4G and its Evolution

Technology and Specifications of 4G

White Paper
Mahesh G
4G Mobile Communications
 4G Technology and Specifications

About the Author

The document is written by
Mahesh G
Emp No. 256325
Q BMG-MNT-ARL
Tata Consultancy Services
Tidel Park,
No 4, Rajiv Gandhi Salai,
Taramani,
Chennai – 600 113
India
Email: mahesh4.g@tcs.com
Telephone: 04466163579

About the Domain

Though many technologies currently available for wired and wireless, The 4G concept
supports the provisioning of multiple types of services, ranging from simple network
access to complex multimedia virtual reality, including voice communication services,
which are themselves a challenge in packet-based mobile communications environments.
4G mobile data transmission rates are planned to be up to 100 megabits per second on the
move and 1000gigbits per second stationary, this is a phenomenal amount of bandwidth,
only comparable to the bandwidth workstations get connected directly to a LAN. The
intent of this paper is to describe about 4G, its architecture, specifications, and the
technology. This paper also overviews technical physical layer and medium access layer
features, further developments and threats of the 4G, Higher layer issues in 4G. Next, the
features of the wireless broadband networks are compared and a conclusion is drawn.

Confidential 2
 4G Technology and Specifications

CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION
2. 4G AND ITS FEATURES
3. 4G INITIATIVE
4. 4G AND ITS CHALLENGES
5. 4G NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
• THE GENERIC 4G MOBILE NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
• IPV6 4G NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
• INTELLIGENT MEDIATION ARCHITECTURE FOR 4G
• CROSS LAYER CYLINDER APPROACH
6. BUSINESS MODEL OF 4G NETWORKS
7. 4G NETWORK SPECIFICATIONS
• PHYSICAL AND MAC LAYER
• CHANELL ACCESS
• ERROR CONTROL CODING
• OFDM
8. HIGHER LAYER ISSUES IN 4G
• MOBILITY MANAGEMENT
• CONGESTION CONTROL
• QUALITY OF SERVICE
9. BENEFITS
10. 4G VS OTHER TECHNOLOGIES
6. CONCLUSIONS
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
8. REFERENCES

Confidential 3
 4G Technology and Specifications

Introduction

At the end of the 1940’s, the first radio telephone service was introduced, and was
designed to users in cars to the public land-line based telephone network. Then, in
the 60’s, a system launched by Bell Systems, called IMTS, or, “Improved Mobile
Telephone Service", brought quite a few improvements such as direct dialing and
more bandwidth. The very first analog systems were based upon IMTS and were
created in the late 60s and early 70s. The systems were called "cellular" because
large coverage areas were split into smaller areas or "cells", each cell is served by a
low power transmitter and receiver.

The 1G or First Generation

1G was an analog system, and was developed in the 70’s, 1G had two major
improvements, this was the invention of the microprocessor, and the digital
transform of the control link between the phone and the cell site.
1G analog system for mobile communications saw two key improvements during the
1970s: the invention of the microprocessor and the digitization of the control link
between the mobile phone and the cell site. Advance mobile phone system (AMPS)
was first launched by the US and is a 1G mobile system. Based on FDMA, it allows
users to make voice calls in 1 country

2G, or Second Generation

2G first appeared around the end of the 1980’s, the 2G system digitized the voice
signal, as well as the control link. This new digital system gave a lot better quality
and much more capacity (i.e. more people could use their phones at the same time),
all at a lower cost to the end consumer. Based on TDMA, the first commercial
network for use by the public was the Global system for mobile communication
(GSM).

3G or Third Generation

3G systems promise faster communications services, entailing voice, facsimile and

Internet data transfer capabilities. The aim of 3G is to provide these services
anytime, anywhere throughout the globe, with seamless roaming between standards.
ITU’s IMT-2000 is a global standard for 3G and has opened new doors to enabling
innovative services and application for instance, multimedia entertainment, and
location-based services, as well as a whole lot more. In 2001, Japan saw the first 3G
network launched.3G technology supports around 144 Kbps, with high speed
movement, i.e. in a vehicle. 384 Kbps locally, and up to 2Mbps for fixed stations, i.e.
in a building.

4G or Forth Generation For

1 and 2G standards, bandwidth maximum is 9.6 Kbit/sec, this is approximately 6
times slower than an ISDN (Integrated services digital network). Rates did increase
by a factor of 3 with newer handsets to 28.8kbps. This is rarely the speed though, as
in crowded areas, when the network is busy, rates do drop dramatically.

