Special issue: Advances in 3G Wireless Networks

WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS AND MOBILE COMPUTING Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput. 2002; 2:225– 227 (DOI: 10.1002/wcm.54)

Guest Editorial Special Issue: Advances in 3G Wireless Networks By Ibrahim Habib, Josef F. Huber and Francesco Vatalaro

At the end of 1999, the 3G Partnership Programme (3GPP) completed the first release of UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) specifications, known as 3GPP Rel 99. Since then, several countries have started to introduce what are known as 3rd Generation (3G) wireless networks. This has been a major accomplishment within the framework of the ITU International Telecommunication Union—IMT2000 standardization effort. In May 2001, NTT DoCoMo started in Japan their WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) experimental service. As is well known, WCDMA is one of the two modes of operation of the UMTS. On 4 October 2001, NTT DoCoMo launched commercial services with an initial coverage area in the Tokyo urban area with a 30 km radius. NTT DoCoMo started commercialising the FOMA N2001 and P2101V terminals, the first 3G handsets ‘i-motion-compatible’. In addition, the M-stage visual service allows streamed audio-video entertainment, the real time visual service allows video telephony and with the P2401 data module high speed data communications are possible up to 384 kbps. Download and play of network games is possible with Java. It was further announced that by November 2002 a video-clip distribution service would start: this is the i-motion service that would allow users to download files at 384 kbps directly from the official i-modecompatible portals (FOMA 3rd Generation). Initially 28 content providers are expected to offer 37 different i-motion sites with music, news, and headlines. Then, the offer is expected to expand to include interactive multimedia channels. Having spent more than ¤116 billion overall on 3G licenses, network providers in Europe are running fast to develop their own networks, and most of them could have been ready to deliver to commercial UMTS services soon, if it were not for the delay in handset delivery. The shortage of dual-mode Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

GSM/UMTS handsets is expected to last until the third quarter of 2002. This is therefore the present estimated date for the roll-out of most of the UMTS networks in Europe. In 2003 the UMTS market is expected to take-off. From 3GPP Rel.99 on, the keyword of UMTS is ‘evolution’, and a possible evolution path will include at least two steps: ž 3GPP Rel.04 still with separate transport and signaling control paths, but with unified ‘Media Gateways’ to jointly process circuit switched and packet switched traffic; ž 3GPP Rel.05 with full network integration of transport and control signal, merging into a single IP paradigm. With its evolutionary approach, there are many reasons for expecting a long and steady expansion of the UMTS and, more generally, of 3G systems and services: ž the cost of the licenses and the cost of deployment of 3G networks indicate that, even for incumbent operators who have many more ways than the newcomers to optimise their business plans, the breakeven point for their investments will likely be after some 5–7 years from roll-out of services; ž the continuous trend towards integration of wireless cellular technologies with wired networks and services, as well as with other wireless short range technologies, such as those under the suite of IEEE 802.11, and Bluetooth series of standards; ž the expansion of the IP paradigm towards the wireless world, fuelled by the standardization of IPv6, with its expanded addressing capability, and the development of the mobile IP protocol; ž the user’s desire to rely upon friendly technologies, accompanied by his/her unwillingness accepting changes in habits to run behind the changes

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of technologies, while asking technologies and services ‘to solve real problems’. All the above reasons imply the need for continuous upgrading of networks and services transparently to the user: even profound technological (r)evolutions must be hidden to the user. The most profitable networks and successful operators will be the most flexible and responsive, as competition will be based on the spectrum of delivered services rather than simply on tariffs as mostly was for the 2G era. We can therefore easily expect that a long series of ‘advances in 3G wireless networks’ will set the scene and silently but deeply shape our future. The user will be unaware of most of them so that he/she will perceive service continuity while at the same time enjoying advantages in getting a faster, more ample, more ubiquitous, and more friendly service. This is the main motivation for this special issue which intends to highlight some of the possible technologies being introduced ‘while 3G networks are running’. The special issue hosts five papers. All of them have been selected with the aim of pointing out some of the avenues in 3G that will possibly provide an expanded set of services, increased system capacity, and enlarged coverage. S. S. Soliman and C. E. Wheatley provide the first paper of our special issue, entitled ‘Geolocation technologies and applications for third generation wireless.’ Among the new services that are expected to take off with the introduction of 3G systems are precise location-oriented services. These services are among the main ingredients for the diffusion of electronic commerce in the domain of mobile communications (m-commerce). In their paper the authors first put localization technologies associated to cellular systems in their historical perspective, they then discuss the principles of main geolocation technologies both for 2G and for 3G systems. Some technologies are autonomous, and put different requirements on the network and terminals, while others rely upon usage of the GPS. The authors finally consider a method suitable for cellular base stations synchronization that can improve geolocation accuracy. The second paper by R. Giuliano et al. is entitled ‘Smart cell sectorization for third generation CDMA systems.’ It deals with the development of the intelligent (or ‘smart’) antenna technology for cellular base stations. Smart antennas can steer the beam towards the wanted user and/or null the pattern towards harmful interferers. They can aid to implement the localization function. The main driver to their inclusion Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

