The Evolution of Wireless Technology & 4G

Michael Stahr6/28/2012

• How we use our wireless/mobile devices

• Evolution of wireless technology

• What is “4G”

• Technology associated with 4G

• The Network Lifecycle and how it affects TEK

Agenda

How we use our wireless/mobile devices

• 87% of the world has a mobile subscription (roughly 6.10 billion people)

• 17% of the world has a mobile broadband subscription (roughly 1.19 billion people)

• Mobile broadband subscriptions have grown over 45% over the last 4 years

• Mobile broadband subscriptions outnumber fixed broadband subscriptions 2:1

• Roughly 45% of the world is covered by a 3G mobile network

(ITU Statistics & Data Division 2011)

Wireless Carriers• Verizon Wireless : 93.2 million subscribers

• AT&T : 92.8 million subscribers

• Sprint : 47.8 million subscribers

• T-mobile : 30 million subscribers

• U.S. Cellular : 6.14 million subscribers

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015$0.00

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Global Capital Expenditures by Wireless Carriers for 4G Infrastructure Gear (Billions of US Dollars)

Evolution of wireless technology (1G-4G)

•1G : 1979-1990

•2G : 1990-2001

•3G : 2001-present

•4G : Evolving

1G• 1st generation of wireless

mobile telecommunication.

• First launched in Japan by NTT in the metro area of Tokyo in 1979.

• Radio signals were analog rather then today's digital signals.

2G

• 2nd generation of wireless mobile telecommunication.

• Radio signals are now digital.

• 2G technology introduced us to data services for mobile, starting with text messages.

• After 2G was launched, the previous mobile phone technology was retrospectively dubbed “1G” starting the trend we have seen continued today.

3G• 3rd generation of wireless

mobile telecommunication

• 3G standards set forth by ITU-R specify 3G as data rates at 200 kilobit per second

• Building off the data rates, these phones also allow for mobile broadband access of several megabits per second.

• 4th generation of mobile telecommunication

• Provides mobile ultra-broadband internet access to laptops with USB wireless modems, smart phones, & other mobile devices

• Applications include mobile web access, VoIP, & HD mobile TV

• 3 4G candidate systems: HSPA+, WiMax, LTE

What is 4G?

TechnologyHSPA+: “Evolved High Speed Packet Access”•Advertised as 4G by some wireless carriers• ITU-R included it under the 4G definition

umbrella, but is really only seen as an upgrade to 3G GSM technology

• Think of this technology as a bridge between 3G & 4G technologies

• Still uses the old interface and standards implemented years ago for 3G & lacks the response time of LTE & WiMax

•Carriers: AT&T, T-mobile

Technology

WiMax: “Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access”

• ITU-approved 4G mobile broadband technology

•Wireless communication standard designed to provide 30-40 megabit per second data rates.

•Up to 1 Gigabit per second for fixed stations

•Offers metro area signal radius of about 50 Km, compared to 30 meters for Wi-Fi

•Carriers: Sprint

Technology

LTE: “Long Term Evolution”• ITU-approved 4G mobile broadband

technology•Wireless communication standard

developed by the 3GPP•Designed to provide up to 10x the speed

of 3G for mobile devices•Carriers: Verizon & AT&T

Impacts on

RF Design

Site Acquisition

Site Development

Transportation Facility

Development

Equipment Installation

IntegrationRF Tuning

Quality Assurance

RF Performance & Optimization

Maintenance

Capacity Planning

NETWORK

LIFECYCLE

RF Design

•RF Engineer determines coverage needed through a drive test. Decided coverage needed is called a search ring.

•Skill sets – RF Engineers Drive Testers

Site Acquisition

•Search ring information used to acquire real estate for cell site, choosing the proper real estate, or deciding to rent property on an existing site.

•Skill sets – Co-location specialists Site acquisition consultants

Site Development

•Zoning and leasing. Construction of cell site includes pour concrete base, erect tower, power and backhaul.

•Skill sets – Cell site construction PM’s LTE Integration field tech

Transportation Facility Development•The transport network is designed for the

new or updated wireless network. This includes use of backhaul connections (T1, fiber, or microwave) and the transport equipment needed to support this network at the MTSO

•Skill sets – Switch engineers Switch tech

DACS engineers

Equipment Installation

• Install the BTS at the cell site, install core switch and access equipment at MTSO. Test all hardware to make sure it is connected properly, and load software.

•Skill sets – BTS installers Switch engineers BTS engineers

Integration

• Integrating new BTS into RNC is completed by cell site tech at the site and remote switch tech loading scripts from the RNC and sending to new BTS. Result is new BTS is now connected to the network and is operational.

•Skill sets – Cell site tech Switch tech

RF Tuning

•Weeks prior to launching network, RF generates signal to check how network responds. Any issues are addressed and network is fine tuned. Parameters are altered, power settings changed, hardware settings are changed on site.

•Skill sets – RAN engineers RF engineers Field crews

Quality Assurance

•Audit of cell site will uncover major and minor problems in the installation. These audits are performed on around 20% of cell sites.

•Skill sets – Quality assurance analysts

RF Performance/Optimization•Post network launch. Drive test teams

collect live data of network performance. Issues are identified such as; signals may overlap, gaps in coverage, bad “hand offs” between technologies.

•Skill sets – RF engineers Drive testers RAN engineers

Maintenance

•Maintenance of equipment and facilities. Responding to tickets issued by the networks field operations team.

•Skill sets – Cell site techs

Capacity Planning

•Capacity planning of next generation technologies. Also analysis of existing coverage; e.g. this is the traffic we have, and this is the signal we are offering. Look at volume of calls and see if there is a gap.

•Skill sets – Network engineers