What is 3G or Wideband Digital Cellular System

The 3rd generation wireless requirements are defined in the International Mobile Telecommunications “IMT-2000” project developed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). The IMT-2000 project that defined requirements for high-speed data transmission, Internet Protocol (IP)-based services, global roaming, and multimedia communications. After many communication proposals were reviewed, two global systems are emerging; wideband code division multiple access (WCDMA) and CDMA2000.

Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA)

WCDMA is a 3rd generation digital cellular system that uses radio channels that have a wider bandwidth than 2nd generation digital cellular systems such as GSM or IS-95 CDMA. WCDMA is normally deployed in a 5 MHz channel plan.

The Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) oversees the creation of industry standards for the 3rd generation of mobile wireless communication systems (WCDMA). The key members of the 3GPP include standards agencies from Japan, Europe, Korea, China and the United States. The 3GPP technology, also known as the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS), is based on an evolved GSM core network that contains 2.5G elements, namely GPRS switching nodes. This concept allows a GSM network operator to migrate to WCDMA by adding the necessary 3G radio elements to their existing network, thus creating ‘islands’ of 3G coverage when the networks first launch.

A large number of GSM operators have secured spectrum for WCDMA and many network launches are imminent, with live networks presently in Japan, the United Kingdom and Italy.

Code Division Multiple Access 2000 (CDMA2000)

CDMA2000 is a family of standards that represent an evolution from the IS- 95 code division multiple access (CDMA) system that offer enhanced packet transmission protocols to provide for advanced high-speed data services. The CDMA2000 technologies operate in the same 1.25 MHz radio channels as used by IS-95 and offer backward compatibility with IS-95.

The CDMA2000 system is overseen by the Third Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2). The 3GPP2 is a standards setting project that is focused on developing global specifications for 3rd generation systems that use ANSI/TIA/EIA-41 Cellular Radio Intersystem Signaling.

Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA)

On a global basis it likely that WCDMA and CDMA2000^TM will dominate the 3G market, however in China there is growing support for a homegrown standard known as Time Division Synchronous CDMA (TD-SCDMA). TDSCDMA offers voice services and data services, both circuit-switched and packet-switched, at rates up to 2 Mbps. It uses a Time Division Duplex (TDD) technique in which transmit and receive signals are sent on the same frequency but at different times. The timeslots on the radio carrier can either be allocated symmetrically for services such as speech or asymmetrically for data services where the bit rates in the two directions of transmission may differ significantly.

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Upgraded Digital Cellular System (Generation 2.5)

The types of upgraded 2nd generation digital cellular systems (generation 2.5) include GPRS, EDGE, and CDMA2000^TM , 1xRTT.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a portion of the GSM specification that allows packet radio service on the GSM system. The GPRS system adds (defines) new packet channels and switching nodes within the GSM system. The GPRS system provides for theoretical data transmission rates up to 172 kbps.

Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE)

Enhanced Data Rates for global Evolution (EDGE) is an evolved version of the global system for mobile (GSM) radio channel that uses new phase modulation and packet transmission to provide for advanced high-speed data services. The EDGE system uses 8 levels Phase Shift Keying (8PSK) to allow one symbol change to represent 3 bits of information. This is 3 times the amount of information that is transferred by a standard 2 level Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK) signal used by the first generation of GSM system. This results in a radio channel data transmission rate of 604.8 kbps and a net maximum delivered theoretical data transmission rate of 384 kbps. The advanced packet transmission control system allows for constantly varying data transmission rates in either direction between mobile radios.

CDMA2000™, 1xRTT

CDMA2000^TM is a 3G standard that allows operators to evolve from their existing IS-95 networks to offer 3G services. The original CDMA2000^TM proposal contained two distinct evolutionary phases, the first known as 1xRTT used the same 1.25 MHz channels as IS-95 but delivered increased capacity and data rates compared to IS-95. The second phase was known as 3xRTT that uses three times the spectrum of IS-95, that is 3.75 MHz. The 3xRTT concept would deliver data rates up to 2 Mbps, a requirement for any 3G technologies. However recent evolutions of 1xRTT are offering data rates in excess of this and therefore it is unlikely that 3xRTT is required.

By the middle of 2003 there were a total of 60 commercial 1xRTT networks offering service.

Evolution Data Only (1xEVDO)

The evolution of existing systems for data only (1xEVDO) is an evolved version of the CDMA2000^TM 1xRTT system. The 1xEVDO system uses the same 1.25 MHz radio channel bandwidth as the existing IS-95 system that provides for multiple voice channels and medium rate data services. The 1xEVDO version changes the modulation technology to allow for data transmission rates up to 2.5 Mbps. The 1xEVDO system has an upgraded packet data transmission control system that is allows for bursty data transmission rather than for more continuous voice data transmission.

