INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATION UNION

TELECOMMUNICATION
DEVELOPMENT BUREAU

Document 2/169-E
20 July 2000
Original: English

ITU-D STUDY GROUPS

THIRD MEETING OF STUDY GROUP 1: GENEVA, 11 15 SEPTEMBER 2000

THIRD MEETING OF STUDY GROUP 2: GENEVA, 18 22 SEPTEMBER 2000

FOR ACTION
Question 10a/2
Question 16/2:

Communications for rural and remote areas

Preparation of Handbooks for developing countries

STUDY GROUP 2
SOURCE:

ERICSSON (SWEDEN) / NOKIA (FINLAND)

TITLE:

IMPLEMENTATION OF 3G CAPABILITIES IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

A STRAIGHTFORWARD PATH TO IMT-2000
________

Action required:
Participants are invited to consider the attached information.
Abstract:
The document exposes the advantages of a recent evolution of a digital cellular mobile system
operating in the 450 MHz range, offering extended coverage and services comparable to the
evolving GSM/EDGE system and future IMT-2000.
A more detailed technical description has been submitted to the ITU-R Working Party 8F.

Contact point:

Mr. Lars Forsberg, Ericsson Radio Systems AB, Stockholm, Sweden,

Telephone: +46 8 7572368, Fax: +46 8 4042490,
E-mail: lars.forberg@era.ericsson.se

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IMPLEMENTATION OF 3G CAPABILITIES IN DEVELOPPING COUNTRIES

A STRAIGHTFORWARD PATH TO IMT-2000

Introduction

This document presents the development of a GSM-like platform that offers an evolution path to
new third generation multimedia services via GPRS and EDGE. The system operates in the 450
MHz range, so operators can provide economic wide-area coverage, and the same cell structure can
be used for EDGE on 400 MHz as for 900 MHz.
The 450 MHz band continues to be valuable asset because operation in the 450 MHz band delivers
an advantage in coverage over other systems operating in higher frequencies (800/900 and
1800/1900 MHz). This is particular benefit when providing coverage in coastal areas, extensive rural
areas, and highways, requiring fewer cell sites than networks in higher bands. Down banded
frequency will also ease the foreseen coverage shortcomings with high-speed data transmission
utilising enhanced digital techniques such as GSM/EDGE.
GSM is the largest digital standard offering 3G capabilities and thus a natural choice for new and
emerging markets particularly in developing countries. In light of these facts the availability of down
banded GSM/EDGE is an urgent need for administrations, regulators, operators and vendors.
The European Standardisation Institute, ETSI, addressed the relevant issues and studied the
possibility of deploying the new technology within frequency bands currently used for analogue
cellular systems. The justification for this is that operators of these analogue systems may wish to
offer services that are supported by digital systems, but not by the analogue standards. GSM400 is
now included in the ETSI/SMG GSM/UMTS Release 99. This standard allows for seamless
roaming between 400 and higher frequencies.
Extended high-speed data coverage
Use of lower frequencies is a cost-effective method of providing very wide area coverage quickly to
medium to low densely populated areas. Depending upon the market requirements these very wide
area cells at 450 MHz can then be used to complement the relatively smaller cells at 900/1800/1900
MHz in higher density population areas.
GSM400 provides an extended data coverage solution for high-speed data in the evolved
GSM/EDGE. The coverage reduction generated by higher data rates in GSM900/1800/1900 can be
compensated for by EDGE at 400 MHz. Building complete coverage with 3G technologies requires
heavy initial investments and GSM400 would be an optimal additional and complimentary solution to
3G licenses, providing an economical way of building the GSM footprint, enabling operators to
provide nation-wide services though a joint GSM400/UMTS/IMT-2000 network.
2

Proposed frequency allocation

Examples of the present national frequency allocations are shown in Annex 1, Table 1. Most
countries in Table 1 are supported by GSM/EDGE covering 450-467 MHz range. To enable the
deployment of GSM400 in some other countries there was a need also for frequency allocations
around 490 MHz. Hence, ETSI has standardised 450-467 MHz as a primary band and 479-496
MHz as the extension of GSM400 frequency allocations. The ETSI GSM400 standard covers about
6.8 MHz uplink and 6.8 MHz downlink with 10 MHz duplex spacing in both bands.
The duplex spacing of 10 MHz is commonly utilised in analogue cellular systems around 450 MHz
today. Due to national regulations it may be the case that the whole band for which the GSM400
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system has been standardised can not be operated in each country. Current analogue allocations fit in
most cases to standardised GSM400 bands. Because GSM400 and analogue systems have the same
duplex spacing this allows GSM systems to operate even on fragments of the standardised GSM400
bands. Channel numbering is shown in Figure 1. Band specific channel numbering allows multiband
450/490 MHz MS implementations for to get more than one downbanded GSM/EDGE network on
air within a region.
Current assumption is that most often a multiband 450 MHz MS is implemented so that it supports
only one down banded frequency and roaming is achieved trough 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands.
Harmonised band would be beneficial but the standardised 6.8 MHz GSM400 operating band
alleviates the definite need for it.

GSM 400 AT A GLANCE

Frequency allocation

GSM 450 band:

450.4 - 457.6 MHz uplink
460.4 - 467.6 MHz downlink
GSM 480 band:
478.8 486 MHz uplink
488.8 496 MHz downlink

Frequency spectrum

6,8 MHz

Duplex separation

10 MHz

Carrier spacing

200 KHz

Coverage

Up to 120 kilometres

259 - 293
Up

306 340
Down

450 457 460

467 479

Up

Down

486 489 496 Frequency [MHz]

Figure 1. MS frequency allocations and channel numbers.

