3G SYSTRA

Introduction to 3G & UMTS Networks

Training Document

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The information in this document is subject to change without notice and describes only the product defined in the introduction of this documentation. This document is intended for the use of Nokia Networks' customers only for the purposes of the agreement under which the document is submitted, and no part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or means without the prior written permission of Nokia Networks. The document has been prepared to be used by professional and properly trained personnel, and the customer assumes full responsibility when using it. Nokia Networks welcomes customer comments as part of the process of continuous development and improvement of the documentation. The information or statements given in this document concerning the suitability, capacity, or performance of the mentioned hardware or software products cannot be considered binding but shall be defined in the agreement made between Nokia Networks and the customer. However, Nokia Networks has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the instructions contained in the document are adequate and free of material errors and omissions. Nokia Networks will, if necessary, explain issues which may not be covered by the document. Nokia Networks' liability for any errors in the document is limited to the documentary correction of errors. Nokia Networks WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IN ANY EVENT FOR ERRORS IN THIS DOCUMENT OR FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL (INCLUDING MONETARY LOSSES), that might arise from the use of this document or the information in it. This document and the product it describes are considered protected by copyright according to the applicable laws. NOKIA logo is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks of their respective companies, and they are mentioned for identification purposes only. Copyright Nokia Networks Oy 2001. All rights reserved.

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Contents

Contents
1 Objectives............................................................................................4 2 Background and History.....................................................................5 3 Network Evolution.............................................................................18 4 Basics of the Air Interface and Path to WCDMA.............................29 5 Motives for 3rd Generation Networks..............................................42 6 Review of 3G Networks.....................................................................46

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Objectives
The aim of this module is to give the participant the introductory knowledge needed for explaining how the UMTS networks have evolved. Topics to be covered in this module include understanding the historic factors driving the system development and how mobile networks have evolved. Furthermore, the student should gain a basic understanding of the different types of air-interface and list the key benefits of UMTS for the operator and the end-user. After completing this module, the participant should be able to:

Identify what is meant by the term 3G and briefly outline the work completed by the specification bodies. Furthermore, discuss significant events in the history of GSM and CDMA leading to UMTS network evolution and list the sub-systems. Taking a step-by-step approach, identified how existing GSM networks have evolved to support additional services, data and how networks act as a platform for future technologies. List the four basic Air interface access technologies. Also, give an example of how CDMA technology works, and identify properties of the interface, such as codes and spreading. Finally, Describe the basic differences between 1st, 2nd, and 3rd generation networks. List key benefits of WCDMA and furthermore, identify the advantages of 3G networks for the operator and the end-user.

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Background and History

Nowadays people are in general talking about three different generations as far as mobile communication is concerned. The first generation, 1G, is the name for the analogue or semi-analogue (analogue radio path, but digital switching) mobile networks established after the mid 80s such as NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone) and AMPS (American Mobile Phone System). These networks offered basic services for the users and the emphasis was on speech and services related matters. 1G networks were mainly national efforts and very often they were specified after the networks were established. Due to this the 1G networks were incompatible with each other and mobile communication was considered some kind of curiosity and added value service on top of the fixed networks in those times. As the need for mobile communication increased, also the need for a more global mobile communication system increased. The international specification bodies started to specify what the second generation, 2G, mobile communication system should look like. The emphasis on 2G is/was on compatibility and international transparency; the system should be a global one and the users of the system should be able to access it basically anywhere the service exists. Due to some political reasons, the concept of globalisation did not succeed completely and there were some 2G systems available on the market. Out of these, the commercial success story is/was GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) and its adaptations: it has clearly exceeded all the expectations set both technically and commercially. The third generation, 3G, is expected to complete the globalisation process of the mobile communication. Again there are national interests involved and difficulties can be foreseen. Anyway the trend is that 3G will mostly be based on GSM technical solutions due to two reasons: the GSM as technology dominates the market and great investments made to GSM should be utilised as much as possible. Based on this, the Specification Bodies created a Vision about how mobile telecommunication will develop within the next decade. Through this Vision, some requirements for 3G were short-listed as follows:

The system to be developed must be fully specified (like GSM). The specifications generated should be valid world-wide. The system must bring clear added value when comparing to the GSM in all aspects. However, in the beginning phase(s) the system must be backward compatible at least with GSM and ISDN. Multimedia and all of its components must be supported throughout the system. The Radio Access of the 3G must be generic. The services for end-users must be independent: Radio Access and the network infrastructure must not limit the services to be generated. That is, the technology platform is one issue and the services using the platform totally another issue.

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UMTS is one implementation of 3G and inorder to appreciate the work involved, then it is helpful to understand the history and background of wireless communications in general as well as GSM and CDMA. A timeline of significant GSM and CDMA events is contained in Table 1
Table 1 Year 1900 Significant events Event In December, the first human voice transmission via radio was accomplished by Reginald Fessenden First radio broadcast (also Reginald Fessenden) John Pierce writes a memo describing CDMA multiplexing. Claude Shannon and John Pierce describe major CDMA effects. Antimultipath RAKE receiver patented. CDMA used in several military communication and navigation systems. Studies for narrowband CDMA for mobile cellular systems. Nokia introduces Nordic Mobile Telephone System (NMT) CEPT established Groupe Spciale Mobile by the joint proposal of the Nordic countries and the Netherlands. Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) introduced ITU starts studies for Future Public Land Mobile Telecommunication Systems (FPLMTS) Decision made on GSM time schedule and action plan. 1986 1987 Eight experimental GSM systems are tested in Paris. Memorandum of Understanding (MoU); the services of the GSM system will be offered in all of western Europe. Decision on system parameters and preparation of draft recommendations. 1989 1990s Final GSM recommendations and specifications. Studies for wideband ~5 MHz CDMA for mobile cellular systems

1906 1948 1949 1956 1970s 1980s 1981 1982

1983 1985

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Year 1991 1992

Event First official GSM call in the world was made on January 7th using Nokia equipment. GSM system ready in capitals and international airports. DCS 1800 startup implementation. In February, the World Administrative Radio Conference allocates initial global radio spectrum for 3rd generation mobile systems in the 1885 2025 and 2110 2200 MHz frequency ranges.

