{{short description|Transfer of information or power that does not require the use of physical wires}} {{Other uses}} {{redirect|Over the air broadcasting|the technology over the air television|Terrestrial television}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
[[File:Handheld Maritime VHF.jpg|thumb|235px|A [[handheld]] [[on-board communication station]] of the [[maritime mobile service]] ]] {{Antennas|systems}}
'''Wireless communication''' (or just '''wireless''', when the context allows) is the transfer of information (''[[telecommunication]]'') between two or more points without the use of an [[electrical conductor]], [[optical fiber]] or other continuous guided [[transmission medium|medium]] for the transfer. The most common wireless technologies use [[radio wave]]s. With radio waves, intended distances can be short, such as a few meters for [[Bluetooth]], or as far as millions of kilometers for [[NASA Deep Space Network|deep-space radio communications]]. It encompasses various types of fixed, mobile, and portable applications, including [[two-way radio]]s, [[Mobile phone|cellular telephones]], and [[wireless network]]ing. Other examples of applications of radio ''wireless technology'' include [[Global Positioning System|GPS]] units, [[garage door opener]]s, wireless [[Mouse (computing)|computer mice]], [[Keyboard (computing)|keyboards]] and [[Headset (audio)|headsets]], [[headphone]]s, [[radio receiver]]s, satellite television, [[broadcast television]] and [[cordless telephone]]s. Somewhat less common methods of achieving wireless communications involve other [[Electromagnetism|electromagnetic]] phenomena, such as light and magnetic or electric fields, or the use of sound.
The term ''wireless'' has been used twice in communications history, with slightly different meanings. It was initially used from about 1890 for the first radio transmitting and receiving technology, as in ''[[wireless telegraphy]]'', until the new word ''radio'' replaced it around 1920. Radio sets in the UK and the English-speaking world that were not portable continued to be referred to as ''wireless sets'' into the 1960s.<ref>{{cite book |last1=U.S. Army |title=Technical Manual |date=1944 |publisher=US War Department |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iAItAAAAIAAJ |access-date=13 August 2022 |quote=In definitions given in the index, p. 162, the term "radio set" is listed as synonymous with the term "wireless set"}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Paulu |first1=Burton |title=British Broadcasting: Radio and Television in the United Kingdom |date=1956 |publisher=U of Minnesota Press |isbn=9781452909547 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fyt7GLmSEOIC |access-date=13 August 2022 |quote=(p.396) In a public opinion poll in Sweden in 1942, 31.4 percent answered 'Yes' to the question "Do you usually listen to the foreign news on the wireless?'}}</ref> The term ''wireless'' was revived in the 1980s and 1990s mainly to distinguish digital devices that communicate without wires, such as the examples listed in the previous paragraph, from those that require wires or cables. This became its primary usage in the 2000s, due to the advent of technologies such as [[mobile broadband]], [[Wi-Fi]], and [[Bluetooth]].
Wireless operations permit services, such as mobile and interplanetary communications, that are impossible or impractical to implement with the use of wires. The term is commonly used in the [[telecommunications industry]] to refer to [[telecommunications system]]s (e.g. radio transmitters and receivers, remote controls, etc.) that use some form of energy (e.g. [[radio waves]] and acoustic energy) to transfer information without the use of wires.<ref name="FS1037C">{{cite web|title=ATIS Telecom Glossary 2007|url=http://www.atis.org/tg2k/|publisher=atis.org|access-date=16 March 2008|archive-date=2 March 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302071329/http://www.atis.org/tg2k/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Franconi|first1=Nicholas G.|last2=Bunger|first2=Andrew P.|last3=Sejdić|first3=Ervin|last4=Mickle|first4=Marlin H.|s2cid=111149917|date=24 October 2014|title=Wireless Communication in Oil and Gas Wells|journal=Energy Technology|volume=2|issue=12|pages=996–1005|doi=10.1002/ente.201402067|issn=2194-4288}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Biswas|first1=S.|last2=Tatchikou|first2=R.|last3=Dion|first3=F.|date=January 2006|title=Vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication protocols for enhancing highway traffic safety|journal=IEEE Communications Magazine|volume=44|issue=1|pages=74–82|doi=10.1109/mcom.2006.1580935|bibcode=2006IComM..44a..74B |s2cid=6076106|issn=0163-6804}}</ref> Information is transferred in this manner over both short and long distances <ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Alves |first1=Francisco |last2=Torres |first2=João Paulo N. |last3=dos Santos |first3=P. Mendonça |last4=Lameirinhas |first4=Ricardo A. Marques |date=2025-08-22 |title=Advanced Cryptography Using Nanoantennas in Wireless Communication |journal=Information |language=en |volume=16 |issue=9 |pages=720 |doi=10.3390/info16090720 |doi-access=free |issn=2078-2489}}</ref>.
