HSPA Research - Telecommunication Module

Telecommunications – Group Assignment DF08A3ICT
Group Members
Fazaal Naufer (CB002873)
Isuru Ranasinghe (CB002975)
Ruaim Naleef (CB003009)
Intake Code
DF08A3ICT
Subject
Telecommunications
Date Assigned
29th July 2009
Date Completed
25th September 2009
1
Acknowledgement
We would like to thank our Telecommunication lecturer Mr. Kaveesh Gunawardene for his
continuous support and guidance. He helped us in all our problems and we are grateful to him.
Without his valuable guidance, all our efforts could have been short-sighted.
We would like to acknowledge and extend our heartfelt gratitude to our seniors and friends who
willingly lent a helping hand if we ever got stuck somewhere.
We also owe quite a lot to our families who provided us with good education and a chance to
fulfill our career objectives.
Finally, we are responsible for any mistakes in this assignment.
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Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction to telecommunication............................................................................................6
2.0 Evolution of HSPA....................................................................................................................8
3.0 What is HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)?..........................................................................10
3.1 High Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA)................................................................12

3.1.1 Why is there a need for HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access)?..................13
3.1.2 What does HSDPA do?.................................................................................................15
3.2 High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)......................................................................17
4.0 Importance of HSPA................................................................................................................21
5.0 Competing technologies and comparison................................................................................23
6.0 Implementation of HSPA........................................................................................................25
6.1 HSDPA deployment process................................................................................................26

6.2 Criteria’s for the Successful implementation of HSPA.......................................................27
6.2.1 Hardware.......................................................................................................................27
6.2.2 Cost................................................................................................................................31
6.2.3 Software.........................................................................................................................32
6.3 Pre-requisites of the HSPA implementation........................................................................35
6.3.1 Security..........................................................................................................................35
6.3.2 Regulations....................................................................................................................35
6.4 HSPA Suitable Environments..............................................................................................38
6.4.1 Industry..........................................................................................................................38
6.4.2 Locality..........................................................................................................................38
7.0 HSPA Advantages...................................................................................................................39
7.1 HSDPA Advantages.............................................................................................................39

7.2 HSUPA Advantages.............................................................................................................41
8.0 Disadvantages of HSPA..........................................................................................................43
9.0 Conclusion...............................................................................................................................44
10.0 References..............................................................................................................................45
3
11.0 Appendices............................................................................................................................48
11.1 Gantt Chart.........................................................................................................................48

11.2 Workload Matrix................................................................................................................49
11.3 Meeting Minutes................................................................................................................50
4
List of figures
Figure 1 – Evolution of HSPA.........................................................................................................8
Figure 2- HSPA overall.................................................................................................................10
Figure 3- HSUPA physical channels.............................................................................................18
Figure 4- HSPA architecture.........................................................................................................25
Figure 5- HSPA deployment process............................................................................................26
Figure 6- worlds first HSUPA data card........................................................................................27
Figure 7- Signal Transmission.......................................................................................................28
Figure 8- HSDPA transport and physical channels.......................................................................29
Figure 9- HSDPA software features..............................................................................................32
Table of figures
Table 1- Dowlink data rates...........................................................................................................14
Table 2-Technology comparison...................................................................................................24
5
1.0 Introduction to telecommunication
Mobile telecommunication is a wide spreading technology which has and will continue to play a
major role in lives of each and every individual in this modern world. It has helped in making
life easier for the people to communicate and have also provided the ability to get connected to
each other from any location in the world. The mobile telecommunication technology is divided
into different generations. They are:
 The first generation (1G)
Mobile Telecommunication was introduced with the birth of analogue cellular mobile
communications technologies which used NMT (Nordic Mobile Technology), AMPS
(Advance Mobile Phone Service) and TACS (Total Access Communication Systems)
during the early 1980’s.
 The second generation (2G)
The development of the digital mobile telecommunication technology was started in this
generation. The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) technology, which is
the most widely used 2nd generation technology, provided digital speech and some other
data capabilities which were limited before.
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 The two and a half generation (2.5G)
This is a successor of the 2nd generation of mobile telecommunication technologies which

