2. Rural, suburban and urban propagation

Demand for low-, medium- and high-speed wireless communications has led manufacturers and operators to develop and deploy new technologies. These include GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems) and WIMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwaves Access).

After RADIOCOM 2000, GSM is the 2nd-generation standard for mobile networks. It allows maximum data rates of 9.6 kbps. It operates at 900 and 1800 MHz. The access technique is based on a combination of TDMA time division and FDMA frequency division. This enables voice and low-volume digital data transmissions (SMS, MMS).

UMTS is the 3rd generation mobile network standard. It is based on W-CDMA multiple access technology, known as spread spectrum technology. The frequencies allocated for UMTS are 1,885-2,025 MHz and 2,110-2,200 MHz....