== History == {{See also|History of telecommunication}}
=== Photophone === {{Main|Photophone}} [[File:Photophony1.jpg|thumb|right|Bell and Tainter's photophone, of 1880]] The first wireless telephone conversation occurred in 1880 when [[Alexander Graham Bell]] and [[Charles Sumner Tainter]] invented the [[photophone]], a telephone that sent audio over a beam of light. The photophone required sunlight to operate, and a clear line of sight between the transmitter and receiver, which greatly decreased the viability of the photophone in any practical use.<ref name="Guillemin1891">{{cite book|author=Amédée Guillemin|title=Electricity and Magnetism|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Ez3PAAAAMAAJ&pg=PR31|accessdate=17 April 2021|year=1891|publisher=Macmillan and Company|page=31}}</ref> It would be several decades before the photophone's principles found their first practical applications in [[military communications]] and later in [[fiber-optic communication]]s.
===Electric wireless technology=== ==== Early wireless ==== {{Main|Wireless telegraphy}}
A number of wireless electrical signaling schemes including sending electric currents through water and the ground using electrostatic and [[electromagnetic induction]] were investigated for telegraphy in the late 19th century before practical radio systems became available. These included a patented induction system by [[Thomas Edison]] allowing a telegraph on a running train to connect with telegraph wires running parallel to the tracks, a [[William Preece]] induction telegraph system for sending messages across bodies of water, and several operational and proposed telegraphy and voice earth conduction systems.
The Edison system was used by stranded trains during the [[Great Blizzard of 1888]] and earth conductive systems found limited use between trenches during [[World War I]] but these systems were never successful economically.
==== Radio waves ==== {{Main|History of radio}} [[File:Guglielmo Marconi 1901 wireless signal.jpg|thumb|Marconi transmitting the first radio signal across the Atlantic]]
In 1894, [[Guglielmo Marconi]] began developing a wireless telegraph system using [[radio waves]], which had been known about since proof of their existence in 1888 by [[Heinrich Hertz]], but discounted as a communication format since they seemed, at the time, to be a short-range phenomenon.<ref name="ABC-CLIO">{{cite book|title=Icons of Invention: The Makers of the Modern World from Gutenberg to Gates|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=WKuG-VIwID8C&pg=PA162|year=2009|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-0-313-34743-6|page=162}}</ref> Marconi soon developed a system that was transmitting signals way beyond distances anyone could have predicted (due in part to the signals bouncing off the then unknown [[ionosphere]]). Marconi and [[Karl Ferdinand Braun]] were awarded the 1909 [[Nobel Prize for Physics]] for their contribution to this form of wireless telegraphy.
