2 - Upcoming wireless networks and new challenges

Summary

Introduction

As we have seen in the previous chapter, the development of wireless networks has followed a centralized pattern: the network infrastructure (meaning all pieces of equipment except the terminal) has remained under the full supervision of the network operator, who traditionally used to be a large organization, very careful at respecting the legislation (and at nurturing the value of its own brand). As a result, the users generally tend to trust the operator, but do not generally trust the other users.

As we have also seen, current technology such as WiFi makes infrastructure equipment (and in particular access points) affordable to very small operators or even individuals, thus allowing the emergence of community networks and similar initiatives.

In this chapter, we will show that we are only at the beginning of this evolution, and that not only WiFi, but also other wireless technologies are about to dramatically transform the deployment and operation philosophy of wireless networks. As a consequence, the notions of authority and of trust need to be completely revisited, and this is exactly one of the reasons for writing this book: the novel organization of the wireless networks calls for a thorough study of the possible malicious and selfish behaviors, and of the techniques to thwart them.

In order to be as concrete as possible, we will first provide a certain number of examples of emerging wireless networks, spanning personal networks, vehicular networks, sensors, and RFID (Radio Frequency IDentification, described later in this chapter).