3G vs.

4G
- Power & modulations -

Exposé d’électronique

Valérie Bonnel
Overview
• Introduction: from 1G to 4G

• 4G: principles & features

• Transmission technologies
• Business applications

• Conclusion
Introduction
10 000 000 000

1 000 000 000 4G

100 000 000

3.5G
10 000 000
bps 3G
1 000 000
GPRS
100 000 2G
10 000

1 000

100
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
4G: Principles & features
Definition of 4G
• 4G = 4th Generation mobile communications

• 4G = B3G = Beyond 3rd Generation (UMTS, IMT-2000) mobile

communications

• Foreseen to become available after 2010.

• 2 major goals: broadband for all, access everywhere

• ITU Recommendation ITU-R M.1645:

”Systems beyond IMT-2000 will be realized by functional fusion of existing,
enhanced, and newly developed elements of IMT-2000, nomadic wireless
access systems and other wireless systems, with high commonality and
seamless interworking.”

 a mix of many interacting systems is foreseen (not one

standard).

• Targeted data rates (with wide area coverage and significant

mobility) are in the area of 50 to 100 Mbits/s.
3G vs. 4G
3G
•Predominantly voice driven - data
was always add on
•Wide area cell-based
•Back compatible to 2G.
•1800-2400 MHz
•W-CDMA, 1xRTT, Edge Access
technology
•FEC Convolutional rate 1/2,
•Circuit and packet switched networks.
•Combination of existing & evolved
equipment.
•Data rate (up to 2Mbps).
•Optimized antenna design, multi-
band adapters
•A number of air link protocols,
including IP
4G
•Converged data and voice over IP
•Hybrid - Integration of Wireless LAN
(Wireless LAN (WiFi, Bluetooth) and
wide area
•Extend 3G capacity by one order of
magnitude.
•Higher frequency bands 2-8 GHz
•OFDM and MC-CDMA (Multi Carrier
CDMA)
•Concatenated coding scheme
•Entirely packet switched networks.
•All network elements are digital.
•Higher bandwidth (up to 100Mbps).
•Smarter Antennas, software
multiband and wideband radios
•All IP (IP6.0)
Transmission technologies

- Power and modulations -

Transmission technologies

Power fluctuations and frequencies are caused by

different access schemes and modulations:

• GSM (2G) & EDGE (2,5G) uses GMSK modulations

• UMTS (3G) is based on CDMA
• 4G uses:
 Smart antennas
 Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) Systems
 Space-Time Coding
 Dynamic Packet Assignment
 Wideband OFDM
2G; 2,5G & 3G modulations

2G 3G
GMSK modulations QPSK modulations & CDMA
Gaussian Minimum Shift Code Division Multiple Access
Keying
4G - OFDM Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing
OFDM is being increasingly used
in high – speed information
transmission systems:
• European HDTV
• Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB)
• Digital Subscriber Loop (DSL)
• IEEE 802.11 Wireless LAN
OFDM characteristics
• High peak-to-average power levels
• Preservation of orthogonality in severe multi-path
• Support for adaptive modulation by subcarrier
• Frequency diversity
• Robust against narrow-band interference
• Efficient for simulcasting
• Variable/dynamic bandwidth
• Used for highest speed applications
• Supports dynamic packet access
4G - MIMO Multiple Input Multiple Output

• MIMO (BLAST & space-time coding) techniques increase bit rate and/or
quality on a link by creating multiple channels and/or enhancing
diversity.

• Switched/steered beam antennas for base stations and interference

suppression/adaptive antennas for terminals reduce interference,
increasing system capacity
Business applications
Possible applications

•Virtual Presence: 4G system gives mobile users a "virtual presence"

(for example, always-on connections to keep people on event).
•Virtual navigation: a remote database contains the graphical
representation of streets, buildings, and physical characteristics of a
large metropolis. Blocks of this database are transmitted i rapid
sequence to a vehicle
•Tele-medicine: 4G will support remote health monitoring of
patients.
•Tele-geoprocessing: Queries dependent on location information of
several users, in addition to temporal aspects have many
applications.
•Crisis-management applications
•Education
Challenges & needs (1/2)

What is needed to build 4G networks of future?

•Lower price points only slightly higher than alternatives

•More coordination among spectrum regulators around the world
•More academic research
•Standardization of wireless networks in terms of modulation
techniques, switching schemes and roaming is an absolute necessity
for 4G
•A voice-independent business justification thinking
•Integration across different network topologies
•Non-disruptive implementation 4G must allow us to move from 3G
to 4G
Challenges & needs (2/2)
Lessons from 3G

1. Customer demand was extremely uncertain.

2. The 3G story (for the financial community, the regulatory bodies,

the end-users…) and research was centered around a new, more
capable, air interface. There was significant over-expectations.

3. Standards for 3G where elaborated in « vertical monolithic »

standard bodies.
Industry initiatives
• WWRF (Wireless World Research Forum) - consisting of
Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens have started a research
forum for 4G.

• NTT DoCoMo has started conceptual design of a 4G network.

• AT&T works on 4G, especially on smart antennas, MIMO systems
and OFDM.
Conclusion
• 4G is still at research stage, available after 2010 (?)...

• ... While the impact of 3G is still uncertain!

• Employing the discussed techniques, 4G has a significant

potential for capacity improvements over 3G systems.

• The Japanese market and industries (NTT DoCoMo) seem to be

leaders in mobile technologies. Therefore we should have a
look on their innovations…
Webography

• www.comlab.hut.fi/opetus/333/2004_2005_slides/4G_text.pdf

• www.cost281.org/download.php?fid=719

• www.telenor.com/telektronikk/Oien_Beyond3G.pdf