1993

Major European urban areas have GSM coverage. 2nd generation mobile system using narrowband CDMA standardised in USA; it is called IS-95 (Intermediate Standard)

1994 1995 1996

ARIB in Japan forms a special group for FPLMTS radio interface development. GSM covers main transportation links between major urban areas. UMTS Forum formed to raise market awareness. In December ETSI SMG2 forms study group for UTRA

1997

ITU changes FPLMTS name to International Mobile Telecommunications 2000 (IMT-2000) during WARC-97. ITU requests proposals of Candidate Radio Transmission Technologies (RTTs) for IMT-2000 Radio Interface.

1998

June, ITU receives 10 proposals for terrestrial RTTs and five for satellite RTTs. These include CDMA2000 from the USA, ARIB W-CDMA from Japan, and UTRA from Europe. 3GPP formed to co-ordinate the development of a joint 3rd generation system based on evolved GSM core and UTRA Air interface.

1999

ETSI start UMTS project to co-ordinate European 3rd generation network development. In January, four operators are given 3rd generation mobile network operating licenses in Finland.

2001

Commercial use of WCDMA systems

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Specification Process for 3G

The Specification Bodies have mainly been concentrating on Radio Access scenarios. However, one area of work has been concerning the switching related issues. As the 3G system is expected to be global, world-wide and generic, the Specification Bodies related are also global ones as the following list indicates. In addition to the Specification Bodies, the specification process includes operators and manufacturers co-operation.

OHG ETSI A R IB 3G PP

ANSI
IT U -T : D e v e lo p m e n t p r o c e s s fo r IM T -2 0 0 0

3 G .IP

Figure 1

3G Specification Bodies

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There are four international standardisation bodies acting as generators for 3G specification work, these being:

ITU-T (International Telecommunication Union): This organisation provides in practise all the telecommunication branch specifications that are official in nature. Hence, these form all the guidelines required by the manufacturers and country-specific authorities. ITU-T has finished its development process for IMT2000, International Mobile Telephone 2000 and the specification work is transferred to the 3GPP. ETSI (European Telecommunication Standard Institute): This organisational body has had a very strong role when GSM Specifications were developed and enhanced. ETSI is divided into workgroups named as SMG(number) and every workgroup has a specific area to be developed. Because of the GSM background ETSI is in a relatively dominant role in this specification work. In Europe, the further developed IMT-2000 is called 3G. ARIB (Alliance of Radio Industries and Business): ARIB provides commercially oriented contributions for the specification process from the Australiasian area. It has remarkable experience, both commercial and technical, in the new selected 3G Air Interface technology and several variants of it. ANSI (American National Standard Institute): ANSI is the American specification body defining telecommunication-related issues in that part of the world. ANSIs role is relatively small as far as 3G concerned because of some political points of view. ANSI is mainly concentrating on a competing 3G Air Interface technology selection called as cdma2000.

In order to maintain globality and complete control of the 3G specifications, a separate Specification Body called 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) takes care of the specification work in co-operation with previously listed institutes. The outcome of the 3GPP work is a complete set of specifications defining the 3G-network functionality, procedures and service aspects. Because there are some political desires involved, the issue is not as simple as described; global system means global business and this is why there has been a lot of pressure to select or emphasise certain solutions more than others. This political debate actually delayed the specification work remarkably and finally an organisation taking care of harmonisation issues was established. This organisation, OHG (Operator Harmonisation Group) aims to find a common understanding concerning the global issues. The results of this organisation are used as inputs in 3GPP work as well as in 3G future implementations. Maybe the most remarkable decision the OHG has made was the one done in AprilMay 1999 when the OHG decided what will be common-for-all-variants Code Word (Chip) Rate in the 3G Air Interface: this directly affects the system capacity and implementation. This issue was maybe the biggest delaying factor concerning the 3G specifications.

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Variant 3G (USA) 3G (Europe) 3G (Japan)

Radio Access TDMA,EDGE / cdma2000 WCDMA / GSM compatibility WCDMA / Enhancements

OHG

Switching IS-41 Adv. GSM NSS and Packet Core Adv. GSM NSS and Packet Core

2G Basis IS-95 and IS-41 GSM900/1800 PDC

Table 2

3G Variants

The aim of OHG work is to affect the specifications so that all the radio access variants are compatible with all the variants meant for switching; this will ensure true globality for 3G. The shadowed variant is considered to be the dominant one, though the others may also have great markets. All the abovepresented variants have marketing names used globally and this makes 3G a bit confusing.

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephony System) is the name for the European, ETSI driven 3G variant. It emphasises the interoperability and backward compatibility between the 3G implementation and GSM. IMT-2000 (International Mobile Telephony-2000) is the ITU-T name for the 3rd generation cellular system. The Japanese view of 3G is based on the IMT-2000. The switching part of this variant is quite open issue but it is expected to be based on the existing GSM technology. The Radio Access is almost similar to the European variant but some enhancements/extensions are made. IMT-2000 / cdma2000 are the names for the American 3G variant. In the American variant, the TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) scenario which is at least partially based on the enhanced GSM (EDGE) is also considered as an alternative.

As it was stated in the requirements for the 3G, the system must have a generic Radio Access and this will be implemented. In other words, other Air Interface technologies will be supported (but locally, perhaps?). From the political and commercial point of view, the common understanding between ETSI and ARIB is very important because this understanding covers the major part of the existing GSM markets.

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The expected timeline for 3G is as follows:

Item / Entity Air Interface technology selection First licences awarded Friendly-user networks Commercial operation

Estimate 1998: delayed but completed (WCDMA) 1999;done in several countries 2001 2002 and further

Table 3

3G Milestones

In addition, it has been agreed that the 3G specifications will be regularly updated; the first phase specifications (3GPP version 1.0) should be completed around 1Q/2000 and, after this, the specifications will be enhanced on a yearly basis. The first version of the 3GPP Specifications is called Release99 and its approach covers the European variant of the 3G (see shadowed variant in the Table 2). The 3GPP Release99 also considers remarkably the evolution from 2G/GSM towards 3G. The next expected version of the 3GPP Specifications is Release2000 (or Release00) and the major points in that release will be 3G All IP and IS-41 conversion. In other words, the radio access part will not be specified too much any more but the Core Network and its development will be thoroughly discussed.

