Overview of WLL & CDMA

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15 OVERVIEW OF WLL
WIRELESS IN LOCAL LOOP-AN OVERVIEW

NTRODUCTION:
Telecom Sector is advancing day by day with new services and new facilities for
customers. With the introduction of digital technology both in switching and transmission
areas the information gap has been bridged largely and with the introduction of “Information
Highway Concept” the globe has shrunk very much. We have introduced Intelligent
Networks and Customer today enjoys the facility of controlling the services from the
fingertips.

However one significant area, which has not changed much, is “Local Loop or Access
Network”. This area, which connects the customer to telephone Exchange, known as “Last
mile connectivity” mostly remains on copper network. Recent trends are to introduce either
FIBRE or WIRELESS in this area.

COPPER BASED LOCAL LOOP;

Architecture of A Typical Wireline Telecom

NetworkP
Copper illar
cable

Telephon
Copper
e wire
P
Exchange illar

P
illar
Call Processing
(Switching & Charging )

One pair of copper wire is dedicated for each

subscriber.

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Local Loop starts from the Main Distribution frame (MDF) of the Telephone
Exchange and passes through several flexibility points like Cabinet, Pillar and Distribution
Point in U/G Cables and from DP to customer premises on overhead insulated copper wire
(Drop Wire).

DISADVANTAGES OF COPPER NETWORK:

The following are the disadvantages in a copper based network.

 Copper is costly and the depleting resource for copper makes it costlier every
day.

 Installation of network is time consuming. In case of laying of cables right of

way is a hurdle.

 Copper based network is prone to faults, electromagnetic interference, etc.

 Maintenance is also difficult and time consuming.

 Reconfiguration is not possible.

 Expansion is also poses a hurdle since laying of additional cables always

causes congestion in MDF and other flexibility points.

 Bandwidth of operation in copper is limited even though DSL technologies,

(which are distance limited) try to enhance the bandwidth.

 Cost per line is dependent on the distance.

ALTERNATE MEDIA FOR COPPER:

Copper can be replaced by either FIBRE or WIRELESS. Since fibre is a physical
medium and will pose certain difficulties like right of way, time consuming installation
process, etc, However the bandwidth offered by fibre is the foremost benefit and it is the
reason for extending fibre as close as to the customer(FTTB/FTTC)

Wireless has got the following advantages and hence preferred in certain
circumstances.

 Any wireless technology provides mobility and it is for the user and provider
to decide whether it can be utilized or not.

 Service provisioning becomes faster and simpler which indirectly leads to

customer satisfaction and immediate realization of revenue.

 Maintenance becomes easier as there is no physical medium involved.

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 Cost per line is independent of the distance and is comparatively cheaper than
copper.

 Suitable for difficult terrains where cable laying is not possible.

Taking into consideration these advantages WLL was initially thought of as a

replacement for copper in the local loop. Hence it was defined that WLL uses radio medium
for connecting subscriber to the switch and all services as available on wired copper should
be made available. Sometimes WLL is also called as “fixed cellular”.

But subsequently “mobility” was introduced in WLL and it has been ensured that
there can be only “Limited Mobility” to differentiate it from “Cellular Mobile”.

BASIC ARCHITECTURE OF WLL:

Connectivity between LE (local exchange) and BSC (Base Station Controller) can be
either on V5.2 or R2MF or CCS7, depending on BSC functioning in RLU mode or
independent switch respectively.

BSC is connected to several BTSs and each connection is generally 2Mbps. This
connectivity is called “Abis”.

BTS is connected to Mobile or Fixed Wireless Terminal (FWT) by air interface called
“Um”.

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This is the typical architecture which replaces the copper and recent trend is to
provide a MSC instead of LE so that architecture similar to “Cellular Mobile” is set up.This
type of connectivity helps in provision of certain value added services like SMS.

INTRODUCTION TO CDMA2000
The first operational cellular communication system was deployed in the Norway in
1981 and was followed by similar systems in the US and UK. These first generation systems
provided voice transmissions by using frequencies around 900 MHz and analogue
modulation.

The second generation (2G) of the wireless mobile network was based on low-band
digital data signaling. While GSM and other TDMA-based systems have become the
dominant 2G wirelesses technologies, CDMA technology IS 95A is recognized as providing
clearer voice quality with less background noise, fewer dropped calls, enhanced security,
greater reliability and greater network capacity.

The Second Generation (2G) wireless networks mentioned above are also mostly
based on circuit-switched technology, are digital and expand the range of applications to
more advanced voice services. 2G wireless technologies can handle some data capabilities
such as fax and short message service at the data rate of up to 9.6 kbps, but it is not suitable
for web browsing and multimedia applications. In the world of 2G, voice remains king while
data is already dominant in wire line communications. And, fixed or wireless, all are affected
by the rapid growth of the Internet.

