UNIT II

3G – THIRD GENERATION NETWORKS

IMT-2000

CDMA-2000
 ARCHITECTURE OF UMTS
Functional network elements
 User Equipment (UE)
 interfaces with user and radio interface
 Radio Access Network (RAN, UMTS Terrestrial RAN = UTRAN)
 handles all radio-related functionality
 Core Network
 switches and routes calls and data connections to external networks

 PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)

 operated by a single operator

 distinguished from each other with unique identities

 operational either on their own or together with other sub-networks

 connected to other PLMNs as well as to other types of network, such as ISDN,

PSTN, the Internet, etc.
  UE consists of two parts
 Mobile Equipment (ME)
 the radio terminal used for radio communication over Uu interface
 UMTS Subscriber Identity Module (USIM)
 a smartcard that holds the subscriber identity
 performs authentication algorithms
 stores authentication and encryption keys
 some subscription information that is needed at the terminal
 UTRAN consists of two elements
 Node B
 converts data flow between Iub and Uu interfaces
 participates in radio resource management
 Radio Network Controller (RNC)
 owns and controls radio resources in its domain
 the service access point (SAP) for all services that UTRAN provides the
CN
 e.g., management of connections to UE
 Main elements of CN
 HLR (Home Location Register)
 MSC/VLR (Mobile Services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register)
 GMSC (Gateway MSC)
 SGSN (Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node)
 GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node)
HLR (Home Location Register)
  a database located in user’s home system that stores the master copy of user’s
service profile
 service profile consists of, e.g.,
 information on allowed services, forbidden roaming areas
 supplementary service information such as status of call forwarding and
the call forwarding number
 it is created when a new user subscribes to the system, and remains stored as long
as the subscription is active
 for the purpose of routing incoming transactions to UE (e.g. calls or short
messages)
HLR also stores the UE location on the level of (MSC/VLR and/or SGSN) MSC/VLR (Mobile
Services Switching Centre/Visitor Location Register)
◦ the switch (MSC) and database (VLR) that serve the UE in its current location for
Circuit Switched (CS) services
◦ the part of the network that is accessed via MSC/VLR is often referred to as CS
domain
 MSCused to switch CS transactions
◦ VLR
 holds a copy of the visiting user’s service profile, as well as more precise
information on the UE’s location within the serving system
GMSC (Gateway MSC)
 the switch at the point where UMTS PLMN is connected to external CS networks
 all incoming and outgoing CS connections go through GMSC
SGSN (Serving GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) Support Node)
 functionality is similar to that of MSC/VLR but is typically used for Packet
Switched (PS) services
 the part of the network that is accessed via SGSN is often referred to as PS
domain
GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node)
 functionality is close to that of GMSC but is in relation to PS services
 External networks can be divided into two groups
 CS networks
 provide circuit-switched connections, like the existing telephony service
  ISDN and PSTN are examples of CS networks
 PS networks
 provide connections for packet data services
 Internet is one example of a PS network

UTRAN ARCHITECTURE
Radio Network Controller
Node B (Base Station)

UTRAN
 consists of one or more Radio Network Sub-systems (RNS)
RNS
 a subnetwork within UTRAN
 consists of one Radio Network Controller (RNC) and one or more Node Bs
RNCs
o may be connected to each other via Iur interface
o RNCs and Node Bs are connected with Iub interface
 Main characteristics of UTRAN
o support of UTRA and all related functionality
 support soft handover and WCDMA-specific Radio Resource
Management algorithms
o use of ATM transport as the main transport mechanism in UTRAN
o use of IP-based transport as the alternative transport mechanism in UTRAN from
Release 5 onwards.
  RNC (Radio Network Controller)
o the network element responsible for radio resources control of UTRAN
o it interfaces CN (normally to one MSC and one SGSN)
o terminates RRC (Radio Resource Control) protocol that defines the messages and
procedures between mobile and UTRAN
o it logically corresponds to the GSM BSC

