Wireless workgroup teleconferencing: design issues with WLAN IP telephony, PCS, and WPBX technologies

The focus of this paper is the novel application of wireless telephony toward workgroup communication. A workgroup in this scenario consists of between four and twelve people in continuous full-duplex voice communication with each other while performing their normal work tasks. Many of the workgroups in this scenario have the need to wirelessly communicate within the same general work area(s), but usually not between workgroups. It is estimated that the wireless voice system(s) used in this application need to support between 100 and 200 simultaneous voice calls factory wide at any time of day or night for a duration which can approach 4 hours. Each workgroup requires continuous wireless voice communications during these periods. There is no requirement to place or receive telephone calls via a corporate PBX or the public telephone system through this wireless system for this application. However the use of public wireless services as a solution to for this application requires the use of corporate or public voice switches to provide line or trunk connections to voice bridging equipment. Wireless systems or technologies evaluated for this unusual application included personal communications services (PCS), wireless local area networks (WLAN), wireless PBXs (WPBX), and many wireless intercom systems.