Abstract
Articles on wireless communications have hit the press in a big way with reports of a fabulous future enabling people to communicate with anyone, anywhere, anytime using any media. Have all our wiring problems now been solved? Do we no longer need to worry about having to install that "expensive" fibre-optics and copper infrastructure? Is the Dick Tracy wrist-watch around the corner?The University of Toronto's Computing and Communications Division has been monitoring the development of wireless technologies and services over the last two years to determine how these recent developments relate to the University's campus network plan. The physical infrastructure that was chosen to support the long-term goal of integrating voice, data, image, and video on our campus network was, not surprisingly in 1991, identified to be a fibre-optic and copper-based wiring system. In 1993 is this still the right choice?This presentation will introduce the novice to the wireless "lingo," describe some of the various types of wireless communications technologies and services, discuss issues related to the use of wireless, identify opportunities for the deployment of wireless technologies in an institutional setting, and explain what we chose to do about wireless and why. Additionally, predictions for future services based on wireless technologies will be made.