what are 3G network standards ?

Question

I need to study many details regarding 3G network:
- Bandwidth
- Power Consumption
- constrains

Answer 1

Third Generation (3G) is the latest technology for mobile devices and services. 3G is touted to be the next major technology in the mobile industry to stimulate growth and change the way we all do business.
What does 3G provide? The drivers toward 3G wireless technology are its significantly increased data speeds (up to 2 Mbps) and a whole range of multimedia services such as access to corporate LANs, video conferencing, location tracking, sending/receiving email, and surfing the Internet to name a few. The move to 3G has been slowed by the recent three year downturn in the telecom industry, but many wireless providers have already begun to make the change. Since this transition is unavoidable, those service providers which are first to offer these advanced multimedia services will be among the leaders to realize the significant economic rewards

According to market analyst Yankee Group, European carriers are expected to spend approximately $274 billion ($US) to upgrade their networks for 3G services. In the United States it is expected that 2.5G and 3G upgrade expenditures may exceed $100 Billion and in Asia, $50 Billion
3G technologies use higher frequencies for base station-to-handset connectivity than 2G networks. Consequently, each 3G base station has a much shorter range and smaller associated coverage area. It is generally agreed that 3G networks require four to five times as many base stations to obtain the same coverage as 2G networks. Also, because of more advanced services and even greater number of subscribers and higher average data rates, even more base stations are needed to cover the same geographical area

3G network architecture is very similar to that of 2G networks, except for a few new network elements in the core network to accommodate the packet data. In 3G networks, the Radio Access Network portion incorporates a new base station component called Node B that performs the same function that the Base Station Transceiver (BTS) does in 2G. Also, the Radio Network Controller (RNC) in 3G networks replaces the 2G Base Station Controller (BSC). The traffic from the BTS to the BSC in 2.x generation networks is typically carried over TDM-based circuits. With 3G networks, the traffic from the Node B to RNCs is Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)-based or Internet Protocol (IP)-based. For both 2.xG and 3G, these backhaul circuits are either T1/E1 or equivalent IP connections.
Early 3G implementations co-located 3G Node Bs with 2G base stations (BTS) at the same cell site location. In some cases, there may also be the BTS from the 1G (analog) network at this site. This may result in three distinct and separate backhaul networks to carry traffic from each generation of the network. For example, Cingular is operating an overlay of AMPs (Advance Mobile Phone Service), TDMA, and GSM. Eliminating the overlay presents mobile operators with cost-saving opportunities.

Since the new wireless standards are packet based, user data traffic is not always constant. This “bursty data” results in T1 or E1 backhaul circuits from the base stations that are only moderately utilized. Since the TDM-based backhaul circuits for both 1G and 2.xG networks lack the “optimized” multiplexing capabilities inherent in data networks, a better solution is to use ATM or IP for backhaul. This allows ability to over-subscribe as these interfaces can efficiently handle the bursts of data traffic.

With the worldwide mobile subscriber base growing and the use of bandwidth intensive data applications increasing, more and more T1 and E1 circuits will be required to backhaul traffic from these 3G base station upgrades. A large number of lightly loaded T1 or E1 backhaul circuits are not only cost-prohibitive, but also consume an enormous number of ports on the BSC or RNC. These ports are very expensive and require large amounts of physical space at the Mobile Switching Office (MSO). Therefore, aggregating these backhaul circuits into higher speed T3/E3/OC3/STM1 or interfacing at IP often results in significant cost savings through better traffic utilization when backhauling from these sites.
The principle of convergence offers the opportunity to deliver the best features and benefits from various networks, while providing transparent, contiguous voice, data and video communication across all environments. IP-based multimedia services (IMS) are expected to deliver that service for the rapid growth that network operators need. Market analysts predict that by 2005, users of packet switched services will account for nearly half of the worldwide installed user base…and by 2008, will out-number circuit switched users by nearly four to one according to IMS Report.

“Access Independence through Motorola IMS enables operators to deliver terminal, personal, session, and service mobility across networks —CDMA, GPRS, 802.11, etc.—all based on the commonality of the IP backbone. Operators can design mobility applications tailored to the needs of enterprise customers, offer business users begin a data session at a WiFi hot spot and continue it over the cellular infrastructure, or design highly tailored access-independent services for target consumer groups. Subscribers get the benefit of network-agnostic mobile communication, while operators reap the revenue benefits.”