LOGICAL ROLE OF THE RNC

 The RNC controlling one Node B is indicated as the Controlling RNC (CRNC) of Node
B
 Controlling RNC
o responsible for load and congestion control of its own cells
o executes admission control for new radio links
 Serving RNC
o SRNC for one mobile is the RNC that terminates both the Iu link for the transport
of user data and the corresponding RANAP (RAN Application Part) signaling
to/from the core network
o SRNC also terminates the Radio Resource Control Signaling, that is the signaling
protocol between the UE and UTRAN
o it performs L2 processing of the data to/from the radio interface
o basic Radio Resource Management operations are executed in SRNC
 map Radio Access Bearer (RAB) parameters into air interface transport
channel parameters
 handover decision
 outer loop power control
o one UE connected to UTRAN has one and only one SRNC
NODE B (BASE STATION)
 Main function of Node B
◦ perform the air interface L1 processing, e.g.,
 channel coding and interleaving
 rate adaptation
 spreading
◦ also performs some basic Radio Resource Management operations, e.g.
  inner loop power control
 It logically corresponds to the GSM Base Station
GENERAL PROTOCOL STACK FOR UTRAN TERRESTRIAL INTERFACES
 General
 Horizontal Layers
 Vertical Planes
The general protocol model for UTRAN terrestrial interfaces
o the layers and planes are logically independent of each other
o parts of the protocol structure may be changed in the future while other parts
remain intact

The protocol structure consists of two main layers

 Radio network layer
 Transport network layer
VERTICAL PLANES
Control Plane
User Plane
Transport Network Control Plane
Transport Network User Plane
 Control Plane
 used for all UMTS-specific control signaling
  includes two parts
 application protocol
 RANAP (RAN application part) in Iu
 RNSAP (RNS application part) in Iur
 NBAP (Node B application part) in Iub signaling bearer
 transport the application protocol messages
 User Plane
 transport all information sent and received by the user, such as
 coded voice in a voice call
 packets in an Internet connection
 includes two parts
 data stream(s) and data bearer(s) for data stream(s)
TRANSPORT NETWORK CONTROL PLANE
 Used for all control signaling within transport layer
 Does not include any radio network layer information
 Includes ALCAP (Access Link Control Application Part) protocol used to set up the
transport bearers (data bearer) for user plane
 Includes signaling bearer needed for ALCAP
 Transport network control plane
 acts between control plane and user plane
 makes it possible for application protocol in radio network control plane to be
completely independent of the technology selected for data bearer in user plane
 Transport Network User Plane
 data bearer(s) in user plane
 signaling bearer(s) for application protocol
IMS ARCHITECTURE[IP MULTIMEDIA SYSTEM]
 IMS is an architecture, it is not a protocol.
 Open-systems architecture that supports a range of IP-based services over both Private
and Carrier networks, employing both wireless and fixed access technologies.
 IMS is defined by 3GPP.
The IMS was originally standardised by 3GPP as part of UMTS Release 5 – Basic VoIP, IM,
Presence support on top of GPRS – Adaptations to ―real word‖ have been made in Release 6
(QoS, PoC support) – Release 7 will look at unified IMS for all IP access networks (DSL,
 WLAN, etc.)
• The IMS is based on the IP world protocols, namely – SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) for
Session Control, and – Diameter for AAA (Authentication, Authorisation & Accounting) –
plus many others, i.e. SDP, RTP, RTCP, MGCP, etc.
• Key components of the IMS architecture are – Extended AAA Server (Home Subscriber
System – as evolution of the HLR) – SIP servers / soft switches – Media Servers & Media
Gateways – and Application Servers

HSS: Home Subscriber Server

CSCF: Call Session Control Function:
S-CSCF: Serving CSCF
I-CSCF: Interrogating CSCF
P-CSCF: Proxy CSCF
BGCF: Breakout Gateway Control Function
MGCF: Media Gateway Control Function
AS: Application Server
SCP: Service Control Point
MGW: Media Gateway
MRFC: Multimedia Resource Function Controller
MRFP: Multimedia Resource Function Processor

