Development of IP based broadband mobile Data services

from 2010 bis 2020

At the end of the noughties, the triumph of the mobile internet began. This was mainly driven by the smartphone like the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S. The 3G networks were quickly upgraded to HSDPA, which significantly increased data rates. Nevertheless, it was already foreseeable that capacity limits would soon be reached.

It was the ITU again, that defined the specification for a system for fourth generation mobile communications. After IMT 2000, this was now called IMT Advanced.

The developments were driven by the emergence of a new standard, apart from mobile communications standardization e.g. through 3GPP. This was called WiMAX and had the potential to compete with mobile networks as an access medium to the Internet.

IMT Advanced Requirements

The ITU defined the first IMT Advanced requirements in 2008.

Pure IP based packet switched network (no more dedicated channels)
Interoperable with existing standards
100 Mbit/s for moving participants
1 Gbit/s for fixed stations
Dynamic sharing of capacity for many users
Scalable bandwidths 5-20 MHz. Optionally even 40 MHz.
High spectral efficiency (15 bit/s downlink 6.75 bit/s uplink)
QoS (Quality of Service) for multimedia applications (uninterrupted video transmission)

IMT Advanced Technologies

New (recommended) technologies for IMT Advanced are here

OFDM based transmission (replaces CDMA)
Multiple antenna systems (MIMO)
Turbo coding (new improved channel coding)

OFDM has already been discussed under WLAN. Turbo coding was already used in 3.5G systems.

LTE Developments

3GPP quickly developed an OFDM-based standard. The standard was initially called Long Term Evolution because it was supposed to be based on 3G. This development name established itself as the standard name: LTE. It actually didn’t quite meet the requirements of IMT Advanced, especially not the high data rates of 100 Mbit/s. The standard was already ready in 2008 while 3.5 G was still being introduced.
LTE

Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB)

As described, there were two paths for 3G. UMTS and CDMA2000. UMTS migrated to LTE via HSDPA. Standardization was carried out by 3GPP. CDMA2000 also sought an evolution towards true mobile broadband. This happened in parallel with LTE via the standardization of 3GPP2. A backwards compatible standard for CDMA2000 1xRTT DO was developed there. Like WiMAX and LTE, this standard should also be OFDMA based. Qualcomm was of course the driver of this standard and called this system Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB).

Qualcomm even developed a chip for this standard, which they introduced in 2007. In the same year, however, Verizon Wireless, the largest provider of CDMA2000 mobile communications, announced that it would be switching to LTE. Other providers, especially China, also announced their preference for LTE over WiMAX and UMB. Qualcomm therefore completely stopped its development of UMB and focused fully on LTE as the future standard for 4G.