Radio-Frequency Strand
The radio-frequency and microelectronics strand of the Centre, more commonly called the RF strand, will be focussing on the wireless electronics that are needed in modern communication systems, such as mobile phones, wireless id-tags in products, wireless LANs. These systems are becoming increasingly popular; people expect a world where you can be always connected to the communication network and to a host of small personal devices on your person.
The role of the RF strand within the Centre is to focus on the technological changes and developments needed to enable improvements to the value-chain of modern telecommunications system suppliers and operators. How can we improve the value that our technology can provide? Can we get our radios to do more things, for example increased integration such as in camera phones? Can we use technology to reduce the cost of building and operating a telecommunications network? Can we reduce the cost of building the silicon devices themselves, make them more reliable, less expensive to repair? Can we make devices that can be reconfigured simply to make local environmental and regulatory variations, thus reducing the number of products we need to design and stock? Can we reduce their complexity thus requiring less technical experience to service and maintain? If we can achieve these aims, then we not only reduce the cost to the value chain of wireless systems but we can also increase the value of the systems we construct.
The value of placing this work in the embrace of value-chain-optimisation is that, today, much of the required functionality for wireless devices is feasible and obtainable. We have mobile phones that work and we have laptop-wireless connectivity. Adding any additional features to RF systems will increase their cost without adding any necessary increased technical performance. However if we consider the larger perspective, we can design and create new features for our electronics that may make the electronics more expensive but that enable alterations in the value chain that are beneficial. By taking a holistic view, reducing overall value-chain cost can allow us the freedom to increase the cost of our electronics, releasing the financial straitjacket designers have been in, unleashing the freedom to tackle problems in silicon that can only be solved by changing the fundamental technology basis for telecommunications.
The RF strand in the Centre for Telecommunications Value-Chain Driven research will be focussing on technologies in the area of reconfigurability and reliability that will enable us to change how product lines are designed and maintained, allowing a structural change in the future of telecommunications networks.