Third generation mobile, data rates are 384 kbps (download) maximum, typically
around 200kbps, and 64kbps upload. These are comparable to home broadband
connections.

Confidential 4
 4G Technology and Specifications

Fourth generation mobile communications will have higher data transmission rates
than 3G. 4G mobile data transmission rates are planned to be up to 100 megabits
per second on the move and 1000gigbits per second stationary, this is a phenomenal
amount of bandwidth, only comparable to the bandwidth workstations get connected
directly to a LAN.
To understand 4G, we need to know about 3G. So how did 3G
start? The idea didn’t come from network operators, but from device manufactures.
In 1996 Nippon Telephone & Telegraph (NTT) and Ericsson started development of
3G; then in 1997 in the USA the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association)
chose CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) as a technology for 3G; and then in
1998 the ETSI (European telecommunications Standards Institute) also chose CDMA;
in the end, in 1998 wideband CDMA or W-CDMA and cdma2000 were decided for the
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).
The two major radio standards used for 3G are W-CDMA
(wideband code division multiple access), and CDMA2000. W-CDMA is used in
Europe, where CDMA2000 is used in the USA. In CDMA, one signal carries the data,
this is then multiplied with a signal with a faster rate, that his more bandwidth, it
uses TDM (Time Division Multiplexing). CDMA200 uses CDM (common code division
multiplexing). Now we need to discuss the different access technologies,
these are FDMA, TDMA and CDMA.

The most common analog system is FDMA, or, Frequency Division Multiple Access. It
is a method where the spectrum is cut up into different frequencies and then this
chunk given to the users. At one time only one user is assigned to a frequency.
Because of this the frequency is closed, until the call is ended, or it is passed on to
another frequency. For a proper call to take place, two frequencies are needed, one
for sending and one for receiving, FDMA has been used for first generation analog
systems only, this is due to the large bandwidth wastage highlighted above.

TDMA or Time Division Multiple Access makes use of the whole available spectrum,
unlike FDMA. Instead of splitting the slots by frequency, it splits them by time, over
all of the frequency. Each subscriber is given a time slot, as opposed to a frequency.
Therefore many uses can sit on one frequency, and have different time slots,
because the time slots are switched so rapidly, it seems like the channel is
permanently connected. TDMA is used for 2G networks.

CDMA or Code Division Multiple Access uses the spread spectrum method, the way it
works means it’s highly encrypted, so it’s no surprise it was developed and used by
the military. Unlike FDMA, CDMA allows the user to sit on all of the available
frequencies at the same time, and hop between then. Each call is identified by its
unique code, hence the term Code Division. CDMA is very bandwidth efficient. It also
allows for soft hand off, meaning it can communicate with more than one base
station at any one time, very handy isn’t it? No wonder it was chosen for 3G.

Confidential 5
 4G Technology and Specifications

Evolution of the mobile value chain towards 4G.

Onto 4G...

F ourth (4G) generation mobile communication systems tend to mean different

things to different people: for some it is merely a higher-capacity (e.g., 100 Mb/s)
new radio interface, while for others it is an interworking of cellular and wireless LAN
technologies that employs a variant of the Mobile IPv6 mobility management protocol
(e.g., Hierarchical Mobile IPv6) for inter-system handoff and IETF AAA technologies
for seamless roaming.
This now widely accepted vision sketches a heterogeneous network infrastructure
comprising different wireless access systems (e.g., GSM/GPRS, UMTS, DVB-T, HAPS,
WLAN) in a complementary manner, where the user, supported by his/her personal
intelligent agent(s), enjoys untethered connectivity and ubiquitous access to
applications over the most efficient combination of available systems.

