Chapter Three

Wireless Communication System

Cellular network or mobile network

A cellular network or mobile network is a telecommunications network where the link to and
from end nodes is wireless and the network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served
by at least one fixed-location transceiver (typically three cell sites or base transceiver stations).
These base stations provide the cell with the network coverage which can be used for transmission
of voice, data, and other types of content. A cell typically uses a different set of frequencies from
neighboring cells, to avoid interference and provide guaranteed service quality within each cell.

Cellular networks offer a number of desirable features:

✓ More capacity than a single large transmitter, since the same frequency can be used for
multiple links as long as they are in different cells
✓ Mobile devices use less power than with a single transmitter or satellite since the cell
towers are closer
✓ Larger coverage area than a single terrestrial transmitter, since additional cell towers can
be added indefinitely and are not limited by the horizon
✓ Capability of utilizing higher frequency signals (and thus more available bandwidth / faster
data rates) that are not able to propagate at long distances
✓ With data compression and multiplexing, several video (including digital video) and audio
channels may travel through a higher frequency signal on a single wideband carrier
Evolution of mobile telephone system
The traditional telephone system, even if it someday gets multi gigabit end-to-end fibre, will still
not be able to satisfy a growing group of users. People now expect to make phone calls and to use
their phones to check email and surf the Web from airplanes, cars, swimming pools, and while
jogging in the park.
The mobile phone system is used for wide area voice and data communication. Mobile phones
(sometimes called cell phones) have gone through three distinct generations, widely called 1G,
2G, and 3G. The generations are:
✓ Analog voice.

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 ✓ Digital voice.

✓ Digital voice and data (Internet, email, etc.).

The first mobile system was devised in the U.S. by AT&T. the entire U.S. had a single (analog)
system and a mobile phone purchased in California also worked in New York. In contrast, when
mobile phones came to Europe, every country devised its own system, which resulted in a fiasco.
Europe learned from its mistake and when digital came around, the government- run PTTs got
together and standardized on a single system (GSM), so any European mobile phone will work
anywhere in Europe

First-Generation (1G) Mobile Phones: Analog Voice

Mobile radiotelephones were used sporadically for maritime and military communication during
the early decades of the 20th century. In 1946, the first system for car-based telephones was set up
in St. Louis. This system used a single large transmitter on top of a tall building and had a single
channel, used for both sending and receiving. To talk, the user had to push a button that enabled
the transmitter and disabled the receiver. Such systems, known as push-to-talk systems, were
installed in several cities beginning in the late 1950s. CB radio, taxis, and police cars often use this
technology. In the 1960s, IMTS (Improved Mobile Telephone System) was installed. It, too,
used a high-powered (200-watt) transmitter on top of a hill but it had two frequencies, one for
sending and one for receiving. Due to the small number of channels, users often had to wait a long
time before getting a dial tone. Also, due to the large power of the hilltop transmitters, adjacent
systems had to be several hundred kilometres apart to avoid interference.
Advanced Mobile Phone System
All that changed with AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System), invented by Bell Labs and first
installed in the United States in 1982. It was also used in England, where it was called TACS, and
in Japan, where it was called MCS-L1. AMPS was formally retired in 2008.
In all mobile phone systems, a geographic region is divided up into cells, which is why the devices
are sometimes called cell phones. In AMPS, the cells are typically 10 to 20 km across.
Each cell uses some set of frequencies not used by any of its neighbors. The key idea that gives
cellular systems far more capacity than previous systems is the use of relatively small cells and the
reuse of transmission frequencies in nearby (but not adjacent) cells. Smaller cells mean that less
power is needed, which leads to smaller and cheaper transmitters and handsets. The cells are

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normally roughly circular, but they are easier to model as hexagons. They are grouped in units of
seven cells. Each letter indicates a group of frequencies. Notice that for each frequency set, there
is a buffer about two cells wide where that frequency is not reused, providing for good separation
and low interference.