Fixed Network Users want

 Multimedia Conferencing
 Voice over IP
 Streaming Services
Mobile Network Users want
 Push-to-X
 Location Based Services
 Mobile Gaming

The IMS is an Overlay Session/Service Control architecture on top of the packet domain (GPRS,
UMTS, WLAN, DSL) based on IP technologies and IETF protocols (e.g. SIP, Diameter): – IMS
Core
• S-CSCF (Serving Call Session Control Function) the IS anker point in the home network
• I-CSCF (Interrogating Call Session Control Function) providing topology hiding
• P-CSCF (Proxy Call Session Control Function) Entrypoint into IMS world
• MS (Media Server) – Media Server hosting special resources
• MGF (Media Gateway) for Interworking with legacy networks
• PDF (Policy Decision Function) for QoS Control using Polícies (COPS) – IMS Application
Layer
• HSS (Home Subscriber System) for maintaining subscriber and AS profiles
• AS (Application Server Function) for hosting applications
• IMS enablers (e.g. Presence, Group Mgt.) are specific ASs with generic functions – And the
IMS end system (IMS Client) plays an important role real multimedia / IMS services
UMTS Handover
There are following categories of handover (also referred to as handoff):
 Hard Handover
Hard handover means that all the old radio links in the UE are removed before the new radio
links are established. Hard handover can be seamless or non-seamless. Seamless hard handover
means that the handover is not perceptible to the user. In practice a handover that requires a
change of the carrier frequency (inter-frequency handover) is always performed as hard
handover.
 Soft Handover
Soft handover means that the radio links are added and removed in a way that the UE always
keeps at least one radio link to the UTRAN. Soft handover is performed by means of macro
diversity, which refers to the condition that several radio links are active at the same time.
Normally soft handover can be used when cells operated on the same frequency are changed.
 Softer handover
Softer handover is a special case of soft handover where the radio links that are added and
removed belong to the same Node B (i.e. the site of co-located base stations from which several
sector-cells are served. In softer handover, macro diversity with maximum ratio combining can
be performed in the Node B, whereas generally in soft handover on the downlink, macro
diversity with selection combining is applied.
Generally we can distinguish between intra-cell handover and inter-cell handover. For UMTS the
following types of handover are specified:
 Handover 3G -3G (i.e. between UMTS and other 3G systems)
 FDD soft/softer handover
 FDD inter-frequency hard handover
 FDD/TDD handover (change of cell)
 TDD/FDD handover (change of cell)
 TDD/TDD handover
 Handover 3G - 2G (e.g. handover to GSM)
 Handover 2G - 3G (e.g. handover from GSM)

The most obvious cause for performing a handover is that due to its movement a user can be
served in another cell more efficiently (like less power emission, less interference). It may
however also be performed for other reasons such as system load control.
 Active Set is defined as the set of Node-Bs the UE is simultaneously connected to (i.e., the
UTRA cells currently assigning a downlink DPCH to the UE constitute the active set).
 Cells, which arenot included in the active set, but are included in the CELL_INFO_LIST
belong to the Monitored Set.
 Cells detected by the UE, which are neither in the CELL_INFO_LIST nor in the active set
belong to the Detected Set. Reporting of measurements of the detected set is only applicable to
intra-frequency measurements made by UEs in CELL_DCH state.
The different types of air interface measurements are:
 Intra-frequency measurements: measurements on downlink physical channels at the same
frequency as the active set. A measurement object corresponds to one cell.
 Inter-frequency measurements: measurements on downlink physical channels at
frequencies that differ from the frequency of the active set. A measurement object corresponds to
one cell.
 Inter-RAT measurements: measurements on downlink physical channels belonging to
another radio access technology than UTRAN, e.g. GSM. A measurement object corresponds to
one cell.
 Traffic volume measurements: measurements on uplink traffic volume. A measurement
object corresponds to one cell.
 Quality measurements: Measurements of downlink quality parameters, e.g. downlink
transport block error rate. A measurement object corresponds to one transport channel in case of
BLER. A measurement object corresponds to one timeslot in case of SIR (TDD only).
 UE-internal measurements: Measurements of UE transmission power and UE received
signal level.
 UE positioning measurements: Measurements of UE position.
The UE supports a number of measurements running in parallel. The UE also supports that each
measurement is controlled and reported independently of every other measurement.
3.5G and 3.9G brief discussion
3.5g is faster than that of 3g. It completely based on HSPDA means( high speed Downling
packet access )means now u get more speed on downloading or opnening of any url than that of
3g case. 3.5g gaves a speed of 384 kbps while 3g gaves 128 kbps.
3.5G is an enhanced 3G protocol - High-Speed DownlinkPacket Access (HSDPA). This protocol
belongs tothe High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA) family, which allows networks based on
Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) to have higher data transfer speeds and
capacity.

