Network test and optimization must connect with QoSiopp.fileburst.com/we/we_01_41.pdf ·...

I S S U E 41

T E C H N I C A L I N S I G H T F O R W I R E L E S S P R O F E S S I O N A L Sw i r e l e s s . i o p . o r g

O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 5

2G and 3G become one HSDPA handset testing UWB will link mobiles

Network test andoptimization mustconnect with QoS

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U P F R O N T 9TD-CDMA gathers momentum

N E W S 10Businesses push for FMC

L E A D E R 13

A N A LY S I S 14Base stations: Operators must define clear objectivesCoverage: Measuring coverage complianceConnectivity: Ultra-wideband will connect mobiles

O P I N I O N 19Mark PaxmanWill cheap GPRS revolutionize both public andprivate transportation?

Q O S T E S T I N G 2 0Testing and optimizing networks must be linked to service qualityThe mapping of service issues to underlying networkproblems is the only way to guarantee quality-of-service levels.

2 G / 3 G E V O L U T I O N 2 3GSM and W-CDMA networks must become oneW-CDMA and GSM networks have very differentoptimization requirements, but success will come to operators who treat them as one system.

H S D PA H A N D S E T S 2 7HSDPA testing benefits from structured approachHow are the key handset testing issues impacted by differences between HSDPA and today’s 3Gtechnology?

P R O D U C T F O C U S 31Signalling tester supports HSDPA at 14 Mbit/s.

P R O D U C T F O C U S 34Reducing the cost of high capacity transmission links.

P R O D U C T S 3 6Test and measurement

T H E F U T U R E 3 8Cellular networks move towards all-IPCellular operators are nervous about all-IP voiceservices, but NetTest’s Henrik Lilja believes concerns are being overcome.

5C O N T E N T S

OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2005ISSUE 41

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EDITORIALEditor: Hamish Johnston;[email protected]: Paul JohnsonArt director: Andrew GiaquintoTechnical illustrator: Alison Tovey

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Operators define base station purpose. p14.

New Zealand gets VoIP calls on TD-CDMA. p9.

HSDPA tests are developed for handsets. p27.

On the cover:Network testing andoptimization linked tousers’ service qualitywill benefit operators.p20. Image: Tektronix.


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Voice-over-Internet protocol(VoIP) services are being deliv-ered for the first time via a time-division CDMA network in NewZealand. Operated by Woosh,the TD-CDMA network pro-vides fixed-wireless broadbandservices to homes and businesses.The service is accessed via a stan-dard telephone connected to aTD-CDMA modem.

Woosh’s TD-CDMA networkis supplied by US-basedIPWireless and VoIP services arecurrently available in Auckland.Services are also planned forWellington, Christchurch andSouthland, where Woosh alsooperates TD-CDMA networks.

Meanwhile in Japan, IPMobilehas applied for a licence to pro-

vide wireless broadband servicesusing TD-CDMA. The applica-tion covers the 2010–2025 GHzband and the company intendsto begin service in Tokyo,Nagoya and Osaka in 2006. Thebroadband data service will becapable of delivering 5.2 Mbit/sin the downlink and 848 kbit/sin the uplink.

In Finland, SkyWeb has beengranted a licence to operatenationwide TD-CDMA servicesin the same frequency band.

Also called time-division duplex(TDD), TD-CDMA is a UMTStechnology that can deliver bothfixed and mobile broadband dataservices. TD-CDMA was origi-nally designed to deliver data ser-vices via the unpaired frequency

bands that were auctioned to 3Goperators throughout Europe.However, most UMTS operatorshave not used their unpaired

bands to date, focusing instead onvoice and data services deliveredover paired frequency-divisionduplex (FDD) bands.


TD-CDMA gathers momentum worldwide

AWR buys APLACApplied Wave Research (AWR)has bought the Finnish softwaresupplier APLAC. A privatelyowned spin-out of Nokia,APLAC produces simulation andanalysis software for the design ofRF devices. The acquisition willsee APLAC’s circuit-simulationsoftware become fully integratedwith AWR’s Design Environ-ment software system. APLAC’scurrent products will continue tobe supported by AWR.

Nokia is a major user andproponent of APLAC softwareand AWR claims that more than 30% of all RF integratedcircuits (RFICs) used in mobilephones are designed usingAPLAC products.

According to AWR’s directorof European operations ChrisParis, all of AWR’s developmentof circuit simulation technologywill now take place at APLAC’sHelsinki facility. “[The acquisi-tion] gives AWR access to high-quality personnel,” said Paris. Allfull-time APLAC employees willbe retained by AWR and its for-mer managing director OlliPekonen will lead the program-ming team in Helsinki.

The Electronics and Telecom-munications Research Institute(ETRI) of Korea and picoChiphave formed a partnership todevelop software-defined radio(SDR) technology for W-CDMA/HSDPA and WiMAX. A teamfrom ETRI will spend a year atpicoChip’s headquarters in Bath,UK, as part of the agreement.

picoChip produces multi-processor baseband integratedcircuits for use in a range of wire-less infrastructure systems.

Explaining why he chose topartner with picoChip, ETRI’spresident Yim Chu-Hwan said:“For our [SDR] project we eval-uated all the programmable archi-tectures and selected picoChip onthe basis of price/performance,flexibility and suitability for next-generation wireless technologies.”

ETRI played a key role in thedevelopment of the WiBro stan-dard, a mobile version of WiMAX.WiBro services are expected tolaunch in Korea in 2006.

Partners deliverWiMAX for mobileand backhaulNortel has joined forces withAirspan Networks to develop andmarket WiMAX products aimedat the fixed-wireless broadband,cellular backhaul and mobilemarkets. According to Nortel’sMark Whitton, the companieswill “execute large network build-outs with Airspan’s market-proven WiMAX portfolio”.

Whitton, general manager ofNortel’s WiMAX and WirelessMesh Networks division, alsosaid the company “will build onits key intellectual property andstandards contributions inOFDM, MIMO and wirelessmesh networking to delivermobile WiMAX products intime for trials in mid-2006”.

Nortel’s optical-backhaul anddata-network systems and suiteof wireless services will be inte-grated with Airspan’s WiMAXbase transceiver stations and sub-scriber terminals.

Nortel is also developing mobileWiMAX products with Koreanelectronics manufacturer LG.

People in New Zealand can make VoIP calls on a TD-CDMA network.

picoChip signs Korean research deal

Guillaume d’Eyssautier (l) and Yim Chu-Hwan, presidents of picoChip and ETRIrespectively, shake hands on a partnership to develop SDR technology.


1 0 B U S I N E S S

Nortel has reorganized its busi-ness operators and created twonew product groups. The newMobility and Converged CoreNetworks group will combinethe company’s cellular infrastruc-ture and related core-networkbusiness activities. The group isheaded by Richard Lowe and isdescribed as “a vital element ofcurrent and future revenuegrowth” by the company.

Nortel has also created theEnterprise Solutions and PacketNetworks group, to developequipment and services for tele-coms operators and large compa-nies. The company has alsoreorganized its sales force withteams covering Eurasia, NorthAmerica, China and theCaribbean/Latin America. StevePusey leads the Eurasian team.

O c t o b e r / N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 5 wire less. iop.org w i r e l e s s e u r o p e

Nortel merges radio andcore network groups

LG has UMA phoneLG Electronics has unveiled adual-mode WiFi/cellular phonethat uses unlicensed mobile access(UMA) technology. Developedwith Kineto Wireless, the CL400handset is designed to achieve thefixed/mobile convergence ofwireline and cellular telecoms.Wireline connectivity to the cel-lular core network is made via aWiFi link and supported byUMA. Future versions will alsosupport voice-over-Internet pro-tocol (VoIP) communicationsbased on session initiation proto-col (SIP) standards.

The handset uses UMA soft-ware from US-based Kineto andwill be available for testing bynetwork operators in late 2005.The cellular mode operates in the850, 1800 and 1900 MHz GSM/GPRS bands while the WiFimode operates at 2.4 GHz on theIEEE 802.11b/g standards.

LG’s CL400 WiFi/cellular phone will soonsupport voice-over-Internet protocol.

Businesses are driving the conver-gence of information-technology(IT) and telecoms systems in a bidto mobilize workers, said a reportfrom Affiniti. Based on a surveyof 130 British companies, thereport revealed that almost 30%of respondents have launchedprojects to achieve fixed/mobileconvergence (FMC). The reportalso claimed that 18% of compa-nies have already achieved somedegree of FMC.

According to the survey, 75%

of companies have fully or partlymobilized their workforce.“Companies that have mobilizedtheir workforces are now lookingat FMC,” said Alex Black,Strategy Director at Affiniti.Black told Wireless Europe thatdual-mode WiFi/cellular will bethe technology of choice forFMC. “An FMC solution basedon WiFi gives a better connec-tion to the corporate network,”he said. He added that the major-ity of business-related mobilecalls are made within the office,making voice-over-Internet pro-tocol (VoIP) an attractive way ofreducing cost. Companies arealso keen on implementing IP-based video conferencing.

Lower equipment and mainte-nance costs and lower tariffs arekey drivers of convergence.Network scalability, communica-tions standardization, businesscontinuity and improved IT pro-ductivity were also cited as bene-fits of converged systems.

Future handsets willpush DSP andbattery technologiesData rates of 100 Mbit/s, theemergence of multimedia appli-cations, multiple radio interfacesand the need to improve thequality of cellular networks willall conspire to put tremendouspressure on the digital signalprocessors (DSPs) used in next-generation wireless handsets.These factors were identified byAlan Varghese, principal analystat ABI Research, in a report enti-tled “DSP in Mobile Phones”.

Varghese said the DSP indus-try could respond to this pressurein two ways. “The evolutionarypath involves increasing relianceon hardware accelerators andcoprocessors to offload the DSP’swork,” said Varghese. However,he cautioned that this strategymay not be able to keep up withever-changing wireless standards.

Varghese argued that theindustry could also respond byadopting software-defined archi-tectures, which he described asdisruptive and revolutionary.Companies developing software-defined technologies includeMorpho Technologies andSandbridge Technologies. Thelatter has recently announced adesign for a 3G multimediahandset that implements all base-band and multimedia functionsin software running on a DSP.“Current market leaders mayneed to start looking over theirshoulders,” said Varghese.● In a separate consumer-orientedstudy of future mobile devices, theanalysis firm TNS found thattwo-thirds of mobile-phone andPDA users cite long battery life asa key requirement for a convergedvoice-and-data terminal. A high-resolution still and video cameraplus 20 Gbyte memory were cov-eted by about 50% of respon-dents, while video-conferencingcapabilities were desired by onlyone quarter of those surveyed.The survey involved 6800 peoplein 15 countries.

