WIRELESS/MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES

OVERVIEW & DEFINITIONSCourse Faculty: Mrs Yasmin Malik

Venue: IBA City Campus, Karachi

Course Start Date: Spring 2012 (Feb 1)

MIS553: Mobile Marketing Strategies

Mobile/Wireless Network Technologies2G 2.5/2.75G 3G

(IMT-2000/Transitional)

4G

(IMT Advanced)

Rely on digital signal instead of radio signal. Launched in 1991 (Finland on the GSM standard) and divided into time or code based standards depending on the type of multiplexing used

Rely on circuit switching domain for voice and packet-switching domain for data communications. This set of standards enables high-speed data transfer over 2G GSM/CDMA networks that have been upgraded

Provide mobile phones with broadband or near-broadband speed transmission.

3G IMT 2000

3G Transitional: 3.5, 3.75, 3.9G

(includes LTE E-UTRA)

Represent a collection of wireless standards that are all adapted to be 100% packet and IP based. They will provide a complete replacement for current networks and features include IPTV, streaming audio/video, digital video/chat

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access)

GPRS (General/Global Packet Radio Service)

HSPA/WCDMA (High Speed Packet Access)

LTE Advanced (Long Term Evolution) is IP data network that optimizes data transmission rather than voice.

GSM (Global System For Mobile Communications)

EDGE/2.75G (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) launched in US in 2003 and improves network capacity and performance by 3x. Can be added to 2G, 2.5G, GPRS

CDMA 2000/EvDO 1x

(Evolution Data Only with various “Revisions”)

3G Transitional: EvDO Rev A/B

Mobile WiMAX IEEE 802.16m

TDMA (Time Division Multiplex Access)

Mobile WiMAX (Worlwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) is based on all-IP core network and the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard

The debate of WiMAX vs LTE i.e. 3G vs 4G is very much alive

Data rates: 56 kbps -236 kbps

Download: 1.8 -5.8 Mbps

Upload: 3.8 -14.4 Mbps

Download/Upload: 30-95 Mbps

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:2G (CDMA/TDMA/GSM)

2G networks are the second generation of cellular networks that rely on a digital signal instead of a radio signal

Voice quality is better due to digital encryption They make efficient use of spectrum (channel bandwidth) and allow operators

to push through a higher number of calls than 1G networks However, this technology relies more on proximity to a base station/tower –

when a caller moves out of range, calls are dropped entirely instead of progressively degrading

2G technologies can be divided into time or code based standards depending on the type of multiplexing used (a process where multiple signals/digital data is combined into one signal over a given shared medium)

Technologies directly related to 2G are CDMA, TDMA and GSM and replace typical “1G” technology introduced in the 1980s

In general, a new “generation” of cellular standards has appeared approximately every tenth year since 1G systems became operational

Note: Each new generation is generally characterized by new frequency bands, specifications and higher data rates

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:2G (CDMA/TDMA/GSM)

CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access systems allow each mobile device (phone) to be assigned a specific code which allows multiple users to be put on the same transmission channel

Each channel transmits its bit as a coded channel-specific sequence of pulses

Widely used in North and South America and Asia as a telecommunication technology

It is also applied in GPS (Global Positioning System)

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:2G (CDMA/TDMA/GSM)

TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access

Most 2G networks rely on TDMA to transmit digital signals that are divided up into different time slots instead of codes as in CDMA

The signals are sent in rapid succession while sharing one digital channel

Some shortfalls of TDMA: this timing requirement frequently makes it unreliable as a mobile phone transmission technology because when callers move closer/farther away from a base station, they mis-align the timing requirements of the system and disrupt transmission

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:2G (CDMA/TDMA/GSM)

GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

Developed in 1991 in Finland to address some of the shortfalls of TDMA technology

Now used around the world making, among other things, roaming much more streamlined (as phones can almost always access a signal that they can use)

GSM (TDMA-based) accounts for 80% of the world’s mobile subscribers

It requires timing advance commands to be sent to the base station which sends signals to the mobile phone telling it whether it should transmit the signal earlier and if so, by how much

Because of its success, many other 2G technologies including CDMA and TDMA eventually transferred to GSM including CDMA2000 (operating in the CDMA 450 MHz frequency band/spectrum range)

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:2.5/2.75G G (GPRS/EDGE)

2.5 G networks are an improvement over 2G networks and employ a “packet” switched domain for data communication while still maintaining a circuit-switching domain for voice communication

It usually describes a GSM system which has been upgraded for data transmission such as the mobile internet usage

Technologies directly related to the 2.5G standards include GPRS and EDGE

GPRS: Global Packet Radio Service can be added to 2G, GSM or 3G networks to achieve improvements in data transmission by using TDMA to improve packet switching over a given mobile network

GPRS typically provides commercial data rates from 50 to 100 kbps and is typically used for such services as Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) access, Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS), and email

Note that most telecom operators charge for GPRS data transfer per megabyte of data traffic used (often in the form of data “bundles”) whereas voice communication/calls via traditional circuit switching is billed per minute or 30 seconds

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined: 2.5/2.75G G (GPRS/EDGE)

EDGE: Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution was launched in US in 2003

It provides almost a 3 fold improvement in GSM/GPRS network capacity and performance through its packet switching optimization

EDGE is standardized by 3GPP as part of the GSM family and can be deployed as an “upgrade” on any GSM/GPRS network

