\\\Present Status of Telecom Services

The telecommunication service in World had a great leap within a last few year. .  6 billion people
own a mobile phones so we are going to analyze the various generations of cellular systems as
studied in the evolution of mobile communications from 1st generation to 5th generation .Now almost
all the service providers as well as the customers seek for availing these 3G and 4G services. We
can analyze that this could be due to increase in the telecoms customers day by day. In the present
time, there are four generations in the mobile industry. These are respectively 1G the first
generation, 2G the second generation, 3G the third generation, and then the 4G the forth generation.
Ericson a Swedish company is launching this high tech featured mobile into the market. It is being
first introduced in the Swedish Capital city, Stockholm.

Present Status of Telecommunication Services in Asian Countries

Now we are in the midst of 4G. In China, the 3G service came into existence only by last February.
Therefore, that it may take time for exposing to other states. But we should also realize many other
countries such as the Asian countries were using these services since last decade. Due to these
reasons, we can hope that the 4G may enter within a few years. The 3G (Third Generation) had also
reached India recently. There is no doubt that within a few years India will be the first in telecom
users also.

Analysis of Telecom Services

Let us examine what these 3G & 4G have rather than that of 1G and 2G.

Analysis of 1G and 2G services

In 1G, Narrow band analogue wireless network is used, with this we can have the voice calls and
can send text messages. These services are provided with circuit switching. Today’s the usual call
starts from the beginning pulse to rate to the final rate. Then in case of 2G Narrow Band Wireless
Digital Network is used. It brings more clarity to the conversation and both these circuit-switching
model.

Both the 1G and 2G deals with voice calls and has to utilize the maximum bandwidth as well as a
limited till sending messages i.e. SMS. The latest technologies such as GPRS, is not available in
these generations. But the greatest disadvantage as concerned to 1G is that with this we could
contact with in the premises of that particular nation, where as in case of 2G the roaming facility a
semi-global facility is available.
2.5 Generation

In between 2G and 3G there is another generation called 2.5G. Firstly, this mid generation was
introduced mainly for involving latest bandwidth technology with addition to the existing 2G
generation. To be frank but this had not brought out any new evolution and so had not clicked to as
much to that extend.

What is 3G Generation

But to overcome the limitations of 2G and 2.5G the 3G had been introduced. In this 3G Wide Brand
Wireless Network is used with which the clarity increases and gives the perfection as like that of a
real conversation. The data are sent through the technology called Packet Switching .Voice calls are
interpreted through Circuit Switching.

What is Packet Switching

This is actually done by supplying various addressed packets, which will be interconnected to have
the conversation. It is not necessary to create a new dedicated path for sending the data. It had
been modified in such a way that the data can be send through any path; hence, this data will be
received at a less time as compared to that of voice calls.

Packet Switching in Computer networks

The data packs are also used in computer that is when we connected with internet this data pack
helps to download the web pages that is being displayed in the monitor. For a Data Pack it does not
need any separate path for downloading or displaying any objects in the computer or any other
equipment. This is due to the reason that by networking, separate paths are being created and after
analyzing each, the data are being transferred to the correct access point.

3G and 4G Featuress

Main 3G Services

With the help of 3G, we can access many new services too. One such service is the GLOBAL
ROAMING. Another thing to be noted in case of 3G is that Wide Band Voice Channel that is by this
the world has been contracted to a little village because a person can contact with other person
located in any part of the world and can even send messages too. Then the point to be noted is that
3G gives clarity of voice as well can talk with out any disturbance. Not only these but also have
entertainments such as Fast Communication, Internet, Mobile T.V, Video Conferencing, Video Calls,
Multi Media Messaging Service (MMS), 3D gaming, Multi-Gaming etc are also available with 3G
phones.

Main 4G Features

Then with the case of Fourth Generation that is 4G in addition to that of the services of 3G some
additional features such as Multi-Media Newspapers, also to watch T.V programs with the clarity as
to that of an ordinary T.V. In addition, we can send Data much faster that that of the previous
generations.

What is the reason for delay in implementing 3G and 4G Mobile services?

It is very sad to say that the 3G services had only reached with in some towns of china, so that it
may take time to reach to Other countries. Another major defect of this is that Wide Band Frequency
Spectrum, which is needed for 3G, is lacking. Another reason for this is that it a cost bearing item
especially for sending data. So for us it is a higher one which could be used only by upper classes. If
it should be accepted among all customers, firstly it should be availed at a lower rate, for which the
rate of spectrum should be declined.

3G and 4G are standards for mobile telecommunications. Standards specify how the airwaves must be

used for transmitting information (voice and data). 3G (or 3rd Generation) was launched in Japan in

2001. As recently as mid-2010, the networks for most wireless carriers in the U.S. were 3G. 3G

networks were a significant improvement over 2G networks, offering higher speeds for data transfer.

The improvement that 4G offers over 3G is less pronounced. Analysts use the analogy of standard vs

Hi-Def TV to describe the difference between 3G and 4G.

Contents
[hide]

 1 Speed of 3G vs 4G

 2 Design Principle and

Applications

 3 References

 4 Related Articles

[edit] Speed of 3G vs 4G
 How much faster is 4G compared to 3G? Unfortunately for consumers, the answer to this question is

more nuanced than one would like. The speed of a 3G network depends upon how it is implemented.