At the center of each cell is a base station to which all the telephones in the cell transmit. The base
station consists of a computer and transmitter/receiver connected to an antenna. In a small system,
all the base stations are connected to a single device calledan MSC (Mobile Switching Center)
or MTSO (Mobile Telephone Switching Office).

In a larger one, several MSCs may be needed, all of which are connected to a second-level MSC,
and so on. The MSCs are essentially end offices as in the telephone system, and are in fact
connected to at least one telephone system end office.

Features:

▪ Analog technology.
▪ Maximum speed 2.4kbps.
▪ Nordic Mobile Telephone System (NMTS).
▪ Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS).

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 ▪ Total Access Communication System (TACS).
▪ Only voice service.
▪ 800 & 900 MHz frequency.
▪ 10 MHz bandwidth.
▪ Frequency modulation.
▪ Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA) technique.
Limitations:
▪ Ordinary battery life.
▪ Due to interference, voice quality is poor.
▪ The number of cell coverage and limited users.
▪ Between similar systems, roaming was not possible.
▪ Flawed security system.
▪ Not convenient to carry as it was significant in size.
Second-Generation (2G) Mobile Phones: Digital Voice
The first generation of mobile phones was analog; the second generation is digital. Switching to
digital has several advantages. It provides capacity gains by allowing voice signals to be digitized
and compressed. It improves security by allowing voice and control signals to be encrypted.
Several different systems were developed, and three have been widely deployed. DAMPS (Digital
Advanced Mobile Phone System) is a digital version of AMPS that coexists with AMPS and uses
TDM to place multiple calls on the same frequency channel.
GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) has emerged as the dominant system, and
while it was slow to catch on in the U.S. it is now used virtually everywhere in the world. GSM is
based on a mix of FDM and TDM. CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), described in
International Standard IS-95, is a completely different kind of system and is based on neither
FDM mor TDM. While CDMA has not become the dominant 2G system, its technology has
become the basis for 3G systems.
Also, the name PCS (Personal Communications Services) is sometimes used in the marketing
literature to indicate a second-generation (i.e., digital) system.
GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications)
GSM started life in the 1980s as an effort to produce a single European 2G standard. The task was
assigned to a telecommunications group called (in French) Groupe Speciale´ Mobile. The first

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GSM systems were deployed starting in 1991 and were a quick success. It soon became clear that
GSM was going to be more than a European success, with uptake stretching to countries as far
away as Australia, so GSM was renamed to have a more worldwide appeal.

Figure shows that the GSM architecture is similar to the AMPS architecture, though the
components have different names. The mobile itself is now divided into the handset and a
removable chip with subscriber and account information called a SIM card, short for Subscriber
Identity Module. It is the SIM card that activates the handset and contains secrets that let the
mobile and the network identify each other and encrypt conversations. A SIM card can be removed
and plugged into a different handset to turn that handset into your mobile as far as the network is
concerned. The cell base stations are each connected to a BSC (Base Station Controller) that
controls the radio resources of cells and handles handoff. The BSC in turn is connected to an MSC
(as in AMPS) that routes calls and connects to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
To be able to route calls, the MSC needs to know where mobiles can currently be found. It
maintains a database of nearby mobiles that are associated with the cells it manages. This database
is called the VLR (Visitor Location Register). There is also a database in the mobile network
that gives the last known location of each mobile. It is called the HLR (Home Location Register).
This database is used to route incoming calls to the right locations.

GSM runs on a range of frequencies worldwide, including 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz More
spectrums is allocated than for AMPS in order to support a much larger number of users.
GSM is a frequency division duplex cellular system, like AMPS. That is, each mobile transmits
on one frequency and receives on another, higher frequency (55 MHz higher for GSM versus 80
MHz higher for AMPS). However, unlike with AMPS, with GSM a single frequency pair is split
by time-division multiplexing into time slots. In this way it is shared by multiple mobiles.
Finally, GSM differs from AMPS in how handoff is handled. In AMPS, the MSC manages it
completely without help from the mobile devices. With time slots in GSM, the mobile is neither