provides higher data rate and packet services. General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and
Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) took over the Global System for
Mobile communications (GSM) for its faster exchange of data communication.
 The third generation (3G)
The 3rd generation technologies are often referred to as 3G, UMTS, HSPA,W-CDMA etc
and is guaranteed to bring in faster surfing of the net, more value added services and also
the introduction of video conferencing between two 3G mobile users.
 Fourth and Fifth generation (4G and 5G)
Currently these generations have not been widely defined and are on the verge of being
used by the world. They are intended to provide high speed, high capacity, low cost per
bit, IP based services etc.
This thesis is a research based on HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) which is an enhanced
mobile telecommunication technology of the third generation (3G). HSPA is not just a minor
change to the 3GPP specification of the system but a major improvement as it has brought in
higher data speeds than the other existing system. It (thesis) provides information regarding
the overview, importance, implementation requirements and suitable environment,
advantages and disadvantages of High Speed Packet Access (HSPA). (Fain, 2007)
7
2.0 Evolution of HSPA
Figure 1 – Evolution of HSPA
(Anon, 2009)
By the dawn of 2005, it was recorded that 16 million users around the world were subscribed and
were experiencing the technology of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) also
known as WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) in their day to day lives for
commercial services such as Video calls, picture sharing and music at speeds of just 384kbps.
This speed was amazing during that period as it had already beaten the normal dial-up and DSL
speeds. But the main concern was that even though the Radio Access layer of UMTS provided
High Quality of Service (QoS), it could not efficiently manage a higher spectrum as the traffic
became higher due to increase in the number of consumers. This need of better spectrum and
capacity manageability made the 3GPP come up with a new standardization which included new
features with their Release 5 (3GPP Rel’5).
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This new technology under UMTS was known as High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) which was
integrated with one of its key features HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) which
enabled higher data rates and data capacities in comparison with the traditional UMTS
Technology. The ability of providing higher data rates were basically able due the new
mechanisms used such as a new downlink shared transport channel and smart techniques of
modulating, delays, scheduling, retransmission methods implemented within it. One special
advantage of this feature is that it is completely backward compatible with WCDMA while
existing on the same Radio Frequency; which means that the same radio channel can services
voice and data users as well as HSDPA users simultaneously. Additionally any application
developed for UMTS/WCDMA can be used in HSDPA.
For the record, Cingular Wireless became the first operator in the world to launch this enhanced
UMTS on a wide scaled basis. Cingular Wireless went on to launch this technology in 16 major
markets through the United States on the 6th of December in 2005.
9
3.0 What is HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)?
Figure 2- HSPA overall
The telecommunication field is full of peculiar abbreviations and HSPA is yet another new
entrant. HSPA which stands for High Speed Packet Access is based on a mobile telephony
protocol of high-speed packets which is used in the UMTS radio networks to improve the
capacity of data and the speed of data transfers.
HSPA is a proven mobile broadband technology that is already implemented in more than 100
commercial networks. HSPA which comes from the GSM family has a great legacy which
delivers telecommunication to almost a third of the world. It is the latest technology to enable
even faster data rates for mobile users available today.
HSPA is a Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) technology where the downlink and uplink are in
different frequency channels. This technology offers voice services that the 3G mobile users
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expect and they also offer high speeds in both the uplink and downlink sections. It delivers peak
downlink data transfer rates of 14 Mbps and uplink rates of 5.8 Mbps.
HSPA provides endless advantages for business users and normal consumers. For the business
user HSPA allows high speed access to the internet on the go. Checking mails, browsing the
internet and video conferencing could be done at any time and any place. Employees of a
particular company could access their attachments in email at higher speeds and access to the
companies 3G network at virtually anywhere.
For the normal consumers on the other hand, HSPA could be used to download and upload
images, music, videos games etc at faster rates and in quick time.
HSPA is the collective name for the family of 3.5G standards which includes both HSDPA (High
Speed Downlink Packet Access) and HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access).
(Anon, 2006)
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3.1 High Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA)
Mobile users are allowed to use higher and greater bandwidth speeds to add to a splendid mobile
web browsing experience. HSDPA services and devices are often denoted by the term 'mobile
broadband’ or 3.5G’for their high speed and data transfer rates which could go up to 14.4 Mbps.
However, in real systems, average HSDPA connections are much lower than theoretical. The
HSDPA, with its increased spectral efficiency should result in a lower cost per data bit
transmitted.
With the implementation of the HSDPA, operators are highly benefitted as it provides faster
data rates so new applications and services could be launched for their customers. A business
user also gets benefitted as large emails with attachments could be downloaded within seconds.
HSDPA also allows them to have audio and video conferencing with other related users. Other
users also enjoy the benefits of HSDPA when it allows them to download high resolution
pictures, high quality music and videos, games etc.
(Krenik, 2005)
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3.1.1 Why is there a need for HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access)?
Many 3G mobile services such as live steaming video or web browsing, creates more downlink
traffic than the uplink. With the rise of the HSDPA technology, the problem of trafficking is
solved as it offers a way to increase the downlink capacity within the existing spectrum.
At present, the 3G technologies can take in only a few users with maximum data rates as the cell
capacity in the downlink zone would run out. Some applications like web browsing use the
uplink just for controlling the signal and the downlink to carry data that would be required when
browsing.
HSDPA aims at providing the best downlink capacity and the data rate that could be allocated for
one user which would solve most of the problems faced in the previous 3G technologies. The
maximum data rate for one particular user is 14400 kbps but it’s very likely to be limited to
around 2048 kbps in real systems.
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The following table provides the downlink data rates of telecommunication technologies.
Technology GSM GPRS EDGE 3G HSDPA

Typical 9.6 50 130 384 2048 or more
Maximum data
rates in KBPS
Theoretical 14.4 170 384 2048 14400

Maximum data
rates in KBPS
Table 1- Downlink data rates
HSDPA is the most important part of the 3GPP standards. In the HSDPA technology, an
additional wideband downlink shared channel is which has been optimized is available in order
to obtain high data transfer speeds. HSDPA is used to enhance only the downlink part of the
technology whereas a separate section called the HSUPA provides the uplink solutions. The
expectations of the HSDPA technology are that it is capable of handling all the needs of mobile
telecommunications for a long period of time.
(Korhonen, 2004)
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3.1.2 What does HSDPA do?
As described before, HSPA was born in order to improve the downlink throughput for mobile
users. HSDPA is most suitable for background and streaming class services that generates much
more downlink traffic than uplink traffic. As an example, streaming services also has higher
downlink than uplink and can adjust accordingly to unexpected delays if large reception buffers
are implemented within them.
As the major aims of HSPDA are to improve and provide higher data rates, it has the ability of
providing speeds of 2Mbps to the typical user. Even though HSDPA has the capability of
providing higher throughput, it rarely provides the full throughput due to causes of consuming
larger shares of cell code which may result in limitations. Among these limitations, it can
provide a speed of 10Mbps and even more but it depends on how much the mobile operator
would like to allocate such higher data rates that will also require high-end HSDPA terminals in
order to enjoy these benefits.
In order to increase its data rates than the above mentioned; HSDPA can make use of HSDPA-
MIMO (Multiple Input-Multiple Output) which helps to double the theoretical peak data rate
from 14.4Mbps to 28.8Mbps or by providing shorter delays in the connection.
Similar to the faster connection, feedback of delays in the channel is also highly dependent on
the bandwidth available. An application with high bandwidth can be a identified depending on
the reaction time of the specific application once the commands are passed in by the user. The
feature of HSDPA that enables shorter delays enables highly-interactive network games and
applications to be used smoothly.
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Even though HSDPA boasts about its capacities, there are several other technologies that enable
to increase the capacities of data exchange. However, HSDPA is considered the easiest to
implement among other related technologies.
In conclusion using HSDPA for low-bandwidth-required applications would result in wastage of