In the US, by 2010 Sprint and Verizon (both CDMA networks) had reached the limits of how fast they

could make their 3G networks. Upgrading to 4G networks allowed them to offer data transmission

speeds up to four times faster than their 3G networks. However, the 3G networks of GSM carriers

AT&T and T-Mobile were designed such that there was room to upgrade 3G speeds. As of mid-2010, it

is anticipated that when AT&T and T-Mobile upgrade their 3G networks, their speeds will become

comparable to 4G from Sprint and Verizon.

[edit] Design Principle and Applications

Both 2G and 3G networks were designed primarily for voice communications rather than data. On the

other hand, 4G is designed especially for data transmission rather than voice. So 4G offers faster

access to data using mobile phones. For example, streaming video works better with 4G, with less

stuttering and a higher resolution. Similarly, video conferencing and multi-player online games work

better with the faster data transmission offered by 4G.

Difference between 3G, 3GS and 4G

It seems that no sooner has one technology come up than another one appears over the horizon threatening to make the previous one
obsolete. Such is the case in the fast-paced and intensely competitive world of mobile phone technology and the decision that so many
people now face is whether to go with 3G, 3GS or 4G. The decision isn't always an easy one to make, particularly since sheer power and
features aren't the only factors that come into play. Let's look at some of the more telling points of each and why it may or may not be
the best choice for you.
Profile
 3G is the third incarnation of a line of wireless technologies. It offers various features including fast data transmission,
advanced multimedia capabilities and global roaming.
 3GS is a step up from the 3G spec, with the "S" used to denote "speed". 3GS devices are expected to run twice as fast as 3G
devices.
 4G is the latest incarnation in the line and it offers even more features such as true multitasking, and even faster data transfer
rates.

Features
3G is only one in the line of wireless systems belonging to the IMT-2000 or International Mobile Communications 2000 standard, which
began to be implemented in the early 1990s. Among other advantages, 3G offers faster data exchange than the previous systems. 3G
equipped phones also usually have two cameras onboard to facilitate video communication.
The 3GS system offers a number of improvements and enhancements over 3G, with better camera technology and the ability to shoot
video among the more attractive ones. Interestingly enough, most 3G devices did not allow this feature, although it was possible with the
use of 3rd party software.
As for the 4G, multitasking is its biggest claim to fame. This allows users to perform a variety of tasks without having to focus in each
application in turn. Many 4G models also feature hi-definition Camera, Camcorder, and audio features, along with a full featured GPS.
Benefits And Advantages
As mentioned previously, 3G offers a significant speed boost over previous technologies. In addition, the system also allows for better
audio and video streaming, and even video-conferencing is supported. Users can also browse at much higher speeds than previously
possible. 3GS adds even more speed to the mix, and it is about twice as fast as most 3G units.
 4G for its part allows the transmission of larger packets of data, with lower bit error rates, which means increased data throughout all
around.
Summary
3G
 Communication standard that includes W-CDMA, WLAN, cellular radio and many more
 Offers a transfer rate of 128 to 144 kbps for "slow" devices, and 384 kbps for "fast" ones
 Offers a fixed wireless LAN speed of more than 2 Mbps
 Requires a 3G compatible device such as a mobile phone
 Often comes with two cameras to facilitate video calls

3GS
 Up to twice as fast as 3G devices
 Very good 3 megapixel camera on board, with auto-focus features
 Can be used to shoot video unlike many 3G models
 Offers voice control feature
 Much better battery life

4G
 Allows transfer of larger data packets with less bit errors
 Improved data throughput rate
 Allows faster and more stable access to multimedia and video content on the go
 Multitasking capability 

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Historically, The cell phone evolution has occured, since 1945, in technical leaps which we call
generations.

0G was the invention of the mobile telephone without networks, where callers had to connect to
a base station and operator. In 1979 and 80, 1G came out, where the cellular radios (as we
engineers called them) were first connected to networks of stations (called cells).

The 2G networks were the first ones where consumers became aware of new capabilities and
started buying the technology heavily. This was during the late 90s and into the early 2000s.
These were the first phones with the PHS, CDMA, GSM, mail, Cameras, and other options.

3G is the network expansion which allowed direct internet connections, Wideband data access,
simultaneous voice, data, music, and telephone, plus network based apps all rolled into one. 3G
is the network which allows you to use the cell phone as a credit card.

4G is a network in the planning stages, although some companies say they are implementing
parts of the 4G net now. 4G includes a network specification (engineer talk for basic
requirement), for 100 megabit to 1 gigabit data transfer rates while highly mobile worldwide. It
also includes high quality of service requirements for multimedia support (real time audio, high
speed data, HDTV video content, mobile TV, etc). 4G is coming, but is not here yet, because the
specs are still being worked over at the ITU (Intenational Telecom Union) in Geneva.
 A 3G/4G network is one where the network meets all the 3G ITU Specifications, and also has
upgraded to meet the 4g Specifications as they are ratified by the ITU. What they want to say
when they Announce the 3G/4G Network is that they are ready for the future. Most engineers
will tell you that they really mean they'll say anything to sell their phones.