Mobile broadband networks are becoming increasingly faster and increasingly more pervasive.

In this article, let us have a look at one popular technology – The 3GPP LTE (Long Term

Evolution) – 3.9G/4G network which has enabled anytime/ anywhere high capacity mobile

broadband access.
If you are looking to upgrade to 4G technology from 3G/3.5G today, think again! 4G technology

is not available, yet. What is available in few markets (as 4G) is actually 3.9G LTE – Long Term

Evolution Technology. Its also called Pre-4G technology. 4G comes with Long Term Evolution

Advanced standard, which will be released shortly.

So, how fast is LTE? Since this is a Pre-4G standard, the minimum data rates are – i. 100 Mbps
(Downlink peak rate), ii. 50 Mbps (Uplink peak rate). When the 4G Standard comes along (LTE
Advanced), there will be data rates up to 1000 Mbps for fixed networks. The RTT (Round Trip
Time) for LTE networks is (should be) less than 10 ms. So, low latency based real time
applications like video and multimedia are supported on LTE networks.

LTE operates in multiple frequency bands (depending up on the continent). The commonly used
frequency bands are 700/900/1800/1900/2600 Mhz. So, if you have a Quad band handset
(mobile phone), there is a good chance that 4G will be supported in many countries.

LTE is forward compatible with LTE advanced standard. So, if you buy an LTE enabled mobile
phone today, it would work with LTE Advanced networks of tomorrow as well, but with the
speeds of LTE network.

One important aspect of an LTE network is the fact that it is an All IP network at both Core and
Access levels. Even voice runs as Voice Over IP Protocol (VOIP) on LTE Networks. Because of
this, LTE networks have advantages like,

 QoS – End to End QoS (Quality of Service) settings can be applied over LTE networks to
support real time applications.
 Broadcast/ Multicast supported network.
 Supports VPN – Virtual Private Networks.
 LTE supports MPLS connectivity.
LTE networks uses OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) and MIMO (Multiple
In and Multiple Out) technologies to achieve cell coverage areas of around 5 to 100 KM.

LTE is a 3GPP Standard (Third Generation Partnership Project), in which a lot of

telecommunications companies around the world, are a part. This enables interoperability and
bulk manufacturing which decreases the overall cost of the implementation of technology.
Many devices like netbooks, laptops, tablet computers, gaming devices, etc come (or will come)
with integrated LTE modules for easier access of the LTE network. Even otherwise, there are
external modems/ USB dongles which can be connected, to enable LTE network access. With
some vendors/ operators, it is possible to fall back to 3G/HSPA technologies in areas where there
is no coverage for LTE/4G networks.