2.2

The History of GSM

In Europe, particularly Scandinavia and the UK and also France and Germany, during the first part of the 1980s, analogue cellular telephones were becoming very popular. The problem, however, was that each country had developed their own system and they were not compatible with each other. This was unacceptable for two reasons:

The mobile equipment was limited to operation within each countrys boundaries; a real problem in a unified Europe A very limited market for each type of equipment

It did not take long for the Europeans to realise that this was a serious problem. In 1982 the Conference of European Posts and Telegraphs (CEPT) formed the Groupe Special Mobile (*GSM) to study and develop a Pan European mobile phone system.

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Note *Later GSM would be interpreted in different ways, the most common being Global System for Mobile communications.
The system they were to develop was required to meet some specific criteria:

There should be several network operators in each country. This should lead to the tariff and service provisioning competition. This was presumed to be the best way to ensure the rapid expansion of the GSM system; the prices of the equipment would fall and the users would find it affordable It must be an open system (i.e., it should contain well-defined interfaces between different system parts). This would enable equipment from several manufacturers to coexist and thus improve the cost efficiency of the system from the operators point of view The networks must be built without causing any major changes to the current Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN) The system must be Pan European It must maintain good speech quality It must be able to efficiently use radio frequencies and have high capacity The system must be compatible with Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and other data communication specifications It must maintain good security

In 1989, GSM responsibility was transferred to the ETSI. By 1993 there were 36 GSM networks in 22 countries. The developers decided to use what was, at that time, an untested digital system rather than the standard analogue cellular systems like AMPS in the United States and TACS in the United Kingdom. They believed that improvements in compression algorithms and digital signal processors would not only meet the original criteria, but would allow for the continual improvement of the system as regards cost and quality.

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GSM 900 D-AMPS Japan Digital GSM 1900 GSM 1800 CDMA

Figure 2

Digital cellular systems around the world

2.2.1

Open interfaces of GSM

The main idea behind the GSM specifications is to define several open interfaces that limit certain parts of the GSM system. Because of this interface openness, the operator maintaining the network may obtain different parts of the network from different GSM network suppliers. Also, when an interface is open, it strictly defines what is happening through the interface and this in turn strictly defines what kind of actions/procedures/functions must be implemented between the interfaces. These days, GSM specifications define two truly open interfaces: The first one is between the MS and the BSS. This open-air interface is appropriately called the Air interface. The second interface is between the Mobile Services Switching Center (which is the switching exchange in GSM) and the Base Station Controller. This interface is called the A interface. The system includes more than two defined interfaces, but the others are not truly open because the system specification had not been completed when the commercial systems were launched. When operating analogue mobile networks, the centralised intelligence generated a large load in the system, thus decreasing the capacity. That is why

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the GSM specification, in principle, provides the means to distribute intelligence throughout the network. Referring to the above-mentioned interfaces, the more complicated interfaces in use, the more intelligence is required between the interfaces in order to implement all the functions required. From the GSM network point of view, this decentralised intelligence is implemented by dividing the whole network into three separate entities:

Network Subsystem (NSS) Base Station Subsystem (BSS) Network Management Subsystem (NMS)

The actual network required for call establishing is composed of the NSS and the BSS. The BSS is responsible for radio path control. Every call is connected through the BSS. The NSS takes care of call control functions. Every call is connected by and through the NSS. The NMS is the operation and maintenance (O&M) related part of the network. It is also required for the whole network control. The network operator observes and maintains network quality and service offered through the NMS. These three subsystems are surrounded by the above-mentioned interfaces.

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2.3

3G Network Structure
The obvious lack of GSM systems is and was the bandwidth offered to the enduser. In the beginning the bandwidth offered to the end-user was reasonable but later on when the technology developed and the end-user requirements increased and new services such as the Internet became more common the bandwidth became inadequate. This was the main reason for starting the specification for the next generation cellular networks. As mentioned earlier in this document, one of the requirement points was that the Air Interface of the 3G should be generic. Roughly, this means that the radio part of the network should be even more functionally separated than in the GSM. To clarify and specify this, the call establishment related parts of the 3G network are expressed as follows:

Iuu

Iu

UE

RAN RAN OSS OSS

CN CN
O&M

UE = USer Equipment RAN = Radio Acces Network CN = Core Network NMS = Network Management System

Figure 3

3G Network Principle Diagram

The abbreviation RAN comes from the words Radio Access Network and the term CN means Core Network. The multiple access method used in RAN is Wideband Code Division Multiple Access, WCDMA. The RAN is limited with open interfaces in order to guarantee multi-vendor scenarios. Also the interfaces within the CN and between the CN and the other networks can be considered as open but there may be several national limitations / enhancements / extensions present. The 3G network can also be presented as a collection of Management Layers, which cover certain parts of the network.

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C o m m u n ic a t io n M a n a g e m e n t (C M ) S e s s io n M a n a g e m e n t ( S M ) M M ( M o b ility M g m t ) R R M (R a d io R e s o u rc e M a n a g e m e n t)

UE
Figure 4

RAN
3G Network Management Layers

CN

The Radio Resource Management is completely covered between the RAN and the UE and it involves managing how the channels are allocated. The Mobility Management, Session Management and Call Control are maintained by the Core Network Domains and there function is dependant upon the domain is the CS (circuit switched) or PS (packet switched). The higher layer functions performed between the UE and CN are often called as CM, Communication Management. The CM entity covers the topics like Call Control (CC), Supplementary Services (SS) and Short Message Service (SMS). The added value the WCDMA brings into the 3G network is wideband radio access thus enabling a situation in which the operator is able to offer completely new services to the end-users. The access rates planned to be offered with the WCDMA are roughly presented in Figure 5. In 3G networks the user access rate will vary as a function of the speed. It should be noted that the bit rates presented here are mainly points of interest when data services are in question. This is, the very basic Circuit Switched normal call does not require these bit rates but when the user likes to use Fast Internet or Video Phone type of services the bit rates will face the limits expressed in the Figure 5.

