Fourth Generation Cellular Systems:

Spectrum Requirements

Joseph M. Nowack
Member of the Technical Staff
Communication Systems and Technologies Labs
December 6, 2000

1
 What is 4G?

• The simple answer: 4G is the next major generation of mobile cellular

systems, to be deployed around the year 2010
• The multiple choice answer: The “twelve views” of 4G*

Cost User
Higher White
reductio service
bit rates space
n s
Wireles Strict
s generatio
Internet n
Is that your final
answer?
Service Wireles
provider s
s wireline
New air 4G will
Technolog New interfac not
y trends network e exist

2
*
source: CSTL 4G white paper
A View of 4G
• Domain of 4G extends beyond 1G, 2G, and 3G
• > 2 Mbps in a wide-area mobile system (> 20 Mbps peak)
• Could coexist with 2G and 3G
• 4G is not necessarily defined by the bit rate, but by a significant
advance in system capability beyond what can be achieved with 3G

Coverage
Area,
Mobility

Macrocell,
High Mobility

Microcell, 2G
Limited Mobility 3G 4G
P-MP (LMDS)
WLA Milli-wave LAN
Fixed Access
N
Data Rate
64kbps 2Mbps 200Mbps
3
Some Key Challenges

• Coverage
– Transmit power limitations and higher frequencies limit the
achievable cell size
• Capacity
– Current air interfaces have limited peak data rate, capacity,
and packet data capability
• Spectrum
– Location and availability are key issues
– Lower carrier frequencies (< 5 GHz) are best for wide-area
coverage and mobility

4
The Coverage Problem - Carrier Frequency and Data Rate

Increase in the number of cells needed to cover a fixed

geographic area due to an increase in either the system
data rate or carrier frequency.
1000

Carrier Frequency

100

Assumptions: Constant EIRP, constant Rx

antenna gain, no change in diffraction,
Data Rate absorption or other propagation
characteristics. Path loss exponent = 4
10

1
1 10 100 1000
Data Rate or Carrier Frequency Increase Factor

5
Spectrum

• Carrier frequency has a larger impact on cell size than data rate
• In order to enable wide-area coverage, 4G needs “mobile
friendly” spectrum (ideally less than 5 GHz)
– Mobile devices have low transmit power, limited antenna gain, and
predominately non-line-of-sight propagation
• Fixed wireless systems are more easily able to take advantage
of higher carrier frequencies
– No movement -> low Doppler
– Higher transmit power
– Power consumption/heat dissipation less critical
– Line-of-sight more likely
– High-gain, high-elevation antenna

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Broadband Wireless Content
• Successful wireless services are preceded by growth of wired demand
POTS  Mobile Telephony
Dial-up Internet  WAP, Cellular Data
DSL, Cable Data  4G Broadband Wireless

• Content is rapidly expanding to serve the Cable/DSL connected

consumer
– Many sites focused on video delivery of “Broadband” video (typically 300
kbps and faster)
• MovieFlix, VideoSeeker, QTV, Quokka Sports

• Combinations of existing content may be valuable to mobile

information consumers
– Expressway Travel Information – real time web cameras, traffic status and
advisories
– Entertainment Selections – movie trailers, ticket reservation, TV guide,
video-on-demand
– Business Guide – Stock market information, real-time video briefings,
breaking news

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 User Session Traffic Characterization
Web browsing session (TCP) Video Download (UDP)

Packet Data Rate (bytes per second)

18000 8000
16000 7000
Packet Data Rate (bytes per second)

14000 6000
12000
5000
10000
4000
8000
3000
6000
2000
4000
2000 1000

0 0
2800 2820 2840 2860 2880 2900 2920 2940 2960 2980 3000 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700
Time during Session (seconds) Time during Session (seconds)

Internet Telephony Audio – from Client Internet Telephony Audio – to Client

Packet Data Rate (bytes per second)

Packet Data Rate (bytes per second)

2500 2500
2250 2250
2000 2000
1750 1750
1500 1500
1250 1250
1000 1000
750 750
500 500
250 250
0 0
500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700 500 520 540 560 580 600 620 640 660 680 700
Time during Session (seconds) Time during Session (seconds)

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Typical Observations
• 200-second sections of sessions using three applications
• Packet data traffic rates are provided in bytes per second

Browsing the World Wide Web 0 average = 2059 16472

( TCP & HTTP ) • Bursty data traffic
Peak-to-Average Bit Rate Ratio – 8.0 • Acquisition of various sources for a single
Ratio of Download Byte Volume site
To Upstream – 8.8 • Long pauses by user
• TCP upstream packet traffic volume moderate
Video + Audio Download 2853 average = 5232 7166
( UDP & VXtreme™ ) • UDP data uses fewer upstream packets than TCP
• Peak-to-Average data rate ratio low in this trace
Peak-to-Average Bit Rate Ratio – 1.37 • Mainly due to embedded constant bit rate
Ratio of Download Byte Volume (CBR) audio stream of the downloaded sample
To Upstream – 394.8 • Variable bit rates (VBR) are more common
for most video applications

Interactive Internet Telephony 0 average = 1362 2474

( UDP & Internet Phone™ ) • Packet data rates reflect telephone speech patterns
Peak-to-Average Bit Rate Ratio – 1.85 • Remote participant responsible for more speech
Ratio of Download Byte Volume and packet traffic than client in this trace
To Upstream – 1.27 • Byte volumes generally comparable

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4G Concept System

• A demonstration of broadband mobile systems in Schaumburg, Illinois

– A one-directional broadband downlink carrier on DVB-T (WA9XHI)
– A narrowband uplink via a cellular data connection (Sprint CDMA data)
• Proving ground for asymmetric mobile broadband
• Develop application understanding to apply to broadband air interface designs
• Platform to demonstrate custom applications
• Increasing levels of integration
– Phase 1 – Vehicular mobility with a larger off-the-air receiver – May 2000
– Phase 2 – Personal mobility with an integrated laptop receiver – Progressing

Intranet/ Proxy &

Internet Router
Server

Sprint PCS

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4G System Research Areas

Adaptive Broadband
Broadband
Antennas for Air Interface
Implementations
Broadband Research

4G System Design

11
Potential Coverage and Capacity Solutions

Primary Benefit

Improved Coverage Higher Capacity

Asymmetric Data X
Rate
High Power BTS X

Lower Frequency X

Small Cells X X

Adaptive Antennas X X

Advanced Air X X
Interface and Link
Adaptation

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4G Air Interface Characteristics
• Higher bit rates than 3G (20 Mbps < peak < 200 Mbps)
• Higher spectral efficiency and lower cost per bit than 3G
• Air interface and MAC optimized for IP traffic (IPv6, QoS)
– Adaptive modulation/coding with power control, hybrid ARQ
• Smaller cells, on average, than 3G
– However, cell size will be made as large as possible via:
• Asymmetry - used to boost uplink range when necessary
• Adaptive antennas (4 to 8 elements at base station, 2 elements at
terminal)
• Higher frequency band than 3G (below 5 GHz preferred)

• RF channel bandwidths of 20-100 MHz

• OFDM is promising (especially for downlink), but also
investigating other methods

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Closing

• 4G still in a formative stage (commercial 2010)

• Frequency bands less than 5 GHz preferred for wide-area,
mobile services
• 4G system bandwidth between 20 and 100 MHz (paired or
unpaired)
• ITU Working Group 8F beginning to consider the requirements
and spectrum needs
• International 4G spectrum harmonization

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