Hence in mobile world also the aim was to achieve higher data speed. ITU also
proposed the conceptual 3G.

3G OR IMT-2000:
International Mobile Telecommunications-2000 (IMT-2000) is the official
International Telecommunication Union name for 3G and is an initiative intended to provide
wireless access to global telecommunication infrastructure through both satellite and
terrestrial systems, serving fixed and mobile phone users via both public and private
telephone networks. Today's 3G specifications call for 144 Kb/s while the user is on the
move in an automobile or train, 384 Kb/s for pedestrians, and ups to 2 Mb/s for stationary
users. That is a big step up from 2G bandwidth using 8 to 13 Kb/s per channel to transport
speech signals. But no single technology could be evolved as 3G.

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IMT-2000 Terrestrial Radio Interfaces

Recommendation ITU-R M.1457:
Detailed Specifications of the Radio Interfaces of IMT-2000

Paired spectrum Unpaired spectrum

IMT-DS IMT-MC IMT-TC IMT-S C IMT-FT

W-CDMA (UTRAN cdma 2000 UTRAN TDD UWC-136 DECT
FDD) TD-S CDMA (EDGE)
Dire ct Multi Time S ingle Fre que ncy
S pre a d Ca rrie r Code Ca rrie r Time

CDMA TDMA FDMA

So there are three standards based on CDMA for 3G.

THIRD GENERATION STANDARDS

CDMA2000/FDD-MC — CDMA2000 using Frequency Division Duplexing-
Multicarrier (FDD-MC) mode. Here multicarrier implies N x 1.25 MHz channels overlaid on
N existing IS-95 carriers or deployed on unoccupied spectrum. CDMA2000 includes:

1x —using a spreading rate of 1.2288 Mcps

3x —using a spreading rate of 3 x 1.2288 Mcps or 3.6864 Mcps

1xEV-DO (1x Evolution – Data Optimized)—using a spreading rate of 1.2288 Mcps

optimized for data

WCDMA/FDD-DS —Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) Frequency Division Duplexing-

Direct Sequence spreading (FDD-DS) mode. This has a single 5 MHz channel. WCDMA
uses a single carrier per channel and employs a spreading rate of 3.84 Mcps.

UTRA TDD/ TD-SCDMA — Universal Mobile Telephone Services Terrestrial Radio

Access (UTRA) and TD-SCDMA. These are Time Division Duplexed (TDD) standards
aimed primarily at asymmetric services used in unpaired (i.e., no separate uplink and
downlink) bands. TD-SCDMA is based on a synchronous Time Division scheme for TDD

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and wireless local loop applications. The frame and slot structure are the same as W-CDMA.
However, in TDD mode each slot can be individually allocated either the uplink or the
downlink.

MIGRATION PATH:
Different 2G technologies propose various migration paths.

A look at the evolutionary path from 2G to 3G shows the likely migration path for
service providers of each major format. The W-CDMA system looks like it will receive the
most subscribers as operation is started in the IMT-2000 band. The SR3 (Spread Rate3)
multi-carrier standard appears to be dead. The delivery of higher data rates for the current IS-
95 community will be met with 1x Evolution (1xEV). The first version of this is Data Only
(DO). Future versions of this will be capable of data and voice (1x EV-DV). The IS-136
operators do not have a direct evolution path to 3G. Instead, they will transition to GSM and
GPRS.

In Europe, many GSM operators will migrate to W-CDMA for increased data
capabilities. In the Americas, existing IS-95 operators will migrate to cdma2000 for increased
voice capacity and the added bonus of data capabilities. Korea has the highest concentration
of IS-95 users in the world. They will continue in this technology with the rollout of
cdma2000.

ADVANTAGES OF CDMA2000:
CDMA2000 is backward compatible with IS-95. Thus a network that is converted to
CDMA2000 from IS-95 will support users with IS-95 handsets. A motivating factor for
migration to CDMA2000-enabled handsets is that it permits use of enhanced data service and
increases the voice capacity of the network. The voice capacity of a CDMA2000 network
increases as the percentage of subscribers with CDMA2000 handsets increases. IS-95
handsets do not contribute to this capacity improvement.

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It reuses and builds on the full complement of existing CDMA air interface and
network standards. Both IS-95 and CDMA2000 equipped mobiles can operate on the same
frequency assignment. Existing IS-95 networks can be converted to CDMA2000 without
impact to existing IS-95 mobiles. Network can “evolve” as users migrate from IS-95 mobiles
to CDMA2000 mobiles.

NEW CONCEPTS IN THE CDMA2000 PHYSICAL LAYER:

The following are the new additions in CDMA 2000 from IS95.

