ABSTRACT Wireless operators today are facing a dilemma.

Customers are demanding more and more data applications to be delivered on the go. However, the operator is using scarce expensive licensed spectrum that is overburdened with delivering core voice services. Support for voice, data, location awareness, chat and other applications are required for customers that are very mobile. The operator is facing a choice of acquiring more licensed spectrum (if any is available) or losing customers due to demand for advanced services. xG Technology has a solution to this dilemma of overwhelming demand for advanced applications versus lack of spectrum. xG Technology is developing an affordable mobile voice and data cellular system that operates in free unlicensed bands using what is known as cognitive radio technology. Using cognitive (i.e., smart) radios and advanced system and signal processing capabilities, the xG system makes unlicensed spectrum communications as reliable as licensed band communications. This is made possible by effectively mitigating the interference in the congested and chaotic unlicensed bands. Another advantage of xGs cognitive radio approach is the reduction of the RF engineering the operator needs to deploy and maintain the system. A third benefit of this system is the ability to reuse all the engineering going into smartphones, tablets and laptops today. The xG system is designed to support these devices through a physical or WiFi connection. Finally, the xG system is all-IP protocol based so that it can utilize COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) infrastructure components for network connectivity, standard applications and established management interfaces.

INTRODUCTION xMax, as a physical layer technology, can be configured for use in wired and wireless products; designed for deployment at any frequency; configured for licensed and unlicensed spectrum, or in a spectrum sharing fashion. Importantly, it can improve range and battery life in such applications and uses the radio spectrum in a very power efficient manner. The original xMax system is a hybrid technology in the sense that it has aspects of both narrowband and wideband communication systems; it uses pulse position modulation (PPM) and ultra wideband communications (UWB), but also employs a narrowband carrier. The use of the carrier at the receiver basically eliminates the difficult synchronization and search problems inherent with PPM and UWB systems. Low-cost mobile voice and broadband data services, xG Technology, Inc. has developed an innovative wireless communication system (aka xMax) that is capable of delivering mobile voice over IP (VoIP) and broadband data services in the 902-928 MHz unlicensed band. From a business model perspective xG Technology is targeting this scalable radio access network (RAN) solution towards new-entrant service provider partners, such as cable companies, competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), satellite companies, foreign incumbent local exchange carriers, etc. that may be seeking to deliver mobile VoIP/data services to the market on a nationwide or selected market basis. The inclusion of voice capability in addition to broadband data in the xMax RAN solution is a critical differentiation that will be emphasized throughout this white paper. This is because despite the media fascination with the iPhone and other smartphones and despite the increasing demand for mobile broadband data services, mobile voice remains and will continue to remain the major revenue earner for mobile operators. Note the following market facts: The GSM Association estimates that of the 4B mobile users worldwide, roughly 90% are voice only users Thus we see that despite the hype, mobile broadband data revenues are less than 20% of that of mobile voice. Even using bullish industry assumptions for mobile broadband data growth, it is likely to take 9-10 years before mobile broadband data revenues are on parity with mobile voice revenues.

OVERVIEW OF xMAX xMax is a mobile voice and data solution from xG Technology that has been designed to address the issues raised above and more. In particular, it was designed with the following requirements in mind: 1. Leverages COTS end user devices including 3G and 4G smart phones, tablets and net books without requiring licensed commercial frequencies. Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) and advanced interference mitigation to increase operational and deployment flexibility. Full cognitive networking capabilities including dynamic access and optimization of available spectrum resources, as well as self-Radio Frequency (RF) planning and selforganizing. A single end-to-end IP network architecture supporting mobile voice, wideband data, real time video, chat and other apps.

2.

3.

