Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) with High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology and its evolution to beyond Third Generation (3G) is becoming the primary global mobile-broadband solution.

Building on the phenomenal success of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the GSM/UMTS ecosystem is becoming the most successful communications technology family ever. UMTS/HSPA, in particular, has many key technical and business advantages over other mobile wireless technologies. Whereas other wireless technologies show great potential on paper, UMTS has global commercial deployments that are providing customers mobile-broadband service today.

Operators worldwide are now deploying High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), one of the most powerful cellular-data technologies ever developed. HSDPA, already widely available, follows the successful deployment of UMTS networks around the world and, for many of these networks, is a relatively straightforward upgrade. Any operator deploying UMTS today is doing so with HSDPA. The UMTS-to-HSPDA upgrade is similar to Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), which has already proven to be a remarkably effective upgrade to GSM networks, and HSPDA is now supported by an overwhelming number of operators and vendors worldwide.

High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) is poised to follow HSDPA, with the combination of the two technologies called simply HSPA. HSPA is strongly positioned to be the dominant mobile-data technology for the rest of the decade.

To leverage operator investments in HSPA, standards bodies are examining a series of enhancements to create “HSPA Evolution,” also referred to as “HSPA+.” HSPA Evolution represents a logical development of the Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) approach, and it is the steppingstone to an entirely new Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) radio platform called 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE). LTE, which uses Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA), should be ready for deployment in the 2009 timeframe. Simultaneously, standards bodies—recognizing the significant worldwide investments in GSM networks—have defined enhancements that will significantly increase EDGE data capabilities through an effort called Evolved EDGE.

Combined with these improvements in radio-access technology, 3GPP has also spearheaded the development of major core-network architecture enhancements such as the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and the Evolved Packet System (EPS) as well as developments in Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC). These developments will facilitate new types of services, the integration of legacy and new networks, the convergence between fixed and wireless systems, and the transition from circuit-switched approaches for voice traffic to a fully packet-switched model.

The result is a balanced portfolio of complementary technologies that covers both radioaccess and core networks, provides operators maximum flexibility in how they enhance their networks over time, and supports both voice and data services.

This paper discusses the evolution of EDGE, HSPA enhancements, 3GPP LTE, the capabilities of these technologies, and their position relative to other primary competing technologies.

Download EDGE, HSPA, LTE: The Mobile Broadband Advantage

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This white paper was written for 3G Americas by Rysavy Research (http://www.rysavy.com) and utilized a composite of statistical information from multiple resources.

The contents of this paper reflect the research, analysis and conclusions of Rysavy Research and may not necessarily represent the comprehensive opinions and individual view points of each particular 3G Americas Board member company.

Rysavy Research provides this document and the information contained herein to you for informational purposes only. Rysavy Research provides this information solely on the basis that you will take responsibility for making your own assessments of the information.

Although Rysavy Research has exercised reasonable care in providing this information to you, Rysavy Research does not warrant that the information is error-free. Rysavy Research disclaims and in no event shall be liable for any losses or damages of any kind, whether direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive arising out of or in any way related to the use of the information.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...................................................................................................... 3
BROADBAND DEVELOPMENTS ................................................................................ 5
WIRELESS DATA MARKET....................................................................................... 8
Trends ................................................................................................................ 8
EDGE/HSPA Deployment...................................................................................... 11
Statistics ........................................................................................................... 12
WIRELESS TECHNOLOGY EVOLUTION AND MIGRATION....................................... 12
Technical Approaches (TDMA, CDMA, OFDMA) ........................................................ 13
3GPP Evolutionary Approach ................................................................................ 14
Spectrum .......................................................................................................... 17
Core-Network Evolution....................................................................................... 18
Service Evolution................................................................................................ 19
Broadband-Wireless Deployment Considerations ..................................................... 20
Feature and Network Roadmap............................................................................. 21
COMPETING TECHNOLOGIES................................................................................ 24
CDMA2000 ........................................................................................................ 24
WiMAX.............................................................................................................. 27
Flash OFDM ....................................................................................................... 30
IEEE 802.20....................................................................................................... 30
Wi-Fi and Municipal Wi-Fi Systems ........................................................................ 31
Market Fit.......................................................................................................... 31
COMPARISON OF WIRELESS TECHNOLOGIES....................................................... 33
Data Throughput ................................................................................................ 33
HSDPA Throughput in Representative Scenarios...................................................... 36
Release 99 and HSUPA Uplink Performance ............................................................ 39
Latency............................................................................................................. 41
Spectral Efficiency .............................................................................................. 42
Cost and Volume Comparison............................................................................... 47
Competitive Summary......................................................................................... 49
CONCLUSION........................................................................................................ 50
APPENDIX: TECHNOLOGY DETAILS ...................................................................... 52
EDGE................................................................................................................ 52
Evolved EDGE .................................................................................................... 58
UMTS/HSPA Technology ...................................................................................... 66
UMTS Release 99 Data Capabilities........................................................................ 67
HSDPA.............................................................................................................. 68
HSUPA .............................................................................................................. 73
Evolution of HSPA (HSPA+).................................................................................. 74
HSPA VoIP......................................................................................................... 79
3GPP LTE .......................................................................................................... 80
4G and IMT-Advanced ......................................................................................... 83
UMTS TDD......................................................................................................... 84
TD-SCDMA ........................................................................................................ 85
IMS .................................................................................................................. 85
Broadcast/Multicast Services ................................................................................ 86
EPS .................................................................................................................. 87
ACRONYMS........................................................................................................... 89
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ................................................................................ 93
REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 93

Visit 3G Americas, LLC Website

Founded in January 2002, 3G Americas, LLC unites mobile operators and manufacturers in the Americas to provide a single voice to represent the GSM family of wireless technologies – GSM, GPRS, EDGE, and UMTS/HSDPA.

The founding members of 3G Americas wanted a single organization that could globally address the converged operator networks and their seamless evolution to future generations. This marks a significant milestone for the advancement of the GSM family of technologies and ensures a smooth transition to Third Generation (3G) services in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean, where a growing number of leading operators are committed to the GSM/GPRS/EDGE and UMTS/HSDPA technology migration.

The mission of 3G Americas is to promote and facilitate the seamless deployment throughout the Americas of GSM and its evolution to 3G and beyond. 3G Americas is committed to working with regulatory bodies, technical standards bodies, and other global wireless organizations to promote truly seamless interoperability and convergence. These relationships include Market Representation Partner for 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project), membership in CITEL (Inter-American Telecommunications Commission), collaborative working agreements with the GSM Association, UMTS Forum, and ASETA (Association of Telecommunications Enterprises of the Andean Community).

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