And a lot of data traffic moves on wireless networks today, even though they weren't designed for it.
Satellite systems can link corporate data networks in far-flung locations.
In-building wireless systems designed for voice will soon carry data, just as wireless LANs begin to carry packet voice. Some fixed wireless loop technologies could deliver megabits per second downstream, and tens of kilobits per second upstream, in networks geared toward television and Internet applications. Others, geared toward electronic commerce, multimedia collaboration, and other business applications, could permit two-way wireless data communications at tens of megabits per second. And experimental systems are pushing further. Tradeoffs and tricks Some of the engineering challenges and tradeoffs for wireless are the same whether you're doing data or not.