Cell Phone

Cell Phone

No one could have predicted the insatiability with which human beings embraced the age of information at their fingertips. Beginning with the development of the world wide web and social media and progressing to the invention of portable wireless devices on which both could be viewed 24/7, the sheer volume of global mobile data traffic has grown exponentially. It’s estimated that the number of mobile-connected devices exceeds the total population of the Earth. Put simply, the world is going wireless.

At issue is the limited radio spectrum available to meet the data traffic demand of today and the estimated increase in demand coming over the next few years. The FCC periodically auctions off a small number of frequency bands, and wireless telecom companies pay huge sums for the right to their use. This is because, at the current rate of growth, the existing 4G/LTE networks will be unable to handle the increasing data transmission needs within the next few years.

One of the most efficient and cost-effective ways for cell phone carriers to meet this demand is to make better use of the frequencies they already own. Full duplex functionality can immediately double the amount of traffic a single frequency can carry at any one time. Saffron Communications has developed an integrated circuit with this technology that is small enough to fit inside a wireless phone or tablet. With the same chip installed at the base or tower, full duplex technology will solve the impending spectrum crunch for wireless providers.