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sending nor receiving most of the time. The idle slots are an opportunity for the mobile to measure
signal quality to other nearby base stations. It does so and sends this information to the BSC. The
BSC can use it to determine when a mobile is leaving one cell and entering another so it can
perform the handoff.
Features:
▪ Digital technology.
▪ Small data services like SMS and MMS (Multimedia Message System).
▪ Roaming was possible.
▪ First internet system with poor data rate.
▪ Better voice call.
▪ Conference calls are allowed.
▪ Comparatively enhanced security.
▪ Data speed up to 64 Kbps.
▪ 30 to 200 kHz bandwidth.
Limitations:
▪ Restricted mobility.
▪ Data rate low.
▪ Fewer features.
▪ Less hardware capability.
▪ User numbers are limited.
Third-Generation (3G) Mobile Phones: Digital Voice and Data
The first generation of mobile phones was analog voice, and the second generation was digital
voice. The third generation of mobile phones, or 3G as it is called, is all about digital voice and
data. A number of factors are driving the industry. First, data traffic already exceeds voice traffic
on the fixed network and is growing exponentially, whereas voice traffic is essentially flat. Many
industry experts expect data traffic to dominate voice on mobile devices as well soon. Second, the
telephone, entertainment, and computer industries have all gone digital and are rapidly converging.
Many people are drooling over lightweight, portable devices that act as a telephone, music and
video player, email terminal, Web interface, gaming machine, and more, all with worldwide
wireless connectivity to the Internet at high bandwidth. Apple’s iPhone is a good example of this
kind of 3G device. With it, people get hooked on wireless data services, and AT&T wireless data

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volumes are rising steeply with the popularity of iPhones. The trouble is, the iPhone uses a 2.5G
network (an enhanced 2G network, but not a true 3G network) and there is not enough data capacity
to keep users happy. 3G mobile telephony is all about providing enough wireless bandwidth to
keep these future users happy.
ITU tried to get a bit more specific about this vision starting back around 1992. It issued a blueprint
for getting there called IMT-2000, where IMT stood for International Mobile
Telecommunications. The basic services that the IMT-2000 network was supposed to
provide to its users are:
1. High-quality voice transmission.
2. Messaging (replacing email, fax, SMS, chat, etc.).
3. Multimedia (playing music, viewing videos, films, television, etc.).
4. Internet access (Web surfing, including pages with audio and video).
Additional services might be video conferencing, group game playing, and m-commerce (waving
your telephone at the cashier to pay in a store). Furthermore, all these services are supposed to be
available worldwide.
Several IMT proposals were made and, after some winnowing, it came down to two main ones.
The first one, WCDMA (Wideband CDMA), was proposed by Ericsson and was pushed by the
European Union, which called it UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). The
other contender was CDMA2000, proposed by Qualcomm.
Both of these systems are more similar than different in that they are based on broadband CDMA;
WCDMA uses 5-MHz channels and CDMA2000 uses 1.25- MHz channels.
The trouble is that the real problem is not engineering, but politics (as usual). Europe wanted a
system that interworked with GSM, whereas the U.S. wanted a system that was compatible with
one already widely deployed in the U.S. (IS-95). Each side also supported its local company
(Ericsson is based in Sweden; Qualcomm is in California). Finally, Ericsson and Qualcomm were
involved in numerous lawsuits over their respective CDMA patents. In North America and Europe,
around a third of mobile subscribers are 3G. Japan was an early adopter and now nearly all mobile
phones in Japan are 3G.
UMTS
UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service. It’s the group of radio
technologies associated with third-generation (3G) cellular networks. Compared to its

