Content area
Full Text
As 3G testing takes on pivotal role for mobile operators, tools will have tc be based on new and stable radio transmission interfaces
The best-known slogan of the wireless world - 'connecting people' - describes one of the main motivations to deploy third generation (3G) networks. Users want to communicate with others in different formats, independent of time zone and location. This is why second generation (2G) - especially GSM - is so successful. But subscribers also want to be able to use high-capacity data services. This is something that they have so far been unable to do, despite developments in 2G technologies such as wire. less application protocol (WAP). So if customers want to use high levels of data, they are still tied down to location by connecting to the internet through a wire or a short range and weak wireless signal. There is still then a definite need and desire to get away from certain location-dependant services, and this is where 3G takes centre stage.
Technical challenges and solutions
Universal Mobile Telecommunications Services (UMTS) was the first name to be used to describe 3G services, but perhaps a more appropriate term is Wireless personal services.
The technical challenges for enabling wireless personal services have been numerous.
For fast wireless access to be offered it must be reliable and insensitive to interference; and the throughput must be high and scalable.
The technical solutions are the widebandcode division multiple access (W-CDMA) radio interface, the global third generation partnership project (3GPP) standard, global roaming and the evolution of internet protocol (IP) based architectures.
The W-CDMA radio interface has a high data capacity capability that standards such as GSM cannot reach. The interface is based on military technology, which its advocates claim is reliable and free from radio interference.
The architecture of 3G networks allows wireless personal services in several ways. The cost-effective radio network can be built by using relatively simple base stations that can offer high capacity for one operator. The re-use factor allows easy and efficient frequency planning. The three different types of handover assure a smooth and efficient way to transfer connection from one carrier to another.
The transmission systems of the 3GPP standard are based on stable technologies. Firstly there...