Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Terms

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 15 Nov 2002 18:35:21 -0500

http://www.wirelessroadmap.com/2002/other/glossary.htm

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Glossary of
Wireless Terminology

The technologies referred to in our reports can be
confusing even to those within the wireless industry. Below you will find a
short description of each technology discussed and its relationship, if any, to
the others.

1G (First Generation)

The first generation of cellular wireless (1G) was based
on analog technology. The systems were designed only to carry voice technology.

2G (Second Generation)

Second-generation (2G) technology converts voice to
digital data for transmission over the air and then back to voice. Most 2G
systems provide 9.6–14.4-Kbps circuit-switched data service.

2.5G

2.5G refers to technology
that is added to a 2G network to provide packet-data service. In practice, 2.5G
is synonymous with the GPRS technology that has been added to GSM networks.

3G (Third Generation)

Third-generation (3G) systems have been designed for both
voice and data. By International Telecommunications Union (ITU) definition, 3G
systems must provide a minimum of 144-Kbps packet-data service.

AMPS, Analog

Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) has been available
since 1976 when it was first used on a trial basis in the U.S. and then
commercialized in the early 1980s. With AMPS, each channel can handle a single
voice call. In order to add more capacity to an AMPS cellular system, more
channels per cell site or more cell sites must be added.

ANSI-41

ANSI-41 is a protocol standardized by the
Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the American National
Standards Institute (ANSI) for enabling cdmaOne, cdma2000 and TDMA subscribers
to roam between different wireless service operators’ systems to make and
receive voice calls.

ANSI-136

ANSI-136 is called TDMA in the Americas. See TDMA
Standards, D-AMPS.

Carrier

A wireless network operator is often referred to as a
carrier. Carrier is also a technical radio term for the radio wave that carries
voice or data.

CDMA Technologies

Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) is a spread-spectrum
technology that spreads multiple conversations across a wide segment of the
spectrum as opposed to splitting a channel into time slots. With CDMA, unique
digital codes are used to differentiate subscribers that are simultaneously
using the same spectrum.

CdmaOne

The original CDMA as first
deployed by Qualcomm is the technology that is in use today in all CDMA networks
that have not been upgraded to cdma2000. CdmaOne is 10–12 times more efficient
than analog and 4–5 times more efficient than GSM.[1]
CDMA makes use of 1.25-MHz radio channels. In U.S. cellular systems, 30-KHz
channels are aggregated to provide 1.25-MHz channels.

Cdma2000 1x

Cdma2000 1x, the next
generation of CDMA, supports between 1.5 and 2 times the number of voice
channels as a standard CDMA system as well as 144-Kbps packet-data services.
Cdma2000 1x is 21 times more efficient than analog cellular and 4 times more
efficient than TDMA networks. (Cdma2000 1x data speeds will increase from 144
Kbps to 288 Kbps by the end of 2002.)

Cdma2000 1x EV-DO

This is the next EVolution of
cdma2000. “DO” indicates Data-Only and this system is capable of data speeds of
up to 2.4 Mbps. This upgrade to cdma2000 requires a second 1.25-MHz channel that
is used exclusively for data. Most cdma2000 network operators are expected to
combine 1x and 1x EV-DO channels in their systems to provide varying voice and
data capacities as required by customer demand.

Cdma2000 1x EV-DV

This standard is under
development. Motorola has been leading the standards effort. The technology is
being specified to provide data-rate speeds of 1.2 Mbps for mobile users, with
peak data speeds up to 5.2 Mbps for stationary users. This standard will also
support voice in addition to data.

Cdma2000 3x

The 3x designation was
created because some countries specify that new 3G technologies must use at
least 5 MHz of spectrum. Cdma2000 3x combines 3 cdma2000 1x carriers to be used
within 5 MHz of wireless spectrum.

FOMA

Freedom Of Mobile multimedia
Access (FOMA) is the name of NTT DoCoMo’s WCDMA service. FOMA is a modified
version of UMTS Release 99 with an initial data rate of 64 Kbps. It is expected
that NTT DoCoMo will transition to the final release of UMTS in 2003 or later.

UMTS

Universal Mobile
Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a part of the International
Telecommunications Union’s IMT-2000 vision of a global family of
third-generation (3G) mobile communications systems. This version of 3G is a
WCDMA technology being developed primarily by Europe’s GSM community. UMTS is
the planned 3G technology for GSM networks worldwide.

WCDMA

Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) is a
version of CDMA that uses 10 MHz of wireless spectrum: a 5-MHz uplink from the
mobile terminal and a 5-MHz downlink to the mobile terminal. The version of
WCDMA used by NTT DoCoMo in Japan is called FOMA or J-WCDMA; the European
version is referred to as UMTS or E-WCDMA.

CDPD

Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) is an add-on
technology that enables first-generation analog systems to provide packet data.
CDPD is an IP network that runs at 19.2 Kbps with throughputs typically less
than 10 Kbps. CDPD has been implemented in the U.S. by AT&T Wireless and Verizon
Wireless.

Channel

A channel is the amount of wireless spectrum occupied by
a specific technology implementation. For cellular, there is a transmit side and
a receive side. For example, a 5-MHz channel uses 5 MHz to transmit and 5 MHz to
receive for a total of 10 MHz of wireless spectrum.

