SESSION 21 : Telecom Technologies

INTRODUCTION : Telecommunications is a fascinating, fast paced

industry that influences every aspect of our daily life like normal voice phone calls,
connectivity to the Internet, satellite communications, surfing the web, fax transmissions,
video conferencing, high speed data communications, and cable TV. Early forms of
telecommunication include smoke signals and drums, signal flags and lights. More
modern uses were the telegraph, telephone and even data transmissions. In the current
day scenario, there are lot of telecommunication technologies evolved and used by people
all over the world. Wireless technologies like GSM, CDMA, TDMA, UMTS, GPRS and
latest technology 3G growing at a fast pace promising high speed data communications.
This session is an attempt to collect various resources related to telecom (mostly
wireless) which are scattered over the web.

OBJECTIVES :
• Discuss about Telecom Technologies

o GSM
o CDMA,
o GPRS
o 3G technologies
o VOIP and
o IPTV.

GSM

The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM: originally from Groupe
Spécial Mobile) is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. Its
ubiquity makes international roaming very common between mobile phone
operators, enabling subscribers to use their phones in many parts of the world.
GSM differs significantly from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech
channels are digital call quality, and so is considered a second generation (2G)
mobile phone system. The key advantage of GSM systems to consumers has been
higher digital voice quality and low cost alternatives to making calls, such as the
Short message service (SMS, also called "text messaging"). The advantage for
network operators has been the ease of deploying equipment from any vendors
that implements the standard. Like other cellular standards, GSM allows network
operators to offer roaming services so that subscribers can use their phones on
GSM networks all over the world.

GSM is a cellular network, which means that mobile phones connect to it by

searching for cells in the immediate vicinity. There are five different cell sizes in
a GSM network—macro, micro, pico, femto and umbrella cells. The coverage
area of each cell varies according to the implementation environment.

• Macro cells can be regarded as cells where the base station antenna is
installed on a mast or a building above average roof top level.
• Micro cells are cells whose antenna height is under average roof top level;
they are typically used in urban areas.
• Picocells are small cells whose coverage diameter is a few dozen metres;
they are mainly used indoors.
• Femtocells are cells designed for use in residential or small business
environments and connect to the service provider’s network via a broadband
internet connection.
• Umbrella cells are used to cover shadowed regions of smaller cells and fill
in gaps in coverage between those cells.

Cell horizontal radius varies depending on antenna height, antenna gain and
propagation conditions from a couple of hundred meters to several tens of
kilometres. There are also several implementations of the concept of an extended
 cell, where the cell radius could be double or even more, depending on the
antenna system, the type of terrain and the timing advance.

Indoor coverage is also supported by GSM and may be achieved by using an

indoor picocell base station, or an indoor repeater with distributed indoor antennas
fed through power splitters, to deliver the radio signals from an antenna outdoors
to the separate indoor distributed antenna system. These are typically deployed
when a lot of call capacity is needed indoors; for example, in shopping centers or
airports. However, this is not a prerequisite, since indoor coverage is also
provided by in-building penetration of the radio signals from any nearby cell.

GSM networks operate in a number of different carrier frequency ranges

(separated into GSM frequency ranges for 2G with most 2G GSM networks
operating in the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Regardless of the frequency
selected by an operator, it is divided into timeslots for individual phones to use.
This allows eight full-rate or sixteen half-rate speech channels per radio
frequency. These eight radio timeslots (or eight burst periods) are grouped into a
TDMA frame. Half rate channels use alternate frames in the same timeslot. The
channel data rate for all 8 channels is 270.833 kbit/s, and the frame duration is
4.615 ms.