Evolution Data and Voice (1xEVDV)

The evolution of existing systems for data and voice (1xEVDV) is an evolved version of the CDMA2000^TM 1xRTT system that can be used for data and voice service. The 1xEVDV system provides for both voice and high-speed data transmission services in the same 1.25 MHz radio channel bandwidth as the existing IS-95 system. The 1xEVDV Vision allows for a maximum data transmission rate of approximately 2.7 Mbps.

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What is Code Division Multiple Access (IS-95 CDMA)

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system (IS 95) is a digital cellular system that uses CDMA access technology. IS-95 technology was initially developed by Qualcomm in the late 1980’s. CDMA cellular service began testing in the United States in San Diego, California during 1991. In 1995, IS-95 CDMA commercial service began in Hong Kong and now many CDMA systems are operating throughout the world, including a 1.9 GHz all-digital system in the USA that has been operating since November 1996 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 1: CDMA Tower

Spread spectrum radio technology has been used for many years in military applications. CDMA is a particular form of spread spectrum radio technology. In 1989, CDMA spread spectrum technology was presented to the industry standards committee but it did not meet with immediate approval. The standards committee had just resolved a two-year debate between TDMA and FDMA and was not eager to consider another access technology.

The IS-95 CDMA system allows for voice or data communications on either a 30 kHz AMPS radio channel (when used on the 800 MHz cellular band) or a new 1.25 MHz CDMA radio channel. The IS-95 CDMA radio channel allows multiple mobile telephones to communicate on the same frequency at the same time by special coding of their radio signals.

CDMA radio channels carry control, voice, and data signals simultaneously by dividing a single traffic channel (TCH) into different sub-channels. Each of these channels is identified by a unique code. When operating on a CDMA radio channel, each user is assigned to a code for transmission and reception. Some codes in the TCH transfer control channel information, and some transfer voice channel information.

The control channel that is part of a digital traffic channel on a CDMA system has new advanced features. This digital control channel (DCC) carries system and paging information, and coordinates access similar to the analog control channel (ACC). The DCC has many more capabilities than the ACC such as a precision synchronization signal, extended sleep mode, and others. Because each CDMA radio channel has many codes, more than one control channel can exist on a single CDMA radio channel and the CDMA control channels co-exist with other coded channels that are used for voice.

The IS-95 CDMA cellular system has several key attributes that are different from other cellular systems. The same CDMA radio carrier frequencies may be optionally used in adjacent cell sites, which eliminates the need for frequency planning, the wide-band radio channel provides less severe fading, which the inventors claim results in consistent quality voice transmission under varying radio signal conditions. The CDMA system is compatible with the established access technology, and it allows analog (EIA-553) and dual mode (IS-95) subscribers to use the same analog control channels. Some of the voice channels are replaced by CDMA digital transmissions, allowing several users to be multiplexed (shared) on a single RF channel. As with other digital technologies, CDMA produces capacity expansion by allowing multiple users to share a single digital RF channel.

The IS-95 CDMA radio channel divides the radio spectrum into wide 1.25 MHz digital radio channels. CDMA radio channels differ from those of other technologies in that CDMA multiplies (and therefore spreads the spectrum bandwidth of) each signal with a unique pseudo-random noise (PN) code that identifies each user within a radio channel. CDMA transmits digitized voice and control signals on the same frequency band. Each CDMA radio channel contains the signals of many ongoing calls (voice channels) together with pilot, synchronization, paging, and access (control) channels. Digital mobile telephones select the signal they are receiving by correlating (matching) the received signal with the proper PN sequence. The correlation enhances the power level of the selected signal and leaves others unenhanced.

Each IS-95 CDMA radio channel is divided into 64 separate logical (PN coded) channels. A few of these channels are used for control, and the remainders carry voice information and data. Because CDMA transmits digital information combined with unique codes, each logical channel can transfer data at different rates (e.g. 4800 b/s, 9600 b/s).

CDMA systems use a maximum of 64 coded (logical) traffic channels, but they cannot always use all of these. A CDMA radio channel of 64 traffic channels can transmit at a maximum information throughput rate of approximately 192 kbps [14], so the combined data throughput for all users cannot exceed 192 kbps. To obtain a maximum of 64 communication channels for each CDMA radio channel, the average data rate for each user should approximate 3 kbps. If the average data rate is higher, less than 64 traffic channels can be used. CDMA systems can vary the data rate for each user dependent on voice activity (variable rate speech coding), thereby decreasing the average number of bits per user to about 3.8 kbps [15]). Varying the data rate according to user requirement allows more users to share the radio channel, but with slightly reduced voice quality. This is called soft capacity limit.

In 1997 the CDMA Development Group (CDG) registered the trademark cdmaOne ^TM as a label to identify second-generation digital systems based on the IS-95 standard and related technologies.

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