Wireless Broadband Access: Air Interface Fundamentals

This chapter provides the groundwork needed to understand the technologies that have evolved for wireless broadband access, by discussing various concepts that form the basis of modern wireless communication systems. The chapter discusses duplexing techniques used to support two‐way communications. It explores the basic building blocks that comprise the physical layer of a robust wireless communication system, and concepts pertaining to shared access of the medium. The chapter introduces multi‐antenna systems and discusses how such systems provide a way to extract maximum efficiency out of limited spectrum resources. It talks about several general concepts that apply to wireless access. Wireless communications use a shared medium and, as such, mechanisms are required for coordinated use of the spectrum. This coordination includes multiple access techniques that permit multiple communication links to coexist without interference. The chapter explains algorithms such as link adaptation and scheduling, and describes a satellite‐based broadband access system.