FIERCE COMPETITION CAN BRING OUT THE BEST AND THE WORST IN BUSINESSES, AND IT ALSO MAKES FOR GREAT THEATER. IN THE TECHNOLOGY WORLD OVER THE PAST THREE

DECADES, WE HAVE WATCHED COMMERCIAL EMPIRES RISE AND FALL WITH AMAZING SWIFTNESS AND DRAMA. NEW COMPETITORS HAVE ARISEN OUT OF NOWHERE AND TRUMPED

ESTABLISHED DYNASTIES IN A MATTER OF YEARS, AS MICROSOFT DID TO OUTMANEUVER IBM IN THE PERSONAL COMPUTER BUSINESS, AS LINUX DID TO MARGINALIZE SUN

MICROSYSTEMS AND SILICON GRAPHICS IN THE UNIX SERVER MARKET, AND AS GOOGLE DID TO RACE PAST YAHOO, AOL, AND MICROSOFT IN INTERNET SEARCH.

NOW THERE’S A NEW TECHNOLOGY PEEKING OVER THE HORIZON THAT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR SHAKE-UP IN THE TECH INDUSTRY: WIMAX, WHICH I WROTE ABOUT LAST WEEK IN MY

ARTICLE “SANITY CHECK: IS WIMAX ALMOST HERE AND WILL IT UNLOCK THE NEXT STAGE OF THE INTERNET?” WIMAX HAS THE POTENTIAL TO CREATE NEW MARKETS, CHANGE THE

SCOPE OF THE INTERNET, REVOLUTIONIZE THE MOBILE PHONE LANDSCAPE, AND UPEND EMPIRES.

HOWEVER, ALTHOUGH WIMAX NOW HAS A LARGE STABLE OF BLUE BLOOD SUPPORTERS IN THE TECH INDUSTRY — LED BY INTEL AND JOINED BY MOTOROLA, SAMSUNG, AND SPRINT —

AND A HUGE CASH INVESTMENT FROM THEM, IT ALSO HAS A HEALTHY SHARE OF DOUBTERS. THOSE NAYSAYERS BELIEVE THAT IT WILL BE A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR FLOP, AND THAT BY

THE TIME IT’S DEPLOYED WIDELY ENOUGH TO MAKE A MASS MARKET CHALLENGE, THE WORLD’S EXISTING CELLULAR CARRIERS WILL HAVE ALREADY BEAT IT TO THE PUNCH WITH A

FULLY DEPLOYED VERSION OF 3G WIRELESS.

THE WIMAX VS. 3G CELLULAR SHOWDOWN IS POISED TO BECOME ONE OF THE NEXT GREAT MARKET BATTLES IN THE TECH INDUSTRY. FORTUNES WILL BE MADE AND LOST IN THIS

BATTLE, AND THE USER EXPERIENCE OF THE INTERNET WILL BE IRREVERSIBLY CHANGED (HOPEFULLY, FOR THE BETTER) IN THE PROCESS.

THE WIMAX ADVANTAGES

CONCEPTUALLY, WIMAX HAS BEEN DESIGNED AS AN INTERNET ACCESS TECHNOLOGY AND NOT AS A REPLACEMENT TO THE EXISTING CELLULAR NETWORKS THAT HAVE GAINED GLOBAL

SCALE DURING THE PAST DECADE. BUT SINCE WIMAX IS BUILT AROUND IP AND HAS BEEN DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP TO SUPPORT STRONG QOS AND SECURITY, WIMAX PROVIDES

AN EXCELLENT PLATFORM TO RUN VOIP.

AS A RESULT, IT IS NATURAL TO ASSOCIATE WIMAX WITH VOIP, WHICH IS RAPIDLY REPLACING MANY WIRE-BASED PHONE LINES BECAUSE IT MAKES MUCH MORE EFFICIENT USE OF THE

BANDWIDTH AND LINES AND OPENS UP VOICE TO A WHOLE NEW RANGE OF APPLICATIONS.

THAT’S WHY WIMAX IS SOMETIMES VIEWED AS THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WILL MAKE THE CURRENT CELLULAR NETWORKS OBSOLETE. IT’S ACTUALLY VOIP THAT IS THE DISRUPTOR. WIMAX

— ONCE IT’S FULLY DEPLOYED — WILL SIMPLY PROVIDE THE ROAMING GLOBAL INTERNET ACCESS THAT WILL BRING VOIP TO THE SAME CORNERS OF THE EARTH THAT CELLULAR

TOWERS HAVE COVERED TODAY, AND WIMAX COULD SPREAD THAT COVERAGE EVEN FARTHER.

INITIALLY, WIMAX WAS COMPARED MORE TO WI-FI — EXCEPT WITH MUCH LONGER RANGE — THAN IT WAS TO CELLULAR NETWORKS. WIMAX PROVIDERS ARE ESSENTIALLY ISPS THAT

PROVIDE EITHER FIXED WIMAX OR A COMBINATION OF BOTH MOBILE WIMAX (FOR ROAMING USERS) AND FIXED WIMAX (FOR HOME OR SMALL BUSINESS ACCESS, VERY SIMILAR TO CABLE

OR DSL).

