"Cellular infrastructure vendors are strongly promoting new
network enhancements, such as HSPA+ and LTE, and there is much hype about
these. In our report, we model the realistic capabilities of each
technology, determining whether they will be required or not, in order to
define the optimum network evolution path for mobile operators."
Product overview
3G networks are still relatively new; just 6% of GSM/UMTS subscribers
were on 3G networks at September 2007. In spite of this, the 3GPP standards
body has already planned a series of enhancements to UMTS, which will
increase throughput and capacity, improve coverage and decrease system
delay. These enhancements include HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+ and LTE. Cellular
infrastructure vendors are strongly promoting these enhancements to drive
their sales, but there is uncertainty about what these technologies will
realistically deliver and when, and if, they should be deployed.
3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells
investigates the evolution options for mobile network operators, in order to
identify the realistic timescales and capabilities of 3G enhancements. It
considers how 3G network evolution will be affected by a number of key
developments, including indoor base stations (especially femtocells),
broadcasting networks (such as DVB-H), alternative wireless broadband
technologies (such as WiMAX) and the emergence of network sharing.
3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells
reviews the current state of HSDPA and the services offered by operators,
and then considers each of the key 3G enhancements, quantifying the services
and customer usage profiles that can realistically be supported. The report
models a typical 3G network in order to evaluate the match between service
requirements and network capabilities, considering usage of each service
type and the split of indoor and outdoor use. The report considers the best
choice of 3G evolution path and assesses the broader implications of this
for mobile network operators and equipment vendors.