Practical Assignment |0

City & Guilds

Advanced Technician Diploma in Applied Telecommunication Systems

Practical assignments –
Advanced Radio Systems Practice
Assignment 024/1:
Examination of 2.5G and 3G telecommunications systems
2730-03-24

By
A. H. U. S. De Silva
GVG9353

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Personal Details

 Subject Title : Practical Assignment –

Advanced Radio System Practice

 Subject No. : 2730

 Complex No. : 03

 Component No. : 024 / 1

 Country : Sri Lanka

 Candidate Name : A. H. U. S. De Silva

 Candidate Enrolment Number : GVG9353

 Candidate Contact No : 00 94 789991390

 Candidate email ID : udanashasthree@gmail.com

 Center : 844023W

 Institute : Sri Lanka Telecom Training center, Walisara

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3.2.1
The current position regarding the deployment of 2.5G system in national
cellular networks.

2.5G is a stepping stone between 2G and 3G cellular wireless technologies. The term "second and a
half generation" is used to describe 2G-systems that have implemented a packet switched domain in
addition to the circuit switched domain.

2.5G provides some of the benefits of 3G (e.g. it is packet-switched) and can use some of the
existing 2G infrastructure in GSM and CDMA networks. GPRS is a 2.5G technology used by GSM
operators. Some protocols, such as EDGE for GSM and CDMA2000 1x-RTT for CDMA.

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) enabled networks offer 'always-on', higher capacity, Internet-
based content and packet-based data services. This enables services such as colour internet
browsing, e-mail on the move, powerful visual communications, multimedia messages and location-
based services

In Sri Lanka there are five operators’ services providing 2.5 G. They are,
 Bharti Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. – of Brand name Airtel
 Dialog Axiata PLC. – of Brand name Dialog
 Etisalat Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. – of Brand name – of Brand name Etisalat
 Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel (Pvt.)Ltd – of Brand name Mobitel
 Hutchison Telecommunications Lanka (Pvt )Ltd – of Brand name Hutch

Airtel
The company was awarded a mobile phone operator license in 2006 and was scheduled to start
operations in early 2007; however the company didn't commence services until 12 January 2009.

Dialog
Dialog launched its services in 1995 as the 4th entrant to Sri Lanka’s Cellular Market and was the
first digital network in South Asia Dialog was also the first operator in the region to deliver
international roaming in 1997.Dialog Mobile presently has the largest number of subscribers.

Hutch
It was founded in 1996. Initially it was called CALL LINK. Hutchison launched its GSM service
in 2004
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Etisalat
Etisalat was founded as Celltel in June 1989 on a Motorola TACS system, becoming the first
cellular network in Sri Lanka. It was then rebranded by Millicom International in January 2007, as
Tigo (Sri Lanka).Etisalat acquired Sri Lankan operations of Millicom International, Tigo (Sri
Lanka) on 16th October 2009.

Mobitel
Mobitel was incorporated in 1993 as the second mobile telephone provider in the Sri Lankan
market. Originally collaboration between Sri Lanka Telecom and Telstra, Mobitel has been wholly
owned by SLT since November 2002.

Name of the Licen Subscri Frequency Band

Operator se bers
Date 900 MHz Band 1800 MHz Band 2GHz Band (3G)
(GSM) (GSM)
Etisalat (Pvt) 1989 2.5 900-907.5MHz 1732.5-1738.5MHz 1732.5-1738.5 MHz
Ltd million 945-952.2MHz 1827.5-1833.5MHz 1827.5-1833.5 MHz
(2x7.5MHz) (2x6MHz) (2×6 MHz)
Dialog Axiata 1995 5.5 907.5-915MHz 1717.5-1725MHz 1970-1980 MHz
PLC million 952.5-960MHz 1812.5-1820MHz 2160-2170 MHz
(2x7.5MHz) 1755-1762.5MHz 1910-1915 MHz
1850-1857.5MHz ((2x10+5)MHz)
(2x15MHz)
Hutchison 11th 1 892.5-900MHz 1725-1732.5MHz 1725-1732.5 MHz
Telecommunica Febru million 937.5-945MHz 1820-1827.5MHz 1820-1827.5 MHz
tions Lanka ary (2x7.5MHz) (2x7.5MHz) (2×7.5 MHz)
(Pvt) Ltd 1992

Mobitel (Pvt) 1993 5.5 885-892.5MHz 1710-1717.5MHz 1920-1930MHz

Limited million 930-937.5MHz 1805-1812.5MHz 1920-1930MHz
(2x7.5MHz) (2x7.5MHz) 1920-1930MHz
((2x10+5)MHz)
Bharti Airtel 2006 1.5 880-885MHz 1740-1747.5MHz 1930-1940MHz
Lanka (Pvt) Ltd million 925-930MHz 1835-1842.5MHz 2120-2130MHz
(2x5MHz) (2x7.5MHz) (2x10MHz)

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3.2.2
Details of existing 2.5G networks and data rates provisioned

GPRS represents the first packet-based technology for evolution from 2G GSM networks to 2.5G
networks.