 Spreading Rate 1 (1x) and Spreading Rate 3 (3x)

 Logical Channels

 Radio Configurations

 Many new Physical Channels

 Transmit Diversity Pilot Channels

 Enhanced Access Channel procedures

 Reverse Link Pilot Channel

Spreading Rates

CDMA2000 supports two different spreading rates:

 Spreading Rate 1— also called “1x”
Both Forward and Reverse Channels use a single direct-sequence spread carrier with a

chip rate of 1.2288 Mcps.

 Spreading Rate 3— also called “3x” or MC (Multi-Carrier)
Forward Channels use three direct-sequence spread carriers each with a chip rate of

1.2288 Mcps. Reverse Channels use a single direct-sequence spread carrier with a
chip rate of 3.6864Mcps.

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As such SR3 appears to be extinct.

Physical and Logical Channels:

In IS 95A, in the forward link Pilot, Sync, Paging and Traffic Channels exist whereas
in reverse link Access and traffic channel are available. All overhead information is carried
on the Paging Channel. During conversation or in dedicated mode the signaling info is
exchanged by either fully or partially clearing the traffic. CDMA2000 technology defines
new Physical and Logical Channels for the transport of user data and signaling information.

A Physical Channel is a communication path between the mobile and the Base
Station, described in terms of the digital coding and RF characteristics.

A Logical Channel is a communication path within the protocol layers of either the
Base Station or the mobile. Information is grouped onto a Logical Channel based on criteria
such as these:

 Is it for a single user or for multiple users?

 Is it signaling or user data?

 Is the direction of the transfer Forward or Reverse?

The information on a Logical Channel is ultimately carried on one or more Physical

Channels. Mappings are defined between Physical and Logical Channels. These mappings
may be permanent or may be defined only for the duration of a call. (e.g) The Forward
Common Signaling Channel (f-csch) carries information that may ultimately be mapped onto
the Forward Sync Channel (F-SYNCH), the Forward Paging Channel (F-PCH), and the
Forward Broadcast Control Channel (F-BCCH).

CDMA2000 PHYSICAL CHANNEL NAMING

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CDMA2000 LOGICAL CHANNEL NAMING

A Logical Channel name consists of three lowercase letters followed by “ch”
(channel).

A hyphen is used after the first letter. Logical Channel names are differentiated by:

 Direction (Forward or Reverse)

 Whether the information is shared by all users (common) or specific to an

individual user (dedicated)

 Whether the information is control information (signaling) or user information

For Common Signaling Channels, the mappings shown assume that all Common
Signaling Physical Channels are supported (F-BCCH, F-CCCH, F-PCH, R-EACH, and R-
ACH). If the Base Station is configured to support only the TIA/EIA-95 compatible common
channels, then the F-BCCH, F-CCCH, and R-EACH channel are not present in the mapping.

For Dedicated Channels, the mapping is established for each call, as a function of
what services are in use (voice, circuit-switched data, packet data).

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Radio Configurations:

A Radio Configuration (RC) defines the following characteristics of a Forward or

Reverse Traffic Channel, Viz Rate Set, Spreading Rate Channel Coding (Turbo or
convolutional), Channel Coding Rate, Modulation (QPSK or BPSK)and Transmit Diversity
Allowed.

IS-2000 defines Radio Configurations:

– RC1 and RC2 correspond to IS-95 A/B Rate Set 1 and Rate Set 2 respectively

– RC3 through RC9 on the Forward link

– RC3 through RC6 on the Reverse link

Forward Link radio configuration:

Reverse Link radio configuration:

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Variable Length Walsh Codes:

Walsh Code used in IS95 is 64 chips long. CDMA20001x can use Walsh
Codes up to 128 Chips long. Higher data rate channels use shorter length Walsh codes to
maintain a constant chip rate. Using one of the shorter Walsh codes precludes using all longer
codes that contain the bit pattern of the shorter code.

Forward Link Code Channels:

The Forward Pilot, Sync, and Paging Channels are compatible with TIA/EIA-95A/B.
In Radio Configurations 1 and 2, the Fundamental and Supplemental Channels are backward
compatible. In these configurations, the maximum number of Supplemental Channels is
seven, which allows the transmission rate to reach up to 115.2 kbps.

As in TIA/EIA-95A/B, the Power Control Sub channel is associated with the

Fundamental Channel for Radio Configurations 1 and 2.