2. CDMA

"CDMA" stands for Code Division Multiple Access, a pioneering voice

transmission standard technology that was first used by the Allied forces during
the World War-II. Basically, the CDMA technology has multiplexing
transmission platform. It is an open air transmission that uses radio frequencies in
order to offer connectivity, whether between mobile nodes or even between a
mobile node and the traditional public switched telephone networks.
 Much like data sent over the Internet, CDMA dismantles data when sent and then
reassembles them upon arrival. The technology allows multiple calls to be carried
over one channel. The technology facilitates earth stations which have unique
identifying codes modulated with the communication signal, to transmit data at
the same frequency at a time at low power level. It operates in the 800MHz and
1.9GHz PCS band.

Although CDMA was developed to rival TDMA for 2G mobile phones, it has
come a long way since then. Today, GSM technology is more popular than
CDMA due to its rich features. But in the purest technical sense, CDMA is more
effective than GSM and TDMA. It is very cost-effective and requires less cell
sites whereas giving three to five times more calling capacity than GSM and
CDMA.

For many years this technology was being used by defense and military personel
in order to establish secure connections. As opposed to FDMA and TDMA
methods, CDMA benefits from a very wide range of signal broadcast which turns
the job of sniffing and jamming a rather difficult one. CDMA is the common
platform on which 3G technologies are being developed.

3. GPRS

The letters GPRS stand for General Packet Radio System, GPRS technology
enabled much higher data rates to be conveyed over a cellular network when
compared to GSM that was voice centric.

GPRS became the first stepping-stone on the path between the second-generation
GSM cellular technology and the 3G. With GPRS technology offering data
services with data rates up to a maximum of 172 kbps, facilities such as web
browsing and other services requiring data transfer became possible. Although
some data could be transferred using GSM, the rate was too slow for real data
applications.

GPRS benefits

GPRS technology brings a number of benefits for users and network operators
alike. It was widely deployed to provide a realistic data capability via cellular
telecommunications technology.

GPRS technology offered some significant benefits:

• Speed: One of the headline benefits of GPRS technology is that it

offers a much higher data rate than was possible with GSM.
• Packet switched operation: Unlike GSM which was used circuit
switched techniques, GPRS technology uses packet switching in line with
the Internet. This makes far more efficient use of the available capacity,
and it allows greater commonality with Internet techniques.
• Always on connectivity: A further advantage of GPRS is that it
offers an "Always On" capability. When using circuit switched
techniques, charges are based on the time a circuit is used, i.e. how long
the call is. For packet switched technology charges are for the amount of
data carried as this is what uses the services provider's capacity.
Accordingly, always on connectivity is possible.
• More applications: The packet switched technology including the
always on connectivity combined with the higher data rates opens up
many more possibilities for new applications. One of the chief growth
areas that arose from GPRS was the Blackberry form of mobile or PDA.
This provided for remote email applications along with web browsing, etc.
• Capex and opex: The Capital expenditure (capex) and
operational expenditure (opex) are two major concerns for operators. As
GPRS was an upgrade to existing GSM networks (often implemented as a
software upgrade achieved remotely), the capital expenditure for
 introducing GPRS technology was not as high as deploying a complete
new network. Additionally opex was not greatly affected as the basic
basestation infrastructure remained basically the same. It was mainly new
core network elements that were required.

The GSM and GPRS elements of the system operate separately. The GSM
technology still carries the voice calls, while GPRS technology is sued for the
data. As a result voice and data can be sent and received simultaneously.

4. 3G technologies

3G wireless technology represents the convergence of various 2G wireless

telecommunications systems into a single uniform global system which includes
terrestrial and satellite components in its functioning. 3G or the third-generation
wireless refers to near future developments in personal & business wireless
technology, especially relating to mobile communications. 3G or The Third
Generation will usher in many benefits as roaming capability, broad bandwidth
and high speed communication (upwards of 2Mbps).

3G network technology became available for commercial use first in Japan in

2001 and was followed by availability in South Korea and European countries
Network operators & telecommunications service providers are embracing the
recently adopted global third generation (3G) wireless standards in order to cater
to emerging user demands and to offer new services to their customers.3G
wireless technology represents a shift from voice-centric services to multimedia-
oriented like video, voice, data, fax services.
 The most interesting & useful aspect of 3G wireless technology is its ability to
unify existing cellular standards such as GSM, CDMA and TDMA.