Confidential 6
 4G Technology and Specifications
Availability of the network services anywhere, at anytime, can be one of the key
factors that attract individuals and institutions to the new network infrastructures,
stimulate the development of telecommunications, and propel economies. This bold
idea has already made its way into the telecommunication community bringing new
requirements for network design, and envisioning a change of the current model of
providing services to customers. The emerging new communications paradigm
assumes a user to be able to access services independently of her or his location, in
an almost transparent way, with the terminal being able to pick the preferred access
technology at current location (ad-hoc, wired, wireless LAN, or cellular), and
move between technologies seamlessly i.e. without noticeable disruption.
Unified, secure, multi-service, and multiple-operator network architectures are
available in 4G networks. The 4G concept supports the provisioning of multiple types
of services, ranging from simple network access to complex multimedia virtual
reality, including voice communication services, which are themselves a challenge in
packet-based mobile communications environments.
Due to the heterogeneity of the access technologies, the Internet Protocol version 6
(IPv6) is being targeted as the common denominator across multiple access
technologies, and make the solution basically independent of the underlying
technology - and therefore future-proof. However, fitting such important concepts as
support for Quality of Service (QoS), Authentication, Authorisation, Accounting and
Charging (AAAC) and mobility into the native Internet architecture poses numerous
difficulties and is a real challenge.
Therefore, the primary target of this paper is to present a solution for QoS support in
mobile environments1. In order to do so, we make frequent references to the
problem of integration of QoS, AAAC and mobility. In the course of the paper we
discuss the methods that let us create and exploit the intrinsic associations between
the service level agreements expressed in user profiles, and the network control
mechanisms capable to monitor network usage per service and per user, in order to
provide these services while the user moves and the terminal changes access
technologies. The proposed architecture supports network services, in a secure and
auditable way. Both user-to-network interfaces and inter-operator interfaces are
defined, so that multiple service providers can interoperate. The architecture is able
to support multimedia services, and has been further optimized for voice services.
Voice services are now among the most demanding in terms of network design,
imposing hard limits on network performance. In order to handle these services we
will use the Expedited Forward (EF) concept of the differentiated services framework.

4G will provide unconceivable amounts of bandwidth to the palm of a user. Matching

current Local Area Network speeds, 4G networks will provide 100MBps on the move.
This is enough for studio quality video, multi channel surround sound and much
more. 4G will be based on OFDM – the next generation in access technologies (read
the technical section for more info on OFDM),
4G will change the way we work, live and play. Cheap end user costs, fast, always
on, reliable connectivity, where ever you are, whatever you’re doing. Some people
view 3G as a stop gap until the real 4G network arrives, something which is due
around 2010, and will impact every one, everywhere…

Confidential 7
 4G Technology and Specifications
Features of 4G Wireless Systems

1. Personalization: The operator may send the data to the user depending on his
preference or the data can be filtered at the user end depending upon his
requirement.

2. User friendly: Due to the design in transparency in the design user can utilize the
service properly.

3. Heterogeneity: Ubiquitous connection can be experienced with network

heterogeneity. Terminal Heterogeneity supports different types of terminals in terms
of size, portability, Complexity.

4. High Usability: The technology will support the end users anytime and anywhere.

5. Transmission cost of various multimedia services at a very low cost.

6. Support interactive multimedia, voice, video, wireless internet and other

broadband services.

7. High speed, high capacity and low cost per bit.

8. Global mobility, service portability, scalable mobile networks.

9. Seamless switching, variety of services based on Quality of Service (QoS)

requirements

10. Better scheduling and call admission control techniques.

11. Ad hoc networks and multi-hop networks.

12. Mobility of users across multiple terminals.

13. Mobility of terminals across multiple technologies.
14. Confidentiality both of user traffic and of the network control information.

Confidential 8
 4G Technology and Specifications
Global 4G Open Mobile Initiatives

The mobile race to innovate includes the following innovations:

1. The mobile communications comprise two steps:

Access to the mobile network and Access to the mobile services. Traditionally,
these two steps are all controlled by one operator in a closed and proprietary
way. In the 4G mobile era, the access to the mobile services will be evolved
to an open Mobile Cloud so that it is fully open to any developers and
providers. In this way, any non-wireless industries, such as Google, Microsoft,
Oracle, SAP, GM, and Bank of America can provide services for their mobile
users. The access to the mobile network is still controlled by the traditional
wireless operators such as AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile and China Mobile.
2. The mobile device system architecture will be open in order to converge
multiple RTTs (radio transmission technologies) in one same device. Same as
laptop computer, the future Smartphone will be based on open wireless
architecture (OWA) technology which means, when you change the wireless
standards, you do not need to change phone. It is totally different from
current multi-standards phone which is in closed system architecture, and
users can not remove the unused RTT modules and basically cannot do
anything on the mobile phone system. In the OWA system, you can just
change RTT card in your Smartphone to switch your wireless standards, or
you can integrate multiple wireless standards in one RTT SIM card. Based on
this OWA platform, you can integrate home phone, office phone and mobile
phone into one common Personal device - it is more beyond just a phone. In
fact, this 4G mobile device is a system to bring the world to your hand, or we
call it iHand - the World in Hand, which is better than calling it an iPhone.
3. Any portable consumer electronics device can be a mobile phone by inserting
the OWA-powered mobile RTT(s) card. This approach truly is converging the
mobile wireless technology with the computer technology by providing the
OWA virtualization layer between the high-layer computer-based OS
(operating systems) & applications solutions and the underlying wireless
transmission-based different mobile networks access means.
4. More breakthrough technologies are being developed for efficient utilization of
wireless spectrum, and the dynamic and open spectrum management.
Wireless is totally different from wired communications, and therefore the
overall performance relies on both system performance and transmission
performance where spectrum is one of the key issues.
5. Power efficiency is another critical issue for mobile device. The system
architecture must be open to enable removable of unused modules, and the
processing architecture must be optimized to the lowest possible in terms of
the whole system performance. Meanwhile, the RF radio modules should be
narrowed to the minimal meeting the basic requirements of necessary RTTs.

