Mobile Broadband
Visit the GSMA meeting area in the CCV building at WRC-07 to see demonstrations and case studies of mobile broadband using HSPA
Delivering Mobile Broadband Today
Mobile broadband typically refers to the delivery of end-user downlink data rates of 500 kbps or more while providing full mobility. High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) technology is already enabling the delivery of commercial mobile broadband services in excess of such speeds, and is proving itself as the logical choice for operators wanting to offer mobile broadband services to both urban and rural consumer and enterprise users. HSPA is the set of technologies defining the migration path of 3GSM/W-CDMA operators worldwide. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) delivers a 5-10 fold increase in downlink data rates of standard 3GSM/W-CDMA networks, enabling users to access the Internet on mobile phones and laptops, at speeds previously associated with fixed line DSL. The introduction of HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) later this year will dramatically increase the uplink data rate of today's current 3GSM/W-CDMA networks. This technology is likely to boost the amount of data uploaded over mobile networks, especially user-generated content. This clear technology path will ensure that the HSPA family of technologies will continue to dominate alternative mobile broadband offerings.
User Benefits
Increased data rates provide the opportunity for operators to launch a wide range of new, value-added, media-rich applications and services. Business users can look forward to high-speed Internet access and rapid download of emails with attachments as well as access to wireless audio and video services. Consumer services could include rapid downloading of high-resolution digital images, DVD quality music downloads, full-motion video and advanced interactive multi-player games. With forwards and backwards compatibility, HSPA has a clear path for the future backed by open standards and a huge amount of vendor and operator investment. The huge ecosystem of support and economies of scale allows for a wide variety of devices and incremental support for different environments from urban, suburban to rural deployments.
The Bigger Picture
The whole 3GSM family has a seamless, compatible evolutionary path of enhancements to the existing technology family. The family offers GSM operators higher data transfer speeds and greater system capacity that, in turn, will enhance their ability to provide mobile broadband multimedia services. Following an evolutionary path within the GSM family of technologies delivers the generic benefits of GSM such as global roaming, seamless billing, network compatibility and huge economies of scale. A look to the future is equally as promising; HSDPA data rates will continue to increase and by the end of 2007 we can expect to see services supporting 7.2Mbps, along with the introduction of HSUPA at a similar time will further enhance user experiences.
What does HSPA deliver?
HSDPA is part of 3GPP/UTRAN-FDD Release 5 W-CDMA specifications. HSDPA is a software-based enhancement that boosts the air interface capacity of W-CDMA networks by 2 times and delivers a 5-10 fold increase in downlink data speeds of standard 3GSM/W-CDMA networks, enabling users to access the Internet on mobile phones and PC notebooks, at speeds previously associated with fixed line DSL. It shortens round-trip time between network and terminals and reduces variance in downlink transmission delay. The combination of faster data rates - typically of the order of 1.8 Mb/s and with theoretical peak rates of up to 14.4Mb/s - along with the increased spectral efficiency should result in a lower cost per data bit transmitted. Alternative access technologies cannot offer the benefits integral to the 3GSM family and may, at best, be considered by operators as complementary to the 3GSM network.
Visit the GSMA meeting area in the CCV building at WRC-07 to see demonstrations and case studies of mobile broadband using HSPA