3G Network Convergence

The Road to a unified mobile network Dr. Stanley Chia Director, Strategic Technologies, Group R&D-US

Contents
The OHG Harmonisation Effort and the Global 3G System Proposal MWIF Continued to Drive Network Convergence The Toronto All-IP Harmonization Meeting Putting Words into Actions

Strong Growth in Mobile Industry

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Regional 3G Technology Selection IMT2000 Submissions / OHG Formed

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Ten IMT-2000 Terrestrial 3G System Proposals

TDTDSCDMA SCDMA

CDMACDMA2000 2000

EDGE EDGE

DECT DECT

WCDMA WCDMA

WCDMA WCDMA CDMACDMA2000 2000

WCDMA WCDMA

USA

Europe

Korea China Japan

WCDMA WCDMA

WIMS WIMS

 Giving Rise to Multiple 3G Scenarios

Unified standards are good for consumers, operators & manufacturers

Fragmented Standards
Unnecessary costs to industry Uncertainty by application developers Complexity to consumers

Two to Three Major Standards

Same problem as fragmentation Maximum industry growth not realised Continuation of Standards Wars

Unification of Standards
Eliminates unnecessary industry costs Stimulates value-added services Meets the needs of customers

Two Uncompromisable Factions

Chip Rate: 3.6864 Mcps Common Pilot with Code Division Multiplexing Synchronous Chip Rate: 4.096 Mcps Dedicated Pilot with Time Division Multiplexing Asynchronous

CDMA2000 IMT-2000
A Common Chip Rate Uniform Pilot Structures Asynchronous & Synchronous

WCDMA

 Unwillingly Agreed to a Global Harmonization Framework

Radio Access Family of 3G CDMA Modes FDD DS FDD MC TDD

Flexible connection between Modes and Core Networks based on operator needs

Core Network Family of 3G Systems

Evolved GSM MAP

Evolved ANSI-41

Core Network 3G Inter-Family Roaming

MC = Multicarrier DS = Direct Spread NNI = Network Node Interface F/TDD = Frequency/Time Division Duplex
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Network to Network Interface

 Which Led to the Historical OHG Agreement

IMT-2000
FDD Direct Spread Chip Rate Common Pilot Dedicated Pilot Synchronization
FDD = Frequency Division Duplex TDD = Time Division Duplex CDM = Code Division Multiplexing TDM = Time Division Multiplexing
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FDD Multi-carrier
3.6864 Mcps CDM CDM Synchronous as CDMA2000

TDD

3.84 Mcps CDM TDM Asynchronous/ Synchronous

3.84 Mcps tbd tbd tbd

Strong Growth in Mobile Industry

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Regional 3G Technology Selection

OHG Agreement

IMT2000 Submissions / OHG Formed

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But The Core Network Remained More Problematic

ANSI-41 based Core Network

To ANSI-41CN via CDMA2000 stack

Network to Network Interface

GSM-MAP based Core Network

To GSM-MAP CN via WCDMA stack

MC-Mode MC-Mode Access Access Network Network

To GSM-MAP CN via WCDMA L3 & CDMA2000 stack

DS-Mode DS-Mode Access Access Network Network

To ANSI-41 CN via CDMA2000 L3 & WCDMA stack

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 And the Answer is to Use Hooks and Extensions

GSM MAP
L3 (WCDMA) L3 RRC (WCDMA) L2 (WCDMA) L1 (WCDMA)

ANSI-41
L3 (CDMA2000) Hooks Hooks Hooks Extension Extension Extension

GSM MAP
L3 (WCDMA) Extension Extension Extension Hooks Hooks Hooks

ANSI-41
L3 (CDMA2000) (WCDMA) L3 RRC (cdma2000) L2 (cdma2000) L1 (cdma2000)

Additional functionalities which needed to be specified to meet requirements when hooks are in place

Functionalities specified in the initial release of the standards for future extensions without major protocol change

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The Global 3G System Ideal Had No Real Industry Interests

WCDMA, EDGE cdmaOne

Chip rate = 3.84 Mcps Asynchronous CDM Common Pilot TDM Dedicate Pilot

Direct-Spread Mode

Common TDD Pilot Mode

Chip rate = 3.84 / 1.36 Mcps Other parameters tbd

2G to 3G Interoperation Chip rate = 3.6864 Mcps Synchronous CDM Common Pilot CDM Dedicated Pilot Hooks and extension to be defined to ensure handoff / roaming

Multi-carrier Mode

GSM MAP / ANSI-41

cdmaOne CDMA2000 1X

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Strong Growth in Mobile Industry

Peak of the Internet Boom

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Regional 3G Technology Selection