Confidential 9
 4G Technology and Specifications

4G Challenges and Solutions

1. Multi-access interface, timing and recovery.

2. Higher frequency reuse leads to smaller cells that may cause intra-cell
interference or higher noise figures due to reduced power levels.

3. The Digital to analog conversions at high data rates, multiuser detection and
estimation (at base stations), smart antennas and complex error control techniques
as well dynamic routing will need sophisticated signal processing.

4. Issues in the interface with the ad hoc networks should be sorted out.4G systems
are expected to interact with other networks like the Bluetooth, hiperlan,
IEE802.11b, etc.

5. Voice over multi-hop networks is likely to be an interesting problem because of the

strict delay requirements of voice.

6. Security will be an important issue.

7. A new IP protocol might be needed because of the variable QoS services and the
network should do “better than best “effort.

8. Networking protocols that adapt dynamically to the changing channel conditions.

9. Seamless roaming and seamless transfer of services.

10 Designing a single user terminal to operate in various networks and to overcome

some limitations like size of the device. A software radio can be used to make sure
that the terminal will work in all networks.

11 Terminal Mobility: To locate and update the locations of various terminals. Here
we can use signaling schemes and the faster handoff's can be used to achieve
terminal mobility.

12 Due to the heterogeneity in the network the security issues will be a challenge to
maintain. By implementing security handoff we can improve the security features of
the network.

13 Using tree like topologies in the network to minimize the failures in the network.
We can use failure reduction protocols to correct the failures in the network.

14 Implementing borderless mobility to end users without modifying the servers in

the heterogeneous system, by proposing personnel mobility frames we can
implement seamless mobility.

Confidential 10
 4G Technology and Specifications
4G Network Architecture

The generic 4G mobile network architecture

The architecture consists of common core Network, which in turn is connected to

different other wired and wireless networks.
It’s connected to PSTN (public switched telephone network) ISDN (Integrated Services
Digital Network) through GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node). GGSN is a main
component of the GPRS network. The GGSN is responsible for the interworking between
the GPRS network and external packet switched networks, like the Internet and X.25
networks.
It’s connected to 2G through SGSN to BTS via BSC (Business systems connection).
SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) is responsible for the delivery of data packets from
and to the mobile stations within its geographical service area.BTS (base transreceiver
station) is a piece of equipment that facilitates wireless communication between user
equipment (UE) and a network.
It’s connected to 3g through SGSN to Node B via RNC. The Radio Access Network
consists of new network elements, known as Node B and Radio Network Controllers
(RNCs). Node B is comparable to the Base Transceiver Station in 2G wireless
networks. RNC replaces the Base Station Controller,
and also connected to different networks like WLAN access networks, Ad-hoc/PAN
Mobile Networks and protocols like SIP(The Session Initiation Protocol) is a signaling
protocol, widely used for setting up and tearing down multimedia communication
sessions such as voice and video calls over the Internet.

Confidential 11
 4G Technology and Specifications

IPv6 4G NETWORK ARCHITECTURE

The 4G architecture discussed here is IPv6-based, supporting seamless mobility
between different access technologies. Mobility is a substantial problem in such
environment, because inter-technology handovers have to be supported. Here, we
used Ethernet (802.3) for wired access; Wi-Fi (802.11b) for wireless LAN access; and
W-CDMA - the radio interface of UMTS - for cellular access. With this diversity,
mobility cannot be simply handled by the lower layers, but needs to be implemented
at the network layer. An "IPv6-based" mechanism has to be used for interworking,
and no technology-internal mechanisms for handover, neither on the wireless LAN
nor on other technology, can be used. So, in fact no mobility mechanisms are
supported in the W-CDMA cells, but instead the same IP protocol supports the
movement between cells. Similarly, the 802.11 nodes are only in BSS modes, and
will not create an ESS: IPv6 mobility will handle handover between cells.

