The Future of Mobile Communications

Professor Rolando Carrasco

BSc(Hons), PhD, CEng, FIEE
R.Carrasco@newcastle.ac.uk

School of Electrical, Electro

and Computing Engineerin

Research Project 1
The Capacity and Throughput Improvement of Fixed
Broadband Wireless Access Systems
Dr. Pei Xiao, Research Fellow (three years)
Mr. M. K. Khan BEng, MSc, Research Student (21/2
years)
EPSRC Grant in collaboration with Dr. I. Wassell,
Cambridge University and Cambridge Broadband Ltd
2

VectaStar System Configuration

Standard 4 Sector Base Station

Subscriber Unit
AP beam patterns

23 x 23
antenna

90 x 8
antenna

90
15
120

60
12
9

150

256 x CPE

30

AP

AP

AP

AP

256 x CPE

AP AP
180

AP
256 x CPE

AP
256 x CPE

210

330

240

300
270

3 options for user interfaces

100 BaseT
100 BaseT & E1
100 BaseT & 2x POTS

Copyright Cambridge University

Network Interface

SDH / ATM
Network

Research Project 2
Space-Time Diversity Coding Combined with
Equalisation for MIMO Wireless Channels.
Mr. Cameron B Shaw BEng(Hons), MEng
(PhD Student), 15 months remaining
EPSRC grant in collaboration with Lancaster
University (Professor Honary) and MOD
(Ministry Of Defence)
4

The world of mobile communications

Have you ever heard the phrase the future is

here today? Well, in the case of mobile
communication technologies, this phrase is true.
However, it is not yet fully realized.

Contents
Introduction
Challenges in the Migration to Future
Mobile Systems
2G, 3G and 4G wireless systems
Research Challenges:
Mobile Stations, Systems, Services

Conclusion
6

Introduction (2)
2G Mobile Systems
GSM, IS-95 and CDMA one carry speech and low bit rate data

3G Mobile Systems

Higher data rate

Multi-media systems
GPRS
IMT 2000
Bluetooth
WLAN and HiperLAN
Developing new standards and hardware
7

4G Mobile Systems (2006)

Access, handoff
Location coordination
Resource coordination to add new users
Support for multicasting and Quality of Service
Wireless security and authentication
Network failure and backup
Pricing and billing
8

The world of mobile communications

Out of a world population of 6.32 billion people,
approximately 1.12 billion, or 1 in 6, have a mobile phone
and 71.6% are GSM customers
Total Operator revenues for 2006 have been estimated
to be over $100 billion for Western Europe
China Mobile with over 100 million customers are
connecting 2 million new customers each month
About 2 billion people in the world have yet to make a
phone call and it is likely that when it happens it will be on
a mobile phone rather than a fixed line

What is Wireless Data?

Paging/short messaging
Vehicle tracking and dispatch
Transaction processing
Warehouse inventory
Subscriber information services
Wireless remote access to host
File transfer to/from laptop,J2ME
Wireless Internet access and Video Teleconferencing
Browsing on Laptops, PDAs ,Phones
Messaging,E-mail,SMS,Fax,Voice,Pager
10

Mobile Computing Systems

Future Mobile Systems
Personalised Services providing stable system
performance and Quality of Service (QoS)
Challenges:
Mobile Station
System(Networks)
Service and standards
Mobile VCE (www.mobilevce.com), MIRAI and DocoMo
VCE = Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile and Personal Communication

11

Mobile Computing Systems

Some key features of Future Mobile Systems
High usability:
Anytime, anywhere and with any technology (all-IP
based heterogeneous networks)

Support for Multi-media Services at low

transmission cost
Personalisation(having human characteristics)
Integrated Services
12

Everything is IP

13

Research Challenges
Mobile Station
Multimode user terminals(multi-functional,software upgrades)
Wireless system discovery(searching for wireless system)
Wireless system selection(suitable technology)

System

Terminal Mobility(to locate and update the locations)

Network infrastructure and QoS support
Security, performance and complexity
Fault tolerance and Survivability

Service
Multi-operators and billing system
Personal mobility
New Applications

14

Mobile Stations

Multimode user Terminals: To design a single user terminal that can operate in differen
wireless networks