Marconi announcesfixed-wireless IMSarchitectureMarconi has launched a newarchitecture for creating Internetprotocol multimedia subsystem(IMS) services for delivery viawireless and wireline networks.The technology is aimed at opera-tors wanting to develop integratedfixed-mobile core networks.

The architecture uses Internetprotocol (IP) technology to sup-port various telecoms servicesfrom advanced multimedia totraditional voice services.

Richard Lowe heads Nortel’s new Mobilityand Converged Core Networks product group.

Alex Black believes workforce mobilizationis driving fixed/mobile convergence.

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EDGE networks continue to boom The number of commercial EDGE networks in operation worldwide reached116 at the end of September, according to the GSM Suppliers Association(GSA). EDGE is now available in 70 countries and services can be accessedover 143 different EDGE terminals. Combined EDGE/W-CDMA services areoffered on 23 of these networks. According to the GSA a further 53 operatorshave committed to offering EDGE in the future and 33 of these will offercombined EDGE/W-CDMA. There were about 70 live EDGE networks at theend of 2004.

UMA will drive fixed-mobile convergenceThe Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) standards will encourage mobileoperators and subscribers to embrace the convergence of fixed and mobiletelephony services, claims the telecoms consultancy Northstream. In a recentwhite paper, the company outlined several specific examples of how UMAtechnology could be used to create fixed-mobile-convergence (FMC) services.According to Northstream, UMA will allow operators to improve in-homemobile coverage, encourage subscribers to eschew fixed-line services infavour of their mobile phone and reduce customer churn by bundling fixedand mobile services together in one package. UMA defines a set of opentechnical specifications for providing access to mobile core networks viaunlicensed wireless links such as WiFi and Bluetooth.

Link Microtek and Cambridge RF partner on designLink Microtek is collaborating with Cambridge RF to provide design services tomakers of RF amplifiers. The services will involve load-pull tuner technologysupplied by Focus Microwaves of Canada. The Focus system will be deployedat Cambridge’s UK facility, which will provide consultancy services to Link’scustomers. The Focus system is based on a computer-controlled microwavetuner (CCMT), which covers the 0.8–3.0 GHz frequency range. The CCMT isused for designing amplifiers that operate at either very high, or extremely lowpower levels. The system employs load-pull tuner technology, whichcharacterizes the transistors used in amplifiers and helps designers to ensurethat the devices deliver the required linearity. Link Microtek is a UK-basedsupplier of RF and microwave test equipment.

Siemens and Novatel work together for HSDPASiemens and Novatel Wireless have joined forces to deliver HSDPA networkequipment and data cards to cellular operators. Siemens will bring its high-speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) infrastructure equipment to thepartnership, while Novatel will supply its expertise in the development ofwireless modems. According to Novatel’s chief executive Peter Leparulo, thepartners will deliver a “rigourously tested [and] complete end-to-end HSDPAsolution”. Subscriber devices offered by the partnership are expected toinclude PC cards and embedded modules for notebook computers.

CPS and LogicaCMG join AGILECambridge Positioning Systems (CPS) and LogicaCMG have joined theApplication of Galileo in the LBS Environment (AGILE) programme. AGILEencourages the development of mass-market location-based services (LBS)for use with Europe’s Galileo satellite positioning system. Galileo satellitesare scheduled for launch in 2006. The partners will initially integrate CPS’sMatrix technology with LogicaCMG’s Location Enabled Server to create trialLBS systems for European mobile operators. Matrix uses signals from cellularbase stations to determine handset location. Matrix can also be combinedwith satellite data in CPS’s E-GPS technology.

Call it a coincidence, but both Nokia and Ericsson declaredan interest in GSM450 on the very same day in October.Until recently the 450 MHz band was reserved for Europe’sfirst-generation analogue mobile phone service NMT and thespectrum is currently being re-farmed by various regulatorsacross the continent. While Ericsson is talking about a 2006launch of both handsets and infrastructure, Nokia is more coyand only hinting that several of its low-cost handsets could“potentially” include GSM450.

While the concept of GSM450 has been around for sometime, the GSM industry has been remarkably complacent inpromoting the technology. Indeed, the cdma2000 camp stolethe show several years ago with the launch of a 3G cellularstandard for the 450 MHz band. And there are already adozen or so networks operating in Europe – albeit mostlyEastern Europe.

While the use of the 450 MHz band by 2G – or even 3G services – would be limited by its relatively narrowbandwidth, the lower frequency would make it easier toachieve broad coverage and would reduce the cost of the RF components used in handsets and base stations. Thiscombination of low cost and broad coverage makes thetechnology attractive for emerging markets. Nokiaemphasized that GSM450 is aimed at “very price sensitivemarkets”, while Ericsson’s head of GSM Ulf Ewaldssonreferred to “emerging growth markets”.

Presumably rich western Europeans would not be interestedin the basic services provided by GSM450 – or would they? Atsome point in the future the GSM 1800 MHz band will be re-farmed to UMTS to support 3G services. Assuming that therewill always be a market in Europe for low-cost single-modeGSM services, the 450 MHz band will fill the gap nicely.

Test and measurement challengesWhile Europe’s network engineers will be eminently qualifiedto roll out and optimize GSM450 infrastructure, thecommunity still appears to be struggling with UMTS. Thisissue of Wireless Europe focuses on testing and optimization ofcellular equipment with an emphasis on linking networkperformance to the quality of service enjoyed by the subscriber.The range of topics in this issue – from the need to treat 2Gand 3G as one network, to getting a grip on the heightenedcomplexity of HSDPA – reflect the fact that network engineersmust master an ever-growing array of technologies.

Perhaps the most significant challenge of the future will be toget all cellular technologies – indeed all wireless links – to worktogether in a seamless manner. Many of the myriad possiblerelationships between ultrawideband, WiFi, WiMAX andcellular are explored in this issue – and wireless convergencewill continue to feed the public’s appetite for mobile services.

Hamish Johnston, Editor

GSM450 finally arrivesE D I T O R I A LN E W S


1 4 A N A LY S I S


Brian Lancaster explains why operatorsmust define clear objectives for newbase stations.

As 2G networks mature and 3G traffic andcoverage increases, operators are deployingnew base stations for very distinct reasons.Whether a base station is installed to boostcapacity or coverage for example, makes a bigdifference in how the site is configured.

Most new GSM base stations in Europeare being installed to boost capacity in busynetworks. And the number of 3G in-fill cellsites is on the rise, although most new 3Ginstallations are aimed at increasing coverage.As a result, it is crucial that all partiesinvolved in base-station planning and instal-lation processes understand what role a newsite will play.

Base stations that are installed to boostcapacity usually have reserve capacity andflexibility built in to their radio-frequency(RF) planning schemes. Coverage-drivensites, on the other hand, rarely have any sparecapacity available, as they are usually runningat full capacity from the start.

Specialized coverageAs well as boosting capacity or increasingcoverage, some base stations are installed toprovide specialized coverage. For example abase station could be installed to service anew convention centre. Electrical antenna-tilt technology could be used to provide thecentre with high-capacity coverage duringthe day. The tilt could then be adjusted tocover the surrounding community duringthe evening and other off-peak periods.

Once the network operator and installerhave determined the main function of thenew base station, the process can move on tothe RF planning stage. This considers factorssuch as the local topography of the coveragearea as well as how the area can be dividedinto sectors. Sectors are created by splitting asingle cell into two or more segments. Theywere first employed in the mid-1990s toboost the peak-time capacity of GSM net-works in urban centres and some cell siteshad up to six sectors supported by six anten-

nas. Today, however, it is rare to see morethan three sectors in a cell thanks to theongoing miniaturization of electronics andthe increased call capacity that can be sup-ported by a cluster of antenna radiators.

RF planning must also consider interfer-ence between GSM 900 and 1800 MHz basestations, as well as their effect on 3G cell sitesoperating around 2 GHz and WiFi accesspoints at 2.4 GHz. 2G/3G interference hasbecome a major issue because operators areexploiting the latest antenna technologies toco-locate 3G and 2G base stations.

Co-location allows the operator to connect

directly both the GSM and the 3G base sta-tions on to the same electronic mobileexchange, so saving on network deploymentcosts. Costs could be cut further by usingmultiband antennas that cover the GSM and3G frequencies. However, this strategy forcesthe operator to impose 2G cell-planningmethods on its 3G network, which is not anideal situation.

Once the equipment has been installed,the process moves on to the commissioningstage, which can take several weeks. This isthe task of optimizing a base station beforeit is handed over to the operator and put intocommercial operation.

When a new base station is switched on,it is crucial that key performance indicators(KPIs) are defined and tested for that cell site.KPIs include targets such as a maximum calldrop rate, which is typically 5% for outdoorcells and 2% for in-building sites. The effectsof the new site on other cellular-networkresources in the area are also defined by KPIs.

Monitoring qualityThe KPIs must be re-measured and adjustedthroughout the commissioning stage. Evenafter the base-station site is delivered to theoperator, its performance must be monitoredclosely because call quality is fast becominga key factor in determining a subscriber’schoice of cellular network.

As with most projects of this nature, basestation deployments are subject to rigorouscontract requirements. Rather than definingpenalties for late delivery, operators usuallyapply a staged payment system to encouragethe installer to remain on schedule.

Keeping to a commissioning schedule is noeasy task, however, in today’s world of out-sourced contract and subcontracting compa-nies. Only a handful of installers worldwide –including AlanDick – can offer a turnkeyapproach for a base-station deployment. Thisis an important issue, as the faster a cell sitegoes live to customers, the faster the call rev-enue starts streaming in.

Even if a base station is being deployed forcapacity reasons – as is the norm for GSMacross Europe – rapid commissioning is stilla key requirement. Operators must be ableto keep up with increasing demand, particu-larly from private users who, unlike businessusers, usually give up trying to make a call ifthe signal quality is erratic. The challenge forwireless operators – as well as the site instal-lation partners – is to balance coverage, capac-ity, call quality and costs in order to gainmaximum revenue from their network. ■

Brian Lancaster is Group ApplicationsManager at AlanDick.

Clarity of purpose bringsbase-station success

B A S E S T A T I O N S

A tall order: operators must be specific about the role of abase station to ensure it works properly from the start.


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1 7A N A LY S I S


Measuring coveragefor complianceBy John Berry In a previous article for Wireless Europe I pro-vided a comprehensive definition of cellularcoverage (see June/July 2005, p14). Whiledefinitions are useful, they must be backedup with the ability to measure the appropri-ate parameters.

Measuring coverage is of crucial impor-tance when it is used to demonstrate that acellular network is performing in accordancewith a contractual agreement. This involvesthe gathering of evidence to show that theservice, as defined by the contract, has indeedbeen supplied. This, of course, demands adetailed specification of what constitutes ade-quate coverage.