resources while HSDPA is best suited for application with high variable bandwidth requirements
to the maximum throughput out it.
(Sliden, 2009)
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3.2 High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)
When the HSDPA was doing well with the providing of fast download speeds, the upload speeds
were drastically low. The upload speed was a sheer 384 Kbps. This was a major drawback for
the HSDPA.
Since this problem occurred, a new protocol, HSUPA was introduced in 2004. This protocol was
capable of providing upload speeds up to 5.76 Mbps theoretically but in real world, up to 2 Mbps
which is still a huge improvement. HSUPA uses the Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) for a
set of improvements that optimizes uplink performance. With the implementation of this
protocol, mobile users were able to send large emails attachments or post videos in quick time.
As described before in brief, HSUPA is another enhancement of the UMTS/WCDMA

technology in the aspect of uplink and is expected to be standardized along with the 3rd
Generation Partnership Project in UMTS Release 6.
Among the introduced two enhancements HSDPA and HSUPA, HSDPA is considered more
powerful. But when both of these technologies work side-by side, it has the ability of producing
the most efficient results in sending and receiving data and voice while supporting an entire
range of broadband applications.
This enhancement improves the communication using person-to-person data applications such as
networked-gaming, mobile emailing, etc… It also has the ability of improving day-to-day
applications used in the corporate world and it also boosted the UMTS technology with upload
speeds of 1.4Mbps while it is said that it has the capability of going up to 5.8Mbps in the coming
releases.
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Figure 3- HSUPA physical channels
Some of the improvements that came up in this enhanced uplink technology were a dedicated
uplink channel, introduction of H-ARQ and Fast Node B Scheduling.
Unlike the shared channel in HSDPA; HSUPA is based on a Dedicated Channel for management
of both signals and traffic in order to improve uplink capabilities. It also includes the same
mechanism for error recovery in the physical layer used in HSDPA which is H-ARQ (Hybrid
Automatic Repeat Request). Additionally Node B Scheduling is used in order to increase the
uplink capacities and its coverage.
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As mentioned above, HSUPA is known for using a uplink Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-
DCH) in which the adaptation mechanisms similar to the ones used in HSDPA will be
implemented. Additionally the following mechanisms are implemented:
 Phase Modulation algorithm in addition to the existing Q-PSK (Quadrature Phase Shift
Keying) used for High Modulating power and it also integrates a mechanism of 16-QAM
(Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) which will be very effective under radio conditions
especially noise interferences.
 Use of smaller time intervals that can improve link modulation using TTI (Transmission
Time Interval)
 HARQ similar to the use in HSDPA that helps in making efficient retransmissions.
Unlike HSDPA, HSUPA uses its packet scheduler in more intelligent way. The packet scheduler
will decide when and how to send through packets when the request is made by the User
Equipment (UE). Additionally it will also decide how many UE’s are allowed to do so. Basically
a request for transmission from the UE contains information such as the queue load in the UE,
the transmission buffer and also the power margin of the User Equipment. This way of
scheduling transmission improves the quality of uploading files efficiently.
During parallel connections of various UE’s, channelization codes and scrambling are not shared
between them like in a shared downlink channel used in HSDPA. Because HSUPA makes use of
the two dedicated channels namely DPDCH (Dedicated Physical Data Channel) and DPCCH
(Dedicated Physical Control Channel). These two take the responsibility of the ratio of the
transmit powers which is vital for the bit rates of uploading. Regarding the power distribution
among these two dedicated channels, most of the power of the UE’s are given to the Data
Channel (DPDCH). The power that remains in the Control Channel (DPCCH) is drastically low
when the higher bit rates are achieved by the Data Channel. But, during the Release 99 of
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UMTS, the ratio of both Data and Control Channels were constant and Node-B is responsible in
controlling the ratio of power distribution.
In conclusion, HSUPA also will play a major role in peoples day-to-day lives just like HSDPA
did, where it has been a very important technology on the move. It is also less expensive as it is
totally managed by software and does not need a new network infrastructure. The only thing
operators will have to consider is to upgrade the software as time passes.
(Anon, 2008)
(Anon, na)
(Anon, 2009)
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4.0 Importance of HSPA
Web Browsing
Using the technology, users can experience wireless internet connectivity on the move. This can
be experienced either by using a mobile phone or a hand held device such as a laptop. This
enables the user to be updated to news headlines, weather forecasts, sports updates. This most
specifically is advantageous to business corporate as they are in contact with all the necessary
information no matter where they are. HSPA also offers its user to connect to WAP (Wireless
Application Protocol).
Mobile Television Streaming
This feature of HSPA is gaining popularity among the teenagers as it enables them to experience
entertainment virtually. Due to this advancement in wireless technology and its greater speeds,
the use of standard television by the teenagers has reduced drastically. This allows users not only
to access local channels but also international tv stations without an extra fee charged.
Additionally, streaming through mobile phones does not require very greater speeds in order to
provide good quality videos. Since HSPA offers basic speeds of at least 7.2mbps can make
streaming in real-time as its been broadcasted in any part of the world.
Entertainment Downloads
Music and games are basically the most downloaded in today’s cyber world. In fact, the word
“mp3” is recorded as one of the most searched keywords on many popular search engines such
as Google and yahoo. HSPA can provide faster music downloads as its stated that these files
normally takes less than 1 minute. As the file size goes higher the speeds of downloads will
increase accordingly. Additionally video streaming and downloading from sites such as
YouTube, Metacafe, etc…
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Video Sharing
This is also another feature that is becoming popular among mobile users. This feature provides
in making video calls and conferencing among many users. HSPA plays a major role, in
providing clearer and quality video sharing services.
Online Gaming
Cyber Games are very popular these days and there are so many tournaments organized by
various organizations throughout the world. Some of the popular online games are Counter
Strike, World of War craft and Call of Duty. These games are popular for its gaming
environment of team work, planning, strategy etc…Additionally requires a good internet
connection in order to experience a game with reduced latency. HSDPA enables users to
experience these online games in good quality without drops in the connection.
Low costs and greater speeds
As mentioned in a previous topic, the user will have to purchase a HSPA enabled USB Dongle in
order to experience this technology. This a one-time cost and can support various technologies
such as UMTS and EDGE. Basically these Dongles can support up to 7.2mbps downlink and
3.6mbps uplink. In addition to the terminal, the user will have to obtain a data sim that the Usb
dongle will require in order to experience HSPA. This data sim is provided for a smaller fee by
the local Internet Service Provider (ISP). For the service from the ISP, the user will have to pay a
monthly rental which is comparatively less costly to normal ADSL connections and also
provides greater speeds than traditional internet connections.
(Holma H, &Toskala A, 2006)
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5.0 Competing technologies and comparison
Today the most competitive technologies for the HSDPA are the WiMAX and EvDo.
WiMAX
Even though HSDPA and WiMAX are high speed mobile technologies they have different
backgrounds. WiMAX is a data centric broadband technology where HSDPA is a data
enhancement for voice-centric 3GPP system. For WiMAX, it is necessary and required to build
new networks and new building of handset which is complicated and difficult but on the other
hand HSDPA handsets are deployed and are in the market since 2006.
The WiMAX and the HSDPA have only three technical features in common. They are the
Adaptive Modulation and Coding, fast scheduling and Hybrid ARQ. WiMAX also use the Time
Division Duplex (TDD) which is less efficient than the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) which
are used in HSDPA.
In conclusion both technologies offer similar peak rates, spectral efficiency and network
complexity but mobile WiMAX needs more sites to offer the same capacity and coverage as
HSPA so HSPA is the best and leading mobile telecommunication till now.
EvDo
EvDo also known as evolution data optimized is standardized by 3rd Generation Partnership
Project 2 (3GPP2) and has been used by many service providers especially those who are
employing the CDMA networks. EvDo is also used on the Global star satellite phone network
and it uses similar techniques of HSPA for optimizing spectral efficiency including efficient
scheduling, turbo coding, higher order modulation and adaptive modulation and coding thus
achieving spectral efficiency that is virtually similar to the HSPA.
One challenge for EvDo operators is that the dynamic allocation of their entire spectral resources
between high speed data functions and voice could not be done as the EvDo channel is not
available for circuit switched voice and the 1xRTT channels offer only medium speed data.
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The table provided below compares the three technologies.
Criteria HSPA WiMAX EvDo