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3 G R a d io A c c e s s

P e d e s tr ia n & O ffic e ( < 1 0 k m /h ) : b itr a te < = 2 M b /s

O u t d o o r ( < 1 5 0 k m / h ) b it r a t e 3 8 4 k b /s , ta rg e t 5 1 2 k b /s

O u td o o r ( < 2 5 0 k m /h ) : b itr a te 1 4 4 k b / s , p r e fe r a b ly m o r e

Figure 5

3G Access Rates

As indicated already, the 3G network will have the means and readiness for data transfer in all forms. The traffic to be delivered through 3G can be divided into two categories being Circuit Switched and Packet Switched. The Circuit Switched traffic normally has a high real-time requirement (i.e. no delay or the delay occurring must be constant). Normal speech and Video Phoning are examples of this kind of traffic. The Packet Switched traffic normally does not have such exact real-time requirements and a good example of this kind of traffic is an Internet connection. Based on this traffic division, the services generating traffic are either Real-Time (RT) or Non-Real-Time (NRT) Services. The following values are defined for the 3G and services to be used.

Environment Rural Outdoor (Speed < 250 km/h) Urban/Suburban (Speed < 150 km/h) Indoor/Low Range Outdoor (Speed < 10 km/h)

RT Service Peak Rate (Delay fixed 20 300 ms) 144 384 kb/s 384 512 kb/s - 2 Mb/s (Special conditions)

NRT Service Peak Rate (Delay varies 20 300 ms) 144 384 kb/s 384 512 kb/s - 2 Mb/s (Special conditions)

Table 4

3G RT and NRT Service Access Rates as Function of User Speed

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Network Evolution
A lot of public and non-public debate how GSM as a system can be converted or upgraded further on to face the increased requirements set by the cellular operators and their subscribers. When studying this matter, it is relatively easy to realise that there are several steps as to how things will be implemented. On the other hand, there are several clans being either for or against certain technical development step(s). The majority of networks, an estimated 85%, will support UMTS by evolving from GSM backbones. Several public authorities have announced that it is not necessary to implement every single step described here, but, by experience, a complicated technical concept must be done in phases in order to guarantee final quality and better working equipment.

Starting with Basic GSM

HLR & AC & EIR

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Figure 6

Basic GSM Network Principle Diagram

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3.1.1

GSM Network Elements

The GSM radio access network called BSS (Base Station Subsystem) consists of the following elements:

BSC (Base Station Controller): the BSC is responsible for radio path and radio resource management. BTS (Base Transceiver Station): the BTS is the network radio terminal forming the Air interface the MSs (Mobile Stations) use for network access and communication purposes. TCSM (Transcoding and Sub-Multiplexer Unit): the TCSM is channel coding converter making it possible to use more effective channel coding within the BSS thus saving transmission costs.

The switching part of the GSM network is NSS (Network Switching (Sub)system) and it contains the following elements:

MSC (Mobile Switching Center): this network element performs the traffic path connections and is responsible for the majority of the Connection Management related entities. VLR (Visitor Location Register): the VLR contains subscription and security information of the active subscribers located in the radio network part the VLR is aware. The nature of the data the VLR contains is not stable: when the subscribers change their location(s) the VLR data changes respectively. HLR (Home Location Register): this network element is the static data storage of the subscription information. The HLR also contains the subscriber location information but the accuracy of this information is on the VLR level. AC (Authentication Center): this network element maintains security information of the subscriptions. EIR (Equipment Identity Register): the EIR maintains security information related to the mobile equipment, not to the subscription.

Figure 6 presents a very basic GSM network made strictly according to specifications. That is, all possible open and proprietary interfaces are included. The network described above is always the first step when a new/old operator is starting its GSM cellular business. The subscribers in this kind of network have all the basic services available:

Speech, Circuit Switched Data up to 9.6 kb/s, Facsimile Call Forwarding, Call Barring, In-call Services (Wait, Hold, Multi-Party)

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Adding Value to GSM Networks

The GSM Technical Specifications define certain interfaces, which make it possible to add some value to the system. Through these interfaces, the operators connect what are called Value Added Service (VAS) platform(s) into use. A typical VAS Platform consists of two elements, which are the Short Message Service Center (SMSC) and Voice Mail System (VMS). In other respects the GSM network is the same as in the previous phase.

HLR & AC & EIR

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

Figure 7

GSM & Value Added Services

2.1

Example Services
The SMS has proven its potential in commercial use. Originally, the SMS was not seriously considered as a service at all and thus it was very cheap to use. However (and partly surprisingly), subscribers adopted this service and nowadays (2000) a remarkable share of the traffic in the GSM networks is SMS based. Another issue is the capacity offered. In this phase the capacity of the network is (normally) drastically increased and a clear difference between the analogue and digital technology in this respect becomes evident.

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3.3

Adding Value with GSMphase2+ and INtelligent Services

The control of the services provided by the basic GSM is relatively good. However, the flexibility of the services is not so good. In other words, the basic GSM offers mass service for mass subscribers. To change the situation, the IN (Intelligent Network) is integrated to the cellular network. The IN Platform provides the operator with tools for creating completely new services and full access to modify existing ones, even on a subscriber basis.

HLR & AC & EIR

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

IN

Figure 8

GSM Intelligent Network Included

3.3.1

IN Services
Fraud Management is a very essential issue for the operators. For this purpose, the basic GSM has two registers AuC and EIR. However, these registers cannot guarantee that the subscribers pay their bills. IN is maybe the most common and flexible way to create a service called Prepaid, where the pre-paid customers have their own account (paid in advance) with a call credit balance and during each call the account balance is regularly checked. When the balance is 0 it is not possible to establish any calls. Naturally, the subscribers are able to buy more air time thus increasing their account balances.

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3.2

Advantages of IN

Differentiation: possible to differentiate and compete with services. Customer segmentation from the operators point of view. Better utilisation of the VAS Platform: VAS components used in IN services.