Coverage is defined by a series of proba-bility distributions, which can be used tostate that there is a determinable chance thata user will be able to enjoy service at a givenlocation, at a given time. This chance is gov-erned by several variables. While the signallevel or field strength are often measured asproxies for coverage, in digital cellular net-works the connection between these param-eters is complicated by coding, errorcorrection and equalization processes.

Defining parametersInterference and noise impair coverage inboth voice and data systems. However, thelink between these parameters is not straight-forward due to the complex and mixedrequirements of data transmission systemssuch as latency and throughput. So great caremust be taken to define what parameters canbe measured in time and space and how dataare offered as evidence of coverage.

In addition, coverage is not a continuousgreyscale and there will be holes in coveragethat no amount of power increase orimproved antenna positioning will overcome.As a result, any definition of coverage – andthe related measurement campaign – mustdescribe permitted outage. This can be done,for example, by defining the maximum per-mitted size of contiguous outage areas.

Anyone seeking to establish proof-of-coverage and compliance must be able toquote the statistical confidence of their mea-surements. Making measurements at infinitelocations for infinite time is the only way tobe 100% confident that the requirementshave been met – but this would be extremely

expensive. However, if desired confidence islimited – to, say, 90% – the task becomessurprisingly attractive.

The rules of statistics can be used to deter-mine how many random measurements mustbe made in space and time to achieve 90%confidence. For example, to be 90% confi-dent of achieving coverage over a singleVHF/UHF base station footprint requiredonly 40 measurements for a given margin.The margin in this context is the differencebetween the measured value and a thresholdlimit that is determined by the required con-fidence. The greater the margin, the fewersample measurements that are required.

However, samples do need to be completelyrandom. While making measurements onlyon major roads and inferring coverage else-where will generate errors, pseudo-random-ness can be achieved by random samplingover a continuous drive test route.

The first step in using measurement toprove performance is the development of a

well-defined statement of coverage defined interms of the service the subscriber experi-ences. This will reveal exactly what must bemeasured and how. The next step involvesdetermining the confidence, which is usedto calculate the number of sample measure-ments needed to achieve it. The final stage isthe physical measurement and processing ofthose measurements to compare withrequirements.

An overall statement for the networkshould read something like this: “We are90% confident that there is a 95% chancefrom any one location across 98% of roads inthe stated service area that users will enjoy avoice quality score of at least 3.0. Of the 2%of roads where service may be lacking, noroad length shall exceed 500 m”. This typeof statement can be developed for mobile ser-vices and modified for broadcast and fixed-point to multipoint networks.

It is crucial that operators understandexactly what must be measured to prove com-pliance – and what need not be measured.Traditionally the mobile industry has per-formed copious drive tests to measure signallevel when statistical sampling implies that aless onerous campaign would have sufficed.And of course, network failure may not be aresult of poor signal levels. The call set-up andmaintenance may need to be checked acrossthe territory, for example, and latency andthroughput levels could have importanteffects on service levels at peak times and oncertain days. Also, sufficient, usable and inter-ference-free network resources must be avail-able at each point in the required service area.

The agreement between the network integ-rator and operator will determine what proofis needed and when it must be delivered.Demonstration of compliance on the net-work’s go-live date will require a comprehen-sive measurement campaign, but much canalso be derived during network operation.Perhaps the real network performance shouldbe taken as a mix of the two. ■

John Berry is managing director of ATDI’sUK operations.

C O V E R A G E

Coverage is not a continuous greyscale and there will beholes in coverage that no amount of power increase orimproved antenna positioning will overcome.

It is crucial that operators understandexactly what must bemeasured to provecompliance – and whatneed not be measured

The rules of statistics candetermine how manyrandom measurementsmust be made to achieve90% confidence


1 8 A N A LY S I S


By Mark Bowles Mobile phones have become so popular thatmore than one billion people worldwide ownat least one device. While cellular data ratesare improving, it is still difficult to transfer afile or a picture from one phone to another.Most users have yet to attempt a peer-to-peerconnection between handsets and it is clearthat cellular operators would prefer that alltraffic from a mobile phone crosses their net-works. However, a new wireless peer-to-peertechnology called Certified Wireless USBpromises to change this by 2007 – and itcould provide operators with new businessopportunities, rather than new headaches.

Until recently, several technologies havefailed to address peer-to-peer connectivityamong devices such as mobile phones, PCs,digital cameras, video cameras, PDAs, MP3players and personal media players. The threemost credible attempts to date are infraredas defined by the Infrared Data Association(IrDA), Bluetooth and the Universal SerialBus On-the-Go (USB OTG). The first twotechnologies are wireless, while the thirdrequires a wired connection.

While IrDA is integrated within manyportable devices, the technology is not reallybeing used – probably because it is perceivedto be slow and it requires a line-of-sight con-nection. Bluetooth has been extremely suc-cessful in mobile phones, but data rates areless that 1 Mbit/s and its use has largely beenlimited to wireless headset applications.

Offering 480 Mbit/s, USB has become themost successful interface technology used onpersonal computers (PCs) and, more recently,consumer electronics. In fact, more than twobillion USB ports have been deployed. TheUSB standard was spawned by the PC indus-try in the late 1990s but has also beenembraced by digital and video cameras, whichrepresent 90% or more of total USB usage.

While mobile phones are also incorporat-ing USB, the technology was designed formaster-slave – rather than peer-to-peer –communications. This has been addressed inUSB OTG, which is a new version of USBthat operates more like a peer-to-peer inter-face. USB OTG has enjoyed a particularlyhigh uptake in mobile phones and, while thisis a good start, it still requires a cable con-

nection. As a result, the need for fast, easy-to-use, peer-to-peer connectivity for mobilephones remains unfulfilled.

This gap will soon be filled by a new radiocommunications technology called ultra-wideband (UWB). The US was the first juris-diction to approve UWB use in 2002, withJapan and Singapore following suit. SouthKorea and China are also expected to approveUWB. In Europe however, the regulatory sit-uation is more difficult to predict, but manyindustry insiders expect initial regulations toappear within the next 12 months.

Not surprisingly, there has been a greatdeal of opposition to UWB by interestsaligned with current wireless communica-tions systems – especially cellular operatorswho see UWB as a potential threat to theirthird- and fourth-generation data services.Furthermore, because UWB occupies un-licensed spectrum, operators have no obviousway to generate revenue and capitalize on thetechnology. However, it is my belief thatoperators will embrace the technology oncethey understand the indirect business oppor-tunities that it can provide.

Commercial applicationThe first commercial application of UWBradio technology will be Certified WirelessUSB, which is a new industry standard devel-oped by the USB Implementers Forum. TheBluetooth Special Interest Group has alsoannounced that it will adopt UWB for thenext generation of Bluetooth, but it may beseveral years before that technology is com-mercialized. While there are two distinctUWB standards under commercial develop-ment – direct-sequence (DS) and multibandorthogonal frequency-division multiplexing(MB-OFDM) – Certified Wireless USB is

exclusive to MB-OFDM and will not be ableto communicate via any other UWB stan-dard including DS.

Capable of 480 Mbit/s, Certified WirelessUSB will be fast and easy to use like tradi-tional wired USB – and, like USB OTG, itsupports peer-to-peer communications. AsBluetooth and IrDA have proven, if the tech-nology is low-cost, draws very little batterypower, and has a small form factor, it will bedesigned into a broad range of products.However, unlike these technologies, CertifiedWireless USB will be valued and used bymore consumers because it supports a widerange of applications and user models.

An enormous industry effort began abouttwo years ago to bring standards-basedWireless USB products to market. More thana dozen of the world’s largest semiconductorcompanies are developing silicon chips, soft-ware, antennas and other componentsneeded for commercialization. Hundreds ofman-years of work have been put into thedevelopment of specification and testing pro-cedures to ensure that chips from all manu-facturers work seamlessly with one another.Prototypes have been demonstrated publicly– the most recent being as small as a standardUSB thumb-drive. The first certified compli-ant and interoperable silicon devices shouldbecome available in early 2006. These devicesare expected to be the size of a WiFi module– about 1×1 cm – but have power require-ments closer to Bluetooth chips. For exam-ple, US-based Staccato Communications isdeveloping its Ripcord single-chip devices forthis market (see figure).

Many of the largest manufacturers of PCs,digital cameras, hard drives, MP3 players andprinters are preparing products with CertifiedWireless USB chips. While these will be

C O N N E C T I V I T Y

Ultra-wideband will connect mobiles forfile sharing in 2007

Staccato’s Ripcord single-chip all-CMOS products are fully integrated devices for Wireless USB applications. The chipsintegrate the RF transceiver, baseband, MAC, processor, memory, and I/O functionality.


1 9O P I N I O N


M A R K P A X M A Nreleased in 2006, it is likely that mobile phoneusers will have to wait until late 2007 forhandsets with Certified Wireless USB.

This will make sharing photographsbetween phones as common place as sharingmusic among MP3 players. The more usefuland functional these devices become, themore consumers will rely on them and themore they will use the operator’s networks.Many new business models will emerge,allowing cellular operators to generate evenhigher average revenue per user (ARPUs).

An example of a new business modelinvolves the digital rights management(DRM) of MP3 files. A subscriber wanting toshare a DRM-protected MP3 with anotheruser could use the operator’s network to verifythe digital rights transaction and handle thebilling. While Apple has been successful withits iTunes subscription model, a PC isrequired to access the Internet and no shar-ing is allowed between players. A CertifiedWireless USB-enabled mobile phone with asimilar service offered by a mobile operatorcould take better advantage of impulsive buy-ing behaviour – and as an added bonus, everysubscriber could become a retail outlet.

A similar business model could be devel-oped for uploading video clips, movies orother data from kiosks, or shared directlyfrom another user. Again, the cellular opera-tor would handle billing and DRM exclu-sively over its network. As many differenttypes of digital content can be shared in dif-ferent ways, this business model providesoperators with a means of developing highlydifferentiated services.

Indeed, an operator could turn its sub-scribers into a vast sales force for all types ofwireless data content including video clips,movies and more. Content would be distrib-uted from user to user via Certified WirelessUSB at 480 Mbit/s, with each and everybilling transaction or DRM verification tak-ing place over the cellular network. Operatorscould even provide incentives to subscribers toshare files by awarding them credits based onthe amount of sharing activity they generate.

The trends are already becoming clear.Consumers will soon demand high-speedwireless peer-to-peer connectivity on all oftheir devices and there will be no turningback. Mobile phones will be at the centre ofthis revolution because they are the conver-gence device for nearly all consumer electron-ics applications. Cellular operators who movefirst and develop the most innovative businessmodels will benefit the most from UWB. ■

Mark Bowles is Vice President of BusinessDevelopment and Marketing at StaccatoCommunications.

Cheap GPRS is coming soon to a vehicle near you –but will it revolutionize both public and privatetransportation?

