PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS: AN INTRODUCTION By Dr. Ernest Simo 2.0 DEFINITIONS AND APPLICATIONS Personal Communications Networks (PCN) is not a single technology. It is a concept or a vision that will use an array of wired and wireless technologies to deliver Personal Communications services (PCS) to land-based, sea, and air-borne users. These futuristic networks will evolve from current networks which include Specialized Mobile Services [SMR], paging systems, Cordless Telephones, Digital Cellular, Wireless in-building networks, Public Switched Telephone Networks and Satellite-based systems. In its ultimate form, a Personal Communications Network would be an intelligent network that could offer person-to-person connectivity for the delivery of voice, data, image and video services. These services, in a digital form, will be provided independently or in tandem with public switched telephone networks, and delivered to: * indoor user in a residential or office environment; * outdoor pedestrian in a community or shopping areas; * farmer or fisherman in a rural environment; * user in transit in a car, boat or plane; * camper, skier or tourist on a beach. 2.1 Characterization Functionally, PCN is conceived to supports fully personalized communications wherever the users may be, it offers the ability to call a person without knowledge of his or her location. As such, a PCN should: Be characterized by the transparency and ubiquity of services, the portability of the handset and the mobility of the user. In other words; PCN must offer services to the user without the constraints of Time and Space. Some of these services are structured around he "Follow-me" call routing concept. Support ISDN services. This requires necessary bandwidth to accommodate voice, data, image and video transmission. Offer bandwidth resources to users on a demand-assignment basis. Due to the bandwidth-limited nature of this application, the available spectrum must be used with the utmost efficiency. Provide wireless interface between the user and the network via: a) satellite spot beams, or Megacells [100+ miles across]; b) terrestrial macrocells that are over one kilometer in diameter; c) microcells that are 200 to 500 meters in diameter; d) and picocells that are only a few meters in diameter. While large macrocells will be adequate for outdoor Line of Sight environments such as open areas, commuter zones and rural areas. Microcells will be deployed in campus networks such as hospitals, colleges, ball parks and stadiums, airports, shopping centers and urban, built up metropolitan areas. Picocells by contrast, are more suitable for heavily obstructed environment such as in-building applications. 2.2 Sociological Impacts Extension of voice, data and video telecommunications to a person, rather than a place or location will have significant sociological impacts on our society. In other words, it will radically transform the way we conduct our lives and do business. While telephone services are universally available in developed countries, two thirds of the World's population do not have access to a telephone! Wireless Communications has the potential to provide a very cost-effective solution to this global requirement. CODE: AN INTRODUCTION By Dr. Ernest Simo © 1999 DR. ERNEST SIMO - SPACE2000