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predecessors like GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications), UMTS offers greater
bandwidth, more efficient use of the radio spectrum, and more advanced cellular capabilities.
UMTS has essentially become synonymous with 3G. Since UMTS uses Code Division Multiple
Access (CDMA) technologies but has wider bandwidth than other CDMA-based systems (like
CDMA2000), it’s also sometimes referred to as wideband CDMA or W-CDMA.
UMTS introduced new cellular capabilities like video calling and mobile television. But more
importantly, it allows for much higher data transfer rates and uses less power to upload or
download data than the older GSM technology.
This increased data transfer rate made UMTS attractive for high-speed Internet connections, but
UMTS also uses 50 percent more power than GSM in idle mode, so IoT manufacturers need to
consider the potential impact on battery life, too.
How Does UMTS Work?
A mobile network of the UMTS can be divided into three major parts – user equipment, the access
network, and the core network. These parts are linked and work together to transfer data through
the UMTS mobile network.
1. The user equipment
The user equipment is divided into the mobile station, which is the device itself, and the SIM card,
which describes the U-SIM or universal subscriber identity module. The mobile station cannot
transmit signals without the U-SIM. The U-SIM performs three main functions, which include:
• Holding of a subscriber’s identity
• Performing authentication algorithms
• Storing authentication and encryption keys
2. The access network
The access network consists of towers to which the mobile station connects. These towers are
known as Node B, intermediates between the mobile station and the rest of the mobile network.
There can be one or more Node Bs depending on the size of the network.
3. The core network
This is the backbone network. It consists of a circuit-switched (CS) domain and a packet-switched
(PS) domain. The circuit-switched domain is part of the network responsible for voice calls, while
the packet-switched domain is responsible for carrying the packet data. The packet-switched

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domain takes care of the internet services. The CS and PS domains consist of various databases
that hold information necessary for running the system.
Features:
▪ High data rates with low cost.
▪ Email.
▪ Web browsing.
▪ Video downloading.
▪ Picture sharing.
▪ Better voice call.
▪ 15 to 20 MHz bandwidth.
▪ Speed 2 Mbps.
▪ Much better security system than 1G & 2G.
▪ Support fire alarms.
▪ Support mobile app.
▪ TV streaming.
▪ 3D quality was high.
▪ Support multimedia messages.
▪ Location tracking.
▪ Map location.
Limitations:
▪ Mobile devices were costly.
▪ Spectrum licenses are expensive.
▪ To support a higher data rate requires higher bandwidth.
Fourth-Generation (4G)

4G is known as the fourth Generation of Mobile Communication or wireless communication

technology, which is the successor of the 3G network. It provides high data transmission speed
and is suitable for HD video calling, fast downloads and uploads, live streaming, online gaming,
etc. A 4G system must follow to the capabilities and features specified by the ITU(International
Telecommunication Union) including transmission technology and data speed. 4G network
provides up to 100 Mbps speed to users, far higher than a 3G network.

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4G enables users to stream high-definition audio and videos without interruption due to its high
speed. It also facilitates wireless broadband that allows users to access the internet without any
need for fixed wire.

Features of 4G Mobile Network

• It aims to provide high data transmission speed without interruption at any location.

• As per ITU standards, a 4G network system must have the highest data rates of 100Mbs.

• It is very well-suitable for the transmission of voice, data, signals, multimedia, wireless
internet, and other broadband services.

• It provides high speed at a low cost.

• Global mobility, service portability, and scalable mobile networks.

• It provides a better way for scheduling and calling admission control techniques

Categories of 4G: A 4G network is categorized into two categories:

LTE: LTE stands for Long-Term evolution, a standard for high-speed wireless communication
commonly used in 4G connections.

LTE data is transmitted with faster speed and lower latency. The connectivity for the LTE network
is available universally around the world for both customers.

Worldwide Interoperability for Microwaves Access(WiMAX) is a type or representative of 4G

wireless internet. It is similar to WIFI, which enables the user to access the internet without the
need for wires.

However, it is a bit different from WIFI, as unlike WIFI (which covers a building or city), it can
cover vast distances such as cell phone networks with high-speed internet access similar to
broadband.

How does a 4G Network work?

At a basic level, a 4G mobile connection transmits the signal via an antenna over radio frequencies,
which allows mobile devices to connect to mobile networks.

