Packet Reservation Multiple Access for Local Wireless Communications

Packet reservation multiple access (PRMA) allows a variety of information sources to share the same wireless access channel. Some of the sources, such as speech terminals, are classified as “periodic” and others, such as signaling, are classified as “random.” Packets from all sources contend for access to channel time slots. When a periodic information terminal succeeds in gaining access, it reserves subsequent time slots for uncontested transmission. Computer simulations and a listening test reveal that PRMA achieves a promising combination of voice quality and bandwidth efficiency. © 1989 IEEE