THERE ARE SEVERAL IMPORTANT FACTORS THAT DISTINGUISH WIMAX FROM OTHER WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES AND MAKE IT A PLATFORM THAT SO MANY TECH HEAVYWEIGHTS HAVE

BEEN WILLING TO SUPPORT:

 IP-BASED NETWORK — SINCE WIMAX IS BUILT ON IP, IT NATIVELY RUNS EXISTING IP-BASED PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND UTILITIES. VOIP IS ONE EXAMPLE. THIS ALSO

ENABLES MUCH EASIER AND CHEAPER NETWORK MONITORING AND MANAGEMENT WITH STANDARD TOOLS.
 A FLATTER, SIMPLER TOPOLOGY — BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN DESIGNED AS A DATA NETWORK FROM THE GROUND UP, WIMAX HAS A MUCH SIMPLER NETWORK TOPOLOGY

THAN CELLULAR NETWORKS, WHICH HAVE HAD TO ADD EXTRA LAYERS AND INVENT NEW TRICKS TO ENABLE THEIR TECHNOLOGY TO HANDLE DATA. WIMAX TAKES LESS EQUIPMENT

AND LESS TIME TO SET UP THAN TRADITIONAL CELLULAR INFRASTRUCTURE OR WIDE-SCALE WI-FI. FIGURE A PROVIDES A QUICK LOOK AT THE WIMAX TOPOLOGY.

 LOWER CAPEX AND OPEX — AS A SIMPLER ARCHITECTURE THAT USES LESS NETWORK EQUIPMENT, WIMAX TAKES LOWER CAPITAL EXPENDITURES (CAPEX) TO BUILD

NETWORKS AND LOWER OPERATING EXPENDITURES (OPEX) TO MAINTAIN THEM. NATURALLY, THIS CAN RESULT IN LOWER SERVICE COSTS FOR END USERS. BUT JUST AS CRITICAL IS

THE FACT THAT THIS ENABLES WIMAX TO SCALE VERY LOW FOR SMALL INSTALLATIONS AND TO QUICKLY SCALE HIGHER TO MEET LARGE GROWTH ON DEMAND.

 LOW-COST INTERFACE CHIPS — CHIPSET LEADER INTEL AND CHIPMAKERS SUCH AS SEQUENS AND BECEEM HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT OF WIMAX AS A MASS MARKET

TECHNOLOGY AND SO HAVE ARCHITECTED WIMAX CHIP SOLUTIONS AIMED AT LARGE PRODUCTION AND LOW COST. THIS HAS RESULTED IN INEXPENSIVE NETWORK INTERFACE

DEVICES SUCH AS WIMAX MODEMS AND PC CARDS, BUT MORE IMPORTANT, IT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR COMPUTER AND CONSUMER ELECTRONICS MAKERS TO SOON EMBED WIMAX

CHIPS INTO A LOT OF DIFFERENT KINDS OF DEVICES.

FIGURE A: WIMAX TOPOLOGY (CLICK IMAGE TO EXPAND)

SOURCE: NAVINI NETWORKS

THE 3G ALTERNATIVE

NO COMPANY HAS BEEN A MORE OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF WIMAX THAN ERICSSON, ESPECIALLY IN 2007. THAT MAY SEEM STRANGE SINCE ERICSSON IS NOT A CELLULAR CARRIER, BUT THE

COMPANY IS A MAJOR SELLER AND DEVELOPER OF CELLULAR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND AN IMPORTANT SUPPLIER OF CELLULAR HANDSETS THROUGH ITS SONY ERICSSON PARTNERSHIP.

ERICSSON HAS PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF CELLULAR DATA NETWORKS, INCLUDING VARIOUS 3G PLATFORMS, GSM, WCDMA,

HSPA, AND THE TECHNOLOGY THAT IT THINKS WILL ULTIMATELY TRUMP WIMAX: LTE (LONG-TERM EVOLUTION) WIRELESS. IRONICALLY, LTE IS ALMOST

MORE SIMILAR TO WIMAX THAN IT IS TO EXISTING CELLULAR TECHNOLOGIES AND IT WILL REQUIRE AN INVESTMENT (AND TECHNOLOGICAL

TRANSFORMATION) ON THE SAME SCALE AS WIMAX.

INITIALLY, ERICSSON WAS A MEMBER OF THE WIMAX FORUM AND A LUKEWARM SUPPORTER OF WIMAX TECHNOLOGY AS PART OF THE FUTURE EVOLUTION OF CELLULAR NETWORKS. BUT

THIS SPRING, ERICSSON ANNOUNCED ITS DECISION TO CLOSE DOWN ITS WIMAX DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AND SHIFT ALL OF ITS FOCUS TO LTE. SINCE THEN, ERICSSON HAS BEEN

ACTIVELY TOUTING THE FACT THAT ITS CURRENT HSPA-BASED NETWORKS WILL ALREADY HAVE COMPARABLE PERFORMANCE TO WIMAX WHEN WIMAX LAUNCHES ON A LARGE SCALE IN

2008. THE PRIMARY REASONS THAT ERICSSON THINKS IT CAN GET AWAY WITH HSPA ARE:
 BANDWIDTH — IN COOPERATION WITH CARRIERS IN ITS HOME COUNTRY OF SWEDEN, ERICSSON HAS ALREADY DEPLOYED AN HSPA-BASED NETWORK WITH MOBILE

BROADBAND SPEEDS OF 3.6 MBPS DOWNLINK AND 1 MBPS UPLINK. A SOFTWARE UPGRADE THAT IS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS WILL DOUBLE THAT BANDWIDTH TO 7.2 MBPS DOWN

AND 2 MBPS UP, AND THE NETWORK ITSELF WILL EVENTUALLY HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR 14.4 MBPS DOWNLOADS. WIMAX WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 10 MBPS. HOWEVER,

THE USABLE SPEED FOR MOBILE BROADBAND IS EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT 2 MBPS. AN ERICSSON REPRESENTATIVE WHO LIVES IN SWEDEN TOLD ME THAT HE CURRENTLY GETS AN

AVERAGE OF 2 MBPS ON THE HSPA NETWORK IN SWEDEN, AND SAID THAT IT IS SO RELIABLE THAT HE OFTEN STAYS ON THAT NETWORK, RATHER THAN SWITCHING OVER TO WI-FI,

WHEN HE IS WORKING ON HIS LAPTOP AT HOME. ERICSSON VIEWS THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE AS INDICATIVE OF WHAT CURRENT CELLULAR NETWORKS WILL DO IN THE NEAR

FUTURE.

 EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE — IT TOOK A DECADE TO BUILD OUT THE CURRENT GLOBAL WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE. THE CELLULAR CARRIERS DOUBT THAT WIMAX

WILL BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE THE BREADTH OF THIS NETWORK WITHIN A FEW YEARS. AS SUCH, THEY BELIEVE THAT IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO SIMPLY UPGRADE THE CURRENT

INFRASTRUCTURE.

 EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS — CELLULAR CARRIERS CAN LEVERAGE EXISTING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CUSTOMERS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS TO MAKE IT EASIER TO

TRANSITION USERS TO MOBILE BROADBAND. THAT WILL BE MUCH LESS EXPENSIVE THAN WIMAX’S TASK OF MARKETING A NEW PRODUCT AND EXPLAINING WHAT IT IS, WHAT IT

REPLACES, AND HOW IT WILL HELP THE USER.

 CELLULAR IP — ERICSSON IS ADVISING CELLULAR CARRIERS TO TRANSFORM THEIR EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE INTO IP-BASED NETWORKS USING SOFTSWITCH AND THE

IP MULTIMEDIA SUBSYSTEM (IMS). IF CELLULAR CAN TURN ITS NETWORKS INTO IP NETWORKS, IT COULD PRE-EMPT THE THREAT FROM VOIP.

 FIXED WIRELESS — WITH ITS CURRENT CELLULAR INFRASTRUCTURE, ERICSSON WANTS TO PROVIDE THE SAME KIND OF FIXED SERVICES THAT WIMAX IS TOUTING FOR

SPREADING BROADBAND INTERNET TO LOTS OF NEW PLACES. WITH A WIDELY DEPLOYED NETWORK AND NEW FIXED BROADBAND MODEMS TO ACCESS IT, THIS IS AN EASY PLAY FOR

CELLULAR CARRIERS. IT’S ALREADY STARTING TO HAPPEN IN MANY PLACES, INCLUDING SWEDEN.

WHILE ERICSSON MAY BE THE MOST VOCAL DETRACTOR OF WIMAX, IT ISN’T ALONE. VERIZON WIRELESS HAS ALSO OPTED TO SIT OUT WIMAX AND PUT ITS EFFORTS INTO EXPANDING 3G

AND DEVELOPING LTE. MOBILE CHIP MAKER QUALCOMM HAS ALSO BALKED AT BUILDING WIMAX TECHNOLOGIES AND FOCUSED INSTEAD ON FURTHER DEVELOPING 3G CELLULAR CHIPS.

SPRINT, WHICH WILL BECOME THE WORLD’S LARGEST PROVIDER OF WIMAX SERVICES WITH ITS MAJOR DEPLOYMENTS IN 2008, EVEN HAS SOME INTERNAL DETRACTORS OF ITS WIMAX

STRATEGY. REPORTS SURFACED LAST WEEK THAT <A HREF="HTTP://WWW.NEWS

Overview
A 4G system is expected to provide a comprehensive and secure all-IP based solution where
facilities such as IP telephony, ultra-broadband Internet access, gaming services and streamed
multimedia may be provided to users.
This article uses 4G to refer to IMT Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunications
Advanced), as defined by ITU-R.
An IMT advanced cellular system must have target peak data rates of up to approximately
100 Mbit/s for high mobility such as mobile access and up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low
mobility such as nomadic/local wireless access, according to the ITU requirements. Scalable
bandwidths up to at least 40 MHz should be provided.[1][2]
In all suggestions for 4G, the CDMA spread spectrum radio technology used in 3G systems and
IS-95 is abandoned and replaced by frequency-domain equalization schemes, for example multi-
carrier transmission such as OFDMA. This is combined with MIMO (i.e. multiple
antennas(Multiple In Multiple Out)), dynamic channel allocation and channel-dependent
scheduling.