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The 4G capabilities for transmitting and receiving the signal are based on Multiple Input and
Multiple Output (MIMO) and Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)
technologies. Due to these technologies, 4G offers high capacity and bandwidth comparison to 3G.

MIMO technology reduces network blocking as compared to 3G, and hence services can be served
to more users without network congestion.

4G network supports all IP standards for both voice and data transmission. 4G is more efficient
for mobile network providers to operate and optimize than managing different network
technologies for voice and data because of the all-IP network.

Features:

▪ High data speed.

▪ The maximum speed is 100 Mbps, which is 1 Gbps.
▪ Improved security.
▪ Voice calls service at low cost.
▪ Multimedia message service.
▪ Worldwide web access.
▪ IP telephony.
▪ Gaming service.
▪ High-definition mobile TV.
▪ Video conferencing.
▪ 3D TV connection without buffering.
▪ Frequency 1800 MHz.
▪ Global and scalable mobile networks.
▪ Ad hoc and multi-hop networks.
▪ High capacity and low bit per bit.
Limitations:
▪ Expensive infrastructure.
▪ Expensive hardware.
▪ Expensive spectrum.
▪ A comprehensive upgrade is time-consuming.
Fifth-Generation (5G)

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In telecom 5G is the fifth-generation technology standard for broadband cellular networks,
which cellular phone companies began deploying worldwide in 2019, and is the planned successor
to the 4G networks which provide connectivity to most current cell phones.

Like its predecessors, 5G networks are cellular networks, in which the service area is divided into
small geographical areas called cells. All 5G wireless devices in a cell are connected to
the Internet and telephone network by radio waves through a local antenna in the cell.

The new networks have higher download speeds, eventually up to 10 gigabits per
second (Gbit/s). In addition to 5G being faster than existing networks, 5G has higher bandwidth
and can thus connect more different devices, improving the quality of Internet services in crowded
areas. Due to the increased bandwidth, it is expected the networks will increasingly be used as
general internet service providers (ISPs) for laptops and desktop computers, competing with
existing ISPs such as cable internet, and also will make possible new applications in internet-of-
things (IoT) and machine-to-machine areas. Cell phones with 4G capability alone are not able to
use the 5G networks.

5G enables a new kind of network that is designed to connect virtually everyone and everything
together including machines, objects, and devices. 5G wireless technology is meant to deliver
higher multi-Gbps data speeds, ultra-low latency, more reliability, massive network capacity,
increased availability, and more uniform user experience to more users. Higher performance and
improved efficiency empower new user experiences and connect new industries.

5G operates in the same way but uses higher radio frequencies that are less cluttered. This allows
for it to carry more information at a much faster rate. These higher bands are called ’millimeter
waves’ (mm waves). They were previously unused but have been opened up for licensing by
regulators. They had been largely untouched by the public as the equipment to use them was
largely inaccessible and expensive.

While higher bands are faster at carrying information, there can be problems with sending over
large distances. They are easily blocked by physical objects such as trees and buildings. In order
to circumvent this challenge, 5G will utilize multiple input and output antennae to boost signals
and capacity across the wireless network.

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Like 4G LTE, 5G is also OFDM-based (Orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing) and will
operate based on the same mobile networking principles. However, the new 5G NR (New Radio)
air interface will further enhance OFDM to deliver a much higher degree of flexibility and
scalability. 5G will not only deliver faster, better mobile broadband services compared to 4G LTE,
but it will also expand into new service areas, such as mission-critical communications and
connecting the massive IoT.

Features:

• Deliver ultra-fast data.

• Low latency in milliseconds.
• Reliability of the network.
• Better quality of almost all services.
• Higher security.
• Try to fulfill customer demands.
• Higher connection density.
• Better battery consumption.
• Improved wireless coverage.
• Higher download speed up to 10 Gbps.
• 24 to 47 GHz frequency.
• GPS tracking.
• Multimedia message experience for customers.
• Supercharged system.
• Support massive data rate for the internet of things.
• Cost deduction for data.
• Small cell technologies use.

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