Base Standard WCDMA IEEE 802.16e CDMA 2000
Duplex method FDD TDD FDD
Downlink Multiple CDMA-TDMA OFDMA TDM
Access
Uplink multiple access CDMA OFDMA CDMA
Channel Bandwidth 5MHz Scalable: 5,7,8.75, 10 1.25MHz
MHz
Frame Size DL=2ms,UL=10ms 5ms DL=1.67ms,UL=6.67
ms
Modulation downlink QPSK,16-QAM QPSK,16-QAM,64- QPSK,8PSK,16QAM
QAM
Modulation Uplink BPSK,QPSK QPSK,16-QAM BPSK,QPSK,8PSK
Coding CC, Turbo CC, turbo CC, Turbo
Downlink Peak Data 14.4Mbps 46Mbps 2.45Mbps
Rate
Uplink Peak Data Rate 2.3 Mbps 46 Mbps 0.15Mbps
Scheduling Fast scheduling in Fast scheduling in Fast scheduling in
DL DL,UL DL
H-ARQ Chase combining Chase combining Incremental
Redundancy
Handoff Network initiated Network optimized Virtual soft handoff
hard handoff hard handoff
Coverage 3 miles <2 miles >3 miles
Mobility high Low/mid high
Table 2-Technology comparison
(Anon, 2009)
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6.0 Implementation of HSPA
Figure 4- HSPA architecture
This revolutionary wireless technology has become so popular within few years because of the
main reason that it could be implemented using the same network infrastructure used in
UMTS/WCDMA while the cost is also minimal than building up a standalone network. It is a
well known fact that; to upgrade to HSPA, majority of the changes have to be done to the
software while the hardware upgrade is minimal. This chapter covers the terminals and network
elements required for the implementation of HSPA.
The upgrade from the UMTS infrastructure to HSPA is described as a simple upgrade but
however it is not verily the case. Since all the hardware that are currently deployed by the other
vendors cannot handle the new requirements, there should be some costly replacements thus
modifications are required to the Node B channel cards and to the devices in the radio path that is
the amplifiers and transmitters. The handling of the scheduling, transmission, retransmission of
data blocks that are obtained from the Radio Network Controller (RNC) and buffering should
also be done by the channel card.
HSDPA implementation does not require replacement of major pieces of infra structure and does
not require additional spectrum. Today, most operators are deploying an HSDPA ready network.
When the implementation of HSPA is considered there are issues that have to be dealt with.
when the number of users increase it will difficult to plan and, design and monitor the services
that are provided to the users. Furthermore if there is a need to cover a very large area, the
transmission capacity has to increase thus would be very costly.
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6.1 HSDPA deployment process
Assessment of existing R99 The suitability of the HSPA is verified by using

network the hardware configuration audit
· Surverys could be taken to evaluate

Analyzing the existing R99 HSDPA performance
performance · Monitor and analyze network performance

and used resources
· Several designs and upgrade options for

coverage and capacity
HSDPA performance target
· Depends on strategy and traffic load in
definition and selection of existing R99 network
deployment strategy · When, how and where HSDPA is
deployed into the network.
· Iub and base station configurations
Configuration and capacity · Carrier configurations

planning · Feature activation and management on
cell basis
· Parameter values should be chosen