In 1898, [[Nikola Tesla]] demonstrated the first radio-controlled vessel at [[Madison Square Garden]]. It was a 4-foot long “teleautomaton” boat controlled via a wireless box with levers. The small boat used radio waves to operate its [[propeller]], [[Rudder|rudders]], and lights. The audience was reportedly astonished, with some speculating the boat was being controlled by [[Magic (illusion)|magic]], [[telepathy]], or a trained monkey inside. Tesla attempted to pitch his invention to the [[United States Navy]] as a radio-controlled [[torpedo]] or weaponized drone. However, the Navy was seemingly unimpressed by the idea.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=2021-11-15 |title=Tesla and the First Remote-controlled Boat |first=Ken |last=Young |magazine=The Model Yacht |publisher=US Vintage Model Yacht Group |volume=22 |issue=3 |url=https://usvmyg.org/articles/history/tesla-and-the-first-remote-controlled-boat/ |access-date=2026-04-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kent |first=David J. |date=2013-01-28 |title=Nikola Tesla Makes a Robot Boat |url=https://davidjkent-writer.com/2013/01/28/nikola-tesla-makes-a-robot-boat/ |access-date=2026-04-12 |website=David J. Kent}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Saelee |first=Mike |title=Research Guides: Nikola Tesla: Topics in Chronicling America: Introduction |url=https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-nikola-tesla/introduction |access-date=2026-04-12 |website=guides.loc.gov |publisher=Library of Congress}}</ref>
[[Millimetre wave]] communication was first investigated by [[Jagadish Chandra Bose]] during 1894{{ndash}}1896, when he reached an [[extremely high frequency]] of up to 60{{nbsp}}[[GHz]] in his experiments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Milestones: First Millimeter-wave Communication Experiments by J.C. Bose, 1894-96 |url=https://ethw.org/Milestones:First_Millimeter-wave_Communication_Experiments_by_J.C._Bose,_1894-96 |website=[[List of IEEE milestones]] |publisher=[[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers]] |access-date=1 October 2019}}</ref> He also introduced the use of [[semiconductor]] junctions to detect radio waves,<ref name=emerson>{{cite conference <!-- Citation bot no --> | last = Emerson | first = D. T. | title = 1997 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium Digest, Vol. 3 | chapter = The work of Jagadis Chandra Bose: 100 years of mm-wave research | journal = IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Research | volume = 45 | issue = 12 | pages = 2267–2273 | year = 1997 | chapter-url = https://books.google.com/books?id=09Zsv97IH1MC&pg=PA88 | doi = 10.1109/MWSYM.1997.602853 | isbn = 9780986488511|bibcode = 1997imsd.conf..553E | s2cid = 9039614 }} reprinted in Igor Grigorov, Ed., ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=09Zsv97IH1MC Antentop]'', Vol. 2, No.3, pp. 87–96.</ref> when he patented the radio [[crystal detector]] in 1901.<ref name="computerhistory-timeline">{{cite web |title=Timeline |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/timeline/ |website=The Silicon Engine |publisher=[[Computer History Museum]] |access-date=22 August 2019}}</ref><ref name="computerhistory-1901">{{cite web |title=1901: Semiconductor Rectifiers Patented as "Cat's Whisker" Detectors |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/siliconengine/semiconductor-rectifiers-patented-as-cats-whisker-detectors/ |website=The Silicon Engine |publisher=[[Computer History Museum]] |access-date=23 August 2019}}</ref>
===Wireless revolution=== [[file:D2PAK.JPG|thumb|[[Power MOSFET]]s, which are used in [[RF power amplifier]]s to boost [[radio frequency]] (RF) signals in long-distance [[wireless networks]]]]
The wireless revolution began in the 1990s,<ref name="Golio">{{cite book |last1=Golio |first1=Mike |last2=Golio |first2=Janet |title=RF and Microwave Passive and Active Technologies |date=2018 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=9781420006728 |pages=ix, I-1, 18-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MCj9jxSVQKIC&pg=PR9}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Rappaport |first1=T. S. |title=The wireless revolution |journal=IEEE Communications Magazine |date=November 1991 |volume=29 |issue=11 |pages=52–71 |doi=10.1109/35.109666 |bibcode=1991IComM..29k..52R |s2cid=46573735 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=The wireless revolution |url=https://www.economist.com/leaders/1999/01/21/the-wireless-revolution |access-date=12 September 2019 |newspaper=[[The Economist]] |date=21 January 1999}}</ref> with the advent of digital [[wireless networks]] leading to a social revolution, and a paradigm shift from wired to wireless technology,<ref name="Baliga">{{cite book |last1=Baliga |first1=B. Jayant |author1-link=B. Jayant Baliga |title=Silicon RF Power MOSFETS |date=2005 |publisher=[[World Scientific]] |isbn=9789812561213 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=StJpDQAAQBAJ}}</ref> including the proliferation of commercial wireless technologies such as [[cell phones]], [[mobile telephony]], [[pagers]], wireless [[computer networks]],<ref name="Golio"/> [[cellular network]]s, the [[wireless Internet]], and laptop and [[handheld computers]] with wireless connections.<ref name="britannica">{{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Fiona |author-link=Fiona Harvey |date=8 May 2003 |title=The Wireless Revolution |url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wireless-Revolution-The-879379 |access-date=12 September 2019 |website=[[Encyclopædia Britannica]]}}</ref> The wireless revolution has been driven by advances in [[radio-frequency engineering|radio frequency]] (RF), [[microelectronics]], and [[microwave engineering]],<ref name="Golio"/> and the transition from analog to digital RF technology,<ref name="Baliga"/><ref name="britannica"/> which enabled a substantial increase in voice traffic along with the delivery of [[digital data]] such as text messaging, [[digital image|images]] and [[streaming media]].<ref name="Baliga"/>
