Cellular / PCS

Technology Overview

Connecticut Siting Council

Cellular Symposium
 1. History of the Radio Frequency
Spectrum used by Cellular/PCS
• 800 MHz UHF Television Channels
• UHF Television background:
• Original Channels 14 – 83
(470 – 890 MHz)
• Channels 70 – 83 (806 – 894 MHz)
reallocated for development of Cellular
and SMR bands.
• Cellular A, B and SMR Band, Cellular and
Traditional 2-Way Radio (Public Safety
and Commercial/Industrial) licensed in the
same band
• Cellular and SMR Band Plan Changes
 PCS Band

• 1850 – 1990 MHz reallocated from

individually licensed point to point data
links and Auctioned to Private Sector to
continue the mobile phone success
phenomenon
 2. Cellular Concept of Providing
Coverage
Previous Single Control Site Technology
Large Single Site
Multiple Sites Handle Mobile Users
• “Zone Defense”
“Handoff”
Frequency Planning
Frequency Reuse
 3. Base Station Configuration
(Omni versus Directional)
• Rural Applications
• Metropolitan Applications
• Shelter versus Cabinet
 4. Antenna Technology

• Omni versus Directional

• Diversity
• Smart Antennas
• Shared Antennas
• Distributed Antennas
 5. Antenna Support Structure

• Lattice Towers, Monopoles

• Flagpoles, Trees/Monopines, Brown Sticks
• Water Tanks, Smoke Stacks, Roof Tops
• Steeples, Power Lines
(Transmission/Distribution), Light Poles
 6. Coverage and the Evolution of
the Subscriber Handset

• Mobile
• Smaller Portable
• Lower Power
• Longer Battery Life
• Even Lower Power
 7. Growth of the Subscriber Base
Success of Mobile Connectivity per CTIA
• 0 subscribers in 1986
• 16 million US subscribers in 1994
• 195 million US subscribers in 2006
• 1.6 billion current worldwide subscribers
• Current US Market Share:
Cingular Wireless 31.2% Verizon Wireless 29.4%
Sprint Nextel 27.2% T-Mobile 12.2%
 8. Capacity Concerns

• Adding Intermediate Sites during Cell

Splitting
• Micro/Pico Sites
• Satellite
Cell Splitting
 9. Development of More Efficient
Technologies
• Analog to Digital
• TDMA, CDMA
 10. Emerging Technologies

• Next Generation: Email, Video

 Conclusions:
• The demand for mobile connectivity will
probably continue to grow.
• The FCC will probably continue to support
this growth with spectrum resources.
• New technologies and greater usage will
probably increase the need for additional
infrastructure in the future.