Predecessors of 4G
LTE
The pre-4G technology 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) is often branded "4G", but the first
LTE release does not fully comply with the IMT-Advanced requirements. LTE has a theoretical
net bit rate capacity of up to 100 Mbit/s in the downlink and 50 Mbit/s in the uplink if a 20 MHz
channel is used - and more if Multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), i.e. antenna arrays, are
used. Most major mobile carriers in the United States and several worldwide carriers have
announced plans to convert their networks to LTE beginning in 2011. The world's first publicly
available LTE-service was opened in the two Scandinavian capitals Stockholm and Oslo on the
14 December 2009, and branded 4G. The physical radio interface was at an early stage named
High Speed OFDM Packet Access (HSOPA), now named Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio
Access (E-UTRA).
LTE Advanced (Long-term-evolution Advanced) is a candidate for IMT-Advanced standard,
formally submitted by the 3GPP organization to ITU-T in the fall 2009, and expected to be
released in 2012. The target of 3GPP LTE Advanced is to reach and surpass the ITU
requirements. LTE Advanced should be compatible with first release LTE equipment, and should
share frequency bands with first release LTE.[3]
WiMAX
The Mobile WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e-2005) mobile wireless broadband access (MWBA) standard
is sometimes branded 4G, and offers peak data rates of 128 Mbit/s downlink and 56 Mbit/s
uplink over 20 MHz wide channels. The IEEE 802.16m evolution of 802.16e is under
development, with the objective to fulfill the IMT-Advanced criteria of 1 Gbit/s for stationary
reception and 100 Mbit/s for mobile reception.[4]
Sprint Nextel has announced that it will be using WiMAX, branded as a "4G" network.[5]
UMB (Formerly EV-DO Rev. C)
UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband) was the brand name for a discontinued 4G project within the
3GPP2 standardization group to improve the CDMA2000 mobile phone standard for next
generation applications and requirements. In November 2008, Qualcomm, UMB's lead sponsor,
announced it was ending development of the technology, favouring LTE instead.[6] The objective
was to achieve data speeds over 275 Mbit/s downstream and over 75 Mbit/s upstream.

Objective and approach

Objectives
4G is being developed to accommodate the QoS and rate requirements set by further
development of existing 3G applications like mobile broadband access, Multimedia Messaging
Service (MMS), video chat, mobile TV, but also new services like HDTV. 4G may allow
roaming with wireless local area networks, and may interact with digital video broadcasting
systems.
The 4G working group[clarification needed] has defined the following as objectives of the 4G wireless
communication standard:

 Flexible channel bandwidth, between 5 and 20 MHz, optionally up to 40 MHz.[2]

 A nominal data rate of 100 Mbit/s while the client physically moves at high speeds relative to
the station, and 1 Gbit/s while client and station are in relatively fixed positions as defined by
the ITU-R,[7]
 A data rate of at least 100 Mbit/s between any two points in the world, [7]
 Peak link spectral efficiency of 15 bit/s/Hz in the downlink, and 6.75 bit/s/Hz in the uplink
(meaning that 1 Gbit/s in the downlink should be possible over less than 67 MHz bandwidth)
 System spectral efficiency of up to 3 bit/s/Hz/cell in the downlink and 2.25 bit/s/Hz/cell for
indoor usage.[2]
 Smooth handoff across heterogeneous networks,[8]
 Seamless connectivity and global roaming across multiple networks,[9]
 High quality of service for next generation multimedia support (real time audio, high speed data,
HDTV video content, mobile TV, etc.)[9]
 Interoperability with existing wireless standards,[10] and
 An all IP, packet switched network.[9]

Approaches

Consideration points

 Coverage, radio environment, spectrum, services, business models and deployment types, users.

Principal technologies

 Physical layer transmission techniques[11]

o No CDMA.
o MIMO: To attain ultra high spectral efficiency by means of spatial processing including
multi-antenna and multi-user MIMO
o Frequency-domain-equalization, for example Multi-carrier modulation (OFDM) or single-
carrier frequency-domain-equalization (SC-FDE) in the downlink: To exploit the
frequency selective channel property without complex equalization.
o Frequency-domain statistical multiplexing, for example (OFDMA) or (Single-carrier
FDMA) (SC-FDMA, a.k.a. Linearly precoded OFDMA, LP-OFDMA) in the uplink: Variable
bit rate by assigning different sub-channels to different users based on the channel
conditions
o Turbo principle error-correcting codes: To minimize the required SNR at the reception
side
 Channel-dependent scheduling: To utilize the time-varying channel.
 Link adaptation: Adaptive modulation and error-correcting codes
 Relaying, including fixed relay networks (FRNs), and the cooperative relaying concept, known as
multi-mode protocol
4G features
According to the members of the 4G working group, the infrastructure and the terminals of 4G
will have almost all the standards from 2G to 4G implemented. Although legacy systems are in
place to adopt existing users, the infrastructure for 4G will be only packet-based (all-IP). Some
proposals suggest having an open Internet platform. Technologies considered to be early 4G
include: Flash-OFDM, the 802.16e mobile version of WiMax (also known as WiBro in South
Korea), and HC-SDMA (see iBurst).

Components
Access schemes
This section contains information which may be of unclear or questionable importance or
relevance to the article's subject matter.
Please help improve this article by clarifying or removing superfluous information. (May 2010)