== Modes == ''Wireless communications'' can be via:
=== Radio === {{main|Radio communication}} {{further|Microwave transmission}} Radio and [[microwave]] communication carry information by [[Modulation|modulating]] properties of [[electromagnetic waves]] transmitted through space. Specifically, the transmitter generates artificial electromagnetic waves by applying time-varying [[electric currents]] to its [[Antenna (radio)|antenna]]. The waves travel away from the antenna until they eventually reach the antenna of a receiver, which induces an electric current in the receiving antenna. This current can be detected and [[Modulation|demodulated]] to recreate the information sent by the transmitter.
=== Wireless optical === {{excerpt|Optical wireless communications}}
==== Free-space optical (long-range) ==== {{Main|Free-space optical communication}}
[[File:FSO-gigabit-laser-link-0a.jpg|thumb|right|250px|An 8-beam free space optics laser link, rated for 1 Gbit/s at a distance of approximately 2 km. The receptor is the large disc in the middle, and the transmitters are the smaller ones. To the top and right corner is a [[monocular]] for assisting the alignment of the two heads.]] Free-space optical communication (FSO) is an [[optical communication]] technology that uses light propagating in free space to transmit wireless data for telecommunications or [[computer network]]ing. "Free space" means the light beams travel through the open air or outer space. This contrasts with other communication technologies that use light beams traveling through [[transmission line]]s such as [[optical fiber]] or dielectric "light pipes".
The technology is useful where physical connections are impractical due to high costs or other considerations. For example, free space optical links are used in cities between office buildings that are not wired for networking, where the cost of running cable through the building and under the street would be prohibitive. Another widely used example is [[consumer IR]] devices such as [[remote control]]s and IrDA ([[Infrared Data Association]]) networking, which is used as an alternative to [[WiFi]] networking to allow laptops, PDAs, printers, and digital cameras to exchange data.
=== Sonic === Sonic, especially [[ultrasound|ultrasonic]] short-range communication involves the transmission and reception of sound.
=== Electromagnetic induction === [[Electromagnetic induction]] only allows short-range communication and power transmission. It has been used in biomedical situations such as pacemakers, as well as for short-range [[Radio-frequency identification|RFID]] tags.
== Services == Common examples of wireless equipment include:<ref>Tech Target – Definition of Wireless – Posted by Margaret Rouse (2 April control and traffic control systems</ref> * Infrared and ultrasonic remote control devices * Professional LMR ([[Land Mobile Radio]]) and SMR ([[Specialized Mobile Radio]]) are typically used by business, industrial, and Public Safety entities. * Consumer [[Two-way radio]] including FRS [[Family Radio Service]], GMRS (General Mobile Radio Service), and Citizens band ("CB") radios. * The [[Amateur Radio]] Service (Ham radio). * Consumer and professional [[Marine radio|Marine VHF radios]]. * [[Airband]] and [[radio navigation]] equipment used by aviators and [[air traffic control]] * [[Cellular telephone]]s and pagers: provide connectivity for portable and mobile applications, both personal and business. * [[Global Positioning System]] (GPS): allows drivers of cars and trucks, captains of boats and ships, and pilots of aircraft to ascertain their location anywhere on earth.<ref>{{cite web|last=Tsai|first=Allen|title=AT&T Releases Navigator GPS Service with Speech Recognition|url=http://www.telarus.com/industry/att-releases-navigator-gps-service-with-speech-recognition.html|publisher=Telecom Industry News|access-date=2 April 2008|archive-date=14 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120614143911/http://www.telarus.com/industry/att-releases-navigator-gps-service-with-speech-recognition.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> * Cordless computer peripherals: the cordless mouse is a common example; wireless headphones, keyboards, and printers can also be linked to a computer via wireless using technology such as [[Wireless USB]] or [[Bluetooth]]. * [[Cordless telephone]] sets: these are limited-range devices, not to be confused with cell phones. * Satellite television: Is broadcast from satellites in [[geostationary orbit]]. Typical services use [[direct broadcast satellite]] to provide multiple television channels to viewers.
