Understanding UMTS- Evolutionary Strategies

Release ’99 of the 3GPP specifications for UMTS are sufficient for operators to begin to plan and deploy UMTS networks which consist of the brand new W-CDMA, FDDmode air interface added to the standardised GSM Phase 2+ and GPRS core network. However the further evolution of UMTS will be strongly dependant on future standardisation work, in both 3GPP and in other relevant groups.

The speed of development and the eventual implementation of future specifications will also be immensely dependent on market demands and conditions, since these will determine the support and resources for such development.Amongst the key broad areas in which ongoing specification and standardisation work is likely to impact the future of UMTS, are the following :

1. Upgrades to the core network, in particular beginning the move towards unifying and integrating the packet and circuit-switched domains, and providing the basis for multimedia services, on the basis of IP transport protocols.

2. Further development of service-related architectures, interfaces and procedures, including the continued evolution of CAMEL, USIM, security and fraud protection and the Open Services Architecture.

3. Further specification of the TDD mode of operation at the UMTS air interface. Since TDD spectrum is currently not applicable in Japan, TDD mode is not a priority for Japanese infrastructure and terminal vendors in the short term.

4. Investigation of possible commonalities and harmonisation of UMTS work in 3GPP with cdma2000 development in progress by 3GPP2. This is in line with the ITU concept of a family of 3G standards able to seamlessly interoperate easily. Other important and ongoing harmonisation efforts also include those between the GSM and US TDMA communities.

5. Although not strictly part of “UMTS”, specification of GERAN (GSM/EDGE Radio Access Network) is a development process which now falls under the auspices of 3GPP. EDGE is by no means certain of wide market acceptance and is not a requirement in implementing UMTS.

Although there is a body of opinion which supports the use of EDGE as a technology to fill the coverage gaps between initial islands of UMTS, the existence of EDGE capable handsets and complete GERAN specifications from 3GPP will lag behind the introduction of UMTS, and the first UMTS networks will therefore almost certainly still use GSM alone as the fill-in radio access technology.

Understanding UMTS- Evolutionary Strategies pdf

source : m2vtelecom.blogspot.com