Many and ever more mobile users wish to enjoy a variety of multimedia
services, in very diverse geographical environments. The growing number
of communication options within and across wireless standards is
accommodating the growing volume and heterogeneity in wireless wishes.
On the other hand, advancement in radio technologies opening much more
flexibility, a.o. through Software Defined Radios, opens up the
possibility to realize mobile devices featuring multi-mode options at
low cost and interesting form factors.
It is crucial to manage the new degrees of freedom opened up in radios
and standards in a smart way, such that the required service is offered
at satisfactory quality as efficiently as possible. Efficiency in energy
consumption is clearly primordial for battery powered mobile terminals
specifically, and in the context of growing ecological concerns in a
broader context. Moreover, efficient usage of the spectrum is a growing
prerequisite for wireless systems, and coexistence of different
standards puts overall throughput at risk.
The management of flexibility risks bringing about intolerable
complexity and hamper the desired agility. A systematic approach,
consisting of anticipative preparing for smooth operation, allows
mastering this challenge. Case studies show that already today, this
approach enables smart operation of radios realizing impressive
efficiency gains without hampering Quality-of-Service. In the future
wireless communication scenes will be able to profit form the opening of
the spectrum. Even smarter and cognitive behavior will become possible
and essential.