Until recently my rural railway station comprised two platforms, a shelter and a ticketmachine. Now commuters benefit from a substantial upgrade – in the form of a livepassenger information sign. The change is tremendous. Instead of standing on a coldquiet platform hoping for a train, I can now stand on a cold quiet platform knowing atrain is coming, and its arrival time.

Passenger information systems based upon automatic vehicle location (AVL) systemsare changing public transport – and are about to change all forms of transportation.Their success is an unintended consequence of GSM’s rapid adoption.

Ten years ago only road haulage firms and emergency services could afford AVLsystems like Omnitracs and Euteltracs, which tell fleet managers where their vehiclesare and allow them to optimize schedules. Although these services employ low-costgeographical positioning system (GPS) to determine location, expensive satellitecommunications are also required. As a result, these services have not been popularwith the public transport sector.

If AVL can be made to work for public transport, it will bring two huge benefits –reduced operating cost thanks to more efficientscheduling; and more satisfied passengers that are keptup-to-date with the latest schedule information.

AVL is hard to implement using terrestrial wirelesssystems. The problem is the data rate – it’s too low.Each vehicle only needs to send its location – a fewbytes of information – about once a minute. This isdifficult for most wireless systems to handle. In the1990s only very large public transport operators couldafford to design semi-custom PMR-based AVL, and thesystems were constrained in performance and features.

Cheap GPRS has changed all that. AVL data burstsfit well into single user datagram protocol (UDP) packets with relatively low overhead.GPRS is based on Internet protocol (IP), which makes it easy to interface with off-the-shelf, back-office software systems. GPRS modems cost less than 6100, and trackingone vehicle would incur a GPRS data charge of less than 6100 per year. The GPSportion of the modem would cost about 620 and the GPS service is free.

Thanks to these low costs, most bus operators in the UK either have or are planningto roll out GPRS-based AVL, using off-the-shelf systems from a range of vendors. Nowthat GPRS AVL is cheap and effective, the next step is deployment in the private-transport sector. Governments are looking at AVL as the next way to manage andmonitor private cars – for road pricing, pay-as-you-drive or speed-limit enforcement.The issues here are rather different and non-technical. The danger is that subvertingthe system might be relatively simple – jamming the GPS or disrupting the GPRS link.

Road pricing needs to be technically sound, tamper and jam proof. But mostimportantly it must be presented to the public in a way that makes users embrace itrather than disrupt it. This could involve offering “free” satellite navigation, adaptivecruise control, and crash alarm systems that notify emergency services. ■

Mark Paxman is a managing consultant at PA Consulting’s Wireless Technology Group.He can be contacted at [email protected].

Now GPRS vehiclelocation is cheapand effective, thenext step is in theprivate-transportsector



2 0 Q O S T E S T I N G


The pressure to maintain quality-of-service (QoS) in an increas-ingly competitive market for 3G mobile services has led to thedevelopment of new test and monitoring systems to identify andquantify key performance indicators. At the same time, theincreasing complexity and size of cellular networks places strainson network design and capacity – which require new monitor-ing techniques.

3G technologies have enabled mobile network operators tooffer new data services including a wide range of video andInternet services. As 3G networks mature and competitionintensifies, the operators must be able to deliver guaranteed QoSlevels to their subscribers. Operators and equipment manufac-turers both face significant challenges in identifying serviceissues and then mapping them to underlying network issues.This allows problems to be resolved quickly to ensure that thenetwork meets customers’ heightened QoS expectations.

The testing and optimization of UMTS networks is a partic-ularly daunting task. The dynamic nature of W-CDMA cells,combined with an array of new services, brings a high degree ofcomplexity. Reducing interference from adjacent cells whileproviding reliable handover operations in the boundary cover-age areas is one of many challenges faced by network operators.

In order to guarantee high QoS to subscribers, UMTS tech-nicians need tools that help them maintain an efficient UMTSterrestrial radio access network (UTRAN) cell plan, isolate ser-vice problems and restore network efficiency quickly. About70% of 3G network problems are related to radio interfaceissues, which means that careful optimization of the 3G radio-access network can dramatically improve subscribers’ QoS.

Mobile network operators must first identify the best mea-surement parameters – or key performance indicators (KPIs) –to describe the customer’s perception of QoS. Then a measure-ment infrastructure that can determine these KPIs – startingfrom network performance data – must be developed.

Too much informationTraditionally, performance is measured using tools that are prov-ided within individual network elements and service nodes.While this can produce many KPIs, it is difficult to convertthese to information that accurately reflects the customer’s per-ception of QoS in a meaningful way.

KPIs are usually produced by network elements – which moni-tor the underlying bearer network performance and definetechnology-based network measurements – rather than by mea-surements related to the delivery of services. Furthermore, inmultivendor networks, KPIs derived from equipment from onesupplier cannot be compared with KPIs from others and therefore

do not provide a meaningfulview of overall network perfor-mance.

Test-equipment vendorshave addressed this problem bydeveloping protocol analysersthat can measure KPIs relatedto service degradation. TheseKPIs are mapped onto under-lying network problems,which can then be solved. Theprotocol analyser must incor-porate software that can corre-late radio interface KPIs suchas bit-error rate, block-errorrate, signal/interference ratio,and transmitted-code powerwith signalling KPIs such asdropped radio-resource con-trol connections. This correla-tion process is the only way togain an understanding of theinfluence of radio link qualityon network behaviour – andultimately on the differentQoS requirements of servicessuch as voice, video andpacket-data.

Indeed, expert softwareapplications on protocol analy-sers can monitor the activitiesof individual subscribers. KPIscan be calculated on a per-callbasis – for example, the evolu-tion of throughput over timefor a packet-switched connec-tion can be monitored as afunction of the relevant sig-nalling events. This determinesthe QoS as perceived by thesubscriber.

3G network planning and optimization are also benefitingfrom the evolution of monitoring techniques and protocolanalyser applications. When a subscriber approaches the bound-ary of a UMTS cell, two contradictory conditions must be met.Firstly, the interference from adjacent cells must not be too high,otherwise the radio link quality and the user’s perceived qualityof service will deteriorate. However, the received power of adja-cent cells must be strong enough to allow reliable handoveroperations, otherwise user connections could be cut off. Findinga compromise between these two contradictory requirements isa key challenge of network planning.

Testing and optimizing networks mPaolo Trevisan explains why the mapping ofservice issues to underlying network problems isthe only way to guarantee quality-of-service levels.

A network testing and optimization system that is liwill benefit the management, operations and planni


2 1Q O S T E S T I N G

The problem is usuallyaddressed using a cell over-lapped matrix, which showsthe interference between anytwo cells (as identified by theirscrambling codes). For eachcell, the matrix reveals theinfluence of any other cell.Interfering cells are usuallyadjacent to the cell underanalysis. However, if a stronglyinterfering cell is not on thecell’s neighbour list, handoverwill not be possible. In addi-tion, uncontrollable interfer-ence can block cell throughputor cause extensive cell breath-ing. The matrix can also beused to optimize the scram-bling-code plan and as achecklist for neighbouring cellplanning.

A special type of cell over-lapped matrix can be con-structed using drive-testtechniques, which require ded-icated software and hardwareequipment. The software con-trols all important test parame-ters including the collection ofphone and receiver measure-ments, nominating the bandsor channels for testing, andselecting dialling parametersand call duration.

Data can be collected on thephone messages transmitted toand from the base station,receiver measurements, andthe GPS time/date and loca-tion for each measurement.

The software will store and organize the data in a large database – a single short drive can produce more than100 Mbyte of data, depending on the settings. Post-processingof the data can be used for replay purposes, to query particularmeasurement values or events, to decode individual base-station phone messages and control events, and to map data in a geographical context.

A drive test is traditionally a relatively complex, time-con-suming and expensive process, which many operators are keento avoid if possible. Fortunately a new generation of protocolanalysers can use passive monitoring techniques at the Iub inter-

face between the base station and the radio network controller.The cell overlapped matrix can then be generated by collectingradio resource control (RRC) measurement report messages,which travel on the Iub interface. This is a privileged monitoringpoint where radio interface measurements are constantly flowingfrom the handsets in the form of RRC measurement reports.The cell overlapped matrix can be calculated by applying astraightforward algorithm to the RRC measurement reports.

The protocol analysers used for this passive monitoring fea-ture an enhanced user interface that is fully automated andprovides fast configuration. This reduces the time spent by tech-nicians to collect the data and makes the equipment easier to useby novices. This approach enables more senior technicians tofocus on other more critical tasks, which increases the produc-tivity of test teams. In addition, multi-user support enables cus-tomers to reduce capital and operational expenditures bysharing the use of one protocol analyser in a server environment.

Operator challengesThe size and complexity of modern mobile networks pose sev-eral challenges to operators. Operators must guarantee a con-sistently high quality of service, and deal with service andnetwork issues before they become customer complaints. As wellas evolving protocol analysers, new features in operational sup-port systems (OSSs) are being deployed to ensure maximumnetwork efficiency and reliability. Unified assurance softwarewithin OSS interfaces can be combined with network moni-toring tools to achieve the real-time management of the UMTSradio access network. Troubleshooting and continuous networkmonitoring can be performed within one integrated system thatmanages the access, core, and Internet-protocol (IP) networks.This approach provides end-to-end visibility of the network andaddresses the complexities of 3G and associated packet cores. Italso provides greater control of services by mitigating the effectsof access-network problems on subscribers.

Such a system monitors all traffic continuously in real timeusing an architecture that can achieve real-time processing capa-bilities under high loads. It also provides an in-depth view of ser-vice and customer performance by the correlation of control anduser planes across interfaces, protocols and network elements. Asa result, network operators can identify problems sooner, resolveissues more rapidly, and maximize quality/performance.

In addition, operators will have greater control over servicedelivery at the network operations, management and planning/optimization levels. The availability of KPIs with alarm notifica-tions and guided troubleshooting paths will benefit those work-ing at the operations level, whereas automated summary healthreports for network services and entitities will assist those in man-agement. The in-depth analysis and trend evaluation of keyparameters will help with network planning and optimization.■

Paolo Trevisan is business development manger at Tektronix.


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W-CDMA and GSM networks have very differentoptimization requirements, but Tim Brooksbelieves that success will come to operators thattreat them as one system.While the business reasons for implementing W-CDMA arecompelling, the engineering skills and methods needed to rollout, optimize and operate W-CDMA networks alongside legacyGSM systems are only now evolving. The first major challengesare associated with the dynamic nature of a W-CDMA network.

The optimization and tuning of W-CDMA networks requireautomatic cell planning (ACP) optimization software that sim-ulates the operation of the network. This is a significant depar-ture from the trusted prediction and frequency planning toolsthat GSM engineers have used for years. Furthermore, to beeffective ACP software requires the input of high-quality mea-sured data from the network itself. This is triggering a return todrive testing by GSM operators, after years of favouring the useof switch statistics over driving.