4.

xMax WORKING
Take the energy issue first. xMax uses a modulation technique designed to allow more data to be transmitted on a single sine waves than is required with typical modulation technologies. So instead of using more than 100,000 sine waves to transmit one bit of data, xMax uses a ratio closer to 1:1. This technique would therefore be more efficient and keep energy levels very low, which would mean devices that receive the signals wouldn't consume much power. To solve the distance problem, xMax uses frequency channels in the sub-gigahertz range, which can penetrate obstacles such as walls or trees. But channels below 1GHz are very narrow, which means it is difficult to pack large amounts of data into them. xMax fulfills the need for a radio technology that According to the inventor Joseph Bobier "xMax's unique signal profile is a perfect fit for low frequency channels that have previously been unsuitable for wireless broadband." The technology will benefit rural ISPs due to the lower number of base stations required. xMax, because it has 20 times the range of Bluetooth, could challenge that technology. Other possibilities are enterprise WLANs and metropolitan networks. Nowadays it is used for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)

Network Structure
In order to meet the objective of providing low-cost mobile voice and broadband data services the xMax carrier class cognitive radio solution has been developed around commonly used and open Internet protocols including IP, RTP, UDP and IP. In addition, it was designed to operate in both unlicensed spectrum, such as the 902-928 MHz ISM band, and licensed spectrum. As a result of these design considerations, xMax includes responsive opportunistic-use technology based on Identify And Utilize (IAU) techniques capable of combating in-band interference encountered in the unlicensed spectrum, and extends the SIP and RTP protocols to the wireless domain. Among VoIP signaling protocols, SIP is regarded as very bandwidthinefficient from a signaling overhead standpoint. In fact, SIP signaling can consume up to 400% of the VoIP payload bandwidth, an unacceptable figure for mobile networks.

To increase the efficiency of SIP signaling, yet maintain 100% standards compatibility with external VoIP systems and soft switches, xG has created patent pending SIP compression technology for the xMax system that reduces SIP overhead bandwidth from 400% to 66% on the over the air links and backhaul links from the Base Stations to the xMax MSCs. The MSCs do

the SIP compression and decompression to maintain 100% interoperability with third-party VoIP systems. This also has the benefit of making more bandwidth available for mobile data applications being carried alongside voice traffic.

NETWORK ARCHITECTURE:
The primary consideration in the network architecture design of the xMax system is to achieve the goal of providing robust, scalable, and fullfeatured voice and data services to mobile subscribers at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches. A reference model form of the resulting Internet Protocol (IP) centric network architecture is shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2: xMax Network Architecture Reference Model

As the diagram indicates, the network architecture includes the following elements:

Air-interface designed for operation in unlicensed as well as licensed bands. Base station (BSN), which provides radio to network access to handsets. The xMax base station is a three sector, 18 channel mobile VOIP transceiver device. The BSN channelizes the 902-928 MHz band into 18 discrete channels, which are only used when there is traffic to mobile devices that are registered with a particular channel. Access Network Gateway (ANG), called the xMSC in an xMax network that provides call process, IP packet delivery services and several other IP, mobility and network signaling related functions. Technology agnostic back-haul links from BSN sites and the ANG (Fiber, Metro Ethernet, PTP Wireless, etc.).

While the BSN is conventional in both architecture and functionality, the ANG (xMSC) is a novel piece of wireless infrastructure equipment that consists of 100% off-the-shelf hardware with proprietary software developed by xG:

Ethernet Switch which aggregates BSN links. Firewall which provides private to public network address translation (NAT) services. SIP Proxy Server which supports SIP call control, xGs SIP message compression technology, and E911 services. Proxy DHCP Server which is used for IP address services. Network Monitor (xMonitor) software which is responsible for end-toend network management and monitoring services.

Among the unique characteristics of the xMax network architecture is the way mobility is implemented. The system provides soft handoffs with make-before-break capability (timeslots are acquired before breaking a connection), which result in reliable roaming and a seamless user experience. This is demonstrated further in rhe ability of the system to perform intertechnology handoff (xMax to WiFi). With all handoff decisions made at the handset level via proactive channel scanning, there is no need for inter-base station communication, which helps drive seamless operation. The architecture further supports low-cost service deployment objectives by leveraging commercial off the shelf (COTS) voice over IP (VoIP) equipment, software and services, shown as VoIP core in Figure 3. The VoIP core contains the following elements:

SIP Proxy Server which provides traditional SIP call control services. Media Gateway which provides media transcoding between IP and PSTN networks and is responsible for subscriber accounting/billing, PSTN call termination, Direct Inward Dialing (DID) phone number maintenance, voicemail services, and inter-network call signal routing, among others. The VoIP core can be owned and operated by the xMax operator, or can be provided as a third party service.