Other GSM 2.5G packet technology, Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE) Another
2.5G technology that is circuit based, High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD).

The major impetus for 2.5G is the "always-on" capability. Being packet based, 2.5G technologies
allow for the use of infrastructure and facilities only when a transaction is required, rather than
maintaining facilities in a session-like manner. This provides tremendous infrastructure efficiency
and service delivery improvements.

Using GPRS as a bearer for WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), for instance, will allow for the
use of WAP on a per-transaction rather than a per-minute-of-use basis. More importantly perhaps is
the ability for GPRS to allow for autonomous service realization through the always-on capability.
For example, a GPRS customer could receive content or services without actually manually
invoking a service or transaction. This has significant implications for mobile commerce and
location based services

Data Speed
GPRS data speeds are expected to reach theoretically up to 171.2 Kbps. However, this is based on
optimal conditions in terms of following parameters to support the maximum number of time slots -
eight. More practical data rates are currently in the order of 40-60 Kbps.
 available cell/sector capacity
 available time slots
 maximum coding scheme (CS-4)
 mobile phone availability

CDMA2000 1xRTT data speeds are averaging about 70-80 Kbps.

EDGE will boost data theoretical data rates to 384 Kbps if/when deployed. EDGE accomplishes
these higher rates through introduction of a new modulation scheme known as Eight Phase Shift
Keying (8PSK). 8PSK provides for up to 3 bits per symbol (rather than GPRS's 1 bit per symbol),
facilitating an up to 3 X's improvement over GPRS.

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HSCSD will provide speeds of up to 64 Kbps. However, HSCSD perpetuates the inefficient use of
spectrum and transmission that is relegated by any circuit switched mechanism.

Data rates provided by national cellular networks

 Dialog
 Data rates of GPRS 53.6kbps
 Data rates of EDGE 236.8kbps (384 kbps)

 Mobitel
 Data rates of GPRS 56kbps
 Data rates of EDGE 232 kbps (384kbps)

 Etisalat
 Data rates of GPRS 53kbps
 Data rates of EDGE 232kbps (384 kbps)

 Airtel
 Data rates of GPRS 60kbps
 Data rates of EDGE 236kbps (384kbps)

 Hutch
 Data rates of GPRS 52kbps
 Data rates of EDGE 246.8kbps (384kbps)

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3.2.3

Details of the main applications carried.

GPRS enables services such as,

 Multimedia messages
Mobile Messaging is evolving beyond SMS text messaging with the introduction of MMS
(Multimedia Messaging Service). MMS delivers a total communication experience, allowing
personalized multimedia content such as images, audio, text, video and combinations of these.
Capture and share your experiences when and wherever they happen. The opportunities are endless

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a store and forward messaging service that allows mobile
subscribers to exchange multimedia messages with other mobile subscribers. As such it can be seen
as an evolution of SMS, with MMS supporting the transmission of additional media types:

 E-commerce
A traveling marketing person today needs instant access to the company’s database, also his
customers. GPRS enables the internet service; he can manage his all requirement within this
service.

 Gaming
2.5 G Client can access internet, so he can download all needs game for entertaining

 E-mail on the move / Location-based services

Wireless communication devices which provide GSM/ GPRS modern functions. GSM/GPRS
wireless network cards provide LAN- like connectivity while you're on the road. These devices
allow you to continue to work as if you never left the office, with wireless access to email, intranet,
corporate applications and full web browsing

 Powerful visual communications

 Colour Internet browsing

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3.2.4
Any technical challenges which currently exist in the deployment of these system

Technical issues
Since moves from circuit-switching to packet switching there is a need for understanding for basics
in order to design / plan and optimize the network. The GPRS architecture introduces two network
elements.

 GGSN - Gateway GPRS Support Node

The GGSN acts as the gateway to other packet data networks such as the Internet.It is the
inter-working unit between the GPRS network and external packet data networks (PDN). This node
contains routing information for GPRS users

 SGSN - Serving GPRS Support Node

The SGSN is the serving node that enables virtual connections to the GPRS enabled mobile device
and delivery of data.its support mobile station (MS) via G b interface, for example requests user
address from the GPRS register, keeps tracks of individual mobile station’s location, is responsible
for collecting billing information, and performs several security functions such as access control.