A second set of challenges are associated with the developmentof a new set of “best practices” for operating the GSM andW-CDMA networks as one integrated system. These will ensurethat operators can provide their subscribers with a seamless ser-vice, while maximizing the efficiencies of their networks.

Engineers in Europe who have worked exclusively with GSMnetworks will find many aspects of W-CDMA optimizationsomewhat counter-intuitive. Fortunately, well-establishedCDMA networks in the Americas and elsewhere can provideEuropean operators with a wealth of experience and best prac-tices, which can be drawn upon for W-CDMA.

Knowledge transferOperators began deploying CDMA in the 1990s and have sincedeveloped considerable experience in delivering quality servicesover these systems. In parallel, companies developing tools anddelivering services to the CDMA market have been instrumen-tal in using this experience to transfer knowledge from CDMAto W-CDMA operators.

The counter-intuitive nature of W-CDMA with respect toGSM requires GSM engineers need to be more flexible andopen to trying approaches that may seem contradictory to whatthey know. Prime examples of this are co-channel transmissionand dynamic coverage, which play a crucial role in W-CDMAbut do not apply to GSM.

CDMA transmissions are co-channel, with all users sharingthe same uplink (and downlink) frequency band. As a result

GSM engineers must dispense with their familiar propagationprediction and automatic frequency planning (AFP) tools.Instead they must use ACP tools to tune the network withrespect to power levels and antenna tilt and azimuth angles.

The serving area radius of each CDMA cell changes accordingto the system load, leading to dynamic coverage areas in whichthe cells “breathe”. This makes the planning and optimizationa dynamic process as traffic loads change. Unlike GSM, CDMAnetwork designs must be validated using simulation tools thatmodel network demand and traffic patterns and predict how thenetwork will breathe under a range of scenarios definingexpected traffic loads and service mixes.

The good news for W-CDMA operators is that ACP andoptimization/simulation systems have completed their forma-tive years on CDMA and are now established technologies andrecognized best practices.

W-CDMA ACP optimization and simulation software sys-tems are only as effective as the measurement and propagationdata employed. This data is used both for calibration and as abasis of prediction and simulation. Better input data yields bet-ter results and higher network quality and capacity.

Unlike GSM optimization, where sufficient data is availablefrom established sets of switch statistics, the traffic on W-CDMAnetworks is not yet heavy enough to provide switch data that isuseful for ACP input. As traffic is unlikely to be sufficiently highfor some time, operators are now realizing that the best way toget good data is to perform comprehensive drive testing.

Many operators also perform drive testing with both phones andscanners. While phone data are useful for understanding the userexperience, operators usually use this information for marketing– rather than engineering – purposes. Drive-test scanner data are

2 32G/3G EVOLUT ION


GSM and W-CDMA networksmust become one system

km

Fig. 1. This figure illustrates the importance of making high-dynamic-rangemeasurements in a W-CDMA network. The data on the left were obtained at a30 dB dynamic range, while the data on the left were obtained at 20 dB. Theorange areas represent valid measurements, while the blue areas are whereno signal was detected.

km km


2 4 2G/3G EVOLUT ION

complementary to phone data. They are more suited forengineering tasks such as troubleshooting and as inputfor calibrating planning and optimization solutions.

There are several factors that must be consideredwhen evaluating phone versus scanner data. Phones areuseful for tracking the user experience and indicatingwhere problems exist in the network, but scanners oper-ate independently of the network. Scanners can reportmore detail than phones, such as missing neighbours.They can also detect interference from radio sourcesoutside the network. The radios in scanners typ-ically offer higher performance and sensitivitythan those in phones. Sensitivity or dynamicrange is an important consideration whenmonitoring all the sites in a W-CDMA net-work. Co-channel dynamic range is neces-sary to maximize the propagation footprintvisibility from each site (figure 1).

Measuring powerLee Criteria formulae define how the aver-age power of a radio signal should be mea-sured in terms of space and time. Whenapplied directly to the wide-bandwidthW-CDMA signals, the criteria dictatevery-high scanning speeds beyond thecapability of most W-CDMA scan-ners. However, W-CDMA signalsprovide some immunity againstfast fading because they do not fadeacross the entire bandwidth at thesame time. This means that theformulae can be modified to yielda recommended sampling rate of 6measurements per 40 wavelengths.At 2100 MHz, 40 wavelengths isabout 5.71 m and therefore a scan-ning rate of about 1 sample/m is suitable forW-CDMA.

Many operators now report that up to 80%of cellular usage is indoors and the deploy-ment of wireless data services over W-CDMAis further increasing indoor traffic. Unfortunately, the indoorpenetration of W-CDMA signals at 2100 MHz is not as goodas that enjoyed by GSM at lower freqencies. Furthermore, thein-building deployment of W-CDMA deployment reduces traf-fic on the outdoor network, increasing overall network capacityand efficiency, as well as providing better quality of service andhigher data rates to indoor users.

The planning and measurement of indoor systems is becom-ing a core RF engineering activity for W-CDMA operators. As aresult, many suppliers now offer indoor versions of their test andmeasurement tools, together with indoor test transmitters. Andinstead of drive testing, operators can improve coverage and cus-tomer satisfaction by performing walk testing of indoor instal-lations (see figure 2).

Once GSM operators have mastered W-CDMA and deployedtheir overlay networks, they will face an even greater challenge –

operating the two networks as one system. Withmany sites featuring shared GSM/W-CDMAantennas, cross-optimization will be importantas changes in antenna tilt or azimuth for one net-

work may necessitate a change for the other. Optimization system providers are starting to

address this need by adding cross-optimizationfeatures to their products. Cellular operators will

want to use those tools to select the best compro-mise W-CDMA/GSM implementation. The need for

good propagation data to calibrate the optimizationtools effectively will expand the need for measurements

that produce both GSM and W-CDMA data. The management of inter-network hand-off zones is

another hurdle associated with operating two net-works as one system. A key objective is to locate

hand-off zones in areas wheretraffic is low to ensure

a rapid and cleanhand-off between

W-CDMA andGSM networks. What

must be avoided is havingphones enter a hand-off zone and

remain in W-CDMA compressedmode (in preparation for hand-off ) for any

length of time. Collecting detailed and high-dynamic-range data for both the GSM andW-CDMA networks within the hand-off zoneswill facilitate the creation of optimal inter-net-work neighbour lists, which leads to the effectivemanagement and placement of these zones.

As operators begin to operate theirW-CDMA and GSM networks as a single sys-tem, engineers are recognizing the advantages ofthe simultaneous collection of W-CDMA andGSM data. Many drive-test systems – includingPCTEL’s CLARIFY – are starting to offer sup-port for both W-CDMA and GSM data collec-tion in the same package. However, buyersmust be aware that some of the systems do notoffer simultaneous collection.

GSM operators have much to learn from the legacy ofCDMA outside of Europe and this can be done through inno-vative optimization vendors. To achieve a high quality-of-ser-vice, GSM/W-CDMA operators must heed three importantrecommendations. They must first understand that they mustoperate the two networks as one system – not as two networkswith two engineering teams and sets of practices. Secondly, asGSM operators and engineers take on W-CDMA, they mustrethink their view on drive testing. They must drive with a scan-ner and recognize the importance of maximizing dynamic rangein W-CDMA. Finally, operators must create a master data set byusing a drive test collection system that collects data from bothnetworks, thereby achieving better cross-optmization at littleor no additional cost. ■

Tim Brooks is Vice President Marketing at PCTEL’s RF Solutions Group.


Fig. 2. Drive – and indoor walk – testingwith a scanner plays a crucial role inW-CDMA network optimization.


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Mike McKernan looks athow the key handsettesting issues areimpacted by differencesbetween HSDPA andtoday’s 3G technology.

Originally conceived as a cor-nerstone of UMTS Release 5(R5), high-speed downlinkpacket access (HSDPA) boostsdata rates to 3G handsets.Recently however, marketforces have pushed the deploy-ment of HSDPA far ahead ofthe R5 schedule. In the NorthAmerican and Asian markets,UMTS networks competedirectly with cdma2000 opera-tors, many of which havealready launched EV-DOhigh-speed data services. Ascdma2000 networks begin tooffer multimedia and other advanced services, UMTS opera-tors must follow suit.

This has accelerated deployment schedules in North Americaand Asia, with the rest of the worldwide UMTS community fol-lowing shortly behind. A 2005 commercial deployment is pos-sible and several are planned for 2006. While the rapid deliveryof HSDPA services will benefit operators, equipment makersand subscribers alike, handsets must be thoroughly tested forefficient and proper operation.

Operators are proactiveAs the transition from GSM to UMTS Release 99 (R99) pro-gresses, UMTS network operators are taking a more proactiveapproach to handset testing. The move to UMTS is not a sub-tle one and experience shows that subscribers will blame all ser-vice-related problems on the network – and operators will beexpected to resolve these issues with the handset manufacturer.

Outside of Europe, EV-DO implementation was not painless,and significant lessons have been learned. Perhaps the mostimportant is that during the development of cutting-edge tech-nology, test standards are not always comprehensive. Early revi-

sions of new standards are based on immediate needs and are usu-ally written without the benefit of experience. Within Europe,most engineers who have a GSM background have to deal witha long learning curve to master the basics of W-CDMA.

HSDPA adds an extra layer of complexity by employing a newscheme for link adaptation control. The data rate available tothe user is modified according to physical-layer feedback fromthe handset. R99 handsets operate primarily on a dedicated chan-nel (DCH), whereby one user is provided a single downlink codechannel. HSDPA relies on the high-speed dedicated shared chan-nel (HS-DSCH), which is shared between multiple users. UnlikeR99, where the channel is controlled by power adaptation, theHS-DSCH is controlled by rate adaptation that is based on time-scheduling at the base station. However, there is no standarddefining how the base station implements this scheduling, so aneffective test plan requires a certain amount of flexibility.

Unlike R99 data channels, HSDPA spreading factors do notvary on the HS-DSCH. Instead, a single user employs multiplescrambling codes and acknowledge/negative acknowledge(ACK/NACK) control at the physical layer. HSDPA also relieson the hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) in the medium

2 7HSDPA HANDSETS


HSDPA handsets benefit fromstructured testing approach

Spirent’s W-CDMA Network Emulator, which can be used to test HSDPA handsets. The standards community is activelydeveloping new HSDPA tests, which will form a solid basis for RF and protocol performance testing.


2 8 HSDPA HANDSETS

access control-high speed (MAC-hs) layer. This, in turn, is con-trolled by the uplink dedicated physical control channel for theHS-DSCH (HS-DPCCH) and one of up to four high-speedshared control channels (HS-SCCH).

