Abstract:This paper, based on recent research, articulates the opportunities and challenges posed by an emerging area of study known as ``mediumband wireless communication'', which refers to digital radio-frequency (RF) wireless communication through mediumband channels. This class of channels that falls in the transitional region between the narrowband and broadband channels, in many ways, is unique and shows significant potential. For instance, the effect of a highly unfavourable non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation environment can be transformed into a significantly favourable condition without making any intervention on the original propagation environment, but by simply communicating in the mediumband. The more unfavourable a propagation environment for wireless communication, the higher the potential gain by communicating in the mediumband. In this paper, using lay language as much as possible, we elaborate the unique properties of mediumband channels and implications of communicating in the mediumband for wider wireless communication along with some future research directions.
Abstract:Mediumband wireless communication refers to wireless communication through a class of channels known as mediumband that exists on the TmTs-plane. This paper, through statistical analysis and computer simulations, studies the performance limits of this class of channels in terms of uncoded bit error rate (BER) and diversity order. We show that, owing mainly to the effect of the deep fading avoidance, which is unique to the channels in the mediumband region, mediumband wireless systems, if designed judiciously, have the potential to achieve significantly superior error rate and higher order diversity even in non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation environments where the achievable diversity order is otherwise low.