What is CDPD?

Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) is a technique used for transmitting small chunks of data, commonly referred to as packets, over the cellular network in a reliable manner. It allows users to send and receive data from anywhere in the cellular coverage area at any time, quickly and efficiently. CDPD technology provides extensive, high speed (data can be sent over the Airlink at a rate of 19.2 kilobits per second), high capacity, cost effective data services to mobile users. With this technology, both voice and data can be transmitted over existing cellular channels. What defines the CDPD Network By building CDPD as an overlay to the existing cellular infrastructure, and using the same frequencies as cellular voice, carriers are able to minimize the capital expenditures required to offer the service while offering the same coverage area (footprint) their customer base has grown accustomed to. In comparison, it costs approximately $1 million to build out a new cellular cellsite and only about $50,000 to build the CDPD overlay to an existing site. The CDPD overlay network is made up of a combination of key components that operate together to provision the overall service. These components are described below:

The Mobile End System (M-ES) which is defined as any mobile computing device which is equipped with a CDPD modem (e.g. a PC). Unlike voice cellular phones, the decision to initiate a transfer, or hand-off from one cell to another cell is under the control of the CDPD M-ES itself, as it is the M-ES which is responsible for monitoring the received signal strength of the cellular channels being used. The Fixed End System (F-ES) which is defined as a stationary computing device, such as a host computer or an on-line information service. The Mobile Data Intermediate System (MD-IS) which is a stationary network component with similar responsibilities to the cellular voice switch. It is responsible for keeping track of the M-ES's location and routing data packets to and from the CDPD network and M-ES appropriately. It has been referred to as the "brain" of the network, because of its functionality. Not only is it responsible for ensuring that an M-ES is valid to log on to the network, but it also stores information on the M-ES's last known location, traffic statistics and billing information. The Mobile Data Base Station (MDBS) is primarily responsible for RF channel management. It is located at the voice cell sites and is responsible to instruct the M-ES to "hop" to new channels for continued communication in the event voice communication (which is the priority traffic) is detected. It also handles the leg work for the M-ES in locating new channels when a hand off is required between cell sites. The Intermediate System (IS) is made up of (off the shelf) routers which are CDPD compatible with the primary responsibility for relaying the data packets.

The way these componenets interact with each other can be seen from the graphic depiction below: :

How does CDPD work? To effectively integrate voice and data traffic on the cellular system without degrading the level of service provided to the voice customer, the CDPD network implements a technique called channel hopping. The way this works is that when a CDPD mobile data unit desires to initiate data transmission, it will check for availability of a cellular channel. Once an available channel is located, the data link is established. As long as the assigned cellular channel is not needed for voice communications, the mobile data unit can continue to transmit data packet bursts on it. However, if a cellular voice customer initiates voice communication, it will take priority over the data transmission. At such time, the mobile data unit will be advised by the Mobile Data Base Station (which is the CDPD serving entity in the cell and constantly checks for potential voice communication on the channel) to "hop" to another available channel. In the event that there are no other available channels, then data transmission will be temporarily discontinued. It is important to note that these channel hops are completely transparent to the mobile data user. As far as the user can see, there is only one data stream being used to complete the entire transmission.

Broadcast messages and paging

Practically every cellular system has some kind of broadcast mechanism. This can be used directly for distributing information to multiple mobiles, commonly, for example in mobile telephony systems, the most important use of broadcast information is to set up channels for one to one communication between the mobile transceiver and the base station. This is called paging. The details of the process of paging vary somewhat from network to network, but normally we know a limited number of cells where the phone is located (this group of cells is called a Location Area in the GSM or UMTS system, or Routing Area if a data packet session is involved; in LTE, cells are grouped into Tracking Areas). Paging takes place by sending the broadcast message to all of those cells. Paging messages can be used for information transfer. This happens in pagers, in CDMA systems for sending SMS messages, and in the UMTS( jo

apne reliance ka dongle hain na woh UMTS technology wala hain ) system where it allows for low downlink latency in packet-based connections.