according to the dimensioning
calculations and the approach chosen for
Definition of parameter sets HSDPA service quality
for HSDPA capable sets · Varies from site to site
· Values should be updated as the traffic

evolves
Figure 5- HSPA deployment process
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6.2 Criteria’s for the Successful implementation of HSPA
6.2.1 Hardware
Basically for the consumer to experience the HSPA technology, a hardware terminal usually
referred as data cards are required. USB Dongles is a device that has overcome the bulky feature
of traditional data cards. Some of the popular HSPA data card brands are Huawei, Sierra and
Vodafone. As an example in Sri Lanka, Dialog and Mobitel provides its HSPA users with
Huawei and Vodaphone USB Dongles respectively. These data cards supports downloads speeds
up to 3.6Mbps and upload speeds of 384kbps with the support of 3G. At present, mobile phones
and laptops are integrated with HSPA technology, all that requires is the data sim that will be
provided the respective operators.
Figure 6- worlds first HSUPA data card
World's First HSUPA Data Card to Win FCC Approval

(Anon, 2007)
27
On the operators point of view who has already implemented UMTS; there are some new
functionalities that HSPA will require in context of the existing network. The main functionality
changes impact on RNC, BTS and the Data Cards will be referred to as Terminals.
Figure 7- Signal Transmission
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Radio Resource Management Architecture
Figure 8- HSDPA transport and physical channels
The functionality of the Radio Resource Management (RRM) with HSDPA and HSUPA has
some changes compared to the Release 99. In release 99 the scheduling control was purely based
in the Radio Network Controller (RNC) but now scheduling has been moved to Base Stations
(BTS). With HSDPA there are no soft handovers for the data, so it is not required to run user
data over multiple Iub (Interface between a RNC and a node B) and Iur (interface between two
Radio Network Controllers) interfaces and even though HSDPA is supported over Iur in the
specifications, the use of it could be completely avoided by performing Serving Radio Network
Controller (SRNC) relocation, when the serving high speed downlink shared channel (HS-
DSCH) cell is under a different controlling RNC.
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User plane protocol architecture
The different protocol layers of the HSDPA and HSUPA is similar to Release 99. This particular
architecture could be defined as the user plane part, handling user data and the control plane part.
The relevant user plane protocol used to convey HS-DSCH transport blocks within the UTRAN
is the HS DSCH Frame Protocol (HS-DSCH FP). The responsibility of this protocol is to
package a set of transport blocks into a form that can be transmitted over UTRAN’s transport
network and it also supports Node and transport channel synchronization.
Control Plane Protocols
With the implementation of the HSDPA, the control plane protocols used within the UTRAN
should be added and modified. The following are the protocols which should be added or
modified.
 Radio Resource control (RRC) protocol
This protocol has the responsibility of multitude the UTRAN specific functions which
includes the radio bearer management.
 The Node B Application Part (NBAP) protocol
It enables the Radio Network Controller to manage resources in Node B and it also
should manage an additional type of Node B resource which is constituted by the High
Speed Downlink Shared Channel (HS-DSCH).
 The Radio Network Subsystem Application Part (RNSAP)
It is implemented at the Iur interface between two Radio Network Controllers and it is
also affected by the HSPA since in this case HSDPA related resources in Node B are
managed by Serving RNC which is different from the Node B’s Controlling RNC.
(Binar, 2006)
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6.2.2 Cost
The cost of HSDPA network construction is mainly due to software/hardware upgrade of Node B
and RNC. The cost of Node Bs makes up an important part of the total network investment,
which directly affects network quality and operational cost. Thus, the selection of high-
performance Node Bs, network quality and reliability are currently the key areas of concern for
operators.
Radio Network Controllers (RNC) are equipments that act as an interface with the core network.
It controls the radio transmitters and receivers in Node Bs and it also could perform other link
maintenance and radio access functions ( such as handoff) in the HSPA wireless network.
(Anon, 2009)
(Anon, 2009)
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6.2.3 Software
The technical software aspects and features of the HSDPA technology include the following:
 Shared Channel transmission
 Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC)
 Fast Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (H-ARQ)
 Fair and fast scheduling at node B
 Fast Cell Site Selection (FCSS)
 Short Transmission Time Interval (TTI)
Figure 9- HSDPA software features
32
Shared channel transmission
This feature as its name itself states has two or more shared channels. HSDPA technology
brought in additional physical channels namely High Speed Physical Downlink Shared Channel
(HS-PDSCH) and a High Speed- Physical Control Channel (HS-DPCCH). The HS-PDSCH
shares both code and time between users attached to a node B. this is actually the transport
method for logical channels like the HS- downlink shared channel(HS-DSCH) and the HS-
Control Channel(HS-SCCH). On the other hand the HS-DPCCH is an uplink channel which
carries the acknowledgement signals to the node B for each block and it is also used as a
indicator for the Channel Quality (CQI).
Adaptive Modulation and Coding (AMC)
This is an alternative link adaption method and it provides the flexibility to match the
modulation-coding scheme to the average channel conditions for each user and the power of the
transmitted signal remains constant over a frame interval and the coding and modulation is tuned
according to the current received signal quality or channel condition.
Fast Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request (H-ARQ)
SAW (Stop and wait) is a H-ARQ protocol that is used for HSDPA. In this protocol, the
transmitter sends a block of Transmission Time Interval (3 slots) and waits till the
acknowledgement or the negative acknowledgement is received from the User Equipment (UE).
33
Fast and fair scheduling at node B
In normal WCDMA networks the Radio Network Connection (RNC) does the packet scheduling,
but in the HSDPA technology, the packet scheduler is moved on to the Node B. thus the
schedule is now closer to the air interface it could perform instance changes in the channel
resulting in the reduction of latency.
Fast Cell Site Selection (FCSS)
The best current transmission characteristics could be selected by a User Equipment (UE) using
the FCSS, the advantage of which is that most of the time higher data rates could be obtained.
Short Transmission Time Interval (TTI)
TTI is referred to as the length of the frame. In HSDPA, the TTI of 2ms is used so it reduces the
round trip time and allows better tracking of the time varying radio control.
(Shankpal, 2004)
34
6.3 Pre-requisites of the HSPA implementation
Usually HSPA’s new carrier is used on top of the carrier used for UMTS or on the same layer to
achieve high-data rates and capacities. In these scenarios, UMTS and HSPA can share its entire
network infrastructure such as base stations, antennas, antenna lines, Radio Network Controllers
(RNC) and many more that will be discussed below. As mentioned before, the upgrade from
UMTS to HSPA mostly requires software changes and new hardware installations for the RNC
for Higher Capacity and Speeds.
6.3.1 Security
HSDPA does not provide additional security functions. The users are simply authenticated by
their SIM cards and data encoding for different users of HSDPA works better than cryptographic
algorithm which is used in the competing WiMAX technology.
6.3.2 Regulations
There are few regulations the Internet Service Providers will have to adhere to in relation to
deploying HSPA and further maintenances. Below mentioned are few regulations which also
applies to other internet implementations as well.
35
 Simple Relay Information
Basically this means that when a communication transmission is taken place in a

