Could New Technology Help Prevent Cellular Overload, Dropped Calls?

Whenever technology fails, it can prove to be an especially difficult time for those suffering from the loss of social connections. Even worse, during times of disaster, the failure of technological devices can prove disastrous or even deadly when health personnel or police are unable to be reached.

Yet researchers from the University of British Columbia have worked to develop a solution that ensures that calls don't get dropped and texts make it to their destination.

Lead study author Mai Hassan, a PhD student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, found a way to opportunistically use both television and radio channels in order to transmit cellular signals may help solve the problem.

"I proposed a more effective way to use any channel in the neighborhood, even if those channels are being used by radio or television stations," Hassan said, via a press release. "The challenge was finding a way to make sure the cellular signals didn't interfere with the people using those channels in the first place."

The study concludes with the following, courtesy of the release: "Hassan's solution involved changing the shape of the wireless signal so she could transmit on channels that use radio or television frequencies. She then had to change the direction of transmission away from the original channel. Instead of using traditional antennas, which transmit signals in all directions, she used smart antennas in mobile phones. Smart antennas transmit signals in a single direction and can steer the beam to any direction. By manipulating the direction of the cellular signals, Hassan was able to transmit calls and texts to a receiver while avoiding any interference with the original radio and televisions signals."

Professors Jahangir Hossain, in the School of Engineering at UBC's Okanagan campus, and Vijay Bhargava, in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at UBC's Vancouver campus, supervised this research.

What do you think?

More information regarding the study can be found via IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.