Increasing Data Transfer in Existing GSM Networks

The data transfer rate of the basic GSM is inadequate and thus new concepts to tackle this issue are introduced. The first one is HSCSD (High Speed Circuit Switched Data) together with more effective Channel Coding. With these enhancements the end-user is able to have data calls with bit rates like 40 60 kb/s. These enhancements cause HW/SW changes in the existing network elements, no new equipment except mobiles need to be bought.

HW/SW Changes HLR & AC & EIR

IP Networks

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

IN

Figure 9

Enhancing GSM High Speed Data

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3.4.1

Benefits of Faster Data & Services

This enhancement for basic GSM seems to be intermediate in nature: it really increases data transfer capability, but the pricing of this service for the endusers will be very difficult. HSCSD uses an abundance of Air Interface capacity and thus the price should be relatively high, but if the price is (too) high this service will not be used and the investment is worthless. WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) is also introduced. This is a uniform way to browse the Internet from the mobile station without any accessory equipment. Roughly, the WAP changes the nature of the mobile equipment from pure mobile towards data terminal; the mobile able to use WAP is actually an ASCII based Internet browser.

3.5

Evolving GSM to Packet Core

GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) is the way to transfer Packet Data over the GSM Air Interface. This requires HW/SW changes in the existing network elements and some new elements as well. The term IP Backbone refers to the part of the network handling packet switching and connections to the Internet and other data networks. The basic Packet Switched Data Core consists of two major elements, SGSN (Serving GPRS Support bode) and GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node). In addition to these, the IP Backbone contains other routers, firewall servers and DNS (Domain Name Server).
HW/SW Changes HLR & AC & EIR
IP Networks

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

SGSN

IN

GGSN
IP Networks

Figure 10

GSM and Packet Switched Data Core

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The traffic through the Packet Core is not equal when comparing to the MSC side: the Packet Core traffic uses free air interface slots and thus the capacity of the packet connection varies all the time. This is the basic reason why the 2G packet traffic does not have exact QoS (Quality of Service) classification in use, it is said that 2G packet connection QoS is best effort. From the operator's point of view, the packet connections increase traffic anyway and the time slots not used by circuit switched services are in effective use. Fast, wireless access to the Internet, the bit rate may even be 150 kb/s in optimal circumstances. Packet data transfer does not waste the capacity as does the HSCSD. WAP and SMS will be utilised very effectively in the context of different services either provided by the operator or a 3 rd party.

Increasing Speed with EDGE

Within the existing knowledge and technology, it is possible to further enhance the transferred bit rates up to the level of 384 kb/s. This is done by using sophisticated coding methods over the Air Interface. Anyway, these are backward compatible with the existing GSM methods. These methods form a concept called EDGE (Enhanced Data rates in GSM Environment)

HW/SW Changes HLR & AC & EIR

IP Networks

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

SGSN TRX Change & Transmission Upgrade

IN

GGSN
IP Networks

Figure 11 - GSM - EDGE

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This step will probably be the end-point for several operators due to the licensing policy (country specific regulations). On the other hand, this is something some operators may skip and move on to the next step in this development path. The EDGE utilises everything built in the GSM, including the multiple access method used in the Air interface (TDMA, Time Division Multiple Access). Because the channel coding methods experience remarkable changes in this step, the spectral efficiency does not change: the same kind of time slots are in use still and they carry traffic like they have been carrying in normal GSM. Also from the network planning point of view, the use of radio frequencies will not change. The changes in the system are related to transmission and multiple time slot allocation required in PSTN connections. As far as packet connections are concerned, the bit rate of the packet connection will increase but it is still transferred through the air interface like a circuit switched call. This means that part of the packet connection efficiency is lost due to the circuit switched environment used for the connection.

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Evolving Towards Universal Mobile Network (Service Platform)

The 3G has a completely new way to approach the term Service: all the services offered should be independent from the technology platform. This really opens the windows for free, 3rd party service development. There will be plenty of services and the majority of those will be based on the Internet in one form or another. In addition, imaging (picture transfer) and video phoning will be interesting services.

HW/SW Changes HLR & AC & EIR

IP Networks

BTS

BSC

TCSM

MSC&VLR

PSTN ISDN

BTS

BSC

TCSM

Value Added Service Platform(s): SMSC, VMS

SGSN

IN

GGSN
IP Networks

BTS

RNC

ATM & TC

Figure 12

3G New Radio Access Introduced

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3.7.1

UMTS Network Architecture

If there is a possibility (as well as requirements and license) the operator may move to a completely new level in service offering. This phase introduces new wideband radio access technology, which, in the beginning, roughly equals the bit rates the EDGE concept is able to provide. The new radio access requires new network elements in the radio network: RNC (Radio Network Controller) and BS (Base Station, specification name for this is Node B). The new radio access introduced in this phase, however, utilises the frequency spectrum more efficiently; the data flow and its bit rate is not dependent on time slots any more and when the radio access method was planned, the packet type of traffic was especially considered.

3.7.2

UMTS Development
3G will be developed in phases (1 phase = 1 year). When the technology is more mature, the services will be more sophisticated and they will be involved in every area of life. The structure of the network will change considerably. There will be several radio access technologies in use in parallel. The wideband communication has changed the structure of the network equipment and transmission. The nature of traffic is mainly Packet Switched; Circuit Switched traffic is used only in special cases, as in the context of service requiring an extremely high Quality of Service and in real time.

3.7.3

Service Potential in the Mobile Information Society

The 3G cellular network is tightly integrated to the society and some other items like digital signature are widely used. This offers the possibility to combine many items together. For instance, banking and business can be done almost completely wirelessly. The 3G terminal is far more than a phone, it may act like social security card, passport, purse etc. The business model will change, too. In an ordinary 2G network most of the services are provided by the operator. In 3G network the operator can be considered as a Carrier provider. Some Service Providers use Carrier provider resources to deliver the service, and the content of the service is provided to the Service Providers by Content Providers. This structure will create a lot of challenges to be sorted out when integrating 3G to the other networks and technologies.

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4G End-to-End IP Solutions
The time between the previous phase and this phase will be several years, at least. This phase represents the fundamental change in cellular business. The previous phases at least somehow separated telecommunication and data communication. In this phase, there is no difference anymore. The cellular network will be based mostly on IP and there will be dedicated equipment handling cellular activities. They could be called as call processing servers. The other phases so far have been concentrating mostly on the radio network and its evolution. This phase will mainly cause changes in the Core Network side. This is why this can also be called Core Network evolution.