network, the ISP is not responsible for any misuse, failure or any other criminal acts in
consideration that the provider of the specific connection does not begin the transmission,
did not select the receiver and did not update any of the information that is related to the
transmission.
“Where a provider transmits information that is the subject of automatic, intermediate

and temporary storage for the sole purpose of making more efficient the onward
transmission of the information to other recipients the supplier is not liable provided
the ISP:
 does not modify the information

 complies with conditions on access to the information
 complies with any rules regarding the updating of the information
 does not interfere with the lawful use of technology to obtain data on the use
of the information, and
 acts expeditiously to remove or disable access to the information stored upon
obtaining actual knowledge of the fact that the information from the initial
source has been removed, access to the information has been disabled or a
court has ordered as such.”
(Gilham Solicitors Group, 2005)
36
 Caching
1. The ISP being unaware of the unlawful action or information
2. Situation where the claim is made and the ISP is not informed of the facts that
would result as illegal information so that the provider will have to disable
access to them
3. In case the customer does not adhere to the authority of the provider.
In order prevent these issues, the ISP should be very careful before implementing information
given by the public and should determine if the information is appropriate; if not, it should be
removed. Neglecting this could result in having the ISP accused for “defamation, copyright
infringement or some other breach of the law.”(Gilham Solicitors Group, 2005). A easier way of
overcoming these issues is to use a fixed email address to accept such information from the
customer.
 Monitoring User Activities
There is no specific rule that the ISP should track each and every transmission or store in
order to figure out illegal acts online. In case there is a necessity or a special request from
a government organization to monitor specific activities of special cases “for example in
compliance with a warrant issued under Section 5(1)(a) of the Regulation of the
Investigatory Powers Act 2000 to secure the interception of a communication in the
course of its transmission by means of a telecommunication system.”
(Gilham Solicitors Group, 2005)
37
6.4 HSPA Suitable Environments
6.4.1 Industry
The evolution of the 3rd Generation Mobile Technology has upgraded many peoples’ lives. These
technologies enables the user to stay connected in a 3G enabled area which makes HSPA a must
have technology. It also has become the trend in the case of university students too. As most of
the students use this technology very effectively this helps them gather necessary information
whenever they need them. In addition, many ISP’s offer various packages in hand for students
with a discount. Other than that it enables users to use GPS on the move, browsing the web,
checking mails etc… and as a result makes day to day lives portable and enjoyable.
In context of the business industry, HSPA helps users do their day-to-day communication
activities without having to use wired connection technologies. As HSPA offers High-Speed
Downlink rates, the user can download large attachments and reports within few minutes or
seconds and also enables the business user to connect to the company network in order to access
internal documents while being in a 3G enabled network area. HSPA has enhanced the lives of
business users by providing the most important factor to them which is mobility. Specially for
the on the move marketing executives, HSPA helps them to keep updating their colleagues while
themselves being updated on the status of the job, progress, sales, reports etc…
6.4.2 Locality
This enhancement of wireless technology has mainly aimed at anyone who is in need of getting
connected on the move without using a a wired connection. As a summary of the above
38
mentioned facts, it can be considered that HSPA has drawn the attention of teenagers and
business corporations in vastly as it provides mobility and faster download and upload rates.
7.0 HSPA Advantages
High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) comprises of two different protocols or technologies. They
are the HSDPA (High Speed Download Link) and the HSUPA (High speed upload link). Given
below are the advantages of HSDPA and the HSUPA.
7.1 HSDPA Advantages
 It provides high download speeds and low latency
Applications which require higher bandwidths such as Multimedia streaming, fast web
browsing and large file transfers would find the use of HSDPA very beneficial as it
provides high download speeds and data transfer rates. Low latency like 70 to 100
milliseconds (ms) could be obtained with the use of HSDPA so it is ideal for online
games such as counter strike and is also ideal for other real time applications such as a
real time chat between two users where both users could obtain each other’s message at
the exact time it has been sent.
 HSDPA could be implemented quickly and cost effectively
HSDPA usually requires base station channel cards and new software so there is no
necessity to replace large pieces of infrastructure from the previous UMTS technology
and it also does not require additional spectrum for deployment. Therefore HSDPA could
39
easily replace the UMTS technology in no time and in a cost effective way. Modern 3G
UMTS operators are having HSDPA ready networks thus showing the dominance of
HSDPA.
 HSDPA provides efficient use of spectrum.
Operators are benefitted by HSDPA as it provides spectrum capacity up to three times

