Focus on Wireless Communications [From the Editor’s Desk]

When the general public hears the term wireless communications , they might think of applications such as their wireless Internet connection, wireless earbuds, or perhaps the satellite radio receiver in their cars. Wireless technology is exceedingly reliable, and therefore, the general public takes it as a given that it works as soon as they need it and assumes that it will provide the needed service without giving it much thought. It is also a human trait that if something works well, they will inevitably ask "Can it work better (and cheaper and with a smaller footprint)?" Again, the general public assumes that these improvements will occur, given time and funding, and that applications such as high-definition video can be delivered to their mobile devices. Microwave and optical engineers know, though, that the robust and reliable technology required (and still requires) enormous time and effort to design, fabricate, and exhaustively test the systems to provide the functionality and reliability the general public expects. Wireless communication is a pervasive technology with a continued bright future as enhancements are built on previous technologies, with new applications yet to be envisioned. Because of this importance to society in general, the MTT-S has, among its 26 technical committees (TCs), a dedicated Wireless Communications Committee (TC-23).