Wireless communication of the future in the making
As wireless networks become indispensable for business and everyday life, researchers are striving to make these networks faster, safer and more secure. Evidence points to over a 10-fold growth in mobile traffic by 2018, as wireless becomes the primary mode of connectivity and makes security more important than ever. Against this backdrop, the EU-funded project NOWIRE (Network coding for wireless networks) aimed to achieve more efficient bandwidth use, enhanced security and higher mobile speeds. To realise this, it worked on three levels, namely packet-level cooperation backed by enhanced network coding, physical layer cooperation for optimal wireless operation and guaranteed wireless security. In more technical terms, with respect to network coding the project team articulated novel deterministic algebraic designs for vector network coding, enabling benefits such as increased alphabet size and operational complexity. Through non-coherent network coding and new coding designs, the team introduced pliable index coding that results in a much smaller number of transmissions than traditional index coding. It then created models that can boost video download speeds by simultaneously exploiting multiple wireless interfaces across devices in the same area. To improve on physical layer cooperation, the team developed new algorithms and built a network simplification paradigm that requires only a fraction of the network capacity and related relays. This involved transforming relevant theory into practice concerning half-duplex network operation, a development that achieved favourable results in comparison to alternatives currently in use. On the third front, wireless security was radically improved thanks to linear programming formulations and enhanced protocols that can successfully maintain secrecy in wireless communication. In addition to more reliable wireless communication technology, project achievements also include significantly reduced operational complexity and battery usage for wireless devices. Undoubtedly, the project's results will be pivotal for taking wireless communication to the next level.
Keywords
Wireless, wireless communication, network coding, wireless networks, NOWIRE