== Electromagnetic spectrum == {{See also|Spectrum management}} AM and FM radios and other electronic devices make use of the [[electromagnetic spectrum]]. The frequencies of the [[radio spectrum]] that are available for use for communication are treated as a public resource and are regulated by organizations such as the American [[Federal Communications Commission]], [[Ofcom]] in the United Kingdom, the international [[ITU-R]] or the European [[ETSI]]. Their regulations determine which frequency ranges can be used for what purpose and by whom. In the absence of such control or alternative arrangements such as a privatized electromagnetic spectrum, chaos might result if, for example, airlines did not have specific frequencies to work under and an [[amateur radio]] operator was interfering with a pilot's ability to land an aircraft. Wireless communication spans the spectrum from 9 kHz to 300 GHz.{{citation needed|date=May 2015}}
== Applications == === Mobile telephones === One of the best-known examples of wireless technology is the mobile phone, also known as a cellular phone, with more than 6.6 billion mobile cellular subscriptions worldwide as of the end of 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=33770&Cr=Telecom&Cr1=|title=Robust demand for mobile phone service will continue; UN agency predicts|work=UN News Centre|date=15 February 2010|access-date=6 September 2011}}</ref> These wireless phones use radio waves from signal-transmission towers to enable their users to make phone calls from many locations worldwide. They can be used within the range of the [[cell site|mobile telephone site]] used to house the equipment required to transmit and receive the radio signals from these instruments.<ref>{{cite web|last=Vilorio|first=Dennis|title=You're a what? Tower Climber|url=http://www.bls.gov/opub/ooq/2012/summer/yawhat.pdf|work=Occupational Outlook Quarterly|access-date=6 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203044441/http://bls.gov/opub/ooq/2012/summer/yawhat.pdf|archive-date=3 February 2013 | url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Data communications === {{redirect|Wireless Internet|all wireless Internet access|Wireless broadband|mobile wireless Internet|Mobile broadband}} {{see also|Radio data communication}} Wireless [[data communication]]s allow [[wireless networking]] between [[desktop computer]]s, laptops, [[tablet computer]]s, cell phones, and other related devices. The various available technologies differ in local availability, coverage range, and performance,<ref name="Geeks">{{cite web|title=High Speed Internet on the Road|url=http://www.geeksontour.com/showme/wifi/wifi00_3ways|access-date=6 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110903211900/http://www.geeksontour.com/showme/wifi/wifi00_3ways.cfm|archive-date=3 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> and in some circumstances, users employ multiple connection types and switch between them using connection manager software<ref>{{cite web|url=https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc776781%28WS.10%29.aspx|title=What is Connection Manager?|work=Microsoft Technet|date=28 March 2003|access-date=6 September 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.unwiredrevolution.com/what-we-do/our-products.aspx|title=Our Products|website=Unwired Revolution|access-date=6 September 2011|archive-date=9 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109051616/http://www.unwiredrevolution.com/what-we-do/our-products.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref> or a [[mobile virtual private network|mobile VPN]] to handle the multiple connections as a secure, single [[virtual network]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gd-itronix.com/index.cfm?page=Products:MobilityXE|title=General Dynamics- NetMotion Mobility XE|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926055054/http://www.gd-itronix.com/index.cfm?page=Products:MobilityXE|archive-date=26 September 2011|access-date=30 August 2011}}</ref> Supporting technologies include:
:'''[[Wi-Fi]]''' is a wireless [[local area network]] that enables portable computing devices to connect easily with other devices, [[peripheral]]s, and the Internet.{{citation needed|date=April 2021}} Standardized as [[IEEE 802.11]] [[IEEE 802.11a|a]], [[IEEE 802.11b|b]], [[IEEE 802.11g|g]], [[IEEE 802.11n|n]], [[IEEE 802.11ac|ac]], [[IEEE 802.11ax|ax]], [[Wi-Fi]] has link speeds similar to older standards of wired [[Ethernet]]. Wi-Fi has become the de facto standard for access in private homes, within offices, and at public hotspots.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotrecruiter.com/resources/technical-tutorials/35-freelance-tips-a-tutorials/893-wi-fi|title=Wi-Fi|access-date=6 September 2011}}</ref> Some businesses charge customers a monthly fee for service, while others have begun offering it free in an effort to increase the sales of their goods.<ref>{{cite book|last1=O'Brien|first1=J|last2=Marakas|first2=G.M|year=2008|title=Management Information Systems|page=239|location=New York, NY|publisher=McGraw-Hill Irwin}}</ref>
:'''Cellular data service''' offers coverage within a range of 10–15 miles from the nearest [[cell site]].<ref name="Geeks" /> Speeds have increased as technologies have evolved, from earlier technologies such as [[GSM]], [[code-division multiple access|CDMA]] and [[General Packet Radio Service|GPRS]], through [[3G]], to [[4G]] networks such as [[W-CDMA]], [[Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution|EDGE]] or [[CDMA2000]].<ref>{{cite web |first1=Lachu|last1=Aravamudhan|first2=Stefano|last2=Faccin|first3=Risto|last3=Mononen|first4=Basavaraj|last4=Patil|first5=Yousuf|last5=Saifullah|first6=Sarvesh|last6=Sharma|first7=Srinivas|last7=Sreemanthula|url=http://www.informit.com/articles/printerfriendly.aspx?p=98132|title=Getting to Know Wireless Networks and Technology|publisher=InformIT |date=Jul 4, 2003 |access-date=12 July 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/imt-2000/DocumentsIMT2000/What_really_3G.pdf|title=What really is a Third Generation (3G) Mobile Technology|publisher=ITU|access-date=12 July 2011|archive-date=7 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607105523/http://www.itu.int/ITU-D/imt-2000/DocumentsIMT2000/What_really_3G.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> As of 2026, [[5G]] is now used.
:'''Low-power wide-area networks''' ([[LPWAN]]) bridge the gap between Wi-Fi and Cellular for low-bitrate [[Internet of things]] (IoT) applications. :'''[[Mobile-satellite communications]]''' may be used where other wireless connections are unavailable, such as in largely rural areas<ref>{{cite web|last=Geier|first=Jim|url=http://www.wireless-nets.com/resources/downloads/wireless_industry_report_2007.pdf|title=Wireless Network Industry Report 2007|publisher=Wireless-Nets, Ltd.|year=2008|access-date=6 September 2011|archive-date=12 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012152324/http://www.wireless-nets.com/resources/downloads/wireless_industry_report_2007.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> or remote locations.<ref name="Geeks" /> [[Communications satellite|Satellite communications]] are especially important for transportation, aviation, [[sea|maritime]] and military use.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Ilcev|first1=Stojce Dimov|title=Global Mobile Satellite Communications for Maritime, Land and Aeronautical Applications|publisher=Springer|year=2006|url=https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9781441954367|isbn=9781402027840}}</ref>
:'''[[Wireless sensor network]]s''' are responsible for sensing noise, interference, and activity in data collection networks. This allows us to detect relevant quantities, monitor and collect data, formulate clear user displays, and to perform decision-making functions<ref>{{cite book|first=F.L.|last=Lewis|chapter=Wireless Sensor Networks.|title=Smart Environments: Technologies, Protocols, and Applications|publisher=John Wiley|location=New York|year=2004|pages=11–46|chapter-url=http://www.idc-online.com/technical_references/pdfs/electronic_engineering/WirelessSensorNetChap04.pdf|doi=10.1002/047168659X.ch2|isbn=9780471686590}}</ref>
Wireless data communications are used to span a distance beyond the capabilities of typical cabling in [[point-to-point (telecommunications)|point-to-point communication]] and [[point-to-multipoint communication]], to provide a backup communications link in case of normal network failure, to link portable or temporary workstations, to overcome situations where normal cabling is difficult or financially impractical, or to remotely connect mobile users or networks.
