Communicating in the Mediumband: What it is and Why it Matters

This article, based on recent research, articulates the opportunities and challenges posed by an emerging area of study known as “medium-band wireless communication,” which refers to digital radio-frequency (RF) wireless communication through mediumband channels. This class of channels, falling in the transitional region between the narrowband and broadband channels, in many ways, is unique and shows significant potential. For instance, the effect of a highly unfavorable non-line-of-sight (NLoS) propagation environment can be transformed into a significantly favorable condition without making any intervention on the original propagation environment, but by simply communicating in the mediumband. The more unfavorable a propagation environment for wireless communication, the higher the potential gain by communicating in the mediumband. In this article, using lay language as much as possible, we elaborate the unique properties of mediumband channels and implications of communicating in the mediumband for wider wireless communication, along with some future research directions.