These physical channels are also responsible for sending chan-nel-quality information (CQI) from the handset to the network,providing yet another parameter for allocating resources.HSDPA also employs adaptive modulation and coding (AMC),which introduces a host of possible test permutations. Finally,HSDPA introduces a new higher-order modulation scheme –16 symbol quadrature amplitude modulation (16 QAM), whichbrings additional testing implications.

As well as all this new technology, HSDPA must work seam-lessly with existing R99 and GSM services. This includes theoperation of R99 voice services alongside HSDPA data services.A comprehensive test plan must address all of these factors, andinclude tests defined by the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP) aswell as tests that are beyond the scope of the 3GPP standards.

The 3GPP standards community is working towards the def-inition of RF and protocol test cases for HSDPA. These aredefined in the TS34.121 and TS34.123 technical specificationsrespectively. In R99, these two documents form the basis ofhandset certification criteria as defined by the GlobalCertification Forum (GCF) and the PCS Type CertificationReview Board (PTCRB). The GCF and PTCRB are industryorganizations that coordinate the development of test cases.

HSDPA is still a new technology and the number of avail-able test cases is much smaller in comparison to R99. The stan-dards community is developing new tests, which when completewill form a solid basis for RF and protocol performance test-ing. However, several key aspects of HSDPA are outside thescope of traditional conformance testing. To build a truly com-prehensive HSPDA test plan, real-world environmental andnetwork-interoperability scenarios must be factored in too.

Incomplete test casesThere are currently 11 RF handset conformance test cases spec-ified in various sections of version 6.1.0 of TS34.121. Five aretransmitter and receiver parametric tests defined in sections 5and 6 and six are minimum performance tests in section 9.Several tests are only partially complete and require further workby the 3GPP RAN5 working group on handset testing.

Transmitter characteristics in section 5 include 5.2A, whichcovers maximum output power with HS-DPCCH and 5.9A,which addresses spectrum emission mask with HS-DPCCH.The adjacent-channel leakage ratio (ACLR) with HS-DPCCHis covered in 5.10A, while 5.13.1A covers EVM withHS-DPCCH. Receiver characteristics in section 6 include 6.3A,which addresses the maximum input level for HS-DPSCHreception at 16 QAM modulation.

Parametric tests are used to evaluate a handset’s basic RFtransmitter and receiver functionality. TS34.121’s section 9specifically addresses HSDPA minimum performance testing.This offers a starting point for functional verification andaddresses all the new physical channels. However, it only iden-tifies one fixed transport block size and assumes there are noother active users. In the real world, the handset will encountermany different transport block sizes and will be used in the pres-

ence of others. The service pro-vided to a given handset is highlydependent on the number ofusers competing for shared net-work resources. Hence the rate atwhich a handset will be allocatedHSDPA resources will vary.

Section 9 outlines perfor-mance requirements forHSDPA. Section 9.2.1 coversthe demodulation of HS-DSCHin terms of single-link perfor-mance; 9.2.2 addresses thedemodulation of HS-DSCH interms of open-loop diversity per-formance; 9.2.3 covers demodu-lation of HS-DSCH withregards to closed-loop diversity

performance; 9.3.1 deals with the report of CQI-AWGN prop-agation conditions in a single link; 9.3.2 covers the reportingof CQI-fading propagation conditions in a single link; and 9.4addresses HS-SCCH detection performance.

As well as RF tests, the 3GPP RAN5 also defines theTS34.123 protocol conformance test specifications. ForHSDPA in layer-2 these are priority queue handling; andMAC-hs reset, retransmission and reordering. The relevantspecifications in layer 3 are the establishment, reconfigurationand release of the radio bearer; physical channel reconfiguration;and cell update.

While TS34.121 and TS34.123 offer a good start to HSDPAtesting, there are several important real-world issues that havenot been addressed. The main premise behind HSDPA is therapid allocation of a shared resource. Hence, real-world testingrequires an environment that is dynamic both in terms of RFconditions and in having other users compete for resources.

HSDPA will be overlaid onto parts of R99 networks so hand-overs between HSDPA and R99 will be common. HSDPA andR99 have different mobility strategies because, unlike R99,HSDPA does not support soft handovers. The HSDPAMAC-hs function is located in the base station and thereforehandover from one base station to another requires a MAC-hsreset and the process relies on higher-layer protocols to maintainthe connection.

Critical real-world handset test areas include the functionalverification of HS-DSCH and HS-SCCH detection and decodefor all valid combinations and the correct CQI and ACK/NACK reporting. Throughput testing must be done over arange of valid transport block sizes with different service inter-vals and a range of RF conditions. Layer-2 verification shouldinclude full MAC-hs, MAC-d (dedicated transport) and HARQtesting, while adversarial verification should ensure that thehandset can recover from incorrect ACK/NACK decode, missedpackets, duplicate packets, incorrect queues and other poten-tial problems.

The ability to coexist with other network technologies mustalso be verified by testing state transitions with dependency onbandwidth demands and R99 and GSM handovers. The abilityto coexist with other active handset should be verified. Testing


To build a trulycomprehensiveHSPDA test plan,real-worldenvironmental and network-interoperabilityscenarios must befactored in


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must focus on the MAC-hs layer and real-world testing mustinvolve the emulation of other HSDPA users because theHS-DSCH is shared between users.

The use of HSDPA handsets in heavily loaded cells must alsobe addressed. Testing must ensure that a handset responds prop-erly when the network seeks to decrease a user’s available datarate because of the presence of other users.

Inter-TTI distances The inter-TTI distances must also be verified, where the trans-mit time interval (TTI) is the time devoted to transmitting datato a specific user. The HSDPA TTI frame size is as short as 2 ms,which is much shorter than used in R99. The inter-TTI dis-tances are defined for the 12 different HSDPA categories andmust be tested very carefully.

The HSDPA scheduling algorithm is implemented at the basestation and is not defined by any standard. As a result handsetmakers must test their devices against a range of different sched-uling scenarios. Network operators will want to ensure that theirhandsets are tested against the type of scheduling deployed attheir base stations.

Handsets must operate in a dynamic environment where boththe number of other users and the local radio environment ischanging. As a result, the testing must address the presence ofother users, which compete for radio resources, and incorpo-rate a wide range of complex fading profiles.

Testing must also ensure that the handset is capable of high-speed mobility, achieving the appropriate intra- and inter-cellhandovers. Finally, the effect of latency, throughput and mobil-ity on end-user applications must also be tested.

These are just a few examples of complex real-world scenar-ios that must be explored in any meaningful HSDPA handsettesting regime. It will be some time before many of these areasare addressed in standard test specifications. Some aspects ofHSDPA – the MAC-hs for example – are not dictated by anystandard and are open to operator-specific implementation.Operators will also decide how to overlay HSDPA on top ofR99 and what shared services to provide.

HSDPA will become a reality long before the widespreadavailability of UMTS R5 and an aggressive deployment sched-ule in North America and Asia will ultimately benefit operatorsin Europe. To ensure that the technology delivers on itspromises, network operators and handset manufacturers alikemust be thorough in planning detailed test methodologies.While this process may start with testing defined by the 3GPP,it must extend far beyond these minimum requirements. Failureto do so will produce inconsistent high-speed service, resultingin an unhappy subscriber base and great cost to the operatorsand device manufacturers. ■

Mike McKernan is Wireless Product Marketing Manager atSpirent Communications.

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3 1P R O D U C T F O C U S


Hamish Johnston discovers howAnritsu’s base-station simulator copeswith HSDPA’s accelerated data rates.

Operating at a maximum data throughputof 14 Mbit/s, the MD8480C is the latestbase-station simulator from Anritsu.Designed for testing the radio-frequency(RF) and protocol layers of HSDPA/W-CDMA handsets, the instru-ment can also be used to verifyGSM and GPRS capability.

Not surprisingly, high datathroughput rates are essential foran instrument that tests the newfeatures of high-speed downlinkpacket access (HSDPA) handsets.Jonathan Borrill, sales manager forAnritsu’s Wireless BusinessSegment, explains that HSDPAemploys a much shorter transmittime interval (TTI) than existingW-CDMA networks – 2 ms com-pared to the current 10 ms. Thesmall TTI supports higherthroughput rates and allows infor-mation to be resent very quickly. Ifthere are multiple users in a cell,the small TTI makes it possible tospread the capacity quickly.

“Every 2 ms a new piece of informationmust be prepared, packaged and delivered tothe RF side,” explains Borrill. “To test this wemust have much higher throughput on ourtesting systems, which means much faster pro-cessing rates.” To deliver 14 Mbit/s over theair, the MD8480C employs the latest high-speed processors. “Latency is also importantand data must be processed immediately,” saysBorrill. To minimize latency, Anritsu hasmodified how the data are processed inter-nally. The backplane of the instrument wasalso upgraded to achieve 100 Mbit/s datatransfer between internal components.

The MD8480C must also exchange datawith other instruments as well as personalcomputers (PCs). PCs perform a range of

functions including controlling the signaltester and acting as an Internet protocol (IP)packet server. These connections must also behigh-speed, and therefore the latest local areanetwork (LAN) interface technology isimplemented. “The interfaces are 10/100Base-T [Ethernet],” says Borrill, addingthat the 10Base-T protocol can support userthroughput rates of 14 Mbit/s.

Even the type of PC used with the instru-

ment can affect the throughput because a PCor other external device is often used to orig-inate the application that is streamed at14 Mbit/s. “Clearly if the throughput rate ofthe PC application is less than 14 Mbit/s, thiswill be the limiting factor,” says Borrill. “Ourexperience of FTP/HTTP browsers runningin Windows is that often they can notachieve this data rate.”

A major difference between HSDPA andprevious versions of W-CDMA is the intro-duction of adaptive modulation and coding(AMC) algorithms at the base station. AMCcontrols the downlink data rate using feed-back from the handset in the form of chan-nel-quality indicator (CQI) reports. Anritsuhas addressed AMC testing by deploying new

algorithms within the MD8480C. However,Borrill points out that network vendors andthe operators themselves will implement pro-prietary AMC algorithms to differentiatetheir base-station products.

It is also important that the MD8480C isback-compatible with Anritsu’s earlier A and Bmodels. “This is crucial because many of ourcustomers have written their test routinesaround the MD8480B,” explains Borrill.

Although a mobile-phone manu-facturer will spend significantamounts of money on test equip-ment, the investment in develop-ing their test suite is fantasticallyhigh. Leading handset makers willhave teams of hundreds of engi-neers spending two or three yearsto develop a test suite and it wouldbe out of the question to expectthem to redo this work whenupgrading test equipment. “[Ourcustomers] can take all their exist-ing test suites, run them on theMD8480C platform and add theHSDPA cases incrementally,” saysBorrill.

