LESSON 1: Introduction to

Mobile Computing
 What is Mobile Computing ?

Mobile simply describes a computing device that is not restricted to a desktop. A mobile device
may be a PDA, a “smart” cell phone or Web phone, a laptop computer, a tablet PC or any one of
numerous other devices that allow the user to complete computing tasks without being physically
connected to a network. Mobile computing does not necessarily require wireless communication.
In fact, it may not require
communication between devices at all.

Wireless refers to the method of transferring information between a computing device, such as a
personal data assistant (PDA), and a data source, such as an agency database server, without a
physical connection. Not all wireless communications technologies are mobile.
For example, lasers are used in wireless data transfer between
buildings, but cannot be used in mobile communications at this time.
 What is Mobile Computing ?
Mobile Computing is a technology that allows transmission of data, voice and video via a
computer or any other wireless enabled device without having to be connected to a fixed physical
link.

Mobile Computing is an umbrella term used to describe technologies that enable people to access
network services anyplace, anytime, and anywhere.

Define Mobility
Mobile simply describes a computing device that is not restricted to a desktop. A mobile device
may be a PDA, a “smart” cell phone or Web
phone, a laptop computer, a tablet PC or any one of numerous other devices that allow the user to
complete computing tasks without being
physically connected to a network.

Mobile computing does not necessarily require wireless communication. In fact, it may not require
communication between devices at all.
 What are Mobile Devices ?

• Cart Laptops, Notebook PC,

• Win-PAD, Peripheral Devices,
• Hand-held PDAs, PDA Phone, Tablet PC
• Wearable Devices
 History of Mobile Computers
• 3000 BC – Abacus is invented in Babylonia
• 1972 – “Dynabook”, first laptop concept handheld, wireless, full multimedia
• 1979 – Cell phones tested in Japan and Chicago.
• 1981 – First commercially successful portable computer, the Osborne I: 23 pounds
(10.43 kg), 64K RAM.
• 1991 – Mobile, pen-based computers that can read handwriting introduced.
• 1992 – PDA (Newton) announced by Apple.
 History of Mobile Computers
• Most credit Guglielmo Marconi, “the father of radio”, with the initiation of
wireless technology
• 1894 Marconi experimented with Hertzian Waves (radio waves) to produce and
detect waves over long distances
• 1896 Marconi established the Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company, the first
radio factory
• 1901 St John’s, New Foundland, Marconi received the first trans Atlantic wireless
signal from Poldhu, England
• 1905 the first distress signal sent using Morse Code
• 1919 Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was incorporated, and consumer radio
broadcasts for news and entertainment soon became popular
 History of Mobile Computers
During World War II the US Military used wireless signals with encryption to send
battle plans and instructions
US Military started the shift to radio data transmission technology
In 1947 researchers in AT&T Bell Labs conceived the idea of cellular phones.
They realized that by using small service areas or cells they can reuse the frequency.
This in turn can enhance the traffic capacity of mobile phones.
AT&T requested the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to allocate a large
number of radio-spectrum frequencies so that widespread mobile telephone service
would become feasible.
 History of Mobile Computers
On October 4, 1957 the USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republic
now mainly Russia) launched the Sputnik. It was the first artificial earth satellite
launched from Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

In response to this, the US formed the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA)
within the Department of Defense (DoD).

This laid the foundation of packet switched data networks. The

important ones are TCP /IP and X.25.
 History of Mobile Computers
The first wireless network was commissioned in Germany in 1958. It was called A-
Netz and used analog technology at 160 MHz.

Only outgoing calls were possible in this network.That is to say that connection set-
up was possible from the mobile station only.

This system evolved into B-Netz operating at the same 160 MHz. It was possible to
receive an incoming call from a fixed telephone network,
provided that location of the mobile station was known.
 History of Mobile Computers
A-Netz was wireless but not a cellular network. Therefore, these systems (A-Netz and
B-Netz) did not have any function, which permitted handover or change of base
station.

In 1968, in USA, the FCC reconsidered its position on Cellular network concept.

FCC agreed to allocate a larger frequency band for more number of mobile phones
provided the technology to build a better mobile service be demonstrated.
 History of Mobile Computers
AT&T and Bell Labs proposed a cellular system to the FCC with many small, low-
powered, broadcast towers, each covering a hexagonal 'cell' of a few kilometers in
radius.

Collectively these cells could cover a very large area.

Each tower would use only a few of the total frequencies allocated to the system.

As the phones traveled across the area, calls

would be passed from tower to tower.
Some Inventions in Wireless Technology
• In April 1973, Martin Cooper of Motorola invented the first mobile phone handset
and made the first call from a portable phone to Joel Engel.
• By 1977, AT&T and Bell Labs constructed a prototype of a public cellular
network.
• In 1978, public trials of the cellular telephony system started in Chicago with over
2000 trial customers.
First Cellular Mobile Network
• In 1982, FCC finally authorized commercial cellular service for the USA.
• A year later in 1983, the first American commercial analog cellular service AMPS
(Advanced Mobile Phone Service) was made commercially available in Chicago.
• This was the first cellular mobile network in the world
Milestones in Wireless Network
• TCP/IP was driven by education and defense in the USA whereas
• X.25 was driven by European telecommunication industry and Governments.
• 1971 network technologies met radio technologies when the first wireless Local
Area Network (LAN) was established at the University of Hawaii during the
experiment, ‘ALOHANET’
• ALOHANET used a bidirectional star topology consisting of (7) computers over
(4) islands
• 1973 Dr Martin Cooper, Motorola Labs, invented the first personal mobile cellular
telephone (weighed 2.5 lbs, 30 individual circuit boards, no display screen,
9”x5”x1.75”, 10 hours to charge for 35 minutes of use)
• 1983 marked American entry into the commercial cellular service market
• 1987 FCC allows and encourages cellular service providers to use alternate
technologies in the 800Mhz radio spectrum to prompt use of digital transmission
• IEEE Standard for Wirleess Networking
• 1990 IEEE 802 Executive Committee established the 802.11
Working Group to create a wireless LAN standard.
• 1997 working group approved IEEE 802.11 as the world’s first
wireless LAN standard
• New standards are continuously being developed by the Institute of
• Electrical and Electronics Engineers