Figure illustrates some of the handover possibilities in such network with a moving
user. Four administrative domains are shown in the figure with different types of
access technologies. Each administrative domain is managed by an AAAC system. At
least one network access control entity, the QoS Broker, is required per domain. Due
to the requirements of full service control by the provider, all the handovers are
explicitly handled by the management infrastructure through IP-based protocols,
even when they are intratechnology, such as between two different Access Points in
802.11, or between two different Radio Network Controllers in WCDMA. All network
resources are managed by the network provider, while the user only controls its local
network, terminal, and applications.
Summarizing Figure, the key entities are:
A user - a person or company with a service level agreement (SLA) contracted with
an operator for a specific set of services.
• A MT (Mobile Terminal) - a terminal from where the user accesses services. Our
network concept supports terminal portability, which means that a terminal may be
shared among several users, although not at the same time.
• AR (Access Router) - the point of attachment to the network, which takes the name
of RG (Radio Gateway) - for wireless access (WCDMA or 802.11).
• PA (Paging Agent) - entity responsible for locating the MT when it is in "idle mode"
while there are packets to be delivered to it.

Confidential 12
 4G Technology and Specifications
• QoS Broker - entity responsible of managing one or more ARs/AGs, controlling user
access and access rights according to the information provided by the AAAC System.
• AAAC System - the Authentication, Authorization, Accounting and Charging
System, responsible for service level management (including accounting and
charging). In this paper, for simplicity, metering entities are considered an integral
part of this AAAC system.
• NMS (Network Management System) - the entity responsible for managing and
guaranteeing availability of resources in the Core Network, and overall network
management and control.

Intelligent mediation architecture for 4G

In the above diagram, Network agent advertises their bearer service offerings to the
user’s mediation agent.
We consider bearer service offerings to be a combination of QoS level and pricing
model supported and applied, respectively, by the wireless network represented by
the network agent. Provisioning of wireless network bearer services under a
wholesale model of peering agreements to adjacent network domains. Service
agents refer to application functionality that may interact with mobile terminal
agents and network agents for the purpose of QoS management and QoS
adaptation.
A service agent will inform the mobile terminal agent and the network agents of the
QoS
Requirements of their traffic flows and register an appropriate callback interface to
support subsequent notifications and QoS adaptation for these traffic flows.
Mobile network agents must abide by a common network information model so that
an unambiguous definition of network bearer services is possible,
e.g., when negotiating with other agents.
Realizing that each agent represents the interests of a particular stakeholder in the
mobile service provision (i.e., mobile network operator, application provider, mobile
user), we assume that it operates under an individual policy. Notably, the resulting
dynamics are that of an open market where different goods are advertised at widely
known prices and selfish consumers may freely choose from a wide range of
producers.

Confidential 13
 4G Technology and Specifications
A MT (Mobile Terminal) - a terminal from where the user accesses services. Our
network concept supports terminal portability, which means that a terminal may be
shared among several users, although not at the same time.
Cross Layer cylinder approach

With the help of cross layer cylinder approach we can gain knowledge about
optimization of iteration between communication layers .The importance of layered
approach has made it a design principle rather than a common design pattern. This
leads the 4G architecture to have a architecture of its own kind. Cross layer allows
sharing information among the various layers and optimization can be done at every
layer separately.

Business Model of 4G Network

Confidential 14
 4G Technology and Specifications
The current model assumes there are relationships between the end user, the service
provider, and the network operator.
In the 4G worlds, the number of access networks and therefore the number of
network operators will increase rapidly. Especially the construction of many so-called
“hotspots”, urban areas with Wireless LAN coverage, will cause this. Both the end
user and the service provider do not want to be bothered with the peculiarities of
these networks, i.e. end users still want to use the services offered by service
providers irrespective of the network they are connected to. This asks for a service
centric approach where the end user, the service provider and network operator are
loosely coupled through a Service Support role,

Two main responsibilities of Service Support are service aggregation and network
integration Service aggregation (SA) enables ubiquitous service provisioning to end
users, whereas network integration (NI) ensures that this can be realized regardless
of the network the end user is connected to. The end user benefits from being able
to access his/her subscribed services anywhere and anytime.

End User Identities and Services

Third party service providers provide end user services. These service providers have
established a legal relationship or Service Level Agreement (SLA) with one or more
service aggregators. The services can benefit not only from a large customer base,
but could also adapt their services and applications based on information from the
network provided via the aggregators. It is envisaged that the user’s location can be
obtained from the network integrator (and therefore from access network) to deploy
location-based services. The concept of user identity plays an important role in
integrated service delivery. This ranges from authentication and access control to
services, to accounting and billing; to be able to charge the correct end user for
using his value-added context-based services.