IS D N P S T N

Figure 13

3G.IP Majority of the Traffic over IP

Talking in today's terms, the majority of the traffic is Packet Switched Data transfer over IP (its more mature variant(s)). That is, the IP is expected to fully support Mobility Management if expressed in telecommunication terms. Another issue is that in this kind of environment the IP must fully support QoS (Quality of Service) thinking. These two conditions are essential if cellular IP terminals are going to be used.

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Basics of the Air Interface and Path to WCDMA

It is commonly regarded that the more complicated part of the UMTS network, especially in comparison to existing 2G networks such as GSM, is the air interface. The following sections are to act in giving the reader the basic understanding of the air interface, in order for them to gain a better understanding of the issues and properties of the WCDMA interface.

4.1

Wireless principles
There are three ways to accomplish communications:

Simplex Half-duplex Duplex

Simplex is the oldest and has been around since the early 1900s. It is communication in a one-way direction, such as AM and FM broadcast stations. Simplex uses one frequency broadcast to one or multiple receivers. Half-duplex is communication in a two-way direction. However, only one person may talk at a time. It uses only one frequency. Half-duplex is often referred to as push-to-talk (PTT). Duplex is communication in a two-way direction on two frequencies. One frequency is used to talk and the other to listen. This is modern cellular communication.

4.1.1

Radio communication
There are two basic formats used in radio communication, analogue and digital. The commercially available analogue format has been around since 1900, while the commercially available digital format was introduced in 1990. The difference between the analogue format and the digital format is that using analogue, a persons voice signal is transmitted over the air, while the digital format uses a string of 1s and 0s to represent the voice signal (Figure 14). If someone were to lock on to the frequency used for an analogue conversation they could actually hear the users voices. For that same situation in digital format the observer would need to decode the 1s and 0s before hearing the conversation.

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There are four basic Air interface technologies that are used to communicate:

Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA) Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

Of these four technologies both FDMA and SDMA were introduced in the analogue format. The last two technologies are based on the digital format.

So yo us e eb la, b la, b la, y ad a, y a d a 110000110101100011101110001

Figure 14

The difference between analogue and digital

.1.1

Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)

In December 1900, Reginald Fessenden accomplished the first human voice transmission via radio. This first link was over a mile long. Six years later the same person transmitted the first radio broadcast. Soon afterwards FDMA technology was used. Different broadcasts in the same geographical region could be heard by using different radio frequencies. That is the idea behind Frequency Division Multiple Access, the frequency range is broken down into unique bandwidths and distributed to the users. FDMA is used in cellular communications. One frequency to speak on and one to listen on; thus we have duplex communications. That way multiple users can operate in a particular frequency spectrum.

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20 to 50 miles

High power fixed station

lines to switching center

Figure 15

Frequency Division Multiple Access

Figure 16

With FDMA, users transmit simultaneously using separate frequencies

Early cellular systems (1940s - 1960s) used higher power and lower frequencies compared to todays cellular systems.

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.1.2

Space Division Multiple Access (SDMA)

In 1946 Bell Telephone System planners started submitting proposals for a large scale system that would satisfy the growing customer demand for more wireless access. The idea behind the proposals was to break a huge geographical region into smaller areas called cells. Each cell would use a frequency different from those of its nearest neighbours to prevent any interference. That is the idea behind SDMA, the same frequency can be used multiple times in the same geographical region. The advantage to this technology is increased network capacity. The easiest way for FDMA broadcasters to increase their coverage area is to increase their transmitting power. However, increased power causes interference problems and increases the distance before a frequency can be reused. SDMA can increase coverage by adding more cells. Modern cellular uses higher frequencies and lower power. This causes less interference and reduces the frequency reuse distance. This technology emerged with the offering of Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS) in the early eighties. Although this was a big capacity improvement, it soon ran into limits. The network planners made a few modifications to this design to increase capacity. One solution was to reduce the cell size even further and add more cells to fill in the newly created uncovered areas. A second alternative was to add another frequency to the existing cell, so that two calls could be placed from the same cell. Both of these solutions, however, did not overcome the basic limit of one call per frequency.

Figure 17

Space Division Multiple Access

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4.1.1.3

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

The next step in providing greater network capacity was to not only to divide frequencies into different cells but to divide this frequency into different slices of time. Originally, the frequency could only carry one conversation, but with TDMA technology, multiple users could carry on conversations using the same frequency in the same cell or space.

That is the idea behind TDMA; dividing the frequency into multiple time slices so multiple users can access the same frequency at the same time.

The commercially available products associated with this new technology are Digital Advanced Mobile Phone Service (D-AMPS) and Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM). D-AMPS was introduced in the late Eighties and GSM became available in 1990. These two products are not currently compatible. D-AMPS is a digital overlay to a currently existing analogue system for the purpose of increasing capacity. GSM is not an overlay, but a stand-alone product with a digital format at its core. Currently, D-AMPS provides an increase of three to one over SDMA technology, with the possibility to go to six to one in the near future. Currently GSM provides an increase of seven to one over the SDMA technology, with the possibility to go to fifteen to one in the near future. PCS 1900 uses the GSM protocols for communication but at a different bandwidth: 1900 MHz for PCS as opposed to 900 MHz for GSM.

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f3

f1

f6

f4 f2 f7

f2

f5

f3

f1

f1

Figure 18

Time Division Multiple Access

Figure 19

TDMA divides the frequency into multiple time slices

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4.1.1.4

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA)

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), using digital format, identifies each conversation uniquely by a code rather than a frequency or slice of time. CDMA is not compatible with TDMA technologies. Currently CDMA offers an eighteen to one improvement over SDMA, with the possibility of sixty-four to one in the future, and a theoretical limit of an infinite amount of calls per region.

Figure 20

Code Division Multiple Access

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Figure 21

CDMA is digital and identifies each conversation by a code rather than frequency or time slice

Current mobile telephony systems

2.1

1st generation
The 1st generation networks were analogue. They were based on several similar but incompatible technologies. Aside from mobility, they offered few if any services beyond what fixed networks were able to provide. It was during this 1st generation phase, however, that wide area coverage utilising frequency re-use patterns which were extremely efficient began.