====Peripherals==== Peripheral devices in computing can also be connected wirelessly, as part of a Wi-Fi network or directly via an optical or radio-frequency (RF) peripheral interface. Originally these units used bulky, highly local transceivers to mediate between a computer and a keyboard and mouse; however, more recent generations have used smaller, higher-performance devices. Radio-frequency interfaces, such as [[Bluetooth]] or [[Wireless USB]], provide greater ranges of efficient use, usually up to 10 feet, but distance, physical obstacles, competing signals, and even human bodies can all degrade the signal quality.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Paventi|first=Jared|title=How does a Wireless Keyboard Work?|journal=Ehow|date=26 October 2013}}</ref> Concerns about the security of wireless keyboards arose at the end of 2007 when it was revealed that Microsoft's implementation of encryption in some of its 27 MHz models were highly insecure.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dreamlab.net/download/articles/27_Mhz_keyboard_insecurities.pdf |title=27Mhz Wireless Keyboard Analysis Report aka 'We know what you typed last summer' |last1=Moser |first1=Max |last2=Schrödel |first2=Philipp |date=5 December 2007 |access-date=6 February 2012 |archive-date=23 January 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123043010/http://www.dreamlab.net/download/articles/27_Mhz_keyboard_insecurities.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>
=== Energy transfer === {{Main|Wireless energy transfer}} Wireless energy transfer is a process whereby electrical energy is transmitted from a power source to an electrical load that does not have a built-in power source, without the use of interconnecting wires. There are two different fundamental methods for wireless energy transfer. Energy can be transferred using either far-field methods that involve beaming power/lasers, radio or microwave transmissions, or near-field using electromagnetic induction.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Jones|first=George|title=Future Proof: How Wireless Energy Transfer Will Kill the Power Cable.|website=MaximumPC|date=14 September 2010}}</ref> Wireless energy transfer may be combined with wireless information transmission in what is known as Wireless Powered Communication.<ref name="NiyatoShafai2017">{{cite book|author1=Dusit Niyato|author2=Lotfollah Shafai|title=Wireless-Powered Communication Networks|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQhQDQAAQBAJ|accessdate=17 April 2021|year=2017|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-1-107-13569-7|page=329}}</ref> In 2015, researchers at the University of Washington demonstrated far-field energy transfer using Wi-Fi signals to power cameras.<ref>{{Cite web|title=First Demonstration of a Surveillance Camera Powered by Ordinary Wi-Fi Broadcasts|url=https://www.technologyreview.com/2015/06/03/167817/first-demonstration-of-a-surveillance-camera-powered-by-ordinary-wi-fi-broadcasts/|access-date=20 November 2020|website=MIT Technology Review|language=en}}</ref>
=== Medical technologies === New wireless technologies, such as mobile body area networks (MBAN), have the capability to monitor blood pressure, heart rate, oxygen level, and body temperature. The MBAN works by sending low-powered wireless signals to receivers that feed into nursing stations or monitoring sites. This technology helps with the intentional and unintentional risk of infection or disconnection that arise from wired connections.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Linebaugh |first1=Kate |title=More Hospital Medical Devices to Go Wireless |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304065704577422633456558976 |access-date=13 May 2022 |work=[[The Wall Street Journal]] |date=23 May 2012 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>