Confidential 15
 4G Technology and Specifications

Service Aggregator
The role of service aggregator (SA) is twofold. On the one hand the SA acts as an
intermediary between a end user/subscriber and multiple services (the service
offering of the SA). On the other hand, for Service Provider the SA acts as an
intermediary to multiple different network integrators, such that services do not need
to be concerned with issues eliminating the need for like determining on which
network a subscriber is currently located active. In this model, end users explicitly
subscribe to the SA. The SA manages these subscriptions and also takes care of
billing; based on accounting information received from services, network integrators,
and the SA itself. In this way the SA not only provides single sign-on, but a more
general single point of contact.

Network Integration
The network integration (NI) enables end users to seamlessly roam across
heterogeneous networks and their administrative domains. To support the
seamlessness aspect is essential for this functionality. The NI provides the basic
network management functionality and provides an abstraction of the underlying
networks. This provides the illusion of one virtual network towards upper service
layers and services, and also such as network integration specific aspects to end-
users. For example, it provides transparent and integrated authentication such that
end users are not required to re-login every time the access network changes. For
services, NI takes care of connectivity – being able to reach the end user terminal.
This involves network addressing issues and technologies such as Mobile IP.

Confidential 16
 4G Technology and Specifications
4G Network Specification
One may wonder how 4G can provide a 10 times increase in data transfer over 3G.
This speed can be achieved through Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
(OFDM). OFDM can not only transfer data at speed of more than 100 Mbps, but it
can also eliminate interference that impairs high speed signals.

Physical and MAC Layer specifications

One promising underlying technology to accomplish the divisiveness is multi-carrier

modulation, a derivative of frequency division multiplexing. MCM was earlier used in
DSL modems and digital audio-video broadcasts. It is a baseband process that uses
parallel equal bandwidth channels to transmit information. Normally implemented
with Fast Fourier transform (FFT) techniques, MCM's advantages include better
performance in the inter symbol interference (ISI) environment, and avoidance of
single frequency interferers. However, MCM increases the peak-to-average ratio
(PAVR) of the signal, and to overcome ISI a cyclic extension or guard band must be
added to the data.

Two different types of MCM are likely candidates for 4G are multi-carrier CDMA and
orthogonal FDM using TDMA.

Similar to single carrier CDMA systems, the users are multiplexed with orthogonal
codes to distinguish users in MC-CDMA. However, in MC-CDMA, each user can be
allocated several codes, where the data is spread in time or frequency. Either way,
multiple users access the system simultaneously. In OFDM with TDMA, the users are
allocated time intervals to transmit and receive data.

Differences between OFDM with TDMA and MC-CDMA can also be seen in the types of
modulation used in each subcarrier. Typically, MC-CDMA uses quadrature phase-shift
keying (QPSK), while OFDM with TDMA could use more high-level modulations
(HLM), such as, multilevel quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) (where M = 4
to 256). How-ever, to optimize overall system performance, adaptive modulation can
be used; where the level of QAM for all subcarriers is chosen based on measured
parameters.

Channel Access

The allocation of the spreading codes or the time slots can be done in such a way
that the throughput is maximized. For example, all the resources can be allocated to
a user whose channel is very clean and users who have very noisy channels can be
allocated little amount of bandwidth till their channel becomes better. However, the
allocation should maintain certain amount of fairness while distributing the
resources.

Error control coding

In 4G systems rate-adaptive coding schemes can be used which can make use of the
channel information from the measured parameters or feedback from the Mobile
Terminal (MT). A Hybrid ARQ scheme can be used to minimize the overhead in case
of retransmission. Space time codes, multiple antennas systems like the smart
antennas can be used to further improve the data rates

Confidential 17
 4G Technology and Specifications
Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
OFDM is a communications technique that divides a communications channel into a
number of equally spaced frequency tones (bands). OFDM is a form of multi-carrier
modulation (MCM) where a sub-carrier within each frequency band is modulated to
carry a portion of the user information. A communications data stream is effectively
split into N parallel low bandwidth modulated data streams. Each sub-carrier
overlaps, but they are all orthogonal to each other, such that they do not interfere
with one another.