As the wireless standards evolved, the access techniques used also exhibited increase in
efficiency, capacity and scalability. The first generation wireless standards used plain TDMA
and FDMA. In the wireless channels, TDMA proved to be less efficient in handling the high data
rate channels as it requires large guard periods to alleviate the multipath impact. Similarly,
FDMA consumed more bandwidth for guard to avoid inter carrier interference. So in second
generation systems, one set of standard used the combination of FDMA and TDMA and the
other set introduced an access scheme called CDMA. Usage of CDMA increased the system
capacity, but as a theoretical drawback placed a soft limit on it rather than the hard limit (i.e. a
CDMA network setup does not inherently reject new clients when it approaches its limits,
resulting in a denial of service to all clients when the network overloads; though this outcome is
avoided in practical implementations by admission control of circuit switched or fixed bitrate
communication services). Data rate is also increased as this access scheme (providing the
network is not reaching its capacity) is efficient enough to handle the multipath channel. This
enabled the third generation systems, such as IS-2000, UMTS, HSXPA, 1xEV-DO, TD-CDMA
and TD-SCDMA, to use CDMA as the access scheme. However, the issue with CDMA is that it
suffers from poor spectral flexibility and computationally intensive time-domain equalization
(high number of multiplications per second) for wideband channels.
Recently, new access schemes like Orthogonal FDMA (OFDMA), Single Carrier FDMA (SC-
FDMA), Interleaved FDMA and Multi-carrier CDMA (MC-CDMA) are gaining more
importance for the next generation systems. These are based on efficient FFT algorithms and
frequency domain equalization, resulting in a lower number of multiplications per second. They
also make it possible to control the bandwidth and form the spectrum in a flexible way.
However, they require advanced dynamic channel allocation and traffic adaptive scheduling.
WiMax is using OFDMA in the downlink and in the uplink. For the next generation UMTS,
OFDMA is used for the downlink. By contrast, IFDMA is being considered for the uplink since
OFDMA contributes more to the PAPR related issues and results in nonlinear operation of
amplifiers. IFDMA provides less power fluctuation and thus avoids amplifier issues. Similarly,
MC-CDMA is in the proposal for the IEEE 802.20 standard. These access schemes offer the
same efficiencies as older technologies like CDMA. Apart from this, scalability and higher data
rates can be achieved.
The other important advantage of the above mentioned access techniques is that they require less
complexity for equalization at the receiver. This is an added advantage especially in the MIMO
environments since the spatial multiplexing transmission of MIMO systems inherently requires
high complexity equalization at the receiver.
In addition to improvements in these multiplexing systems, improved modulation techniques are
being used. Whereas earlier standards largely used Phase-shift keying, more efficient systems
such as 64QAM are being proposed for use with the 3GPP Long Term Evolution standards.
IPv6 support
Main articles: Network layer, Internet protocol, and IPv6

Unlike 3G, which is based on two parallel infrastructures consisting of circuit switched and
packet switched network nodes respectively, 4G will be based on packet switching only. This
will require low-latency data transmission.
By the time that 4G is deployed, the process of IPv4 address exhaustion is expected to be in its
final stages. Therefore, in the context of 4G, IPv6 support is essential in order to support a large
number of wireless-enabled devices. By increasing the number of IP addresses, IPv6 removes the
need for Network Address Translation (NAT), a method of sharing a limited number of
addresses among a larger group of devices, although NAT will still be required to communicate
with devices that are on existing IPv4 networks.
As of June 2009, Verizon has posted specifications that require any 4G devices on its network to
support IPv6.[12]
Advanced Antenna Systems
Main articles: MIMO and MU-MIMO

The performance of radio communications depends on an antenna system, termed smart or

intelligent antenna. Recently, multiple antenna technologies are emerging to achieve the goal of
4G systems such as high rate, high reliability, and long range communications. In the early 90s,
to cater the growing data rate needs of data communication, many transmission schemes were
proposed. One technology, spatial multiplexing, gained importance for its bandwidth
conservation and power efficiency. Spatial multiplexing involves deploying multiple antennas at
the transmitter and at the receiver. Independent streams can then be transmitted simultaneously
from all the antennas. This technology, called MIMO (as a branch of intelligent antenna),
multiplies the base data rate by (the smaller of) the number of transmit antennas or the number of
receive antennas. Apart from this, the reliability in transmitting high speed data in the fading
channel can be improved by using more antennas at the transmitter or at the receiver. This is
called transmit or receive diversity. Both transmit/receive diversity and transmit spatial
multiplexing are categorized into the space-time coding techniques, which does not necessarily
require the channel knowledge at the transmitter. The other category is closed-loop multiple
antenna technologies, which require channel knowledge at the transmitter.
Software-Defined Radio (SDR)
SDR is one form of open wireless architecture (OWA). Since 4G is a collection of wireless
standards, the final form of a 4G device will constitute various standards. This can be efficiently
realized using SDR technology, which is categorized to the area of the radio convergence.

History of 4G and pre-4G technologies

 In 2002, the strategic vision for 4G — which ITU designated as IMT-Advanced — was laid out.

 In 2005, OFDMA transmission technology is chosen as candidate for the HSOPA downlink, later
renamed 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) air interface E-UTRA.

 In mid-2006, Sprint Nextel announced that it would invest about US$5 billion in a WiMAX
technology buildout over the next few years [13] ($5.4 billion in real terms[14]). Since that time
Sprint has faced many setbacks, that have resulted in steep quarterly losses. On May 7, 2008,
Sprint, Imagine, Google, Intel, Comcast, Bright House, and Time Warner announced a pooling of
an average of 120 MHz of spectrum; Sprint merged its Xohm WiMAX division with Clearwire to
form a company which will take the name Clear.

 In February 2007, the Japanese company NTT DoCoMo tested a 4G communication system
prototype with 4x4 MIMO called VSF-OFCDM at 100 Mbit/s while moving, and 1 Gbit/s while
stationary. NTT DoCoMo completed a trial in which they reached a maximum packet
transmission rate of approximately 5 Gbit/s in the downlink with 12x12 MIMO using a 100 MHz
frequency bandwidth while moving at 10 km/h,[15] and is planning on releasing the first
commercial network in 2010.

