The Sears Tower: a tall order for inbuilding wireless

Author

Stone, Adam

Volume

3

Issue

2

fYear

2004

Firstpage

6

Lastpage

8

Abstract

The Sears Tower looms over the Chicago skyline: a triumph of engineering still, but these days something more. People are accustomed to seeing the glass and the girders, but they might be surprised to know what´s developing inside the skin of this landmark 1,450-foot office tower. Led by innerwireless, engineers have been working since January to install an integrated wireless infrastructure that will seamlessly support cellular phones, paging, two-way radio applications, high-speed wireless LANs, and first-responder emergency services throughout the 110-story building. It´s more than just wireless access. Known generally as inbuilding wireless, this approach envisions wireless access not just as something to be added on after the fact but rather as an integral part of a building´s infrastructure.

Keywords

cellular radio; paging communication; ubiquitous computing; wireless LAN; Sears Tower; cellular phone; first-responder emergency service; high-speed wireless LAN; inbuilding wireless; integrated wireless infrastructure; paging; two-way radio application; wireless access; Cellular phones; Costs; GSM; Glass; Poles and towers; Radiofrequency identification; Skin; Structural beams; Technology management; Wireless LAN;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Pervasive Computing, IEEE

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

1536-1268

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/MPRV.2004.1316810

Filename

1316810