10 Wireless Communication Books That Separate Experts from Amateurs

David Tse and Pramod Viswanath draw from decades of expertise in electrical engineering to offer an authoritative guide on wireless communication fundamentals. You’ll explore key concepts such as MIMO, space-time coding, and opportunistic communication, all framed within an information-theoretic approach that clarifies optimal system design. Practical examples from GSM, CDMA, and ultra-wideband systems ground theory in real-world applications, making complex topics like OFDM accessible. This book suits graduate students and practicing engineers eager to deepen their grasp of both theory and implementation subtleties in modern wireless systems.

Andrea Goldsmith brings her extensive academic and industry experience to this detailed exploration of wireless system design. The book teaches you the fundamental theory behind wireless channels, modulation schemes, signal processing techniques, and multiuser communications, supported by numerous examples and exercises. For instance, her chapters on adaptive modulation and multiple antenna systems offer practical insights into cutting-edge technologies. If you're an engineering student or a professional aiming to deepen your understanding of wireless networks and standards, this book provides a solid foundation with enough depth to inform both study and application.

This tailored book explores the core principles of wireless communication with a focus on your unique interests and learning goals. It covers fundamental concepts such as signal propagation, modulation techniques, and network architectures, while also examining advanced topics like MIMO, spectrum allocation, and wireless protocols. By offering a personalized pathway, this book bridges the gap between expert knowledge and your specific background, ensuring you engage deeply with the material most relevant to your needs. The tailored content reveals complex wireless communication systems in an accessible way, making it easier to grasp intricate concepts and apply them with confidence.

When Afif Osseiran and his co-authors developed this book, their goal was to provide a thorough understanding of 5G's complex landscape, drawing directly from their extensive experience leading major research projects like the EU METIS initiative. You’ll gain detailed knowledge about a wide range of 5G technologies including massive MIMO, mm-wave communications, and device-to-device connectivity, along with how these underpin new applications in automotive and manufacturing sectors. The book also explores spectrum management and system architecture, grounding you in both technical depth and practical implications. This makes it most useful if you’re an academic, engineer, or professional aiming to grasp the current state and future potential of wireless communication systems.

Erik Dahlman, with his extensive experience at Ericsson Research, co-authored this book to demystify the complexities of 5G NR technology. You’ll gain a thorough understanding of 5G’s physical-layer structure, higher-layer protocols, and radio frequency aspects, including the nuances of co-existing with LTE. The updated second edition delves into the latest Release 16 features like NR in unlicensed spectrum and industrial IoT, offering clear explanations of why certain technical choices were made. If you're involved in telecommunications engineering or wireless network design, this book equips you with the detailed insight necessary to grasp 5G’s architecture and operational principles.

Alasdair Allan's extensive background in physics and data science informs this hands-on guide to Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology. You start by exploring hardware options like Arduino and Raspberry Pi, then move to coding and wiring sensors, progressing to creating your own Bluetooth services. The book dives into real devices such as smart locks and lightbulbs and examines Apple's iBeacon protocol alongside Bluetooth security, including how to safeguard your projects and understand potential vulnerabilities. If you want practical skills for building connected gadgets with BLE, this book equips you with clear examples and in-depth insights, though it assumes some familiarity with electronics and programming.

This tailored book offers a step-by-step plan to advance your wireless communication expertise quickly and effectively. It explores core wireless concepts, evolving standards, and hands-on techniques matched precisely to your background and learning goals. By focusing on your specific interests, the book guides you through complex topics such as signal processing, network architectures, and emerging 5G technologies, making advanced content accessible and relevant. Designed to bridge expert knowledge with your unique needs, this personalized resource reveals a clear path for rapid skill development in wireless communication. It synthesizes key principles with practical learning steps to help you progress confidently and efficiently through this dynamic field.

David D. Coleman’s decades of Wi-Fi expertise led to this detailed study guide tailored for wireless professionals aiming to earn the CWNA certification. You dive into core topics like radio frequency fundamentals, 802.11 MAC operations, WLAN design, and security protocols, broken down into manageable chapters with review questions and practical exercises. This guide doesn’t just prepare you for the exam; it equips you with a technical foundation widely recognized in enterprise Wi-Fi environments. If you want a solid reference that bridges theoretical concepts and real-world application, this book is designed precisely for you.

After analyzing the trajectory of 5G technologies and global telecommunications, Jonathan Pelson reveals how America’s early innovations in cellular tech inadvertently empowered China’s rise in the wireless equipment market. Drawing from his extensive career at Lucent Technologies and British Telecom, Pelson explains the strategic missteps and economic forces that handed dominance to Chinese companies like Huawei. You’ll gain insight into the geopolitical stakes of 5G deployment, including national security concerns and the intersection of technology and global power. The book is particularly relevant if you want to understand 5G's impact beyond technology—on business, surveillance, and international relations.

Erik Dahlman and his co-authors bring unmatched expertise from Ericsson Research to explain LTE and LTE-Advanced with deep technical clarity. You'll explore how the 3GPP's standards meet the soaring demand for mobile broadband, learning about the evolution from 3G to the cutting-edge LTE Release 10. The book offers detailed insights into the technologies behind high-speed networks, including channel structures and advanced features like carrier aggregation. If you're an engineer or telecommunications professional aiming to implement or understand mobile broadband standards, this book delivers a focused and integrated perspective straight from those who shaped the protocols.

What happens when deep expertise in wireless security meets the evolving landscape of network vulnerabilities? Joshua Wright and Johnny Cache bring their extensive backgrounds in penetration testing and wireless research to expose the weaknesses in modern wireless environments. You’ll learn to deploy advanced tools like Aircrack-ng and Metasploit, understand attacks on Bluetooth and ZigBee technologies, and craft defenses against rogue hotspots and cellular impersonation. Chapters detail real-world techniques from scanning WiFi networks to exploiting WPA2 flaws, making it especially useful if you’re responsible for securing enterprise or IoT networks. However, if you’re new to networking basics, this technical dive might feel dense without foundational knowledge.

Gordon Colbach challenges the conventional wisdom that wireless communication must be overly technical and inaccessible. Drawing on his extensive experience in Bluetooth and WiFi, he guides you from basic concepts to detailed protocols like the Bluetooth Low Energy and 802.11ax standards. You’ll gain a clear understanding of wireless network architectures, security considerations, and comparative analyses between technologies such as Bluetooth, WiFi, and WiMax. This book is ideal if you're looking to grasp both consumer and industry perspectives on wireless networking without getting lost in jargon.