 In September 2007, NTT Docomo demonstrated e-UTRA data rates of 200 Mbit/s with power
consumption below 100 mW during the test.[16]

 In January 2008, a U.S. FCC spectrum auction for the 700 MHz former analog TV frequencies
began. As a result, the biggest share of the spectrum went to Verizon Wireless and the next
biggest to AT&T.[17] Both of these companies have stated their intention of supporting LTE.

 In January 2008, EU commissioner Viviane Reding suggested re-allocation of 500–800 MHz

spectrum for wireless communication, including WiMAX. [18]

 February 15, 2008 - Skyworks Solutions released a front-end module for e-UTRAN. [19][20][21]

 In April 2008, LG and Nortel demonstrated e-UTRA data rates of 50 Mbit/s while travelling at
110 km/h.[22]

 In 2008, ITU-R established the detailed performance requirements of IMT-Advanced, by issuing

a Circular Letter calling for candidate Radio Access Technologies (RATs) for IMT-Advanced. [23]
  April 2008, just after receiving the circular letter, the 3GPP organized a workshop on IMT-
Advanced where it was decided that LTE-Advanced, an evolution of current LTE standard, will
meet or even exceed IMT-Advanced requirements following the ITU-R agenda.

 On 3 March 2009, Lithuanian's LRTC announcing the first operational "4G" mobile WiMAX
network in Baltic states.[24]

 In December 2009, Sprint began advertising "4G" service in selected cities in the United States,
despite average download speeds of only 3-6Mbps with peak speeds of 10Mbps (not available in
all markets).[25]

 On December 14, 2009, the first commercial LTE deployment was in the Scandinavian capitals
Stockholm and Oslo by the Swedish-Finnish network operator TeliaSonera and its Norwegian
brandname NetCom (Norway). TeliaSonera branded the network "4G". The modem devices on
offer were manufactured by Samsung (dongle GT-B3710), and the network infrastructure
created by Huawei (in Oslo) and Ericsson (in Stockholm). TeliaSonera plans to roll out
nationwide LTE across Sweden, Norway and Finland [26][27]. TeliaSonera used spectral bandwidth
of 10 MHz, and single-in-single-out, which should provide physical layer net bitrates of up to
50 Mbit/s downlink and 25 Mbit/s in the uplink. Introductory tests showed a TCP goodput of
42.8 Mbit/s downlink and 5.3 Mbit/s uplink in Stockholm.[28]

 On 25 February 2010, Estonia's EMT opened LTE "4G" network working in test regime. [29]

Deployment plans
In May 2005, Digiweb, an Irish fixed and wireless broadband company, announced that they
have received a mobile communications license from the Irish Telecoms regulator, ComReg.
This service will be issued the mobile code 088 in Ireland and will be used for the provision of
4G Mobile communications.[30][31] Digiweb launched a mobile broadband network using FLASH-
OFDM technology at 872 MHz.
On September 20, 2007, Verizon Wireless announced that it plans a joint effort with the
Vodafone Group to transition its networks to the 4G standard LTE. On December 9, 2008,
Verizon Wireless announced that they intend to build and begin to roll out an LTE network by
the end of 2009. Since then, Verizon Wireless has said that they will start their rollout by the end
of 2010.
On July 7, 2008, South Korea announced plans to spend 60 billion won, or US$58,000,000, on
developing 4G and even 5G technologies, with the goal of having the highest mobile phone
market share by 2012, and the hope of an international standard.[32]
Telus and Bell Canada, the major Canadian cdmaOne and EV-DO carriers, have announced that
they will be cooperating towards building a fourth generation (4G) LTE wireless broadband
network in Canada. As a transitional measure, they are implementing 3G UMTS that went live in
November 2009.[33]
Sprint offers a 3G/4G connection plan, currently available in select cities in the United States.[34]
It delivers rates up to 10 Mbit/s.
In the United Kingdom, O2 is to use Slough as a guinea pig in testing the 4G network and has
called upon Huawei to install LTE technology in six masts across the town to allow people to
talk to each other via HD video conferencing and play PlayStation games while on the move.[35].
Verizon Wireless has announced that it plans to augment its CDMA2000-based EV-DO 3G
network in the United States with LTE. AT&T, along with Verizon Wireless has chosen to
migrate toward LTE from 2G/GSM and 3G/HSPA by 2011.[36]

Current research
Pervasive networks are an amorphous and at present entirely hypothetical concept where the user
can be simultaneously connected to several wireless access technologies and can seamlessly
move between them (See vertical handoff, IEEE 802.21). These access technologies can be Wi-
Fi, UMTS, EDGE, or any other future access technology. Included in this concept is also smart-
radio (also known as cognitive radio technology) to efficiently manage spectrum use and
transmission power as well as the use of mesh routing protocols to create a pervasive network.

4G wireless standards
In September 2009 the technology proposals have been submitted to ITU-R as 4G candidates.[37]
Basically all proposals are based on two technologies:

 LTE Advanced standardized by the 3GPP

 802.16m standardized by the IEEE

First set of 3GPP requirements on LTE Advanced has been approved in June 2008.[38] LTE
Advanced will be standardized in 2010 as part of the Release 10 of the 3GPP specification. LTE
Advanced will be fully built on the existing LTE specification Release 10 and not be defined as a
new specification series. A summary of the technologies that have been studied as the basis for
LTE Advanced is summarized in a technical report.[39]