2.2

2nd generation
The 2nd generation systems use digital channels, resulting in more efficient use of the spectrum using TDMA or CDMA systems. Many new services were implemented including the provision for real data services and improved security.

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4.2.3

3rd generation
The 3rd generation systems are based on the open interfaces of GSM. The driving force behind this is the desired ability to provide global mobility and compatibility, while at the same time providing an ever-expanding array of services that include:

Paging Text messaging Voice messaging Broadband ISDN capability

4.3

CDMA background
Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a type of spread-spectrum; a family of digital communication methods that the military has used for some time dating back to World War II. It is particularly useful to the military for two reasons:

It provided protection from enemy jamming, because the spread signal is difficult to interfere with. It could conceal that any communication was taking place at all.

Even though CDMA was hypothetically possible in the late 1940s, it was not available to the civilian market for another four decades. A primary reason for this was that low cost, high-density digital integrated circuits had to be developed to keep the cost and the weight of the units down.

4.4

Principles of CDMA
CDMA is the classic example of a room with people speaking different languages. Let us imagine that a corporate CEO is hosting a large multinational gathering. Our host, having mastered many languages, is primarily the one making conversation. Our host demands that his guests speak in their native tongues. He is able to interpret the conversations between guests if they wish to talk with each other. Our host, a true mediator, can fluently follow many, many conversations at the same time. He can understand different speakers all talking at the same time because they speak in different languages. He occasionally has to tell some guests, who tend to get carried away, to speak a little softer; and he has to ask the soft speakers to talk more loudly so that he can hear them better.

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In the corner, a jazz band begins playing. Because of the music, the guests have to speak louder in general. The host will no longer be able to hear the soft speakers in the back, even though they yell at the top of their lungs. When the band takes a break, it is easier to communicate again. The guests can speak with less volume for a while. The party starts to mature and many more guests arrive. The overall volume begins to rise, because there are more people speaking at the same time. The host asks the guests nearest to him to speak more softly, while he asks the ones further away to please speak up. CDMA functions much like our party. The CEO hosting the party is our Base Station (BS), the band represents another BS, and the guests are the Mobile Stations (MS). The different languages correspond to codes in a CDMA system. The BS can tell the mobiles apart, even though they are transmitting at the same time, by the codes that they use. Each MS uses a separate code. Each BS also uses a different code when they talk with the MSs. The codes the mobiles use increase, spread the bandwidth used. The bandwidth actually used is much larger than what is actually required. That is why we also call this a spread spectrum system.

Figure 22

The CDMA multinational gathering

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4.4.1

CDMA Information Theory & Codes

P o w e r (P )

( S p r e a d in g ) C odes

T im e

F re q u e n c y

Figure 23

CDMA Code Division Multiple Access

In CDMA technology based systems (such as WCDMA), every user is assigned a code/codes varying per transaction. In Figure 23 above, the different users use separate Spreading Codes. It should be noted that one user may also use several Spreading Codes in certain situations. In CDMA every user uses the same frequency band simultaneously and hence there are no timeslots in the same sense as in GSM900/1800. Based on the Information Theory, the following conclusions can be made:

If the originating bit rate is low, it can be spread well and thus the Power required for transmission will be small. This kind of case can be seen as a narrow layer in the Figure 23. If the originating bit rate is high it cannot be spread as well and thus the Power required for transmission will be higher. This kind of case can be seen as a thick layer in the Figure 23.

Another way to understand the WCDMA principle is to understand how it treats a single originating piece of information, Bit.

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O r ig in a tin g B it

W CDM A

R e c e iv e d B it

Pow er

F re q u e n c y B and

S p r e a d in g F a c to r

Figure 24

WCDMA Air Interface Principle

In WCDMA, every originating information bit is like a box having constant volume but the dimensions of the box change depending on the case. Referring to the Figure 24, the depth of the box (Frequency band) is constant in the WCDMA. The other two dimensions, Power and Spreading Factor are subject to change. Based on this:

The better the signal can be spread, the smaller is the required energy per bit (Power). This can be applied if the originating bit rate is low. The smaller is the Spreading Factor, the more energy is required per bit (Power). This is applied when the originating bit rate is high.

This kind of box presented in Figure 24 is called a Symbol.

4.2

Spread spectrum and the principle of direct sequence CDMA

There are several spread spectrum system designs: In Direct sequence spread spectrum we spread or code the message we want to send by directly multiplying it with a large bandwidth user specific code called the spreading sequence. Frequency hopping spread spectrum utilises the large system bandwidth by periodically changing the carrier frequency of the narrow band message according to a user specific sequence. Time hopping spread spectrum uses a user specific sequence to key the transmitter on and off at equal duration time segments. Unlike GSM, there is no user specific timeslot. The direct sequence (DS) spread spectrum method is used in both the 2 nd generation CDMA systems (i.e., IS-95) and in the new 3 rd generation Wideband CDMA (WCDMA). Let us visualise the spreading process. We have the information bits with some power per bits. The spreading signal is like a monster truck driving over the

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bits. The bits get squashed and spread over the ground. The power that previously defined the height of the bits is also flattened. The power is spread over the spectrum, that is to say that the power per unit bandwidth is small. This is our goal. For someone not knowing how the information was actually squashed, it is very difficult to detect the presence of a spread spectrum user. All one would hear is an increased amount of noise.

User A

f Data P User B

Data after spreading

f Transmission over the air f

Despread User A signal at the receiver

Figure 25

Spreading and Sharing the same space

In a spread spectrum system all the users are in the same frequency band. The frequency band is not divided in time to the users as in GSM. All users may send at the same time at will. The users information is spread over the whole frequency band with a user specific pseudo-noise (PN) signal, the spreading code. The transmitted signal occupies a much wider bandwidth than would be necessary to send the information. We call the bits in the code chips. The chip rate of our code is four times the bit rate of our message. We call this factor the spreading factor. So in this instance, the spreading factor (SF) is 4. If the bit rate of our data would be for example 512 Kbps, the resulting chip rate after spreading would be 2,048 chips per second (cps). In a multiple access environment, we will have at the receiver our spread spectrum signal summed with the other user signals. Our receiver will decode the original message fine as long as the noise caused by the other signals present is not too high. This is why we can say that each user is sharing a pool of power in the system.