Basic OFDM Transmitter and receiver

Each of the sub-carriers has a low symbol rate. But the combination of sub-carriers
carrying information in parallel allows for high data rates. The other advantage of a
low symbol rate is that inter-symbol interference (ISI) can be reduced dramatically
since the symbol time represents a very small proportion of the typical multipath
delay.
The transmitter stage of an OFDM transceiver takes data from an IP network,
converts, and encodes it into a serial stream before modulation. The OFDM signal is
generated using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) into an IF analog signal

Confidential 18
 4G Technology and Specifications
which is then sent to the RF transceiver. The receiver stage of the transceiver simply
reverses the process.
OFDM provides a particularly robust air interface that is resistant to the effects of
multi-path delays while maintaining spectral efficiency. However, designers of OFDM
and other MCM-based systems have been forced to deal with a host of challenges.

Higher layer issues in 4G

4G is packet-based network. Since it would carry voice as well as internet traffic it

should be able to provide different level of QoS. Network level issues include Mobility
Management, Congestion control, and QoS.

Mobility Management

Mobility Management includes location registration, paging and handover. The MT

should be able to access the services at any place possible. The global roaming can
be achieved by with the help of multi-hop networks that can include the WLANs or
the satellite coverage in remote areas. A seamless service (Ex: soft handover of the
MT from one network to another or from one kind of service to other) is also
important. The hand-over techniques should be designed so that they make efficient
use of the network (routing).

New techniques in location management might be implemented. Each MT need not

do location registration every time. They can instead do concatenated location
registration, which reports to the network that they are concatenated to a common
object. Ex- MTs in a train need to re-register only when they get off the train and till
the network knows that they are in the train.

Congestion Control
Congestion control will be another critical issue in the high performance
4G networks. Two basic approaches can be taken towards the congestion control:
1. Avoidance or prevention of the congestion
The avoidance scheme will require the network to suitably implement the admission
control (measurement based or pre-computed model) and scheduling techniques.
2. Detection and recovery after congestion.
The detection and recovery would require flow control and feedback traffic
management. A conservative approach might be proposed for the 4G systems
because of the wide variety of QoS requirements.

Quality of Service (QoS)

4G systems are to provide real-time and internet-like services. The real-time
services can be classified into two kinds:
1. Guaranteed: pre-computed delay bound is required for the service. Ex voice
2. Better-than-best effort:
Predictive: Service needs upper bound on end-to-end delay.
Controlled delay: service might allow dynamically variable delay.
Controlled load: Service needs resources (bandwidth and packet processing).

Confidential 19
 4G Technology and Specifications
END-TO-END QOS SUPPORT

Three distinct situations arise in the QoS architecture:

i) Registration, when a user may only use network resources after authentication
and authorization,
ii) Service authorisation, when the user has to be authorized to use specific services;
and
iii) Handover – when there is a need to re-allocate resources from one AR to
another.

i. Registration and Service Authorisation

Support for QoS - registration and service authorisation

The Registration process is initiated after a Care of Address (CoA) is acquired by the
MT via stateless auto-configuration, avoiding Duplicate Address Detection (DAD) by
using unique layer-2 identifiers to create the Interface Identifier part of the IPv6
address. However, getting a CoA does not entitle the user to use resources, besides
registration messages and emergency calls. The MT has to start the authentication
process by exchanging the authentication information with the (AAAC)
Authentication, Authorisation, Accounting and Charging through the AR. Upon a
successful authentication, the AAAC System will push the NVUP (network view of the
User Profile) to both the QoS Broker and the MT, via the AR. Messages 1 to 4 as
shown in fig.
The same picture shows how each network service is authorized (messages 5 to 8).
The packets sent from the MT with a specific DSCP implicit signal the request of a
particular service, such as a voice call.
If the requested service does not match any policy already set in the AR (that is,
the user has not established a voice call before, e.g.), the QoS attendant/manager at
the AR interacts with the QoS Broker that analyses the request and authorises the
service or not, based on the User NVUP (Network View of the User Profile) and on
the availability of resources. This authorisation corresponds to a configuration of the
AR (via COPS [10]) with the appropriate policy for that user and that service (e.g.
allowing the packets marked as “belonging” to voice call to go through, and
configuring the proper scheduler parameters). After that, packets with authorised
profile will be let into the network and non-conformant packets will restart the
authorization process once more, or will be discarded.

Confidential 20
 4G Technology and Specifications
iii. Handover with QoS guarantees

End-to-End QoS Support - Handover with QoS

One of the difficult problems of IP mobility is assuring a constant level of QoS.