EDGE

Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) is a
technology being promoted by the TDMA and GSM communities that is capable of
both voice and 3G data rates. EDGE is being considered by AT&T
Wireless and Cingular Wireless as a 3G solution. EDGE is still in the lab and
field trials have not confirmed its capabilities.

Erlang

An Erlang is a unit of telephone voice use that specifies
the total capacity or average use of a telephone system. One Erlang is
equivalent to the continuous usage of a telephone line.

GAIT

GSM ANSI-136 Interoperability Team (GAIT) is a technology
that enables GSM and TDMA networks to interoperate. Special handsets must be
manufactured (often called “GAIT phones”) and used in conjunction with GAIT
networking. Currently there are no GAIT handsets, nor are there any GAIT
networks in operation.

I-mode

I-mode is a technical specification and business model
developed by Japan’s NTT DoCoMo for delivery of Web-type content to wireless
handsets.

IP

Internet Protocol (IP) is the network layer for the
TCP/IP protocol suite that is the basis of the Internet. IP is also widely used
on Ethernet networks.

ITU

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU),
headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland is an international organization within
which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and
services.

MAP

Mobile Application Part (MAP) is a standard of the
European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) for enabling GSM
subscribers that roam between different wireless service operators’ networks to
make and receive voice calls.

MVNO

A Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) functions as a
wireless service operator in the marketplace though it does not own an actual
wireless network. Examples of MVNOs are Virgin Mobile, Energis and Tesco in the
UK.

Host Network Operator (HNO) is a related term. The HNO is
the actual owner and operator of the wireless network, which includes the towers
and all of the switching equipment.

PCS

Personal Communications Services (PCS) was a name given
by the FCC to a new set of wireless services and spectrum allocated in the
1990s. Today, in popular use, it refers to the 1900-MHz cellular frequency band.

POPs

In wireless parlance, the number of wireless POPs refer
to the total population covered by a wireless service operator’s license.

SMS

Short Messaging Service (SMS) is available on many 2G and
all 3G wireless networks. With SMS, subscribers can send short text messages
(usually about 160 characters) to and from wireless handsets. Enhancements are
being made to support rich text and graphics.

SS7

Signaling System 7 (SS7) is the protocol used in the
public switched telephone system for setting up calls and providing services
such as 800 numbers, call forwarding, caller ID and local number portability.

TDMA Standards

Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) is a family of
technologies. GSM, TDMA, iDEN, PDC and PHS are all based on dividing a radio
channel into time slots. Each time slot can handle one call. These technologies
differ in radio channel sizes and the number of time slots.

D-AMPS

Referred to as TDMA, D-AMPS
is used by wireless network operators in North and South America. TDMA occupies
the same amount of spectrum per analog channel (30 KHz) and is used in place of
an analog channel to increase the number of calls to 4 or 5 per channel
depending upon the implementation. Also called ANSI-136.

GSM

Global System for Mobility
(GSM) is a TDMA digital technology deployed first in Europe. Today 65-70% of all
wireless voice networks use GSM technology. GSM is less efficient than TDMA
since it requires a 200-KHz channel, and its capacity is 3 to 4 times that of
analog service

GPRS

GSM Packet Radio Service or
General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is an upgrade to a GSM network that adds
packet data to the voice network. GPRS uses the same time slots as voice calls
and each time slot is capable of approximately 9.6 Kbps of data throughput. A
GPRS network that offers 28.8 Kbps down to the phone and 9.6 Kbps from the phone
back to the network is using three time slots down and one up. GPRS network
operators and vendors tend to add the two speeds together when discussing data
speeds. This example would be called a system with 38-Kbps data capability.

iDEN

iDEN is a Motorola
proprietary version of TDMA with a unique “push-to-talk” two-way radio
capability. Nextel Communications is the largest iDEN operator in the U.S.

PDC

Personal Digital Cellular
(PDC) is a version of TDMA technology used exclusively in Japan.

PHS

Personal HandyFone System
(PHS) is also a Japan-only TDMA technology. Originally, the difference between
PDC and PHS systems was that PDC was true cellular while PHS provided voice and
data access but did not support moving from one cell to another. PHS became the
favorite wireless technology for teenagers because of its low cost. Several
years ago, groups of teens could be seen standing on street corners under PHS
cells talking on their PHS phones.

WAP

The Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a set of
standards that enables a wireless device to browse content from specially-coded
Web pages. The WAP 2.0 specification integrates capabilities of the rival i-mode
standard.

Wireless Operator

“Wireless operator” is a general term that refers to
either a wireless network operator or a wireless service operator. The wireless
network operator, also called a “carrier,” maintains the radio towers and
infrastructure for a cellular system. Wireless service operators sell wireless
service to subscribers and contract with wireless network operators to provide
their service. Outside of Europe, the wireless network operator and wireless
service operator functions are combined within one company that is referred to
as the “carrier” or wireless operator.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi stands for “Wireless Fidelity” and is
a logo provided by the Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Association (WECA) for
the 802.11b wireless Ethernet standard. Compatible PC cards and base stations
can use the Wi-Fi logo. It is a mark of compatibility

[1] Global Wireless Standards,
Telecommunications Industry Association

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