OHG Agreement MWIF Formed

IMT2000 Submissions / OHG Formed

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MWIF Was Formed in 2002 to Drive the Vision of Convergence

A Mobile Internet Environment With:
Interoperability of services and applications with all radio and other media access

technologies Includes legacy wireless and wire line networks Common radio access protocol Standard open interfaces among core network components Plug and play installation and configuration True customer mobility across all networks Common service and applications development environment Single IP based backhaul network Shared equipment between the Internet and Telecommunications communities Seamless integration of mobile telephony and Internet services and content

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Strong Growth in Mobile Industry

Peak of the Internet Boom

Economy Slow Down

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

Regional 3G Technology Selection

OHG Agreement MWIF Formed

3G License Auctions in Europe OHG Toronto Meeting

IMT2000 Submissions / OHG Formed

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Another Attempt The OHG / MWIF Toronto Meeting

An IP Core Network Harmonization Workshop was held on April 3-4, 2002 in Toronto, Canada. The following conclusions and recommendations were reached:

The harmonization of 3GPP/3GPP2 IP Multimedia Core Networks is a worthwhile and achievable goal. This should be pursued urgently by both PP groups. Focus the harmonization efforts to areas where synergies already exist with priority given to the harmonization of: OSA / PARLAY based service APIs. IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS).

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Adopt a single IMS reference model with consistent terminology. Ensure interoperability between all IMS mobiles. Ensure application level intersystem IMS roaming

 And There Is A Glimpse of Hope

The Meeting agreed that 3GPP and 3GPP2 should: avoid duplication of work align the IMS and service aspects of their respective Reference Models collaborate closely on any requirements to be input into IETF related to SIP extensions and other issues establish formal and informal mechanisms (e.g., joint email exploder) to promote harmonization activities consider routes to joint requirements analysis and joint specification development work together on a common evolution strategy taking into account the vision work in other groups including ITU and IP2 Ad Hoc It was also agreed that: the existing schedules (e.g., 3GPP Release 5) should not be negatively impacted. common mobility management is an item for future consideration. 3GPP2 should utilize 3GPP Release 5 IMS and Parlay 3.1 as the base for their on-going development activities.

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To Put Words into Actions

Vodafone Group and Verizon Wireless have jointly issued an invitation to their strategic suppliers to collaborate on identifying a common core architecture:
-

An architecture towards which each company can evolve its core network. The target networks is to be based on a common standard.

Such a common core network would support:

-

Service transparency. Application portability. Roaming between Vodafone and Verizon Wireless networks.

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 With A Number of Key Objectives

Enable interoperability between CDMA2000 and GSM / WCDMA networks and other wireless technologies. Achieve end-user service and quality of service transparency between CDMA2000 and GSM / WCDMA operators. Share common service applications and service creation capabilities. Enable the deployment of All-IP-based network for voice, data and multimedia services. Adapt a common set of 3GPP / 3GPP2 standards. Assure a coordinated evolution plan from the existing circuit switched and packet data networks to All-IP based networks. Drive standards organization to converge to a single common core network standard.

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An All-IP Common Core Concept

A common core network is considered essential to ensure service transparency between CDMA2000 and GSM/WCDMA operators in the long term Common core network
CDMA2000 RAN
Interface 1 Interface 3 Interface 2

CDMA2000 Terminal - or Multimode Terminal CDMA2000 Radio Interface

UMTS RAN

UMTS Terminal - or Multimode Terminal UMTS Radio Interface

WLAN

WLAN Terminal - or Multimode Terminal 802.11b / a Radio Interface

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 Some Basic Requirements for the Solution

The solution should meet, at least, the following requirements:
-

Transparent and seamless support of current and evolving services and applications when roaming from one market to another Seamless support of SIP based call model and service management Provision to support legacy infrastructure in the respective networks A common service creation platform Evolution path to the target IP based architecture Compatible with existing and future mobiles as well as wireless LAN based radio interfaces Full quality-of-service support for real-time and non-real-time services

IP

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A Potential Evolution Roadmap

The evolution to a common core network may need to go through two key stages: G95 type interoperability and interworking function initially to achieve near term service transparency. Migration to an All-IP platform by the adoption of compatible IP-based core network with capability of supporting multiple radio interfaces.
Gateway A single standard IP-based multimedia domain / subsystem

Near term

Interworking function

Long term

Multiple core and multiple radio interfaces

Single core with multiple radio interfaces

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Key Steps to a Common Core Network

Drive the common core solution through the standards bodies Work with suppliers to come up with a single solution Submit requirements to key infrastructure suppliers to derive solutions Verizon Wireless and Vodafone to agree on common core requirements

One core network Ubiquity Transparent services

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This time like all times is a good one, if we but know what to do with it. -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thank You
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