The xMax mobile cellular solution leverages a standard cellular

Figure 3 xMax Mobile Cellular Network architecture with some notable enhancements. The following (next pages) are the major components of the system:

1. xMod: The xMod is a small battery or vehicle-powered radio that bridges the COTS end user device to the wideband transport layer of the xMax system. Devices may be physically tethered or connected via secure WiFi links to the xMod. The xMod can deliver up to 3.5Mbps to the connected end user device(s) under real world conditions

FIG.4 : xMOD

2. xAP: The xAP acts as a compact, high-performance base station and wirelessly connects to the xMod using the xMax cognitive networking waveform. Each xAP can deliver up to 14 Mbps of total user bandwidth to its associated xMods. xAPs may be deployed individually or in clusters of up to 9 xAPs to increase total throughput.

FIG. 5 : xAP

3. xMSC: The xMSC acts as both a base station controller and aggregation point for the connected xAPs. It performs routing and security functions, as well as proprietary mobile VoIP optimization and compression. The xMSC is typically connected to the worldwide Internet and one or more VoIP soft switches. The xMax Mobile Switching Center (xMax-MSC) is the backbone network element in the xMax regional network. The xMax-MSC controls the delivery of the voice and data services, and manages all elements in the regional network (BSN and end-user devices). They include the following key features: Modular, redundant, pay-as-you-grow Interworking between xMax specialized Mobile VoIP and wireline VoIP Optimized for mobile voice and data FCAPS for the xMax network and services 100% IP-based for low CAPEX and OPEX, and fast learning curve Single rack starter-configuration, delivered as integrated solution by xG

FIG.6: xMSC

4. xMonitor/xDrive: These software tools provide integrated and comprehensive network and element management for the xMax network, as well as mobile network throughput and coverage optimization. xMax networks include system elements that provide advanced monitoring and management of network

functions. These wireless system assessment tools include xMonitor and xDrive. xDrive

FIG.7: xDRIVE

xDrive is a drive mapping utility designed to gather, display, and log performance statistics from the TX70 handset. It allows field technicians to map the coverage of a deployment of xMax base stations, as well as providing handset to base station link statistics.

XMonitor

FIG.8:xMONITER

xMonitor is a component of the xMax xMSC that monitors the status and health of all base stations, xMSC elements, and VoIP core elements. It provides end-to-end IP network management and monitoring services.

MOBILE DEVICE
The xMax TX70 handset is a versatile, full-featured handset that has been designed to provide exceptional QoS (quality of service) while supporting calls,texting (SMS) and data over the xMax network, as well as over the public internet using standard home, office, and hotspot WiFi connections. The IP-based TX70 is the first commercial mobile handset with built-in, patented cognitive radio technology. The TX70 enhances the user experience by offering sophisticated VoIP calling features not available on legacy cellular systems. By incorporating an advanced system that detects and

avoids interference, the TX70 delivers outstanding call quality that surpasses most cellular phones. The TX70 supports the proprietary, high-performance xMax airinterface, which was designed for operation in both unlicensed and licensed bands.

The following advanced capabilities are among the many features of the TX70 handset: Dual-mode xMax and Wi-Fi Voice capacities exceeding 3G/4G protocols Provides access to Wide Area mobile VoIP service Domestic and international calling support IP-network friendly Advanced cognitive radio capabilities (detect and avoid, edge-device driven handoffs, proactive alternate channel/path determination) Bluetooth for hands-free operation Adjustable output power for unlicensed or licensed use

xMax Capabilities and Supporting Features

Capability 1. Integrated IP-based cellular network for voice, data, chat and video

All voice, video, data (including geo-location info) is carried on a single integrated xMaxnetwork. Unlike other 4G networks that require separate networks for voice and data, xMax delivers a truly unified transport layer. Its all-IP architecture leverages COTS routers and switches in place of proprietary, expensive network

Infrastructure used in other mobile networks. Common IP-based apps (all smartphone and computer apps) are supported over the network, while integration with legacy systems is greatly simplified.

