ITS Research Program, UW

Publication Title:
IVHS Data and Information Structure

This research project has consisted primarily of a comprehensive literature review of wireless communications technologies to establish an historical backdrop outlining the growth of today's mobile communications systems, while also describing the current state of the art. This extensive literature review has been supplemented by personal interviews with industry representatives and DOT officials.

Attention was given to those wireless technologies offering moderate to long-range communications capabilities. As a result, those mobile systems designed to provide signal coverage primarily within buildings - such as that offered by wireless local area networks (WLAN's) - were not included in this study. Wireless technologies that are able to support either simplex (one-way) or duplex (two-way) communications were examined; also, both analog and the newer digital transmission systems were reviewed. As the research progressed, the leading wireless technologies identified for serious evaluation included: cellular telephony, personal communications services, cordless telephony, radiopaging, private land mobile radio, radio data networks, satellites, and meteor burst. Each of these technologies is reviewed extensively in separate chapters that make up the body of the full research report.

Research Approach:

This research effort has borrowed from work done previously by scholar Steven Bell, who has identified some of the key characteristics for comparing the performance of competing wireless networks. Bell spotlights the following parameters as key factors for evaluating the potential of mobile communication equipment:

1. the reliability of the radio service;
2. the coverage area provided: urban or rural;
3. the maximum transmission speeds possible, which can impact the cost of service;
4. equipment and airtime costs; and
5. the security of associated messages.

In addition to these somewhat generic qualifications, the technologies reviewed have been evaluated as to their suitability for carrying out specific DOT communications functions.

Conclusions and Recommendations:

Each chapter contains conclusions about the individual technologies and recommendations for the use of a given technology within ITS.