more than the UMTS capacity. This means the operators could accommodate more users
and services as there is no need of purchasing more spectrum with the growth of the
customers thus saving money and helping in the profit making.
 HSDPA enabled handsets and modems could be used on any other previous technology
Another important ability of the HSDPA is the ability to work with other technologies
even when HSDPA is not available or not yet upgraded in that particular area since it is
backward compatible with UMTS, GPRS and EDGE technologies. This is very beneficial
especially when customers travel to a place where HSDPA technology has not been
upgraded yet as their HSDPA enabled device would still provide fast speed and data
rates.
(Anon, 2008)
40
7.2 HSUPA Advantages
 HSUPA provides the following advantages due to the use of Enhanced Dedicated
Channel (E-DCH) to optimize uplink performance.
o Higher throughput
Since high data transfer speeds are available, more work could be done thus
reducing the time and money.
o Reduced latency
The latency would be reduced with the use of HSDPA so many real time
applications could be actually used effectively.
o Increased spectral efficiency
Operators are benefitted by HSDPA as it provides spectrum capacity up to three

times more than the UMTS capacity so more users could be added and thus
saving money and obtaining profit.
o Reduction of packet delays
41
Since the HSUPA provides high speed uplink data transfer rates, most packets do
not have to wait therefore the delay of packets would be reduced.
 Faster responses to changing radio and error conditions.
Since a short Transmission Time Interval (TTI) as low as 2 milliseconds are available, it
allows radio and the error conditions to be changed faster.
 Radio resource allocation by the base station is efficient
It is efficient as the HSUPA uses a special Scheduling technique known as the fast Node-
B-based scheduling. A Node B scheduling algorithm is proposed to increase the
utilization of the allocated uplink resources; this is achieved by making use of already
existing information about the transmitted data rate of the User Equipments (UE).
 Anything could be uploaded at practically anywhere
The HSUPA is backward compatible with the UMTS, GPRS and the EDGE technologies
which basically mean that a particular customer could use his/her HSUPA enabled device
even in a place where HSPA is not yet upgraded.
(Anon, 2008)
42
8.0 Disadvantages of HSPA
 Communication range
If the HSPA user is far away from the Base stations, he/she would not get the highest
bandwidth even though data transmission services could be done using less bandwidth.
 Number of users
If most of the users download a large file at the same time, the data rates would be low
 Cost
Wimax is a serious competitor to HSPA and WiMAX/VoIP traffic is much cheaper than
HSPA/WCDMA traffic. If the operators that provide HSPA connections want to cover
the whole country, it would be expensive as upgrades should be done in a lot of places.
Furthermore it would the user equipments would be expensive to the general public.
(Anon, 2009)
43
9.0 Conclusion
This assignment was based on researching a particular telecommunication technology and the
technology which was chosen was High Speed Packet Access (HSPA). The requirements of this
project were to research about the particular technology’s importance, its implementation
requirements and circumstances and the advantages and disadvantages.
HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) is a mobile telephony protocol which is based on packets
and is used in the 3G or 3.5G radio networks in order to increase the size of data to be stored and
the speed of the rates of data transfer.
HSPA provides five times the download speeds of the previous versions by improving spectral
efficiency and providing high download speeds and low latency thus allowing users to download
large files quickly and almost instantly and also enabling users to perform online activities like
web conferencing or online gaming. HSPA technology has stepped out to the world as the fastest
telecommunication technology till today.
Our group which consists of three members has learnt a lot throughout the project and a grateful
for obtaining such a project. This research helped us in understanding the way in which a
particular telecommunication technology works, the devices used and how the implementation of
it is done. Furthermore this assignment has enlightened us with knowledge of various
telecommunications terms and has helped us in understanding all the key aspects of
telecommunication.
44
10.0 References
 Anon. (2007). World's First HSUPA Data Card to Win FCC Approval. [Online]
Available at http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Aug2007/5025.htm. [Accessed 20 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (2008). HSDPA: High Speed Downlink Packet Access. [online]Available at

http://www.3gamericas.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&sectionid=350. [Accessed 30
Aug 2009]
 Anon. (2008). HSDPA-HSUPA-HSPA Explained. [online] Available at

http://mobilebroadbandblog.co.uk/2008/06/hsdpa-hsupa-hspa-explained/. [Accessed
24th August 2009]
 Anon. (2008). HSUPA: High Speed Uplink Packet Access. [online] Available at
http://www.3gamericas.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page&sectionid=351. [Accessed 31
Aug 2009]
 Anon. (2009 ). Radio Network Controller. [Online] Available at

http://pt.com/page/application-examples/radio-network-controller. [Accessed 15 Sep
2009]
 Anon. (2009). Digital Standard HSPA+ . [Online] Available at http://www2.rohde-

schwarz.com/product/AMUK59.html. [Accessed 20 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (2009). HSDPA thesis. [Online] Available at

http://www.scribd.com/doc/19864169/HSDPA-THESIS. [Accessed 13 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (2009). HSDPA vs. WiMAX: Comparing Characteristics and Prospects of

Datacom Technologies . [Online] Available at
http://ixbtlabs.com/articles2/mobile/wimax.html. [Accessed 15 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (2009). HSPA, the undisputed choice for mobile broadband. [online] Available at
http://www.ericsson.com/technology/whitepapers/hspa_Rev_b.pdf. [Accessed 30 Aug
2009]
45
 Anon. (2009). HSUPA. [Online] Available at http://www.mobilecomms-

technology.com/projects/hsupa/. [Accessed 15 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (2009). Huawei New Generation Node B . [Online] Available at

http://www.huawei.com/innovations/new_generation_node_b/simpleres.do?
id=403&type=technology. [Accessed 15 Sep 2009]
 Anon. (na). general requirements. [Online] Available at

http://www.ingelec.uns.edu.ar/Lapsyc/research_files/Page338.htm. [Accessed 15 Sep
2009]
 Bill Krenik . (2005). HSDPA benefits worth the design hassles. [online]Available at
http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=60300184. [Accessed 30 Aug
2009]
 Frank Sliden. (2009 ). what is HSDPA. [Online] Available at