2.

Cognitive operation including DSA and interference mitigation

xMax employs advanced cognitive radio and networking techniques, including Dynamic Spectrum Access to provide reliable operation in unlicensed but interference prone spectrum. xMaxs Dynamic Spectrum Access technology is frequency agnostic and can be re-tuned to operate in TV white spaces, unlicensed or licensed commercial bands. Another benefit of xMaxs cognitive technology is that the network has the ability to selfconfigure and self-organize. This is planned to be further enhanced to support full meshing capabilities in future xMax product releases.

3.

Extended range, reliability and throughput with low power consumption

xMax uses a state-of-the-art Physical Layer implementation that maximizes range and reliability while minimizing power consumption. The system continually self-adjusts to optimize the wireless communications link. It was also designed so that end users and network infrastructure are capable of high mobility. The patented technologies incorporated to support these capabilities also enable xMax to minimize power consumption and maximize battery life while maintaining robust and secure connectivity.

4.

Interference tolerance, frequency reuse and high link reliability

By applying cognitive capabilities to enhance active interference mitigation (in addition to DSA), xMax can operate effectively under higher interference and jamming levels than competing solutions. This is critical for maximizing reliability as well as increasing the utilization of scarce spectrum resources. By enabling xMax to tolerate high levels of interference before requiring the radios to switch channels, more gray spectrum (spectrum containing interference or jamming) can be used in place of white spectrum (clean and interference-free spectrum). This capability increases the networks total throughput and capacity greatly without consuming additional scarce spectrum resources. Since the technique is primarily implemented within the receiver chain, the RF environment is not made noisier as would be the case

for mitigation techniques that rely on raising the transmitter power to overcome the interferer. This technique significantly increases the system capacity of an xMax network.

5.

xMax supports COTS end user Devices

xMax uses a unique approach to integrate (COTS) devices into its all IP network via the xMod wireless bridging device. By being device agnostic, platforms, OS (operating system) and apps can be refreshed and sourced from third party vendors quickly with no additional integration or software development required. Training and complexity are also reduced since familiar devices and interfaces can be seamlessly incorporated into the xMax network. Due to the systems inherent scalability and affordability, xMax and connected COTS devices can be widely deployed. The same smartphone can be used in office or campus networks or in cellular mobile wide area networks.

6.

Network scalability and flexibility

The xMax system offers cost-effective scalability for capacity, performance and uplink/downlink bandwidth shaping. By employing a building blocks approach to network configuration xMax network nodes can be configured from 14 Mbps to 126 Mbps of capacity. The system also uses a flexible TDD time slotted MAC layer. This MAC has configurable uplink and downlink areas so that network uplink and downlink bandwidth ratios can be set for specific applications such as web surfing, video conferencing and or voice/text conversations. The xMax system is designed with size, weight and power & cost (SWAP-C) in mind. Network access points can be mounted on non-optimal sites for easier network deployment due to their small size and weight. Ethernet or fiber interfaces are provided to connect the infrastructure to the operators backhaul network of choice.

Supporting xMax Feature

1.

End-to-end IP architecture and shared spectrum optimization

All the components of the xMax system are IP based. COTS routers and switches are used as network components. The xMax xAP supports both Ethernet and Fiber interfaces. Voice is transported as mobile-optimized Voice over IP (VoIP), enabling the entire system to operate as a data packet network but with full voice calling features. Standard SIP signaling supports integrated COTS voice switches and gateways, or an external (cloud-based) switch/gateway service may be utilized. The air interface between the xMod and xAP is an advanced Physical Layer (PHY) featuring OFDM modulation and MIMO transmit and receive. This interface, combined with other xG innovations, was optimized to provide licensed quality service in free, unlicensed spectrum. Since this is a shared spectrum resource, implementing interference immunity and spectral efficiency was paramount for commercial applications.

2.