While meeting the specificneeds of all handset makers is adaunting task, Borrill says thatthe major vendors take a similar

general approach to testing. “What makes itdifficult,” he says, “are the different testingpriorities taken by the handset makers.” Forexample, one manufacturer may focus onachieving very high throughput rates on itsHSDPA handsets. Another manufacturermight focus on handovers and promote itshandset as being reliable, rather than beingcapable of fast data rates. “This is where the[handset maker’s] test-case intellectual prop-erty comes to the fore, because it allows thehandset makers to prove the features thatthey have chosen to focus on,” says Borrill.

“We get a mixed bag of requirements fromour customer base and we have to balancegeneral industry trends with the individualrequirements of our customers,” he says,

Signalling tester supportsHSDPA at 14 Mbit/s

BASE STAT ION SIMULATOR

Anritsu’s MD8480C base-station simulator uses the latest processor, backplane and LANtechnology to keep up with HSDPA data rates.


3 2 P R O D U C T F O C U S


adding that Anritsu partners with the hand-set maker to “ensure that we understand thetimetables and trade-offs that are relevant toa specific customer.”

Instruments such as the MD8480C play akey role in the conformance-testing process,which ensures that a handset performsaccording to fixed standards. These standardscan be difficult to define when network-equipment makers and network operatorsdeploy proprietary algorithms to gain a com-

petitive edge. “It is not normal – and notreally possible – to implement the networkspecific algorithms into the simulator,”explains Borrill.

An infamous example is the radio resourcemanagement (RRM) algorithms, which areimplemented on the UMTS radio access net-work. Proprietary RRM implementationshave been responsible for the biggest delayin developing a comprehensive set of confor-mance tests for 3G. Borrill says, “RRM test

cases are the hardest things to standardize”,and he believes that RRM conformance test-ing will continue to be very difficult.

Another major new feature of HSDPA ishybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ).HARQ is an algorithm-based error-correctionscheme and the development of a testingregime involves a detailed study of the rele-vant algorithms. “Once you understand thetheory behind the algorithms, [HARQ] isfairly easy to implement as long as you havethe processing power,” says Borrill. Theimplementation of HARQ on the networkside – which is what the MD8480C simulates– is fairly standard. “The emphasis is on thehandset here,” explains Borrill, “the base sta-tion just retransmits the data. The algorithmson the handset do all the work and these posea challenge with regards to testing.”

Handset functionsThe MD8480C tests a range of handsetfunctions including modulation/demodula-tion processing; the protocol sequence defin-ing location registration; call/reception andhandover. The instrument also supportsapplications testing using HSDPA high-speed packets. The simulator supports all ofthe 12 HSDPA user-equipment (UE) categ-ories defined by the 3GPP standards. Thesimulator can be used alongside Anritsu’sProtocol Test System (PTS) as part of a com-plete test environment for the developmentof HSDPA chip sets and handsets.

The MD8480C simulates the entire net-work for the benefit of the handset under test.It can simulate GSM, W-CDMA andHSDPA so it can ensure that the handset cando a full set of handovers. The instrument hasfour W-CDMA cells and a separate GSM/GPRS cell. Two of the W-CDMA cells couldbe set to HSDPA, for example, and a HSDPAcall could be initiated. Handover between thetwo HSDPA cells could be simulated. Thiscould be followed by a handover to the tworegular W-CDMA cells with a drop in thedata rate to 384 kbit/s. Finally, the handsetcould be handed over to the GPRS cell, withthe corresponding drop in data rate.According to Borrill, this can be done on asingle instrument and measurements can bemade simultaneously on all cells.

Borrill is confident that the time is rightfor the launch of test equipment for HSDPAhandsets. Some network operators – mostnotably Cingular in the US – are speakingpublicly regarding the launch of HSDPA.The first commercial services are expectedby the end of this year and Borrill says: “Theentire industry supply is lining up to achievethis, both on the network and handset sides.” www.eu.anr i tsu.com

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3 4 P R O D U C T F O C U S


BACKHAUL

Reducing the costof high capacitytransmission linksBy Dan Daly of NMS CommunicationsThe cost of connecting geographically dis-persed cell sites with core networks is one ofthe largest recurring operating expenses forcellular operators. The demand for backhaulresources will increase significantly thanks toseveral technology and business factors.UMTS is finally being deployed in metro-politan areas, while EDGE will soon beswitched on in rural areas.

Both technologies offer higher bandwidthfor data applications, which are starting togain more popularity. The evolution to data-centric networks and the growing need forlower-cost, higher-bandwidth backhaul sys-tems is encouraging operators to evaluatebackhaul optimization strategies that coulddirectly affect their bottom line.

In Europe, operators can use several back-haul transmission media – E1, E3,STM-1,microwave, and sometimes satellite links – tomove traffic over the radio access network(RAN). Controlling backhaul costs is a par-ticular challenge in several specific backhaulscenarios. These include rural base stations,which are often located in areas where thereis limited scope for microwave backhaul.This forces operators to lease expensive E1lines, which can cost up to 6600 per month.

Hub locations – where traffic from multi-ple base stations is aggregated for transmis-sion efficiency – also introduce uniquechallenges. This aggregated traffic is usuallycarried from the hub locations to the basestation controller (BSC) using a 34 Mbit/sE3 line and/or a STM-1 connection capableof 155.52 Mbit/s. Leasing an E3 line can costmore than 68000 per month, depending onthe location.

In large European countries with dispersedpopulations, many rural base stations are rel-atively small – supporting only six to twelvetransceivers. Traffic from a rural base stationis usually carried by a microwave or short-range E1 to a hub location or concentrationsite to maximize transmission efficiency.

This was the network topology employedby Turkey’s Turkcell, one of Europe’s largercellular operators. In an effort to improve itsbackhaul system, Turkcell initiated a pilottest case involving the AccessGate backhaulsystem from NMS Communications.AccessGate was installed at a concentration

point that covers 500,000 subscribers, withthe aim of evaluating AccessGate for widerdeployment in the Turkcell network.

Turkcell’s regional network included morethan 200 remote base stations sending traf-fic over microwave and short-range E1 leasedlines into a concentration point. The con-centration point was connected to the BSCusing two E3s and one STM-1 link providedby Turkey’s wireline carrier. A total of 93 E1swere connected to the E3 and STM-1 linksusing cross-connect equipment. Of these, 31E1s went to a simple DXX for transportationover the E3s and the rest (62 E1s) were con-nected to an add-drop multiplexer (ADM)for transportation over the STM-1 link. Thisnetwork configuration is shown in figure 1.

Trial yearThe operator initially tested AccessGate inlaboratory and field trials for about a year.After successful completion of these tests, 19AccessGate systems were deployed at theconcentration point – each terminatingapproximately five E1s to accommodate the93 E1s. Each AccessGate unit optimized thetraffic from five E1s for transport over two orthree E1s. This represents a bandwidth sav-ings of 40–60%. The configuration after theAccessGate installation is shown in figure 2.

By installing the AccessGate systems,Turkcell eliminated the two E3 lines and allthe cross-connect equipment between the

concentration point and the BSC. Instead, alltraffic is sent over a single STM-1 link. Aswell as being a simpler transmission solutionthat requires less maintenance, this architec-ture has significant room for growth becauseit can support at least 25 more E1 lines.

Without AccessGate, Turkcell would con-tinue paying for the E3s and future growthwould require more leased lines and addi-tional cross-connect equipment. Clearly,AccessGate resulted in a significant drop incurrent and future operating expenditures.Turkcell plans to deploy AccessGate in otherlocations and the payback period for thisinvestment will be less than a year.

The AccessGate wireless backhaul opti-mizer aggregates traffic in the RAN acrossany type of transmission medium – leasedline, satellite, or microwave – resulting in asignificant reduction in backhaul costs, whilepreserving call quality.

AccessGate optimizes GSM Abis networksby eliminating redundant silence and idleframes – resulting in a bandwidth reductionof 50% or more. AccessGate can also aggre-gate UMTS traffic onto existing 2G back-haul. This eliminates the need for a separatefractional E1 backhaul service or inefficientcircuit emulation service (CES). In addition,AccessGate can pool and optimize EDGEtraffic onto existing 2G backhaul, makingthe transmission much more efficient.www.nmscommunicat ions.com

Fig. 2. After AccessGate: Transmission is achieved using a single STM-1 link.

central office

DXX E3 E3 DXX

ADM STM-1 STM-1 ADM

E3 DXX

concentration point62 E1s

31 E1s

remote BTSlocations

2 E3s × 34Mbit/s

62 E1s

31 E1s

BSC

155Mbit/s

BTS

central office

ADM STM-1 STM-1 ADM

concentration point

remote BTSlocations

50 E1s

93 E1s

BSC

155Mbit/s19

Acc

essG

ate

syst

ems

93 E1s

BTS

19 A

cces

sGat

esy

stem

s

50 E1s

Fig. 1. Before AccessGate: A combination of STM-1 and E3 connections were used to aggregate backhaul transmission.


http://www.nmscommunications.com

http://www.compoundsemiconductor.net/csmax

3 6P R O D U C T S

PXI systems support rapidhandset testingTwo PXI modules and a software suite forhandset RF testing are new from Aeroflex.The 3020A 2.7 GHz digital RF signalgenerator, 3030A 3 GHz RF digitizer with33 MHz bandwidth, and a cdma2000reverse link software measurement libraryare all designed for use with the company’sPXI 3000 series RF test systems.

Together with the Aeroflex 3010 RFsynthesiser, the Aeroflex 3020A forms acompact and high-precision digital RFsignal generator complete with integrateddual-channel arbitrary waveform generator(AWG) that occupies just three PXI slots.The 3020A offers an extended frequencyrange to 2.7 GHz to cover the entire UMTSspectrum allocation. www.aerof lex.com


TEST & MEASUREMENT

HSDPA debuts on threeradio-frequency scannersComarco Wireless Test Solutions now offershigh-speed downlink packet access(HSDPA) test capability on its 3G scanningreceivers. HSDPA capability is available onthe Seven.Five, Prizm and OEM scanners –either as an upgrade to existing hardware orin new systems. The new HSDPA featuresare added via a software download and nonew hardware is required. In some cases,this download can be performed over the airto update scanning receivers in the field.

HSDPA-enabled scanners and testsystems are intended for applicationsincluding site surveys, coverage analysis,spectrum sweeps and interference analysis.They can also be used in pre-deploymentlab testing, continuous-wave testing, initialRF planning and during network rollouts.

Comarco’s Seven.Five field-test systemuses advanced quality-of-service algorithmsand a multi-technology RF scanner toperform voice, video and data benchmarkingas well as system optimization.www.Comarco.com

Station monitors RF fields Antennessa has launched its INSITE box, astation for monitoring radio-frequencyelectromagnetic fields (RF EMFs).Operated remotely, the station makescontinuous isotropic and selectivemeasurements in 12 frequency bandsincluding those used by GSM, UMTS andWiFi networks.