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Environmental issues

To access GPRS, Mobile station (user equipment, ex-cellular phone) must be GPRS Enabled phone.

 Service provider’s GPRS Enabled

 Accurately setup the settings

And also in less populous areas, the weaker digital signal may not be sufficient to reach a cell
tower. This tends to be particular problem on this system deployed in higher frequencies.

Safety issues

Radiation nearby tower is very important factor in considering safety, the people closer to tower
will never allow being place the tower.
When providing larger and strong coverage, the tower needs to be very high. Since the stiffness of
the tower is small those due to the role of wind load will the tower sway.

Financial and Marketing issues

When GPRS service is enabled, users will pay for traffic services, GPRS will load the WAP
(wireless Access Protocol) browser. However, unauthorized content will be send to user, even
worse, users pay for spam.
Trying to compare national / global tariffs and pricing strategies are incredibly difficult. This lead to
accusation that operator have been trying to over-charged for GPRS and to confuse users.

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3.2.5
How 2.5G high speeds data services are being marketed today.

In GPRS marketing, some operator are marketing and promoting GPRS in a successful way.
Improving GPRS marketing need not cost more, but requires more focus on the areas that are
important to residential and business users.

Some operator have seized on MMS as the driver for GPRS i.e. advertisement for MMS from
operators have focused on simply showing “what MMS can provide” its huge advantages. While
some others use (price) promotions to build up their GPRS user base.

Likewise every operator has their own strategy and trying to market their service in different
manner.

Today in Sri Lanka’s mobile operators are using various methods to market their 2.5G high speed
data services.

Airtel
Airtel aims subscribers/university student. They introduced free voice and data package system. For
example
- For RS.25 – 100 Mb, 500 SMS, 25 rupees talk time, face book browsing free.
- For Rs.99 - 400 Mb, 1000 SMS, 99 rupees talk time, face book browsing free.
Mostly their marketing strategies are based on cultural style of the nation and sometime modern &
youthful.

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Dialog
Dialog has good quality coverage around the Sri Lanka. And a good custom care service. They
always try to introduce new features and new technology to the subscriber. Dialog uses some
promotion like prices/gift using star points.
Using the star-points user can enjoy special rates for some special services and can purchase things
in discounted price at some recommended shops.

Etisalat
Etisalat also now has enough coverage around Sri Lanka. Their marketing strategies are very
different when comparing to others. They are mainly focused on all types of customers some special
rates some services and also some smart phones are given to customer with their service free.

Hutch
Their targeting is youth in Sri Lankan mobile market. They always introducing cheapest rates in Sri
Lanka. They are introducing outgoing free corporate packages, group connection etc. They were
targeting to market their product to company workers, lovers, university students mainly.

Mobitel
This is the only government owned mobile service provider. They provide their services and sell
their products to some special group of people, according to that government worker are more
benefited. Since they introduced special packages to government sector, like “UPAHARA”.
Their marketing strategies are based on traditional system of Sri Lanka and unique Sri Lanka style.

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3.2.6
The current position regarding the deployment of 3G systems in national
cellular networks

3G is third-generation technology in the context of mobile phone standards. The services associated
with 3G include wide-area wireless voice telephony and broadband wireless data, all in a mobile
environment. In marketing 3G services, video telephone has often been suggested as the killer
application for 3G.

In December 2005 there were 100 3G networks in operation in 40 countries in the world. In Asia,
Europe, and the USA and Canada.

In Sri Lanka Dialog Telecom started to provide 3G services to customer. Dialog 3G coverage is
being gradually rolled out across Colombo City. A 3G phone will automatically display a 3G icon,
which will tell customers when you have 3G coverage. Presently the best Dialog 3G coverage can
be found in all the main cities in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lanka Telecom creates some agreements with foreign company, to give 3G services.

In Sri Lanka there are five operators providing 3G services. They are,

 Airtel
 Dialog
 Mobitel
 Etisalat
 Hutch

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3.2.7
How 3G service are being market today

Some operators markets 3G as making as connecting to online services such as news, sport updates,
email, flight schedules, movie session etc. both at affordable and fast.

3G service providers are using various method to marketing there services.

- Introducing low cost data (3G) packages.
Dialog introducing data packages to specially university students and companies.

