Introduction to 3G network.png

It’s a shame not knowing common knowledge of 3G networks while working in a mobile phone manufacturer. Well, Obviously, some people do not think so. Here’s the brief outline of radio network change: from first generation to 2G, 2.5G, and 3G. Although 4G is coming on its way, knowing current technologies will help catching up the new ones.

  • Introduction to 3G network
    • History
      • 1G
        • NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone)
          • NMT-450
          • NMT-900
            • International Roaming is possible
          • Scandinavia, Ecntral and Southern Europe
        • TACS (Total Access Communications System)
          • UK standard, based on AMPS
          • 900 MHz
        • AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service)
          • US standard
          • 800 MHz
        • MCS
          • NTT: first cellular network in Japan
      • 2G
        • Feature
          • use digital radio transmission for traffic
          • basic GSM uses 900 MHz
          • 1800 MHz
        • GSM (Global System for Mobile communications)
          • Most successful and widely used 2G system
          • TDMA
        • D-AMPS (digital AMPS)
          • US-TDMA, IS-136, or just TDMA
        • CDMA IS-95 (Code-division Multiple Access)
          • Developed by Qualcomm
          • the only 2G CDMA standard so far
          • IS-95 also called cdmaOne (brand name)
        • PDC (Personal Digital Cellular)
          • Frequency bands
            • 800 MHz
            • 1500 MHz
          • Feature
            • physical layer: similar to D-AMPS
            • protocal stack: resembles GSM
          • Only operated in Japan
        • Digital Cordless systems
          • CT2
          • DECT (Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications)
          • PHS (Personal Handyphone System)
      • 2.5G
        • new technologies
          • HSCSD High-speed Circuit-switched Data)
            • allocate 4 time slots for transmisstion (9.6 Kbps or 14.4 x 4)
            • summary
              • Good: software updates to network, and phone; good for real time apps
              • Bad: usage of scarce radio resources
          • GPRS (General Packet Radio Services)
            • up to 115 Kbps
            • packet switched
            • suitable for non real-time apps
            • bursty data is well handled
            • do not guarantee an absolute maximum delay
          • EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution)
            • 3 folds of original GSM speed
            • 8PSK (eight-phase shift keying)
              • GPRS –> EGPRS
              • 384 Kbps maximum
        • IS-136 + (GPRS || EDGE) –> 2.5G
        • Qualcomm
          • CDMA2000 1xRTT
            • IS-95: 14.4 Kbps, 1xRTT: 64 Kbps
            • IS-95 + IS-95B or upgrade CDMA2000 1xRTT –>2.5G
          • HDR (High Data Rate)
            • 2.4 Mbps
            • standardized in IS-856
            • 1xEV-DO (1x Evolved Data Optimized)
              • Add a TDMA component beneath code component
        • PDC-P (NTT DoCoMo)
          • i-mode
    • 3G standard proposals
      • UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System)
        • Done by ETSI SMG (Special Mobile Group)
        • UMTS Forum was created in 1996
      • new technologies
        • WCDMA
          • the bandwidth is 5 MHz or more (144kbps, 384kbps or even 2Mbps
          • network
            • Synchronous
              • CDMA2000
                • compatible with IS-95
                • manufacturer: Qualcomm, Lucent, Motorola
                • use ANSI-41 core network
                • 3GPP2 (less support than 3GPP)
              • good/not good
                • good: effecient radio interface
                • bad: expensive H/W
            • Asynchronous
              • ETSI/ARIB WCDMA
                • most popular 3G system
                • manufacturer: Ericsson, Nokia, NTT DocoMo
                • rename to UTRAN (FDD)
                • based on GSM MAP network
                • 3GPP
          • feature
            • fast power control
            • vary bit rate, service params on frame by frame basis
        • Advanced TDMA
          • UWC-136 only
        • Hybrid CDMA/TDMA
          • Not supported
          • in fact, it likes UTRAN TDD
        • OFDM
          • spectrum: effecient
          • user: DAB, DVB, 802.11a, 802.11g, ADSL
          • TDMA/CDMA possible
          • good
            • bandwidth effecient
            • resistance to
              • narrow band interference
              • multipath interefrence
      • IMT-2000
        • umbrella spec of all 3G systems (origin from ITU)
        • IMT Direct Spread (IMT-DS)
          • UTRA FDD
          • 3GPP
        • IMT Multicarrier (IMT-MC)
          • CDMA2000
          • 3GPP2
        • IMT Time Code (IMT-TC)
          • UTRA-TDD/TD-SCDMA narrowband TDD
          • 3GPP
        • IMT Single Carrier (IMT-SC)
          • UWC-136
        • IMT Frequency Time (IMT-FT)
          • DECT
    • 3GPP
      • an org that develops spec for 3g system based on UTRA radio interface
      • partners
        • ETSI
        • ARIB
        • TTA
        • TTC
        • CWTS(china wireless telecommunications Standard
      • ULTRA
        • FDD
          • vocabs
            • chip: a bit in a code word
            • spreading factor: chip rate / data bit rate
            • spreading code: a sequence of chips used to modulate the data bits
          • up/down use separate freq bands
          • chip rate: 3.84 Mcps
        • TDD
          • NOrmal: 3.84 Mcps
          • TD-SCDMA: 1.28 Mcps
        • channels
          • physical (air interface)
          • transport
            • between layer 1 and 2
            • define how data is sent over the air
          • logical
            • within layer 2
            • define the type of data to be sent
    • 3GPP2
      • should be backward compatible with IS-95

and here’s the Introduction to 3G network in tree view for better reading.