The INSITE box has a GSM/GPRSmodem for the automatic transfer ofcollected data on an FTP site. Data acquiredby an entire network of stations can betransferred simultaneously via FTP and thendownloaded to a PC for processing. Softwareand configuration files can be sentautomatically to the stations via FTP.

This architecture allows the controllingsoftware to reside on the FTP site for theprocessing, exploitation and presentation ofthe data via an Internet browser. Thesoftware was designed by Cognix Systems.www.antenessa.com

Agilent offers broad lineup ofLXI-compliant instrumentsAgilent Technologies claims that 30 of itsmeasurement products are compliant withthe LAN extensions for instrumentation(LXI) standard. LXI has been releasedrecently by the LXI Consortium, of whichAgilent is a founding member.

According to Agilent, this product lineuprepresents the broadest range of instrumentswithin the LXI framework. These productsare also part of Agilent Open, which ensures

industry-standards-based open connectivityin hardware and software.

The LXI-compliant products includeAgilent’s synthetic instruments such as theN8241A 1.25 GHz arbitrary wave generatorand the N8221A 30 Msample/s IF digitizer.Agilent’s N6700B modular power systemsand its N5700 DC power supplies are alsoLXI-compliant.www.agi lent .com

Protocol-analysis platformcovers triple-play Tektronix has launched the NSA18, a PC-based UMTS UTRAN protocol-analysisplatform. The system includes portablenetwork probes and is based on Tektronix’sNetwork and Service Analyzer (NSA) forUTRAN software.

The platform operates on the company’sK15 protocol test and monitoring platformand assists in deployment of triple play(voice, data and video) services over UMTSterrestrial radio access networks (UTRANs).This is done by automated topologydiscovery and the detailed analysis ofinteractions between various UMTSnetwork components. Other featuresinclude the high portability, ease of use inthe field and several configuration options.According to Tektronix, the NSA18 deliversthe most advanced UMTS data capture andreal-time analysis hardware available today.

Starting with test configurations requiringa single probe, NSA18 provides scalability tomeet every budget and performance for themost demanding of technical requirements.


http://www.aeroflex.com

http://www.Comarco.com

http://antennessa.com

http://www.agilent.com

3 7P R O D U C T S

Through the implementation of automatedanalysis algorithms, integrated auto-configuration and ease of use, the NSA18reduces the time to perform various testfunctions. These include the troubleshootingand root cause analysis of complex, multi-port and multi-protocol problems,accelerating equipment deployment andimproving quality of service. www.tektronix.com

CD tutorial helps mitigatemeasurement errorsKeithley Instruments has released a tutorialCD entitled “Interactive Test &Measurement Troubleshooting Guide: Howto Avoid Common Measurement Errors”.The CD explores the symptoms and causesof common measurement errors associatedwith low-level signals.

It provides tips for making measurementsinvolving low voltage, low current, lowresistance, high resistance, and voltage fromhigh-resistance sources.

Users can click on any of these fivecommon measurements to obtain specificinformation including error symptoms,likely causes of errors and tips for avoidingspecific measurement errors. Clicking ontext links within the windows takes users tomore tutorial application information. TheCD is available free from Keithley’s website.www.kei th ley.com

Radiation meter has time-analysis for pulsed RFNarda Safety Test Solutions has equipped itsSRM-3000 selective radiation meter withtime-analysis functionality. This new featureallows users to make frequency-selective anduninterrupted measurements of pulsedelectromagnetic radiation. The test resultscan then be used to ensure thatinfrastructure equipment complies with RFemission safety standards.

According to Narda, this new featuremakes the SRM-3000 ideal for recording allpulsed radiation at frequencies up to 3 GHz.It can be used to measure radiationemanating from individualtelecommunications services or othersources such as air traffic control radar.

The time-analysis mode records the fieldstrength in RMS or peak values. Thefrequency range of the measurement can beselected using a resolution bandwidth thatcan be set between 6.4 kHz and 6 MHz.Averaging times of between 1 s and 30 min

are available – including the regulation6 min that is required by many standards. www.narda-sts .de

Fault Finder is for 3G phonesThe 3100 Mobile Fault Finder includes a3G communication test set, which allows itto test UMTS as well as GSM/EDGEhandsets. New from WilltekCommunications, the 3100 is designed foruse in manufacturing facilities, retail outletsand repair centres. It can be upgraded tocover cdma2000 handsets and futurewireless standards, according to Willtek.

The 3100 can be combined with Willtek’s4916 Antenna Coupler, 4921 RF Shield andrelated software to create a complete systemfor the go/no-go testing of wireless devicesincluding mobile phones, PDAs andEDGE/UMTS data cards. As well asdelivering highly reliable test results, the3100 is said to be easy to use by non-technical personnel. www.wi l l tek.com

Digital oscilloscopes offerGHz bandwidthNew from Yokogawa Electric Corporation,the DL9000 series of digital oscilloscopesoffer a maximum sampling rate of10 Gsample/s and bandwidths in the1–1.5 GHz range. While conventionalproducts in this bandwidth range tend to belarge and expensive, the DL9000 series is

said to be supplied in a package that issmaller than any comparable instrument.

The instruments employ an advanceddata stream engine (ADSE), which is awaveform data processor that can acquireand analyse high-frequency and high-bandwidth signals. In the fastest waveformacquisition mode, up to 1600 partitions canbe created in the acquisition memory, deadtime can be reduced to 400 ns and amaximum of 2.5 million waveforms persecond can be acquired by each of fourchannels.

When operating in accumulation mode,the instruments can acquire 25,000waveforms per second per channel, withlatest 2000 waveforms recorded in thehistory memory. The instruments alsofeature a new 2.5 GHz bandwidth activeprobe, which benefits from a dedicatedintegrated circuit.www.yokogawa.com

HSDPA test cases are forhandset testingAnite Telecoms has launched its firstHSDPA test-case package. Based onexpertise garnered from the company’songoing collaborations with leading wirelessoperators and developers, the packagecomprises 10 test cases for HSDPAhandsets. These include tests for radioresource control (RRC) and theconformance testing of the medium accesscontrol (MAC) protocol layer.

The test cases can be executed on Anite’sSAT(A) UE multiple-technology testingplatform, with no upgrades required. TheSAT(A) UE hardware also supportsintersystem handover tests for HSDPA.According to Anite, the test cases ensurethat handset makers have access to the testequipment needed to launch commercialHSDPA handsets in early 2006.www.anite.com/te lecoms


TEST & MEASUREMENT

http://www.tektronix.com

http://www.keithley.com

http://www.narda.sts.de

http://www.willtek.com

http://www.yokogawa.com

http://www.anite.com/telecoms


3 8 T H E F U T U R E

Are cellular operators keen to implementvoice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP)?It depends what you mean by VoIP. Operatorsare very keen on using VoIP as a low-cost trans-port alternative to connect different regionswithin a large country. This application is wellunderstood and is being rolled out successfully.From a testing point of view, the actual voicequality achieved by these hybrid networks mustbe monitored. This can be done in terms ofvery accurate metrics for perceived voice qual-ity – both listening and conversational.

What are the challenges of managing thesehybrid networks?Delays can occur in both cellular and VoIP net-works and are kept under control within therespective networks. However, when networksare connected these problems do not simplyadd together. For example, if there is a quality-impairment of X% in one network and Y% inanother, the effect on the overall quality canbe much worse than X+Y. As a result, end-to-end monitoring systems must be used to determine the overallquality of transmission.

Transport capacity is often leased, and therefore it is essentialthat the cellular operator monitor transport networks to ensurethat contractual service levels are met. Indeed, monitoring sys-tems allow operators to establish if a problem is related to theVoIP network or the circuit-switched cellular network.

How will end-to-end VoIP services be delivered?There are many possibilities – VoIP could be delivered via WiFi,or by a user agent on the handset that sends voice over GPRS.Combined WiFi and GSM/UMTS handsets will certainly beavailable, although there are several standards and roamingissues that must be resolved. WiFi wasn’t really designed forcarrying voice, but this is being addressed by making WiFi net-works more intelligent. Battery life is another important issuewith WiFi phones, but this problem is being solved.

What would these converged services be like? At home or at the office, the phone will employ VoIP over WiFi.Outside of WiFi coverage areas, the phone will automaticallyswitch over to a cellular network. This could be done using anintelligent software agent that would choose between a circuit-switched connection and a pure IP connection over GPRS.

This technology could expose cellular operators to competi-tion from third parties that offer VoIP on GPRS – particularly if

subscribers pay a flat rate for GPRS. Operatorsare particularly concerned that roamers – whoare the most valuable customers in a cellularnetwork – will be the first subscriber group toembrace VoIP in order to avoid roaming fees.

Many operators – particularly classical mobileoperators – will try to avoid VoIP because theyfear losing control of services. Poor security isoften cited as a reason for not implementingVoIP, but I believe that this is an attempt toscare people off the technology. Critics talkabout possible holes for hackers, and the theftof service and information. I’m confident thatVoIP is no worse than other technologies – SIMcards can be cloned, for example.

Despite their reservations, operators under-stand that they must ultimately embrace VoIPvia GPRS. What is not clear today is exactlyhow and when this will occur. I see great oppor-tunities for those cellular operators that aspireto be full service providers, rather than simplynetwork operators. Indeed, encouraging sub-scribers to use cellular/WiFi handsets at home

and in the office could boost overall voice and data traffic on cel-lular networks.

Are today’s 3G networks fully compatible with VoIP?UMTS is fully capable of carrying VoIP at a good quality andthe networks are also up to delivering other IP-based servicessuch as video telephony. Advanced cdma2000 networks aremost certainly geared for VoIP because they are much more IP-centric than UMTS and there is much less of a differencebetween the circuit-switched and packet-switched technology.

Does this mean VoIP over cellular will appear in the US first?Despite the advanced nature of cdma2000, I have my doubtswhether VoIP cellular services will be implemented in the USmarket any time soon. I have heard very little from US operatorsabout VoIP and it could be that the nature of US billing plansmakes VoIP less interesting to their subscribers.

Europe and Japan are leading the way on VoIP and some of the smaller operators in Europe see VoIP as an opportunity to carve out a niche. As soon as handsets and user agents are in place, some operators will seize the opportunity in a race tograb customers. The cellular market is a very competitive land-scape and I believe that VoIP will happen in two or three years– perhaps being promoted by a new kind of operator. ■

Interview by Hamish Johnston, editor of Wireless Europe.


Cellular networks move towards all-IPCellular operators are still nervous about all-IP voice services, but NetTest’s

Henrik Lilja believes that technological and business concerns are being overcome.

Henrik Lilja: “Operators are concernedthat roamers will be the firstsubscriber group to embrace VoIP.”


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