Airtel offers Special university package and cheapest Mobile broadband plans starting 5GB for
Rs.299/- though only major cities like Colombo, Kandy, Negombo and Galle are covered by 3G
network.
Mobitel introduced special data package to government sector. In their 5GB (UPAHARA
INTERNET) they introduced price is very cheapest price in Sri Lanka. It is 299 rupees. This is also
postpaid package. And they introduced weekly packages for pre-paid customer.
- Introducing new technical devices (USB HSDPA modem/Phones ect.)
Etisalat introduced easy payment methods to customer buy 3G equipment.
- Etisalat introduced Blackberry phone with their connection free
Hutch introduced day and night internet packages

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3.2.8

Details of the main 3G applications

The most significant feature offered by third generation (3G) mobile technologies is the capacity to
support greater numbers of voice and data customers — especially in urban centres — as well as
higher data rates at lower incremental cost than 2G.

By using the radio spectrum in bands identified, which is provided by the UTI for Third Generation
IMT-2000 mobile services, it subsequently licensed to operators. 3G uses .5 MHz channel carrier
width to deliver significantly higher data rates and increased capacity compared with 2G networks.

The .5 MHz channel carrier provides optimum use of radio resources for operators who have been
granted large, contiguous blocks of spectrum. On the other hand, it also helps to reduce the cost to
3G networks while being capable of providing extremely high-speed data transmission to users.

3G applications include Video Calls, IDD Video Calls, and TV on the phone, high speed Internet
connections for Web Browsing, 3D phone games and Video Streaming for Music Videos and
Movie Trailers.

It also allows the transmission of 384 kbps for mobile systems and 2 Mbps for stationary systems.
3G users are expected to have greater capacity and improved spectrum efficiency, which will allow
them to access global roaming between different 3G

Dialog Mobitel Airtel / Hutch / Etisalat

 Video Calls,
 IDD Video Calls,
 Mobile TV
 Web Browsing,
 3D phone games
 Video Streaming for
Music Videos and Movie
Trailers
 Video Mail / Voice Mail
 Video Blogging
 Video on Demand
 Video Calls while on
Roaming
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 Video Calls  Video Calls
 Video Calls while on  3G Downloads
Roaming  Video Mail / Voice Mail
 Video IDD Calls  Video Blogging
 Mobile TV  Video on Demand
 Video SMS
 3G Downloads
 Video Mail / Voice Mail
 Video Blogging
 Video on Demand
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3.2.10
The technical challenges that are likely to exist in the deployment of 3G

The wireless-provider industry needs a clear migration path to 3G from current wireless access
technologies which have limited bandwidth. 3G promises speed of up to 2Mbps and support real
time access to sustain high quality audio / video, bandwidth intensive business and consumer
application.

There is a need to act quickly, correctly anticipating the change presented by evolve technology is
critical. Much of the hardware that operates in current wireless network may not be supported as 3G
infrastructures are deployed.

 HLR (Home location register)

 VLR (Visitor location register)
 EIR (Equipment identity register)

From GPRS network, the following network elements will be reused:

 MSC (Mobile switching centre) (vendor dependent)

 AUC (Authentication centre)
 SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) (vendor dependent)
 GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node)

From GSM radio network, the following network elements can NOT be reused. They can remain in
the network and be used in dual network operation where 2G and 3G networks co-exist while
network migration and new 3G terminals become available for use in the network.

 BSC (base station controller)

 BTS (base transceiver station)

The UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication Systems) network introduces new network
elements that give functionality as given in the 3GPP specifications:

 Node-B (base station)

 RNC (Radio Network Controller)
 MGW (Media Gateway)

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The functionality of MSC and SGSN changes when going to UMTS. In a GSM system the MSC
handles all the circuit switched operations like connecting A- and B-subscriber through the network.
In UMTS the MGW (Media gateway) will take care of all data transfer in both, circuit and packet
switched networks. MSC and SGSN will act as "brains" of the system and they will control MGW
operations. The name of the nodes will change into MSC-server and GSN-server.

3G has successfully been introduced to European, Asian and North African mobile users; there are
some challengers that are debated by 3G providers and users:

 High input fees for the 3G service licenses

 Great differences in the licensing terms
 Current high debt of many telecommunication companies, making it more of a challenge to
build the necessary infrastructure for 3G
 Member State support to the financially troubled operators
 Expense of 3G phones
 Lack of 2G mobile user buy-in for 3G wireless service
 Lack of coverage because it is still new service

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3.2.11
Details of efforts being made in order to facilitate global roaming

Roaming
Roaming is defined as the ability of a network operator to provide the same services that are
available on its home network to its customers, called “roamers,” when they are using other systems
within the same country or in other countries.

