ATM without strings: an overview of wireless ATM

A majority of applications in the near-future are expected to be multimedia-capable. One of the enabling technologies for this to happen is asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networking. In addition, the exploding use of mobile terminals-laptop computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs) etc.-means there will be more demand to extend these multimedia-capable applications to the mobile terminal. This requires the extension of ATM technology to high-speed wireless communications (>20 Mbps). This is an active area of research around the world. This article describes the technical challenges posed by wireless ATM networking and gives an overview of wireless ATM efforts under way, focusing on specific research projects in the USA and Europe.