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hsdpa.htm. [Accessed 15 Sep 2009]
 Gilham Solicitors Group. (2005). Briefing Note - The Application of the E-Commerce
Regulations to Suppliers & ISPs. [Online] Available at
http://www.gillhams.com/articles/160.cfm. [Accessed 15 Sep 2009]
 Holma H, &Toskala A (2006). HSDPA/HSUPAfor UMTS. John Wiley & Sons,. 245.
 Jeremy Fain. (2007). Tele generations. [online] Available at

http://www.techiteasy.org/2007/03/12/2g-3g-35g-4g-5g-6gcleaning-the-mobile-telco-
standards-mess/. [Accessed 31 Aug 2009]
 JuhaKorhonen. (2004). HSDPA- an introduction. [online] Available at

http://www.dcc.fc.up.pt/~mrodrigues/teaching/wn0809/wn0708_additions2.pdf.
[Accessed 25th August 2009]
 Naveen Shankpal. (2004). HSDPA. [online] Available at

http://www.lnt.ei.tum.de/mitarbeiter/oikonomidis/Seminar/SeminarReports/HSDPA.pdf.
[Accessed 30 Aug 2009]
46
 Simon Binar. (2006). HSDPA and HSUPA Functional Testing. [Online] Available at
http://www.tek.com/Measurement/App_Notes/2F_19851/2FW_19851_0.pdf. Accessed
15 Sep 2009]
47
11.0 Appendices
11.1 Gantt Chart
48
11.2 Workload Matrix

Task Ruaim Fazaal Isuru
Gantt chart 100%
Workload matrix 100%
Introduction to HSPA 100% 100%
Importance of the technology 100%
Competing technologies 100%
HSPA implementation requirements 33.33% 33.33% 33.33%
Circumstances of HSPA implementation 33.33% 33.33% 33.33%
49
HSPA suitable environments 33.33% 33.33% 33.33%

Advantages of HSPA 100%
Disadvantages of HSPA 100%
Conclusion 100%
…………………………. …………………………… ………………………

Ruaim Naleef Fazaal Naufer Isuru Ranasinghe
11.3 Meeting Minutes
Telecommunication: Group Meeting 1
DF08A3ICT Semester 3-Group Assignment
Date: 01/ 07/09 Conducted by: Isuru Ranasinghe

Time: 1:45:00 PM Duration: 30 mins
Venue: Ruaim’s Place
50
Member Name Present

Fazaal Naufer (CB002873) Yes
Ruaim Naleef (CB003009) Yes
Isuru Ranasinghe (CB002975) Yes
Topics Discussed Person in Charge
Chose Isuru as group leader
Planned how the project would be carried out
Next Meeting: 15/07/09

Time: 10:45:00 AM Duration: 30 mins
Venue: APIIT Level 4 Syndicate Room 2
Member Name Present

51
Selecting and finalizing a topic to research on All
Dividing work among group members Isuru

(Gantt Chart and Workload Matrix)

Member Name Present

Introduction to HSPA Ruaim
Related mobile telecommunication technologies to HSPAFazaal, Isuru
52

Time: 2:45:00 PM Duration: 30 mins
Member Name Present

Importance of HSPA
Implementation Research
53

Member Name Present

Advantages of HSPA Isuru
Disadvantages of HSPA Isuru
54

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Telecommunications – Group Assignment DF08A3ICT

Fazaal Naufer (CB002873)

Isuru Ranasinghe (CB002975)

Ruaim Naleef (CB003009)

29th July 2009

25th September 2009

Finally, we are responsible for any mistakes in this assignment.

2.0 Evolution of HSPA....................................................................................................................8

3.0 What is HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)?..........................................................................10

3.1 High Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA)................................................................12

5.0 Competing technologies and comparison................................................................................23

6.0 Implementation of HSPA........................................................................................................25

6.1 HSDPA deployment process................................................................................................26

7.1 HSDPA Advantages.............................................................................................................39

11.1 Gantt Chart.........................................................................................................................48

Figure 1 – Evolution of HSPA.........................................................................................................8

Figure 2- HSPA overall.................................................................................................................10

Figure 3- HSUPA physical channels.............................................................................................18

Figure 4- HSPA architecture.........................................................................................................25

Figure 5- HSPA deployment process............................................................................................26

Figure 6- worlds first HSUPA data card........................................................................................27

Figure 7- Signal Transmission.......................................................................................................28

Figure 8- HSDPA transport and physical channels.......................................................................29

Figure 9- HSDPA software features..............................................................................................32

Table 1- Dowlink data rates...........................................................................................................14

Table 2-Technology comparison...................................................................................................24

1.0 Introduction to telecommunication

 The first generation (1G)

 The second generation (2G)

 The two and a half generation (2.5G)

This is a successor of the 2nd generation of mobile telecommunication technologies which

 The third generation (3G)

 Fourth and Fifth generation (4G and 5G)

2.0 Evolution of HSPA

Figure 1 – Evolution of HSPA

3.0 What is HSPA (High Speed Packet Access)?

Figure 2- HSPA overall

3.1 High Speed Download Packet Access (HSDPA)

Technology GSM GPRS EDGE 3G HSDPA

Theoretical 14.4 170 384 2048 14400

Table 1- Downlink data rates

3.1.2 What does HSDPA do?

In conclusion using HSDPA for low-bandwidth-required applications would result in wastage of

3.2 High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

As described before in brief, HSUPA is another enhancement of the UMTS/WCDMA

Figure 3- HSUPA physical channels

4.0 Importance of HSPA

Mobile Television Streaming

Low costs and greater speeds

(Holma H, &Toskala A, 2006)

5.0 Competing technologies and comparison

The table provided below compares the three technologies.

Criteria HSPA WiMAX EvDo

6.0 Implementation of HSPA

Figure 4- HSPA architecture

6.1 HSDPA deployment process

Assessment of existing R99 The suitability of the HSPA is verified by using

· Surverys could be taken to evaluate

performance · Monitor and analyze network performance