Making The Call With Two-Way Paging

by Peter Rysavy Published January 15, 1997, Network Computing Copyright Peter Rysavy and Network Computing All rights reserved The wireless data market is poised for dramatic growth. Although the number of subscribers still is relatively low, carriers are offering networks with excellent coverage, lower prices and more options for mobile workers to access the Internet and corporate systems such as Lotus Development Corp.'s Notes. The wireless WANs that have been deployed include cellular-based systems, such as analog, digital and cellular digital packet data (CDPD), and data-only networks, such as ARDIS and RAM Mobile Data (see "Digital Cellular: On the Road to PCS," February 15, 1996, and "Wireless Data Made to Order," March 15, 1996). But now there is a new player: two-way paging. Two-way paging offers some significant capabilities with distinct advantages. In this article, we will explore how two-way paging works, discuss the types of applications supported and consider its limitations. We also will discuss the results of our testing with SkyTel's network to determine whether its promises live up to reality. SkyTel is the only national provider with two-way service, but other paging companies are considering two-way service. What is two-way paging? Quite simply, it is alphanumeric paging that lets the pager send messages, either to respond to messages it receives or to originate messages. How might you use this service? You're a network manager with a network-diagnostic program that pages you when it detects a problem, such as the file server running out of disk space. Using your pager, you could return a message indicating whether you can respond to the emergency. You could send a message indicating which backup server to engage. You could respond with predefined messages such as "on my way," "will arrive in 15 minutes" or "send number to call," for example. If your reply indicated you could not respond, the diagnostic program could then page somebody else. Sizing Them Up The pagers will come in various shapes and sizes. Some will look almost like today's alphanumeric pagers. Others, such as Motorola's forthcoming PageWriter will add small keyboards and larger displays. Some will be PC Card devices that will operate in a notebook

computer or handheld PC. SkyTel's unit, called SkyWriter, looks almost identical to today's oneway alphanumeric pagers. What type of messages will two-way paging support? That remains to be seen, but because of the limited bandwidth, it probably won't be practical to send messages larger than 500 characters. With SkyTel's current pricing of about 25 cents per 80-character message, you will want to limit how much information you send. Message delivery times are on the order of tens of seconds to minutes (in contrast, message delivery times for wireless data networks typically are less than five seconds). Even with these limitations, there should be many ways for users to take advantage of the service. You should expect a few specific applications for two-way pagers. One would be a reliable paging model where the pager simply acknowledges that it received the page. Another would be menu response, where a message sent to the pager would contain a list of reply messages; you scroll through these and select a response. (With SkyTel's service you can send up to 10 reply messages, each of which can be up to 15 characters.) Another application is general messaging, where you initiate messages from the pager. With SkyTel's SkyWriter, you compose messages by moving a cursor over a displayed alphabet, selecting one letter at a time. This works fine for short messages (20 characters or so). Additionally, computer connectivity with the SkyWriter is accomplished via a serial cable and through the use of a connectivity package available from SkyTel. In the future, pagers will be available in a PC Card format, making it easy to use the keyboard on a notebook or personal digital assistant (PDA) to compose messages. Building Pager Networks Two-way paging networks use spectrum in the 900-MHz band auctioned in 1995 by the FCC for what is called narrowband personal communications service (PCS). Licenses, which are local, regional or nationwide, consist of blocks of up to 50 KHz for transmission in every direction. Compared with the tens of megahertz auctioned for broadband PCS, this is a small amount of spectrum, and it limits message size and message volume. A nationwide narrowband PCS license can be a huge advantage for carriers. Unlike cellular licenses where nationwide coverage can be achieved only through cooperation among carriers, one paging carrier can serve the entire nation. Although the glamour of two-way paging is two-way messaging, the technology also lets carriers provide traditional one-way paging nationwide at a much lower cost to the carrier. Since the pager can register itself with the network, the network has to broadcast only in the area where the pager is located rather than across the entire coverage area. Compared to battery life with other wireless network devices, the pager's battery life is good. With typical use, you can expect about two weeks of use from one AA battery, far longer than the typical one day of use with cellular phones and wireless modems.

SkyTel Network Architecture SkyTel's network is based on Motorola's ReFLEX two-way paging technology (see "SkyTel Network Architecture," above). The system requires fewer transmitters than receivers because transmitters blast out messages at hundreds of watts, and receivers have to detect much fainter signals from the pagers, which transmit at just 1 watt. SkyTel's network, using a version of ReFLEX, called ReFLEX50, transmits to pagers a 25.6-Kbps signal in a 50-KHz channel comprising four subchannels of 6.4 Kbps, and receives from pagers a 9.6-Kbps signal in a 12.5KHz channel. Actual data throughput is lower, since these signals include forward-error correction and other communications overhead. Motorola offers another version of ReFLEX, ReFLEX25, which uses a 12.5-KHz channel for transmitting one channel of up to 6.4 Kbps. Carriers intending to provide ReFLEX networks can purchase infrastructure elements from Motorola or Glenayre Technologies, a licensee of ReFLEX technology. Two-way pagers are available from Motorola and Wireless Access, which supplies the SkyWriter for SkyTel. An important element in SkyTel's architecture is that all messages pass through its network operations center (NOC). A two-way paging network configured this way is not a general-

