Interested in learning how mobile smartphones and tablets convert digital information to and from electromagnetic signals in the radio frequency (RF) spectrum? Curious how radio designers and spectrum regulators avoid harmful interference within a network or among different wireless services? Debating whether television (TV) band spectrum or cellular spectrum is more valuable to society?
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Want to build a radio transmitter and receiver, or develop a business plan for a wireless network deployment in your hometown? Then sign up for "Understanding Wireless" today!
This survey style course offers an opportunity to gain understanding of the technical, regulatory, and economic aspects of the mobile wireless revolution and its impact on society. The course is intended for a broad audience, from engineers to business majors to aspiring lawyers, but students will be most comfortable if they are not intimidated by early-college mathematics.
The instructors aim to expose the intricate physics, infrastructure, industry segments, markets, and radio frequency (RF) spectrum challenges behind today's popular smart phones and tablets, and to challenge students to participate in fueling the future growth of these technologies as well as their applications. The course will include such topics as the electrical transmission of information, the physical propagation of radio signals, the principles and challenges of sharing a common medium, standards and patents, spectrum licenses and auctions, privacy and security issues, and societal impact of wireless communication services and applications.
In addition to directed readings, video sessions, and learning exercises, students taking the course for a certificate will be required to take several quizzes and, in the last two weeks of the course, to develop a project selected from one of several options. We are excited to introduce you to the myriad aspects of the wireless revolution and to explore with you how wireless is changing today’s society.
What you'll learn
- Identify the major historical and structural developments in the field of wireless communications
- Explore the challenges of wireless technologies present in spectrum allocation, privacy, and net neutrality
- Examine wireless technology through the lenses of economics, law, and engineering
- Explain how devices and applications relay information wirelessly
