Preface

Only a decade ago, wireless and mobile communication seemed like a new research field and an emerging new industry. Today, at the beginning of the new millennium, wireless and mobile communication has come of age, and the related industry has significantly grown.

The Encyclopedia of Wireless and Mobile Communications provides in-depth coverage of the important concepts, issues, and technology trends in the field of wireless and mobile technologies, systems, techniques, and applications. It is a comprehensive collection of articles that present current technologies and systems, perspectives, and future trends in the field from hundreds of leading researchers and experts in the field. The articles in the book describe a number of topics in wireless and mobile communication systems and applications--from 3G and 4G systems to OFDM systems, optical networks, wireless sensor networks, and to emerging applications.

The editor, working with the Encyclopedia's Editorial Board and a large number of contributors, surveyed and divided the field of wireless and mobile communications into specific topics that collectively encompass the foundations, technologies, applications, and emerging elements of this exciting field. The members of the Editorial Board and the contributors are world experts in the field of wireless and mobile communications from both academia and industry. The total number of contributors is more than 270, and they have written a total of 173 articles.

The Encyclopedia's intended audience is technically diverse and wide; it includes anyone concerned with wireless and mobile communication systems and their applications. Specifically, the Encyclopedia can serve as a valuable reference for researchers and scientists, system designers, engineers, programmers, and managers who are involved in wireless and mobile system design and their applications.

I thank the members of the Editorial Board for their help in creating this Encyclopedia, as well as the authors for their individual contributions. The members of the Editorial Board assisted in selecting the articles, in writing one or more long and short articles, and soliciting the other contributors. Without the expertise and effort of the contributors, this Encyclopedia would never have come to fruition. Special thanks are due to Taylor & Francis editors and staff, including Richard O'Hanley and Claire Miller. They deserve my sincere recognition for their support throughout the project.

Borko Furht
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, Florida