purpose WAN such as CDPD, where individual IP packets can originate from a host on the Internet and reach a mobile computer. Instead, the entire message must be formatted in a specific way and submitted to the NOC for delivery to the pager. It is a store-and-forward messaging system. Doing That Two-Way Thing SkyTel provides considerable flexibility in sending and receiving messages. There are numerous ways to send messages. You can visit SkyTel's home page (http://www.skytel.com) and enter a message by filling in a form, or you can use SkyTel's QuickAccess software that runs on Microsoft Windows. Once you have composed a message, the software dials into SkyTel's NOC and transfers messages. The software also lets you check on the status of messages sent. Additionally, you can use the Telocator Message Entry (TME) protocol (to which SkyTel has added special extensions) to submit messages over dial-up or dedicated connections to SkyTel's NOC. SkyTel provides a developer's kit to develop applications that easily exchange messages with SkyTel's network. Every pager is assigned an e-mail address, so that you can address a pager as an Internet e-mail destination using a seven-digit ID, such as 1234567@skytel.com. It is also possible to use a cc:Mail client where the SkyTel network presents itself as a remote cc:Mail post office. Skytel also supports the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) to submit messages over a dial-up connection to SkyTel's NOC. The first three options let you attach a set of reply messages through which the recipient can scroll and select one for their reply. When sending a set of reply messages, you also can specify an address where the reply message should be sent. To originate a message from a pager, you can address the message to an Internet address, address the message to another SkyTel pager, reply to a message sent from SkyTel's QuickAccess software or reply to a message sent from SkyTel's Web site. You can expect similar options from other service providers once they begin offering service. To a large extent, these options will determine what applications are feasible for two-way networks. But Wait, There's More Although SkyTel has the field to itself for the moment, other carriers are evaluating ReFLEX for their networks, including major paging companies such as MobileComm and PageMart. There is another significant technology in the two-way paging market, called Personal Air Communications Technology (PACT), which features players such as AT&ampT Wireless Services, Ericsson and Pacific Communications Sciences Inc. (PCSI). Though running a year or two behind ReFLEX, PACT promises some advantages over ReFLEX, including symmetrical send and receive speeds, a more open architecture and the ability to pinpoint a user's location. There will be other choices as well. Don't forget about short message service (SMS) in digitalcellular and PCS networks. Will people want to carry a separate pager when their digital telephones offer many of the same features? In addition, new smart phones are being introduced. One, called the PocketNet phone, includes an integrated CDPD modem and platform for

messaging applications to run directly in the phone. You also can expect services and mobile devices that will look like two-way paging and operate over RAM Mobile Data and ARDIS. Getting Down to Paging In working with SkyTel's service, we found the system to operate as advertised. SkyTel's SkyWriter pagers arrive preactivated and are ready to use. It took us only an hour to install and operate SkyTel's QuickAccess software, to learn how to use the pagers, and to send messages to and from the Internet. Configuring the service is comparable in difficulty to installing and using a typical e-mail client; it is something a computer-literate person will have little problem understanding, but inexperienced users might require some assistance. As far as message integrity, SkyTel has taken an interesting approach. With wireless-data networks such as CDPD, the network corrects transmission errors in real time, both at the link layer over the wireless portion and on an end-to-end basis using network transport protocols such as TCP. As a result, users and applications always work with correct data. But since paging networks can have delays of a minute or more, a pager could receive a message with errors, but may not have the ability to immediately correct the error. In fact, since two-way paging networks transmit to the pager with much greater power than they receive, users easily can be in a coverage area where they can receive pages but cannot send them. SkyTel has designed its system so that if the pager receives a message in error, the message is shown with the error. As soon as the pager can notify the system that it has a checksum error, the system retransmits the message. The idea is that getting some message is more important than getting no message at all. We tested this and found that while we were in a coverage area where the pager could be heard by the network, within seconds, or in some cases tens of seconds, the garbled messages were replaced by a correct version. Anybody using two-way paging networks for mission-critical applications will have to take this approach into account. We also simulated being out of coverage by sending messages to our test pagers when they were turned off. After turning them on we found that, in most instances, the pager would receive the message within five to 10 minutes. This delay occurs because the pager must first register itself with the network when it is turned on or when it re-enters a coverage area. This is a tremendous improvement over today's networks, where being out of coverage means you never receive the message. Electronic Paging When sending lengthy messages such as long e-mail from the Internet, the system automatically truncated the messages to 500 characters. This is probably acceptable since the pricing plan encourages smaller messages. In fact, to dissuade users from saturating the network, SkyTel charges users more per message if they exceed 5,000 messages in a month. We measured message delivery times in the tens of seconds (occasionally delays exceeded a minute). Since the number of subscribers is relatively low, our tests were done on a lightly loaded network. In the future, two-way paging service providers operating heavily loaded networks may offer different pricing plans with prices varying by priority. Overall, we are impressed by the capabilities of the network and with its ease of use. The good news for users is SkyTel's network appears ready for use. Comparable services will be offered

soon from other paging networks as well as from other kinds of networks, bringing competition for SkyTel. But for now SkyTel is clearly in the lead.