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Motives for 3rd Generation Networks

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) is a 3rd generation mobile services platform, which is based on a layered network-protocol structure. Being able to deliver wideband multimedia services is going to require a higher performance standard than the current wireless standards. WCDMA will smooth the progress of new wireless wideband multimedia applications, while fully supporting both packet and circuit-switched communications (e.g., Internet and traditional landline telephone). From the outset, WCDMA has been designed for high-speed data services and Internet based packet data offering up to 2 Mbps in stationary or office environments and up to 384 Kbps in wide area or mobile environments.

Features of WCDMA
WCDMA has several advantages, for example: Efficient use of spectrum Different technologies, which improve the spectrum usage, are easy to apply to CDMA (e.g., the MS can transmit only when there is speech to send and remain silent during pauses in conversation). No frequency management CDMA uses the same frequency in adjacent cells. There is no need for the FDMA/TDMA type of frequency assignment that can sometimes be difficult. Low mobile station transmit power With advanced receiver technologies, CDMA can improve the reception performance. The required transmit power of a CDMA MS can be reduced as compared to TDMA systems. Additionally, because the CDMA system uses constant transmission, rather than the burst transmission used by TDMA systems, the peak power can be kept low. Continuous transmission also avoids the electromagnetic emission problems caused by pulsed transmission to, for example, hearing aids and hospital equipment. Uplink and downlink resource utilisation independent In CDMA, it is easy to assign different bit rates for uplink and downlink transmissions for each user. Therefore, CDMA supports asymmetric communications such as TCP/IP access.

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Wide variety of data rates The wide bandwidth of WCDMA enables the provision of higher transmission rates. Additionally, it makes it possible to provide low and high rate services in the same band. Improvement of multi-path resolution The wide bandwidth of WCDMA makes it possible to resolve more multi-path components than 2nd generation CDMA. It does so using a special receiver called the RAKE receiver. This assists in lowering the transmit power required and lowers interference power at the same time. The result is further improved spectrum efficiency. Statistical multiplexing advantage The wider band carrier of the WCDMA system helps to increase the number of channels/users in one carrier. The statistical multiplexing effect will help in increasing the frequency usage efficiency. This efficiency drops in narrowband systems with fast data communications, because the number of users on one carrier is limited. Increased standby-time from higher rate control channels The wideband carrier can enhance the transmission of the control channels. The MS only listens to the control channels part of the time, thereby increasing standby time.

5.2

Benefits of WCDMA
The benefits of WCDMA include:

Reduction of interference with other electronic devices Improvement of Erlang capacity Reduction of the number of dropped calls because of handoff failures Easier site selection Significant improvement of voice quality and assistance in removing the audible effects of multipath fading Availability of a reliable means for data communications such as:

Facsimile Internet traffic

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Reduction of potential health risks Imperceptible soft handovers

No change of frequency

2.1

Operator key benefits

New service capabilities (means new business opportunity for operators) Lower cost for capacity (to be used either for voice and/or data) New spectrum Revenue opportunity with increased data/voice traffic Improved cost efficiency

2.2

End user key benefits

Access to a complete range of integrated, customer friendly services customised to their needs by operators and service providers. These services will be available irrespective of the serving network and terminal, assuming similar capabilities are available. Where the capabilities are not available, the user will be presented with a subset of the service. Enhanced user service management covering the ability to customise and configure the appearance and behaviour of user services and applications. This management may include user interface customisation where the terminal supports that capability. Simplified service provisioning and service upgrades through the capability to download new service applications with minimal customer interaction. Wireless personal Internet information anywhere at anytime

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Figure 26

Sample of Internet 3G Service

Multimedia messaging Enhanced e-mail Telecommuting Improved quality of service Support for video/audio clips

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Review of 3G Networks
1. Match the following events with the year in which they took place: First radio broadcast _____ NMT introduced by Nokia _____ AMPS introduced _____ First official GSM call _____ 3GPP formed _____ 2. a. 1991 b. 1981 c. 1998 d. 1983 e. 1906

Which of the following definitions for the abbreviation OHG is true? a. b. c. d. Is a specification body organised by the manufactures to promote new technologies Is a EU organisation that specifies all the features that a 3G network must support Is an organisational body by the operators to promote the harmonisation of different 3G technologies Is the name of the interface between the RAN and the CN

3.

Which of the following elements is/are NOT part of the Core Network? a. b. c. d. HLR GGSN RNC EIR

4.

Which of the following sentences about EDGE is TRUE? a. b. c. d. EDGE is needed to support IN pre-paid services EDGE is using a more efficient coding and modulation technique than in GSM to increase data throughput EDGE and GSM networks are incompatible EDGE will allow telephone calls to take place faster as people can talk faster than in GSM

5.

The SGSN is not needed to support 3G IP Connections.

True

False

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6.

List the four basic Air interface technologies:

7.

Which of the following is true (circle the correct answer)? a. b. c. d. 1st generation networks are digital and 2nd generation networks are analogue WCDMA is a 2nd generation technology TDMA and CDMA were introduced in 2nd generation networks Data, Fax, and SMS services will first be introduced with WCDMA

8.

Describe the main difference between analogue and digital:

9.

Which of the following are benefits of WCDMA (circle the correct answer)? e. f. g. h. i. Improvement of Erlang capacity No frequency change allows imperceptible soft handovers Fewer sites required to support traffic Improved cost efficiency All of the above

10.

CDMA is a digital communication method used by the military since World War II.

True

False

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11.

Which of the following are seen as being benefits or services for the enduser? a. b. c. d. e. f. g. h. i. j. k. Integrated services that are customised per-subscriber Ability to download and activate new services at will Enhanced e-mail Multimedia messaging Satellite Coverage Telecommuting Improved quality of service Videophony Location Based Services Wireless personal Internet Support for video/audio clips

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