The Really Hard Problems

Abstract

The ability to improve spectral efficiency, enhance network efficiency, and serve the telecommunication user—the purview of cognitive radio (CR)—is an application that adds significant value to the telecommunication market. CR is a radio that is sufficiently intelligent to aid spectrum efficiency, aid the radio networks and network infrastructures, and aid the user. This chapter presents several classes of radios. To begin with, there is the radio designed and built for defense applications. When used in peacekeeping missions, such radios are expected to comply with the regulatory requirements of the regions where they are used. They will need to have details of the radio networks of other allies and coalition partners, including waveforms, protocols, frequencies, and what conditions should be communicated with partners. The second class of radio involves the cellular telephone subscriber unit, the corresponding base station, and its corresponding infrastructure. The third class of radio is those embedded into computing devices. This includes laptop computers, PDAs, and similar devices, for which the primary access is a wireless personal area network. The chapter also predict a fourth class of radio: automobiles that will soon have an add-on business of transmitting and receiving useful services to the driver and passengers by using wireless regional area network (WRAN) services.