It is therefore important to make provisions for the future allocation of the above frequency bands to
the Mobile Service, with a view to provide for the introduction of this new and highly spectrum
efficient and economical technique.
GSM 400 also offers an evolution path to third generation services via GPRS and EDGE (see
Figure 2). Utilising EDGE, operators can provide economic wide-area coverage for high-speed
GSM data transmission. Operators can use the same cell structure for EDGE on 400 MHz as for 900
MHz, thus saving the cost of new complementary sites.

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(Figure 2 not available electronically)

Figure 2. The GSM evolution path.

Extended Cell Features Link budget benefit due to larger antenna effective area for 450 MHz is
about 6 dB compared to 900 MHz and about 12 dB compared to 1800 MHz. Additional 3 dB link
budget gain compared to GSM1800 is available through higher transmit power in GSM400. Link
budget gain can be converted to larger cell radius or to better quality in equal sized cells. From the
link budget calculations, we may notice that 6 dB in link budget converts to about 70 % range
benefit. Link budget gain will be in use also with high-speed GSM data transmission utilising EDGE.
The purpose of the extended-cell feature is to provide an additional coverage beyond the maximum
cell radius of 35 km defined in the specifications. The extended-cell feature is best suited for
applications in coastal areas (waterways, off-shores), deserts, rural areas, and in low-traffic areas
where the terrain is flat.
ETSI GSM400 standard has enabled spare bits in timing advance information element to allow up to
219 bit time advanced transmissions in MS. This corresponds to distance of 120 km. Uplink RACH
will occupy 2 slots in cells which support extended ranges beyond 35 km. Thus a BTS capable to
handle RACH receiving during two slots is required.

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ANNEX 1

Pre-study on the frequency allocations

Most NMT systems are operating in the region of 450MHz. These bands are allocated on a national
basis, and these allocations differ (both within the CEPT region, and between regions). One
important aspect of the ETSI feasibility study was to identify the candidate analogue cellular
frequency bands, and the radio systems that are deployed in the same countries in the same and
neighbouring frequency bands.
For the spectrum harmonisation process, it is essential to find a strategy maximising EDGE
technology potential on 400 MHz band. The 400 MHz band has been nationally regulated and there
exist national variations of spectrum allocations. Table 1 illustrates the current frequency allocations.
Some Latin-American countries have band available for cellular usage but its use is not as detailed
specified as in operating countries.
Table 1: Frequency allocations on 450 MHz cellular band
NMT-450/ C-Netz Countries

Mobile TX MHz

Base TX MHz

ESTONIA

453.000 - 457.475

463.000- 467.475

LATVIA

"

"

LITHUANIA

"

"

BELARUS

"

"

CHINA DAGING

"

"

MOLDOVA

"

"

ROMANIA

"

"

RUSSIA

"

"

FINLAND

"

"

DANMARK

"

"

NORWAY

"

"

ICELAND

"

"

SWEDEN

"

"

TUNISIA

"

"

UKRAINE

"

"

452.500 - 457.475

462.500 - 467.475

"

"

451.310 - 455.730

461.310 - 465.730

"

"

AUSTRIA

451.300 - 455.740

461.310 - 465.740

BELGIUM

"

"

NETHERLANDS

"

"

450.0 - 455.74

460.0 - 465.74

BULGARIA
POLAND
CZECH
SLOVAKIA

GERMANY (C-Netz)

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Mobile TX MHz

Base TX MHz

PORTUGAL

453.050 457.525

463.050 467.525

MALAYSIA

452.000- 456.475

462.000 - 466.475

ITALY (RTMS-450)

450.000 - 454.800

460.000 - 464.800

CHINA LIAO HE

452.000 - 454.975

462.000 - 469.975

SPAIN

454.325 - 456.800

464.535 - 468.800

HUNGARY

455.230 - 457.370

465.230 - 467.370

FRANCE

450.000 - 454.475

440.000 - 444.475

SOUTH AFRICA (C-Netz)

465.500 - 469.500

455.500- 459.500

411.675 - 415.850

421.675 - 425.850

"

"

TURKEY

415.500 - 419.975

425.500 - 429.975

INDONESIA

479.000 - 483.480

489.000 - 493.480

THAILAND

"

"

406-413 MHz

423-430 MHz

NMT-450/ C-Netz Countries

Other NMT-450 frequencies

CROATIA
SLOVENIA

Available frequencies for GSM-450

BRAZIL
COLOMBIA

403-500 MHz

MEXICO

440-450 & 485-495 MHz

PERU

440-450 & 485-495 MHz

411-415 & 456-460 MHz

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ANNEX 2

List of Acronyms and Abbreviations

3G

Third Generation

BTS

Base Transceiver Station

CCCH

Common Control Channel

CEPT

Conference of European Postal and Telecommunications

Administration

EDGE

Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution

EIRP

Effective Isotropic Radiated Power

ERP

Equivalent Radiated Power or Effective

GPRS

General Packet Radio Services

GSM

Global System for Mobile Communication

ISDN

Integrated Services Digital Network

ME

Mobile Equipment

MS

Mobile Station

RACH

Random Access Channel

RF

Radio Frequency

RX

Receiver

SIM

Subscriber Identity Module

SMG

Special Mobile Group

TA

Traffic Area

TRX

Transceiver

TX

Transmitter

UMTS

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System

WLL

Wireless Local Loop

_________

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