Third-Generation Mobile Networks
The development of third-generation (3G) mobile systems began
when the World Administrative Radio Conference (WARC) at its 1992 meeting
identified the frequencies around 2 GHz that were available. ITU (International
Telecommunications Union) has recommended several different air interfaces for
third-generation systems, based on either CDMA or TDMA technology. The IMT-2000
standards that define 3G air interfaces are as follows:
-
WCDMA— Wideband code division
multiple access will be deployed in the Europe and Asia in the 2-GHz frequency
spectrum.
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EDGE— Enhanced data rates for
GSM evolution improves the spectral efficiency of the existing GSM
frequencies.
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1XRTT or cdma2000— This is a
multicarrier CDMA system that is designed to be deployed in the same frequency
band as IS-95.
The Universal Mobile Telephony System (UMTS) is a
third-generation mobile system. Standardization of UMTS has been done in the
third-generation partnership project (3GPP) organization. UMTS is the
evolution of second-generation GSM systems. The biggest change from
second-generation to third-generation systems is that 3G systems will offer
support for packet data services. 3G networks are expected to become extensions
of the Internet and thereby enable the creation of the wireless Internet. With
support for packet data built into the air interface as well as the core
network, new types of applications and services for the mobile industry are
expected to be developed. 3GPP2 is equivalent to the 3GPP organization and has
developed an architecture based around cdma2000.
Third-generation mobile networks are in the process of being
deployed now. Operators in Korea and Japan have taken the lead with these
deployments. In the United States, cdma2000-based networks are now operational.
Docomo in Japan is the first network operator to deploy WCDMA in a network known
as FOMA (Freedom of Mobile Multimedia Access).
Descriptions of cdma2000 and UMTS networks are covered in
Chapters 9 and 10.
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