Applications Challenge: Wireless Band Explosion

Today’s cellular handsets are designed with up to five frequency bands to enable roaming services for most of the world. As 4G is deployed and new frequencies are allocated around the globe, the number of frequency bands is expected to grow to 10, 15, or higher.

That’s what is meant by wireless band explosion.

As more band-specific radio channels are added to a handset, the space and power consumption challenges mount – and the experience of wireless device users plummets. Dropped calls, interference, and slow web browsing become more common.