Advanced cognitive sensing, signal and multi-spatial processing

Real time RF sensing and dynamic spectrum access are the cornerstones of xMax radio technology. The commercial xMax system (slated for release in H1 2012) utilizes the 902-928 MHz and the 5.725- 5.825 GHz band for license free operation. Using these freely available bands allows the xMax system to scan over 125 channels (inrelease 3) for interference-free operation. Both the xAP and xMod devices are frequency agile and have several built-in capabilities to mitigate interference by first employing advanced signal/spatial processing as well as dynamically switching channels to avoid overwhelming interference or jamming.

3.

Advanced antenna, PHY layer and software radio design

The xMax PHY layer is designed with a proprietary 2x4 (two transmitters, four receivers per link) multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antenna and radio configuration. This MIMO system enables longer range,

FIG.9: Dynamic channel selection higher throughput and is a key enabler of the xMax interference mitigation technology. Maximal Ratio Combining (MRC) and multi-spatial receive diversity is utilized over the 4 receivers/antennas to provide over 5 dB gain over non-MRC receivers. The system uses orthogonal frequency division modulation (OFDM) which is found in other state-of-the-art wireless systems such as LTE, WiMAX, WiFi and other 4G+ solutions. The OFDM carrier spacing and channel bandwidth are designed so that end user mobility is supported to over 65 mph. The xMax system utilizes proprietary long OFDM symbols, which allow longer cyclic prefixes. This results in low overhead and high usable throughput (as a percentage of total over the air bandwidth). The long prefix design increases immunity to multipath interference found in harsh terrain and urban canyons. The xMax PHY supports adaptive modulation with BPSK, QPSK, QAM16 and QAM64 modes that allow the system to dynamically selfconfigure for the optimal combination of range, throughput and interference rejection. This combination of capabilities enables increased performance under dynamic conditions, in addition to minimizing power consumption for extended battery life and remote operation.

4.

MIMO, powerful DSP processing and advanced software design

The xMax system employs a new and powerful parallel processing DSP/CPU unit that supports speeds up to 50 GOPS (billion operations per second) for signal processing. This capable processor, combined with the 2x4 MIMO antenna configurations, enables the xMax system to use patent-

pending spatial processing software to remove unwanted interference from the target signal. Each xMax cognitive radio can simultaneously mitigate interference from up to 24 mobile sources of interference or jamming.

Figure 10 - Spatial Processing to mitigate jamming and interferenc

5.

xMod protocol bridge

The xMod is a WiFi (or USB tether) to xMax protocol bridge. Using an advanced signal processor, xMod provides the DSA and interference mitigation capabilities of the xMax wideband transport layer at the network edge.

Figure 11- xMod protocol bridge

6.

xAP clusters, transmit/receive synchronization and DSA

Network node capacity can be scaled from one xAP (14 Mbps) up to a cluster of nine co-located xAPs (126 Mbps). All xMax xAPs are time synchronized either by GPS or NTP. This enables co-location of multiple xAPs and the ability to use all available channels without causing adjacent channel interference, unlike non-synchronized systems. All radios transmit and then receive in unison, which reduces or eliminates self-interference in the network. This enables xMax to utilize 100% of available channel capacity within the network. The xAPs scan and use the best channels out of the pool of over 125 channels in release 3.0, with more spectrum bands can be added in future releases. Each radio does this continuously and automatically to maximize throughput. Having 125 accessible channels allows neighboring network nodes (made up of one or more xAPs) to utilize non-interfering channels automatically. This allows the system to grow and scale easily without redesigning the network RF plan each time a device moves or when xAPs or users are added or removed from the network.

ADVANTAGES

Low cost Given that no spectrum licensing costs are involved, overall costs are much lower in the case of systems operating in unlicensed spectrum. Other costs, including the hardware and software required and deployment expense including engineering and legal fees, etc., are either lower or commensurate. This means that prices to end-users can be lower, and/or profit margins higher. As of this writing, over US$80 billion has been invested in auctioned spectrum just in the US alone, and we estimate that over US$200 billion has been spent on spectrum worldwide. These costs are of course passed on to consumers, and it is clear that these funds could have been much better spent on additional infrastructure, newer technologies, and even in some cases on lower end-user prices, thereby expanding availability of these critical services.

