Mobile Phone Technology

Wi-Fi is a wireless communication technology that allows computing devices to send and receive data from the internet. It has similar objectives to mobile phone technology! The main difference is that Wi-Fi is designed to work in a static environment, whereas mobile communications assume some form of mobility. However, in a mesh or corporate network, some limited movement is possible, such as walking around the house or site. Accessing a Wi-Fi network requires the user to know the network name (SSID) and password. In a corporate environment, Wi-Fi may be linked to the corporate username/password.

Wi-Fi uses one of two frequency bands: 2.4GHz and 5GHz. These are similar to the frequencies used in mobile phone technology. Frequencies in the 2.5GHz to 6GHz range are in high demand for both Wi-Fi and mobile communications. Currently, both mobile and Wi-Fi operators are demanding access to 6 GHz waves. Although Wi-Fi and mobile communications use different protocols, the waves they use have similar frequencies and properties.

How does WiFi impact on the mobile phone :

• On most smartphones, users have the option of switching on Wi-Fi to send and receive data. When Wi-Fi is switched on, the phone will connect to a known Wi-Fi access point instead of the mobile network. This is based on the assumption that Wi-Fi and broadband are faster than mobile phone technology. The speed of the Wi-Fi data connection is dictated by the broadband speed, which is likely to be similar to the 5G speed on the phone.
• WiFi can be used as a direct replacement for the mobile data channel. However, WiFi does not directly support phone calls or text messages. However, with the introduction of VoWiFi and WhatsApp, these can be covered over WiFi.
• There can be a Wi-Fi access point available to travellers on a train, bus or car. As fibre or copper wire cannot be used for the backhaul, this is achieved via a mobile connection. A special router transfers data from the Wi-Fi to a mobile connection using a SIM.
• In a home environment, the Wi-Fi backhaul is either copper wire or fibre. In areas without fibre, home broadband can be much slower than mobile speeds. Therefore, a mobile network can be used to provide home broadband via a mobile router. Additionally, some standard routers have mobile capabilities to provide backup if the broadband becomes too slow.
• Phone tethering is an operation in which the mobile phone acts as a mobile hotspot. When this is turned on, other computing devices such as laptops and tablets can connect to the Wi-Fi provided by the phone and use it in the same way as a fixed router. The phone transfers data from Wi-Fi signals to mobile phone signals.

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