in 3G networks is upgrade in system capacity without the need to dramatically increase the number of base stations. This is especially desirable in urban areas where the availability of new cell sites is more and more problematic in some countries. Finally, in the paper a technique is proposed to make sectorization ‘smart’ through rotation and resizing of sectors to adapt them to CDMA traffic conditions. In the third paper by A. Engelhart et al., entitled ‘A survey of multiuser/multisubchannel detection schemes based on recurrent neural networks,’ the authors provide a survey of new detection schemes based upon neural networks. They show that the new techniques provide better performance than conventional approaches. The authors conclude, through comparison of performance evaluation results, that specific types of recurrent neural networks such as RNN/soft are the most promising candidates to outperform classical linear detection schemes. The fourth paper by M. V´azquez-Castro et al. is entitled ‘Channel modeling for satellite and HAPS systems design’. In fact, a standardization effort is going on within regulatory bodies to supplement the IMT-2000 terrestrial component with a satellite component to expand coverage of 3G systems. The paper depicts the state of the art and current trends in the framework of satellite and High Stratospheric Platforms Stations (HAPS) technologies for IMT-2000. Stratospheric platforms can be unmanned aircrafts or helium filled balloons kept ‘almost geostationary’ at an altitude of about 25 km above the earth surface. Most of satellite and HAPS systems will use new architectures and higher frequency bands, so that to evaluate their performance new tools must be developed. The authors concentrate on several physical layer issues whose proper understanding is central to correct system design, such as channel modelling, power control, spatial diversity, and availability. The last paper is co-authored by N. Batsios and F.-N. Pavlidou, and is entitled ‘Uplink–downlink design issues for next generation satellite networks.’ It is concerned with protocols for efficient use of the satellite radio resources. Among the most important protocol design issues, the emphasis of this paper is on the Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol design, as well as in research programmes that led to their development. Then the authors propose an adaptive multiple access scheme as a candidate for next generation satellite systems. The paper is backed with an extensive set of references for further studies on the subject. Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput. 2002; 2:225– 227

EDITORIAL

The Guest Editors wish to acknowledge the efforts of many people who brought this special issue to life: the Editor-in-chief Professor Mohsen Guizani, the authors and reviewers, and last but not least the editorial staff of the Journal. We hope that the papers selected for this special issue provide an interesting excerpt of some of the potential technologies to boost 3G services and to provide continuous growth to their expansion. Ibrahim Habib Department of Electrical Engineering City University of New York USA Josef F. Huber Siemens AG Munich Germany Francesco Vatalaro Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettronica Universit` a di Roma Tor Vergata Italy Editors’ Biographies Ibrahim Habib received the Ph.D. degree from the City University of New York in 1991, the M.Sc. degree from Polytechnic University of New York in 1984 and the B.Sc. degree from Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt, in 1981, all in Electrical Engineering. From 1991 to 1993 and from 1995 to 1998 he held several engineering positions in Egypt working on different computers networking projects. Since 1991 he has been with the Department of Electrical Engineering, City University of New York where he is now an Associate Professor. From 1997 to 2000 he was a part-time member of technical staff at AT&T, Middletown, N.J., working on Quality of Service and performance analysis issues in IP and ATM networks. From 2000 to 2001 he was a parttime scientist at Telcordia Technologies, Redbank, N.J. working on architecture, signalling and control issues of IP over optical networks. His current research interests are in QoS and architecture design of wireless and IP optical networks. He has been a Guest Editor of the IEEE Journal on Selected Areas in Communications twice in 1994 and 1997 as well as Guest Editor of the IEEE Communications magazine twice in 1995 and 1997. He served as a technical editor of the IEEE Communications magazine from 1993 Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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to 1997. He also served as a member of technical program committee and session chairman of many international conferences such as IEEE Globecom, ICC among many others. He is currently on the Editorial Board of Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing. He is listed in the Marquis 2001 Who’s Who in the World and the Marquis 2002 Who’s Who in America. Josef Franz Huber received his Master of Science degree at the Technical University in Vienna/Austria in 1965. He joined the Siemens Central Laboratories in Munich, Germany, for the development of the first Siemens stored program controlled text and data switch. During the early stages of the Internet protocol developments, he was involved in the packet switching developments of products for public data communications networks in the United States and in Europe. Under his responsibility as head of development, a number of x.25 networks were put into service in the US, Europe, Asia and Africa. Later on, his work additionally focussed on broadband Metropolitan Area Networks. His move to the mobile network sector took place in 1990, where he assumed responsibility on GSM data service developments and radio related issues. Mr. J. F. Huber is well-known through his international involvements as Speaker, Panelist and Session Chairman in a number of conferences (ISS, ICCC etc.) and more than 200 technical publications in magazines, books and conference proceedings. Presently, he is Senior Vice President in the Mobile Sector of Siemens AG and Vice Chairman of the UMTS Forum. His further involvement lies in the German industry association BITKOM as the acting Chairman for the mobile industry sector. Francesco Vatalaro received the Dr. Ing. degree in Electronics Engineering from the University of Bologna, Italy. He was with Fondazione Ugo Bordoni, FACE Standard, and Selenia Spazio, Italy. In 1987, he became an Associate Professor of Radio Systems at the University of Roma Tor Vergata, Italy, where he is presently a Professor. In 1998, he was a Visiting Professor at the University of Southern California, and in 2000 a Visiting Professor at UCLA, both in Los Angeles, CA. Since 1985 he has collaborated in and coordinated several projects in telecommunications within national Italian and European programmes. He was a co-winner of the 1990 ‘Piero Fanti’ INTELSAT/Telespazio international prize. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Satellite Communications published by Wiley. He is the Chairman of the IEEE joint Vehicular Technology/Communications Society Italy Chapter, and is a member of several Scientific Committees. He is the author of about 150 scientific papers.

Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput. 2002; 2:225– 227