WLL is a system that connects subscribers to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using radio signals as a substitute for copper for all or part of the connection between the subscriber and the switch. This includes cordless access systems, proprietary fixed radio access, and fixed cellular systems.

Industry analysts predict that the global WLL market will reach millions of subscribers by the year 2000. Much of this growth will occur in emerging economies where half the world`s population lacks plain old telephone service (POTS). Developing nations like China, India, Brazil, Russia, and Indonesia look to WLL technology as an efficient way to deploy POTS for millions of subscribers—without the expense of burying tons of copper wire. In developed economies, WLL will help unlock competition in the local loop, enabling new operators to bypass existing wireline networks to deliver POTS and data access. So the question isn`t will the local loop go wireless, but when and where. This tutorial discusses the basics of WLL and examines the markets and future for this technology.