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Non-Cellular Approaches to Mobile Data Networking

Cellular

Doesn't

Pamper

Data

-Prominent display in RAM Mobile Data booth at Comdex, 1993.

Increasing demand for mobile data communications has prompted the development of a number of wireless data solutions. Limited primarily by cost of technology and regulatory restrictions, these wireless data solutions include wireless (campus) LANs, ESMRs, private and public wireless packet data services and satellite-based systems.

This chapter presents a survey of these existing and intended wireless data communications services. But it is only a survey; many fine references-in particular [PAHL94], [PAHL95], [PATE95a], [PATE95b] and [WONG95]-are cited in the bibliography and should be investigated for a deeper understanding of these technologies.