An ideal software radio system

New coding/interleaving/diversity/equalisation/SISO channel/MIMO channels

Multicarrier, spread spectrum and antenna solutions

Adaptive coding modulation, detection, synchronisation and automatic repeat request
Multimedia protocols, new access,timing control and QoS
New applications
A software radio approach can be used so that the user terminal adapts itself to the wirele
15
interface

Technical Challenges
Low-Power/Low-Cost Implementations
Scarce Radio Spectrum
Radio Channel Characteristics
- Limits on Signal Coverage
- Limits on Data Rates
Efficient Network Architectures and Protocols
Seamless Internetworking
Authentication and Security
16

Radio Environment

Path Loss
Shadow Fading
Multipath
Interference
Infrared Versus Radio
Doppler Spread
17

Link Performance Measures Efficiency

Spectral Efficiency
-

a measure of the data rate per unit bandwidth for a given bit
error
probability and transmitted power

Power Efficiency
-

a measure of the required received power to achieve a given

data rate for a given error probability and bandwidth

Throughput/Delay
18

HOW DO WE OVERCOME THE LIMITATIONS

IMPOSED BY THE RADIO CHANNEL?

Flat Fading Counter measures

- Fade Margin
- Diversity
- Coding and Interleaving
- Adaptive Techniques

Delay Spread Counter measures

- Equalization
- Multicarrier
- Spread Spectrum
- Antenna Solutions

19

EQUALIZER TYPES AND STRUCTURES

20

Turbo Equalisation

AWGN
data

Convolutional outer
code

ISI Channel

I
Estimated data

SISO outer decoder

I-1

SISO Equaliser

Turbo Equaliser

21

MIMO Turbo Equalisation

Data Model: 2-User, 2-Path, 2-Antenna (Example)

Space Domain Sampling

h11(1)
h11(0)
h12(0)

b1(n)

h12(1)

r1(n)

User 1
h21(0)
b2(n)
User 2

h11 (0)
h (1)
b1 (n) 11 b1 (n 1)

h12 (0)
h12 (1)
h ( 0)
h (1)
21 b2 (n) 21 b1 (n 1) n(n)
h22 (0)
h22 (1)

r ( n)
h21(1)
h22(0)

h22(1)

r2(n)

h1 (0).b1 (n) h1 (1).b1 (n 1)

h 2 (0).b2 (n) h 2 (1).b2 (n 1) n(n)

22

Algebraic-Geometric Codes

Algebraic geometry is a powerful tool for constructing codes with good parameters
e.g. Hamming distance, code rate and large code length.

Very long codes can be constructed by choosing curves containing many points.
Reed Solomon codes are constructed from a line, which has less points, and
hence they are much shorter than AG codes

There is almost no limit to the number of AG codes that can be constructed from a
variety of different classes of curve. There are not many Reed Solomon codes.

AG codes perform better than Reed Solomon codes for high code rates over
smaller finite fields and are suitable for application in mobile communications and
storage devices

Further investigation is needed into constructing new codes from different classes
of curves and the development of low complexity decoding algorithms for future
hardware implementation.
23

Algebraic-Geometric Codes
Hermitian curves can be used to construct very long codes:
Example: C(x,y) = x5 + y4 + y, defined over GF(16) gives codes 64 symbols long. A
Reed Solomon code over GF(16) is only 15 symbols long
1.E+00

1.E-01

(64,39)AG, R=0.61
(15,9)RS, R=0.6
Uncoded BPSK

1.E-02

1.E-03
BER

1.E-04

1.E-05

1.E-06

-4

-3

-2

1.E-07
-1 0

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Eb/N0 , dB

24

Construction of LDPC codes for Application with

Broadband Communication Systems
LPDC codes are a class of Block codes that perform very close to
Shannon limit.
Uses efficient encoding and iterative decoding schemes to achieve low
latency .
Highly parallel nature and low complexity of decoding algorithm results
in fast iterative decoding and less complex Hardware architecture.
Better performance using equalisation techniques in dispersive
MIMO/SISO ISI fading channels.
Performance is drastically improved by concatenating with Space time
Codes
Suitable for high data rate applications.

25

SUI-3 LDPC-QPSK With SRK Equalisation

26

Broadband Fixed Wireless Access (BFWA)

systems

Aim of BFWA is to deliver broadband data services to homes and

businesses in a flexible and efficient manner.