== Categories of implementations, devices, and standards == {{div col|colwidth=30em}} * [[Cellular network]]s: [[Mobile radio telephone|0G]], [[1G]], [[2G]], [[3G]], [[4G]], [[5G]], [[6G (network)|6G]] * [[Cordless telephone|Cordless telephony]]: DECT ([[Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications]]) * [[Land Mobile Radio System|Land Mobile Radio]] or [[Professional Mobile Radio]]: [[Terrestrial Trunked Radio|TETRA]], [[Project 25|P25]], [[OpenSky]], [[EDACS]], [[Digital Mobile Radio|DMR]], [[dPMR]] * [[List of emerging technologies]] * Radio station in accordance with [[International Telecommunication Union|ITU]] [[ITU Radio Regulations|RR]] (article 1.61) * [[Radiocommunication service]] in accordance with ITU RR (article 1.19) * [[Radio communication system]] * Short-range point-to-point communication: [[Wireless microphone]]s, [[Remote control]]s, [[Infrared Data Association|IrDA]], [[Radio-frequency identification|RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)]], [[TransferJet]], [[Wireless USB]], [[Dedicated short-range communications|DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications)]], [[EnOcean]], [[Near Field Communication]] * [[Wireless sensor network]]s: [[Zigbee]], [[EnOcean]]; [[Personal area network]]s, [[Bluetooth]], [[TransferJet]], [[Ultra-wideband]] (UWB from [[WiMedia Alliance]]). * [[Wireless network]]s: [[Wireless LAN]] (WLAN), ([[IEEE 802.11]] branded as [[Wi-Fi]] and [[HiperLAN]]), Wireless Metropolitan Area Networks (WMAN) and ([[Local Multipoint Distribution Service|LMDS]], [[WiMAX]], and [[HiperMAN]]) {{div col end}}
== See also == {{div col}} * [[Comparison of wireless data standards]] * [[Digital radio]] * [[Hotspot (Wi-Fi)]] * [[ISO 15118]] (Vehicle to Grid) * [[Li-Fi]] * [[MiFi]] * [[Mobile (disambiguation)]] * [[Radio antenna]] * [[Radio resource management]] (RRM) * [[Timeline of radio]] * [[Tuner (radio)]] * [[Wireless access point]] * [[Wireless security]] * [[Wireless Wide Area Network]] (True wireless) * [[WSSUS model]] {{div col end}}
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == {{div col}} * {{cite book | first=Jim | last= Geier | title=Wireless LANs | publisher=Sams | year=2001 | isbn=0-672-32058-4}} * {{cite book | first=Andrea | last=Goldsmith | title=Wireless Communications | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2005 | isbn=0-521-83716-2}} * {{cite book | first1=Erik | last1=Larsson | first2=Petre | last2=Stoica | title=Space-Time Block Coding For Wireless Communications | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2003 }} * {{cite book | first=Andreas | last=Molisch | title=Wireless Communications | publisher=Wiley-IEEE Press | year=2005 | isbn=0-470-84888-X | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/wirelesscommunic0000moli }} * {{cite book | first1=Kaveh | last1=Pahlavan | first2=Prashant | last2=Krishnamurthy | title=Principles of Wireless Networks – a Unified Approach | publisher=Prentice Hall | year=2002 | isbn=0-13-093003-2}} * {{cite book | first1=Kaveh | last1=Pahlavan | first2=Allen H | last2=Levesque | title=Wireless Information Networks | publisher=John Wiley & Sons | year=1995 | isbn=0-471-10607-0}} * {{cite book | title=Wireless Communications: Principles and Practice | first=Theodore | last=Rappaport | publisher=Prentice Hall | year=2002 | isbn=0-13-042232-0}} * {{cite book | title=The Wireless Internet Explained | publisher=Digital Press | year=2001 | first=John | last=Rhoton | isbn=1-55558-257-5}} * {{cite book | first1=David | last1=Tse | first2=Pramod | last2=Viswanath | title=Fundamentals of Wireless Communication | publisher=Cambridge University Press | year=2005 | isbn=0-521-84527-0}} {{div col end}}
== External links == {{Wiktionary}} * [https://www.histv.net/histoire-de-la-t-s-f-et-de-la-radio Bibliography - History of wireless and radio broadcasting] * {{Wikibooks inline|Nets, Webs and the Information Infrastructure}} * [https://blogs.bl.uk/untoldlives/2018/02/sir-jagadis-chandra-bose-the-man-who-almost-invented-the-radio-.html Sir Jagadis Chandra Bose - The man who (almost) invented the radio]
{{Telecommunications}}
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[[Category:Wireless| ]] [[Category:History of radio]] [[Category:Television terminology]]