 Rapid deployment Given that no spectrum licensing is required, type-approved equipment can be deployed at will, no matter what the need or application. Local siting and mounting regulations may apply, but the overall process is far easier than with licensed technologies.

Installation flexibility Similarly, capabilities based on unlicensed technologies can be deployed wherever required. Temporary installations are an especially important opportunity, but permanent facilities are also possible with the usual local permits and approvals relating to installation and safety.

New business opportunities And because unlicensed systems can be deployed at will, new business opportunities can be rapidly addressed, again at minimal expense. Theres no need to wait for carrier build-outs that could take years new and valuable services can be on the air quickly and easily with faster time-to solution and time-to-market.

xMax against WiMax IEEE 802.16e

Technology Assumptions Technology Assumptions Frequency Band IEEE 802.16e xMax

2.5 GHz

902-928 MHz 20

Spectrum Used (MHz)

20

BTS Coverage Radius 0.953 (Km)

2.3

Frequency Reuse

1x3x3

1x3x3

Duplexing Scheme

TDD

TDD

Service Assumptions (Voice) Target Penetration (% of Pops) Allocation To Voice Traffic (%) Aggregate Voice Throughput Per BTS (Mbps) Effective Bandwidth Per Voice Channel (Mbps) Number of Simultaneous VoIP Users Per BTS Equivalent Erlangs @ 2% Blocking Probability Avg. Busy Hour Erlangs Per Subscriber Voice Subscribers Per BTS % of Voice Subscribers on Unlimited Plan Unlimited Voice Plan Pricing ($/month) % of Voice Subscribers on Per Minute Plan Cost Per Minute (Per Minute Plan) ($) Voice ARPU ($/month/voice subscriber/BTS) 9 9

7 1

7 1

0.03

0.030

47 37.5 0.03 1249 50 40 50 0.10 30.00

37 28.3 0.03 942 50 40 50 0.10 30.00

Figure 12: xMax vs. WiMax For Generic Metro Area

SUMMARY
The xMax cognitive radio cellular system from xG Technology represents a complete, scalable mobile wideband solution that is capable of supporting a wide range of smartphones, tablets, netbooks and other end-user devices. The coverage and capacity of the network can be tailored to the market and business model at hand and can be rapidly reconfigured to support new or expanded applications or territories. The system has been deployed and demonstrated in disparate settings including a military environment at Fort Bliss and at rural cellular operator sites in Florida and Arkansas. This flexibility to serve disparate markets stems from the xG Technology affordable and rapidly deployable all-IP architecture. While xMax incorporates several state-of-the-art and proprietary technologies such as dynamic spectrum access and multi-spatial interference mitigation, it also leverages COTS end user devices including 3G and 4G

smartphones, tablets, netbooks, etc. These advanced features increase operational and deployment flexibility while also improving the utilization of scarce spectrum resources. xMaxs cognitive networking technology is frequency agnostic and can be adapted to a wide array of TV white spaces, unlicensed and licensed frequency bands. The xMax systems cognitive networking capability allows it to dynamically access and optimize available spectrum resources, while also enabling it to optimize its own RF plan. Future software releases will enable an automatically self-organizing network (SON) in direct support of xMaxs operation as a mobile ad hoc network (MANET and MESH). Finally, its end-to-end IP network architecture supports mobile voice, wideband data, real time video, chat and other apps over a single integrated network, unlike typical 3G and 4G networks that require separate voice and data network equipment and transport layers. For all these reasons, operators seeking to enter the mobile business either domestically or internationally will find that xMax represents a practical and attractive technical solution.

REFERENCE:

WWW.CONNECTED-ANALYSIS.COM

WWW.FARPOINTGROUP.COM

WWW.SALBAC.COM

WWW.xGTECHNOLOGY.COM

CONCLUSION
This xMax Seminar Helps us to understand the basic concept of xMax Network Structure and itapplications,About the cognitive radio. The seminar also introduces the new Technology i.e. xMax Patented technology, its Specification and Applications.