Global Roaming offer seamless services by hiding network and radio access differences from the
users.
 Global Roaming does not only mean that one has to travel far. Within a small geographic area
global roaming requirements also apply.

Why is international roaming important?

International roaming is increasingly becoming an important service to wireless operators for two
main reasons. The first is to satisfy customer demand, and thereby attract and retain customers.
Second, and equally important, is that international roaming can be a significant revenue source for
operators.

Global roaming – Requirements

 Multi-mode user equipment to support diverse access technologies
 Multi-homed user equipment to support multiple IP addresses
 Support of Enhanced services
– VHE/IN, UPT, IP Multimedia
 Mobility management across multiple service provider domains
– Location management
– Service portability
– Authentication, Authorization and Accounting
– QoS / bandwidth management (wired to wireless)

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 Interoperability using single subscription

 Global roaming is a key requirement for IMT-2000 and beyond systems

 Ease of Interoperability between different networks is demanded by users
 Global UIM based on a common UIM-MT interface is needed
 Standards are needed to address critical issues of global roaming

To support equipment, updates need to be made to the current cellular infrastructure. According to
the 3G infrastructure new 3G equipment at (ideally) every current cellular base station and
acquiring new frequencies for 3g transmission. Both of these understandings are extremely
expensive and could take long time to complete fully.

Further, in order to utilize all of the new features 3G technology has to offer, customer must be
purchase 3G compatible handsets, which are more expensive than their existing counterparts.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has defined the demands for third generation
mobile networks with the IMT-2000 standard. An organization called 3GPP has continued that
work by defining a mobile system that fulfills the IMT-2000 standard. This system is called
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS). The evolution of the system will move
forward with so called releases. In each release new features will be introduced

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) is a collaboration between groups of

telecommunications associations, to make a globally applicable third generation (3G) mobile phone
system specification within the scope of the International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 project
of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). 3GPP specifications are based on evolved
Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) specifications. 3GPP standardisation
encompasses Radio, Core Network and Service architecture

The 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) is a collaboration between

telecommunications associations to make a globally applicable third generation (3G) mobile phone
system specification within the scope of the ITU's IMT-2000 project. In practice, 3GPP2 is the
standardization group for CDMA2000, the set of 3G standards based on earlier 2G CDMA
technology. The participating associations are ARIB/TTC (Japan), China Communications
Standards Association, Telecommunications Industry Association (North America) and
Telecommunications Technology Association (South Korea).

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3.2.12
Details of any future enhancement / advancement to existing telecommunication
system

Everyone’s focus now turns towards 4G because of its data rate. In high speed mobility
communication it offers 100Mbps (such as trains or cars) and low mobility communication or fixed
accessing would results 1 Gbps. This is a major revolution in wireless access technology.

It is very much equivalent to getting a LAN or Gigabit Ethernet connection to a mobile device.4G
provides all IP communication with high speed access to smart phones, tablets, laptops and mobile
smart devices. Theoretically speaking this 4G access speeds are much more than cable or DSL
technologies in the sense 4G is faster than ADSL, ADSL2 or ADSL2+. We can run any internet
application as we do in desktop computers. For example we can run Skype, You Tube, IPTV, and
Video on Demand, VoIP Client and many more. If we have any VoIP client installed on our hand
device we can make VoIP calls from our mobile. This is going to kill the mobile voice market soon.
At the same time we can subscribe to any local numbers to our mobile VoIP client and starts
receiving calls on our mobile via IP. It provides greater quality of services to end users without
dropping signals and allows interactive roaming worldwide.
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Sri Lanka’s first 4G (LTE) network was introduced by Dialog and after that Mobitel also began to
spread their 4G network.
Now Dialog has covered main cities including Colombo city, Jaffna, Kandy, Negombo, Wattala,
Gampaha, Kurunagala and Galle with 4G network.
And also Sri Lanka Telecom Mobitel today went live with its 4G-LTE service in the cities of
Colombo, Hambantota, Matara, Galle, Kalutara, Kandy and Jaffna.

Comparison

3G 4G

Frequency Band 1.8 – 2.5 GHz 2 – 8GHz

Bandwidth 5 – 20 MHz 100 MHz

Date rate Up to 2 Mbps (384kbps 20 Mbps and more ( up to 100

WAN) Mbps)

Access technique Wideband - CDMA Multicarrier – CDMA or

OFDM (TDMA)

Forward Error Connection Turbo codes Concatenated codes

Switching Circuit & Packet All digital with Packetized

Component Design Optimized antenna design, Smarter Antennas, software

multi-band adapters multiband and wideband
radios

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