Main driver is to provide Internet access for applications such as E-mail,

web-browsing, file downloading and transfer, audio and video services
over Internet.

In BFWA systems, radio signal travels via multipath from transmitter to

receiver antennas. Multipath propagation causes intersymbol interference
and degrade the system performance.

Turbo equalization is a powerful technique to remove the effect of

intersymbol interference.
27

Comparison of different equalisation schemes in BFWA

systems

28

MIMO Channels for BFWA Systems

Use MIMO space-time coding to increase the capacity of
BFWA system.
Signals from different antennas can be separated through
orthogonal design, such as Alamouti algorithm.
When used over frequency selective channels, a channel
equalizer has to be used at the receiver along with the spacetime decoder.
STBC can be applied in conjunction with OFDM which
converts the frequency selective channel into a set of
independent parallel frequency-flat subchannels. The
Alamouti scheme is then applied to each subcarrier.
29

Space-Time Ring Trellis Coded Modulation

g11(x)
r1(x)

Tx1
g21(x)

QPSK
Demodulator

ST-Ring TCM Decoder

State = 0

00
32

33

State = 1

g12(x)

22

g22(x)

Tx2

QPSK
Demodulator

32

21
10

13

r2(x)

20

State = 2

21
10

13
22

20
03 01

12
30

11

23

BER

1.E-02

1.E-03
Indoor (21/3)
Indoor (Delay diversity)
Indoor (212/31)
Pedestrian (21/3)
Pedestrian (Delay diversity)
Pedestrian (212/31)
Vehicular (21/3)
Vehicular (Delay diversity)
Vehicular (212/31)
Indoor (2103/132)
Pedestrian (2103/132)
Vehicular (2103/132)

1.E-04

1.E-05

-3

30
23

11

The uncorrelated fading

channels are used to provide
diversity
Very good results can be
obtained with just 2 tx & 2 rx
antennas.

Higher coding gains achieved and error

floors removed by using higher state
codes.
Higher coding gains are achieved and
error floors removed by using higher state
codes.
Cannot fully recover vehicular channel
data. Equalisation is needed.

1.E-01

-4

12

31

1.E+00

1.E-06
-2 -1 0

22

02

03 01
31

33

33

02
11

State = 3

00

00

10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
SNR (dB)

30

Maximum a-posteriori Turbo Equalisation

Realistic channel models are created to properly test
the mobile communication systems.
Indoor, pedestrian and vehicular scenarios are
simulated based on actual measured results from
urban mobile radio channels.

-10

-20

-30

-40

-50

-60

Over realistic channels (such as the urban mobile

channel) the intersymbol interference produced
needs mitigation to improve performance.
The goal of equalisation is the cancellation of the
Inter-Symbol Interference (ISI), or equivalently the
flattening of the radio channels frequency response
Turbo equalisation combines decoding and
equalisation by converting the channel into a type of
code which can then be iteratively decoded with a
symbol-by-symbol decoder.

recieved
message (

ext

y)

a priori
information
(c t )

10

15

20

25

30

a posteriori
information

MAP
Equaliser

L (c t | y )

extrinsic information

ext

(c t )

extrinsic information

L (c t )
a posteriori
information

+
ext

(c t | y )

ext

(c t | y )

MAP
Decoder

L
a priori
information

31

Mobile Station
Wireless system discovery
GSM
GPRS
Via PC server

CDMA

Via PDA
Scanning

Via smart card

OTA

UMTS

WLAN

Via Memory
card

Available Systems
Way to download Software

To discover available wireless systems by processing the signals sent from different wirele
32
systems (different access protocols)

Mobile Station
Wireless System Selection: Selection of the most suitable technology for
a particular service
We can choose any available wireless device for each particular
communication session (fit to user QoS requirements)
Right network selection can ensure the QoS required by each Session Initiation
Protocol (SIP) messages.
Adequate knowledge of each network is required before a selection is made
Location information of the source mobile nodes, available networks of both
mobile nodes and user preference are all taken into account in the selection
when a mobile node makes a call to another mobile node

33

System
Location Management
Terminal Mobility
Terminal moves between
subnets

The system tracks and locates a

mobile terminal for possible
connection

To locate and update the locations of the terminals in variou

systems
Location Management: Information about the roaming term
such as original and current located cells, authentication
information and QoS
Service Mobility: Keep same service while mobile
34

System
Enhanced Mobile IPv6 Schemes
Figure shows an example of horizontal and vertical handoff
UMTS coverage

GSM coverage
Vertical handoff
Horizontal handoff

WLAN coverage

Main problems: - handover performance

- handover failure due to lack of resources
- authentication of redirection

35

System
Problems

Real-Time Multimedia Services that are highly timesensitive

It is unacceptable if the MIPv6 handoff process
significantly
degrades system performance.