The Forward Link Channels are assigned as follows:

 W0 64 reserved for Forward Pilot Channel

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 W32 64 reserved for Sync Channel

 W1 64 to W7 64 reserved for Paging Channels

Wn 64 may be used for Radio Configurations 1 and 2 Fundamental and Supplemental

Channels, for 0 < n < 64, except for those channels used for Sync and Paging Channels

New Common Channels:

CDMA2000 introduces several new Forward Link Common Channels:

 Pilot Channels – If transmit diversity is supported; one or more Pilots may be

used.The auxiliary Pilot Channels may be used for smart antenna applications.

 Quick Paging Channel – This channel provides for improved slotted mode
operation and improved battery life for the mobile. Walsh codes W80, W48
and W112 are reserved for Quick Paging Channels, if the Base Station
supports Quick Paging Channels.

 Common Control Channel – This channel carries mobile-directed messages

for CDMA2000 compatible mobiles.

 Broadcast Channel – This channel carries broadcast messages for CDMA2000

compatible mobiles, including overhead messages and broadcast Short
Message Service (SMS) messages.

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 Common Power Control Channel – This channel is used with Enhanced
Access Channel Procedures (Reservation Mode), to send power control bits to
the mobile so that Access Channel messages may be sent under power control.

 Common Assignment Channel – This channel is used with Enhanced Access

Channel Procedures (Reservation Mode) to assign the Reverse Common
Control Channel (R-CCCH) and Common Power Control Sub channel.

New Dedicated Channels:

CDMA2000 introduces several new Forward Link Dedicated Channels:

 Forward Fundamental Channel – This channel is used for the transmission of

user and signaling information to a specific mobile during a call. Each
Forward Traffic Channel may contain one Forward Fundamental Channel.

 Forward Dedicated Control Channel – This channel is used for transmission of

user and signaling information to a specific mobile during a call. Each
Forward Traffic Channel may contain one Forward Dedicated Control
Channel.

 Forward Supplemental Channel (valid for Radio Configurations 3 thro 9) This

channel is used for the transmission of user information to a specific mobile
during a call. This is typically used for high-speed data applications. Each
Forward Traffic Channel may contain up to two Supplemental Channels.

 Power Control Subchannel – This subchannel is typically associated with the

Fundamental Channel, but if the F-FCH is not used for a given call, then it is
associated with the Dedicated Control Channel (F-DCCH).

 All of the CDMA2000 dedicated channels can be established using the

TIA/EIA Paging (F-PCH) and Access (R-ACH) Channels.

Reverse Link Channels:

The CDMA2000 Reverse Link Channels are:

 _ Access Channel (R-ACH)

 _ Reverse Pilot Channel (R-PICH)

 _ Enhanced Access Channel (R-EACH)

 _ Reverse Common Control Channel (R-CCCH)

 _ Reversed Dedicated Control Channel (R-DCCH)

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 _ Reverse Fundamental Channel (R-FCH)

 _ Reverse Supplemental Channel (R-SCH)

 _ Reverse Supplemental Code Channel (R-SCCH)

The Access Channel and Reverse Supplemental Channel are retained for backward
compatibility with TIA/EIA-95A/B. For Radio Configurations 1 and 2, the channel structure
for the Reverse Fundamental Channel and Reverse Supplemental Channel is the same as the
channel structure of Rate Set 1 and Rate Set 2 used in TIA/EIA-95A/B.

Reverse Common and Dedicated Channels

Reverse Link Common Channels are used by multiple mobiles primarily for a brief
exchange of information between a mobile and a Base Station. The Reverse Link Common
Channels are:

 _ Access Channel (R-ACH)

 _ Enhanced Access Channel (R-EACH)

 _ Reverse Common Control Channel (R-CCCH)

Reverse Link Dedicated Channels are assigned to a single mobile for the duration of a
call. The Reverse Link Dedicated Channels include:

 _ Reverse Dedicated Control Channel (R-DCCH)

 _ Reverse Fundamental Channel (R-FCH)

 _ Reverse Supplemental Channel (R-SCH)

 _ Reverse Supplemental Code Channel (R-SCCH)

The Reverse Pilot Channel is used with both Common and Dedicated Channels.

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DATA MULTIPLEXING
CDMA2000 can multiplex data from multiple sources (e.g., signaling, voice, and
data) onto one or more Physical Channels. Data can be multiplexed in one or two
Supplemental Channels.

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TIA/EIA-95 A/B COMPATIBLE ACCESS CHANNEL PROCEDURES
If the mobile monitors the Paging Channel (F-PCH), then its access attempts are made
on the Access Channel (R-ACH). These procedures are identical to TIA/EIA-95 A/B access
procedures.

CDMA2000 ENHANCED ACCESS CHANNEL PROCEDURES

If the mobile monitors the Forward Common Control Channel (F-CCCH) and
Broadcast Control Channel (F-BCCH), then its access attempts are made on the Enhanced
Access Channel (R-EACH) using the CDMA2000 enhanced access procedure.

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