3G technology features that are meaningful to consumers fall into two broad
classifications. The first is data rates, which refers to the rate at which 3G devices
can transfer data through 3G networks. Cell phones and related devices can
regularly access the Internet and are capable of playing music and displaying
videos. Because video and audio file sizes can be large, higher data transfer rates
for files being downloaded from the Internet provide a better user experience. The
second set of 3G features relates to security. Because consumers may send and
receive confidential information from their cell phones, security for wireless
communications is essential. 3G security features are intended to address that
need.

5. VOIP
VoIP will allow users to user their broadband connection to make phone calls
over the Internet. The widespread use of VoIP has caused a revolution in the
phone industry. With the VoIP service giving users the chance to make phone
calls over the internet it is easy to see why this has rocked the telecom industry.

VoIP at present is becoming the most cost effective way to make long distance
telephone calls. Before VoIP telephone service providers had a strong hold on
lucrative and 99% of the time over priced long distance services.

Due to the introduction of VoIP the long distance calling market has began to
open to up to competition. The main reason for this is that most Internet users will
begin implementing VoIP. The main reason being that VoIP is the most cost
effective way to make long distance telephone calls.

VoIP Development Process

Over the last 10 year VoIP has been slowly developing. In the early days
 computer users were able to talk to one another through their computers. You
were only able to do this if you had a voice enabled computer with good Internet
connection and you would
need to have a software program installed on your computer.

The main advantage to this was that it allowed user to be able to contact anyone
from around the world for free aslong as they had the same setup as you.

The disadvantages to this system were that sound quality was never great,
broadband was not being widely used and the user you were trying to contact
would have to be online.

Today's VoIP has made these problems a thing of the past.

The two things that were required to make VoIP technology appeal to the wide
spread market have been accomplished. Firstly, Broadband is now a widly used
internet service. This allows users to have a stable internet connection that can
always be on. Secondly the VoIP industry has been able to develop a simple and
in-expensive way of integrating the IP network (aka Internet) with a traditional
telephone system. This means that VoIP users are able to use their own telephone
to call anyone else in the world who has the traditional telephone connection.

The major advantage of VoIP

Low cost, with no significant decrease in voice quality.

• VoIP subscriber doesn't require a traditional phone line. Instead, you are
assigned a phone number by your VoIP provider.
• An additional important benefit is the flexibility and portability of VoIP
phone service. With VoIP your individual telephone number is programmed
into the converter that acts as a bridge between your internet connection and
your regular telephone.
6. IPTV

Internet Protocol television (IPTV) is a system through which internet

television services are delivered using the architecture and networking methods of
the Internet Protocol Suite over a packet-switched network infrastructure, e.g., the
Internet and broadband Internet access networks, instead of being delivered
through traditional radio frequency broadcast, satellite signal, and cable television
(CATV) formats.

IPTV services may be classified into three main groups: live television, time-
shifted programming, and video on demand. It is distinguished from general
Internet-based or web-based multimedia services by its on-going standardization
process and preferential deployment scenarios in subscriber-based
telecommunications networks with high-speed access channels into end-user
premises via set-top boxes or other customer-premises equipment.

The IP-based platform offers significant advantages, including the ability to

integrate television with other IP-based services like high speed Internet access
and VoIP. An IP-based platform also allows significant opportunities to make the
TV viewing experience more interactive and personalized. IPTV technology is
bringing Video-on-demand (VoD) to television which permits a customer to
browse an online program or film catalog, to watch trailers and to then select a
selected recording.

IPTV is sensitive to packet loss and delays if the streamed data is unreliable.
IPTV has strict minimum speed requirements in order to facilitate the right
number of frames per second to deliver moving pictures. This means that the
limited connection speed/bandwidth available for a large IPTV customer base can
reduce the service quality delivered.
SUMMARY