User mobility is assured in our network by means of fast handover techniques in
conjunction with context transfer between network elements (ARs - old and new –
and QoS Brokers).
When the quality of the radio signal in the MT to the current AR (called “old AR”,
AR1) drops, the terminal will start a handover procedure to a neighbouring AR
(called “new AR”, AR2) with better signal and from which it has received a beacon
signal with the network prefix advertisement. This handover has to be completed
without user perception, when making a voice call, e.g.. For achieving this, the MT
will build its new care-of-address and will start the handover negotiation through the
current AR, while still maintaining its current traffic. This AR will forward the
handover request to both the new AR and to the QoS Broker. The two QoS Brokers
(old and new) exchange context transfer information relative to the user’s NVUP and
the set of services currently in use by the MT. The new QoS Broker will use this
information to verify the resources availability at the new AR and, in a positive case,
configures the new AR to accept the handover. The MT is then informed that the
necessary resources are available at the new AR and may then perform the Layer 2
handover.
During this last phase, both ARs are bicasting, to minimize packet loss.
The detailed messaging flow is presented in the figure above.

Confidential 21
 4G Technology and Specifications
Benefits

1. Wireless radio resources will be saved.

2. Infrastructure cost will be reduced.

3. Power consumption will be less.

4. High speed, high capacity and low cost per bit.

Technology 3G Vs 4G
Attribute 3G 4G
Predominantly voice- data as
Major Characteristic Converged data and VoIP
add-on

Network Hybrid – integration of Wireless Lan

Wide area Cell based
Architecture (WiFi), Blue Tooth, Wide Area

Frequency Band 1.6 - 2.5 GHz 2 – 8 GHz

Optimized antenna; multi-band Smart antennas; SW multi-band;

Component Design
adapters wideband radios

Bandwidth 5 – 20 MHz 100+ MHz

Data Rate 385 Kbps - 2 Mbps 20 – 100 Mbps
Access WCDMA/CDMA2000 MC-CDMA or OFDM
Forward Error Convolution code 1/2, 1/3;
Concatenated Coding
Correction turbo
Switching Circuit/Packet Packet
Mobile top Speed 200 km/h 200 km/h
IP Multiple versions All IP (IPv6.0)
Operational ~2003 ~2010

Confidential 22
 4G Technology and Specifications

Conclusion
Will 4G arise? Can it be implemented? Will it survive? These are few thoughts that hit
most of us, but look at this paper completely and the small conclusion below, and
draw your own conclusion.
1. The work on 4G systems has begun in the industry as well the academia. Ex: -
Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF) has Ericson, Alcatel, Nokia and Siemens AG.
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has announced a program in 1999 that calls
for proposals that would look at issues involved in 4G systems. In the USA, Motorola,
Lucent, AT&T, Nortel and other major companies are also working on 4G systems.
2. Multimedia traffic will be dominant in the future. It is estimated that voice would
contribute to only 20-30 % of total traffic in the future.
3. Advances in mobile communication technologies have been rapid and their effects
have frequently manifested themselves in ways and places far beyond the ones
imagined by their inventors.
4. A modified IP will be the universal network layer protocol in the future.
5.Policy-based management and information model concepts, hierarchical Mobile
IPv6 and AAA, flexible pricing and billing schemes, capability negotiations processes,
and last but not least, open, technology- independent APIs are all important building
blocks of 4G mobile systems
6. Diverse array of applications like virtual navigation, tele-medicine, etc.
7. The entire network would be digital and packet switched.

LET US GROW WITH TECHNOLOGY

Confidential 23
 4G Technology and Specifications

Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge team for their support and encouragement.
Special Thanks to MS Word, without which it would have been a difficult one to
complete.

Confidential 24
 4G Technology and Specifications

References
1. Hans Einsiedler et al., "The Moby Dick Project: A Mobile Heterogeneous All-IP
Architecture", ATAMS 2001, Krakow, Poland, (http://www.ist-mobydick.org)
2. The IEEE Personal Communications Magazine, October 2001 has a collection of
articles that looks at the IP based issues in the 4G wireless networks.
(http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/lpdocs/epic03/RecentIssues.htm?punumber=98)
3. Physical aspects of 4G
(http://www.commsdesign.com/story/OEG20010626S0065)
4. Generic system architecture for 4g mobile communications
(http://cgi.di.uoa.gr/~gazis/data/2003-vtc-spring.pdf)
5. Groups working on 4G: WWRF , projects funded by NSF , Lucent , AT&T,
Motorola, etc. ( http://www.wireless-world-research.org/?id=92),
(http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/1999/nsf9968/nsf9968.htm)
6. Jerry pylarinos, Spirus Louvros, George Asimakopoulous, Stavrous Kostopoulous,
"Dtat queuing in GPRS/4G network
7. An IP QoS architecture for 4G networks
(http://www.kt.agh.edu.pl/~pacyna/conference_papers/Art-QoS_springer.pdf)

Confidential 25