in use for this RF ICs will be given. The various trends of progress in integration will be shown together with the different advantages and disadvantages of the concepts in use. Furthermore, the challenges of increasing the level of integration and an outlook to future will be presented.