Spectrum Fragmentation Means Pricier Mobile Networking 80
alphadogg writes "The plethora of spectrum bands used for LTE will result in more expensive devices, and also make the ability to roam globally using the technology less likely, according to industry organization GSM Association's research arm. Wireless Intelligence predicts there will be 38 different spectrum frequency combinations used in LTE deployments by 2015, thanks to ongoing spectrum auctions, license renewals and reallocation initiatives across a wide range of frequency bands. The number of combinations means economies of scale won't be as good and prices won't come down as much as they could if fewer spectrum bands were used as volumes increase, Joss Gillet, a senior analyst for Wireless Intelligence."
Comment removed (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Software radios (Score:3, Interesting)
Software works well for the back-end of the radio, ie. detector. The front-end and antenna are another story.
But antenna's of approximately the right length are almost as good as specifically tuned antennas, and the technology for dealing with multi-wavelength radios is growing by leaps and bounds. See this summary of Fractal Antennas [ieee.org]. (full article is paid), as well as this article [mobiledevdesign.com]
Developed over the last 20 years, fractal antennas have proven to be a fundamentally important breakthrough in antenna technology. This technology has allowed for antennas that are more powerful, versatile and compact. Because a fractal antenna uses fractal geometry and builds a complex pattern from the repetition of a simple shape, the inherent qualities of fractals enable the production of high-performance antennas that are typically 50% to 75% smaller than traditional ones. Because antenna performance is attained through the geometry of the conductor, rather than with the accumulation of separate components or separate elements that inevitably increase complexity and potential points of failure, fractal antennas offer better reliability and lower cost than traditional antennas.
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So it would seem, that these antennas are destined to simply be "Printed" onto a substrate, perhaps the back cover of the phone, and segments enabled as needed. One antenna for all bands, just by using different segments to create the best pattern. This is bound to become dirt cheap to make.
When combined with a software defined radio, rather than the discrete band models we are used to, the flexibility to produce a true world phone is possibly closer than previously thought. As soon as the designers stop chasing multi-discrete-band radios, and just plan for a world of hundreds of band segments, the Software Radio will drive the unit lower than what we have today.