Data rates of up 235 kbps can be reached giving users a “broadband” like experience

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined: 3GPP, ITU, IMT/3G/4G, Spectrum

3GPP: The 3rd Generation Partnership Project is an industry collaboration between major telecommunications companies and associations with the aim of making system specifications for the global application of 3G networks

These specifications must fall within the scope of the International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000) project of the ITU and are based on the GSM specifications encompassing radio, core network and network/service architectures

ITU: International Telecommunication Union is a UN based agency whose role is to regulate information and communication technology related matters. Among its tasks, it coordinates the global use of radio spectrum, establishes worldwide communications standards and promotes international cooperation for the improvement of telecom infrastructure

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:3GPP, ITU, IMT/3G/4G, Spectrum

IMT-2000 or 3G: International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT--2000) is also known as 3G

It is a generation of mobile phone and mobile telecommunication standards and it fulfills specifications set by the ITU

According to the ITU-200 specifications, a typical 3G communications system must allow simultaneous use of voice and data services and provide peak data rates of at least 200 kbps in a commercial environment and several Mbps (5-14 Mbps) for wireless broadband access

Typical 3G mobile services include wireless voice, mobile internet, video calls and mobile TV

These networks are functionally similar to Wi-Fi (11-54 Mbps) but are meant to cover less area

The first 3G network in the world was launched in Japan by DoCoMo in 2001 based on WCDMA technology followed by South Korea in 2002 based on Ev-Do technology

Technologies directly related to 3G are HSPA, EvDO and WiMAX

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined: 3GPP, ITU, IMT/3G/4G, Spectrum

IMT-Advanced or 4G: this type of cellular system must have peak data rates of up to 100 Mbps for mobile internet access

A typical 4G network should provide services (via an all-IP based solution) including IP telephony, IP TV, ultra-broadband Internet access, gaming services, digital video broadcast, video chat and streamed multimedia

These networks represent a collection of wireless standards that are all adapted to be 100% packet and IP based

4G promises higher network capacity and more simultaneous users per cell

Technologies directly related to 4G are WiMAX and LTE

Scandinavia’s TeliaSonera, successfully launched the world’s first commercial 4G services in Sweden and Norway in Aug/Sept 2010

LTE services were rolled out in cities including Stockholm and Oslo

Users enjoy peak rates of up to 100Mbps, average downlink rates of 85-90Mbps and an uplink of 30Mbps

Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) provided its radio equipment for the operator’s LTE roll out in the city and during 2010 will participate in deployments in Sweden’s 25 largest cities

Jan 2012: At this time, there are over 200 LTE networks deployed around the world!

The World’s 1st 4G (LTE) Network

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:3GPP, ITU, IMT/3G/4G, Spectrum

SPECTRUM (or more correctly “Radio Frequency Spectrum”) is a key distinguishing factor used to compare different mobile systems and ranges from approximately 30 Hz (termed Extremely Low Frequency [ELF]) to above 100 GHz (termed Extremely High Frequency [EHF]).

Band Name Frequency Range

Commercial Use

Extremely Low Frequency

3-30 Hz Submarine Communications

Medium Frequency

300-3,000 kHz AM broadcasting

Ultra High Frequency

300-3,000 MHz TV, cellular and WLAN

Super High Frequency

3-30 GHz WLAN, WiMAX, Point-to-Point and Point-to-Multipoint

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:3G (HSPA/EvDO/WiMAX)

WiMAX: “Worldwide Interoperability of Microwave Access” – it is an implementation of the IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard (3G transitional) and the IEEE 802.16m standard (4G IMT-Advanced)

WiMAX is a broadband wireless solution that enables convergence of mobile and fixed broadband networks

It provides high speed, wireless connectivity over a longer distance more simply and more cost-effectively than current cellular technologies

WIMAX will co-exist and inter work with existing wired/wireless technologies as it supports VoIP but will not replace 2G/3G for voice services.

Its infrastructure can be used effectively to take off voice traffic capacity from mobile operators due to capacity constraints.

WiMAX offers:

High data rates and long distance coverage: coverage of up to 50 km at up to 75 Mbps per base station

Quality of Service (QoS): video streaming with low latency (delay) Scalability: more cells can be added at a lower cost

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:3G (HSPA/EvDO/WiMAX)

EvDO: Evolution Data Only is a 3G packet based data transmission standard particularly for wireless broadband access and supports high data rates (which vary on the “Revision” type e.g. 2.4 Mbps for Rev 0 and 3.1 Mbps for Rev A)

It uses both CDMA and TDMA to maximize data rates at both the user end and system end

Its standards are set in line with the 3GPP2 as part of the CDMA2000 standards and has been adopted by many mobile network operators globally and is often deployed alongside an MNO’s voice service or those who have already employed a CDMA based network

Mobile/Wireless Technologies Defined:4G/IMT-Advanced (WiMAX/LTE)

LTE: Long Term Evolution is an IP data network optimized for the transmission of data rather than voice packets

It competes with WiMAX 802.16m as the 4G standard of choice

Commercially deployed by TeliaSonera in 2010 in Sweden and Norway

WiMAX 4G: an implementation of the IEEE 802.16m standard to compete with the likes of LTE

Note: there is wide industry debate as to which technology is the better one wrt 4G between WiMAX 4G and LTE