New handoff decision policies and new handoff

algorithms.
The terminal moves from one cell to another (two
different
wireless systems e.g. WLAN and GSM).

36

System
Network Infrastructure and QoS Support

To integrate the existing non-IP-based and IP-based system

Non-IP-based systems (voice delivery) e.g. GSM, CDMA20

and UMTS
IP-based systems (data services) e.g. 802.11 WLAN and
HiperLAN, 802.16/802.20
Problems: Integration, QoS guarantee for end-to-end
time-sensitive (3GPP)
37

System
Security
The heterogeneity of wireless networks complicates the security
issues
2G/3G have been widely studied
The key concern in security designs for 4G networks is flexibility.
The key sizes and encryption and decryption algorithms of
existing schemes are also fixed.
Reconfigurable security mechanisms are needed (Tiny SESAME)
Modifications in existing security schemes may be applicable to
heterogeneous systems
38

Mobile Station GSM Functional Architecture

Radio Subsystem
Points of reference

Base Station Subsystem (BSS)

Network and Switching Subsystem

(NSS)

Operation Subsystem (OSS)

MS

VLR

BTS

AuC

BSC
HLR

MS

BTS

MS

OMC
BSC
MSC

Radio Interface

BTS

Interface to other networks

BTS-BSC Interface

Transition to ISDN, PDN, PSTN

EIR
39

System
Fault Tolerance and Survivability: To minimise the failures and
Their potential impacts in any level of tree-like topology
Reliability, availability and survivability of the network

A cellular wireless access network is typically designed as a tree-like topology

that has several levels (device, cell, switch and network levels)
Problems: Any level fails (hardware/software), all levels below will be affected

Consideration, power consumption, user mobility, QoS management, security

system capacity and link error rates of many different wireless networks.

The first is to use hierarchical cellular network systems

The second is to use collocated or overlapping heterogeneous wireless netwo
40

Services
Multiple Operators and Billing System

More comprehensive billing and accounting systems are needed (different type
services)
Multiple service providers

Operators need to design new business architecture, accounting processes and

accounting data maintenance.
Future Wireless Networks support multimedia communications, which consists
different media components with possibly different charging units

This adds difficulty to the task of designing a good charging scheme for all cust
Scalability, flexibility, stability, accuracy and usability
41

Services
Personal Mobility: different terminals, same address
The movement of users instead of users terminals and involves the provision
personal communication and personalised operating environments
At 10.00am a video message is sent
to Mary. She reads the message using
her PC in her office
At 6.00pm another video
message is sent to Mary.
She reads the message
using her PDA when
driving her car.

At 8.30pm a video message

is sent to Mary again. She
reads the message using
her laptop PC at home

Laptop computer

Pen computer

42

Services
Personal Mobility
Mobile-agent based infrastructure is one widely studied
(Agent Support for Personal Mobility)

Agents act as intermediaries between the user and the

Internet

43

Application
Mobile computing in a Fieldwork Environment
Ecologists, archaeologists, computer scientists
and engineers
Communication and Ad Hoc Networking in the
field, prevent disaster, reduce crime and terrorism
Health and Education
E-Commerce, E-Business, E-Government
Partnership Universities
Entertainment, games, smart home
44

Improving the way we work

The way and means that people use to
communicate is changing
People need the ability to work anywhere,
anytime, anyplace
Best Value, being effective and efficient
Work is an activity not a building or place
45

Conclusions
In this presentation research challenges in the
emigration to future networks are studied and
described
The challenges are grouped into three aspects:
Mobile Station, System and Service
Wireless technologies used to decrease crime
and prevent emergency disasters and terrorism
46

Conclusions
The challenges were identified, such as
multicarrier user terminals, wireless system
discovery, terminal mobility, QoS support and
business opportunities
Mobile communication impact in urban/rural
areas
Project of Innovation for job creation using
wireless technologies
47