4G LAN and Cellular Networks

What is 4G?
4G is an attempt to evolve, integrate and amalgamate the current 2G (2nd Generation), the soon
to be released 3G (3rd Generation), broadcast, WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), short-
range and fixed wire systems into a single, fully functional, seamless internetwork.
4G is NOT a complete overhaul of all old technology. It involves a mix of current concepts and
technologies in the making. Some of these are derived from 3G and hence are evolutionary,
while others are totally new concepts and can be thought of as revolutionary.
4G will feature a scalable, flexible, efficient, autonomous, secure and feature-rich backbone to
support a multitude of existing and new services and to interface with many different types of
networks. It will offer fully converged services (voice, data, and multimedia) at data rates of up
to 100 Mbps and ubiquitous mobile access to a vast array of user devices autonomous networks.
Characteristics of 4G
Fully Converged Services
A wide range of services will be available to the mobile user conveniently and securely via the
4G Core Network. Personal communications, information systems and entertainment will seem
to be merged into a seamless pool of content.
Ubiquitous Mobile Access
4G aims to provide access to multimedia services anytime anywhere. Devices will not simply
rely on cellular reception. Improved radio access technology as well as integration of all types of
communication networks allows for virtually constant connectivity to the 4G core backbone.
Mobile handsets will be intelligent and software-reconfigurable on the fly to allow them to
interface with different types of networks on the move. Also, there will be full cross
compatibility on a world-wide scale since each type of network has a gateway to the IP
backbone.
Software Dependency
Advanced software systems are employed for all purposes - network operation, service
provision, interfacing and integration, etc. Not only the Core Network but the mobile devices
will be highly intelligent as well as re-configurable via software.
Diverse User Devices
A defining feature of 4G will be the proliferation of a vast array of devices that are capable of
accessing the 4G backbone. Wireless capabilities will be embedded into devices that we wouldn't
even consider today. Not only personal devices like phones, PDAs, laptops, etc. but also sensors,
embedded controllers and other specialised equipment.
Autonomous Networks
While user devices are highly intelligent, the core network will also be very sophisticated. It will
be capable of managing itself and dynamically adapting to changing network conditions and user
preferences for seamless communication.
4G Services
4G data rates will between a few Mbps and 100 Mbps, hence the level of service that can be
offered is quite tremendous. Apart from 3G services like World Wide Web, Email, and wireless
E-commerce this data rate is quite adequate to support the high QoS levels required for high-
resolution multimedia traffic. Broadcast services will most likely become on-demand
infotainment services.
Video-conferencing services will be of high quality and almost as good as meeting in person.
Ad Hoc networking (dynamic formation of wireless networks between wireless devices without
any central infrastructure or administration) will allow for Personal Area Networks, in-house
networks and the like which allow wireless devices to perform various activities autonomously.
3G to 4G
A basic comparison of 3G and 4G:
3G 4G
Data Rates of 100 Kbps to 2 Mbps Data Rates up to 100 Mbps
Goal is 'to provide multimedia multirate Expansion on the 3G goal to provide a
mobile communications anytime and wider range of new and improved
anywhere'. multimedia services.
Connection between the cellular world and the Integration of broadcast, cellular,
wired Internet firmly established. cordless, Wireless LAN, short-range and
fixed wire systems to appear as a single
Mobile devices used mainly for Human-to- seamless network.
Human and Human-to-Machine
communication. Not only the 3G modes of
communication but also characterized by
a great deal of Machine-to-Machine
traffic

Wireless LAN Integration

One of the major evolutionary steps on the path to 4G is the integration of Wireless LANs so that
they can access the IP backbone of a 4G network.
A Wireless LAN is an extension to wired LAN where it uses electromagnetic airwaves for
communication whereas wired LAN does uses cables. Wireless LAN types include Infrared (IR)
Technology, Spread Spectrum Technology, Frequency hopping, Direct sequence and
Narrowband Technology.
There are several advantages of using WLANs. They enable data to be transmitted over air, thus
reducing cabling. WLANs offer productivity, convenience, and cost advantages over traditional
wired networks such as increased installation speed, increased simplicity and flexibility, reduced
cost-of-ownership and scalability. Also they combine data connectivity with user mobility,
increasing flexibility as well as allowing ad-hoc and roaming access within a limited range.
Since the 4G core network is basically an IP-based network connecting a Wireless LAN to the
4G backbone is similar in principle to connecting wired LAN in a wired Internet. This is done
through a router with a radio transmitter capable of cellular access.
HIPER LAN 2
Wireless LAN data rates are presently far lower than the expected data rates for 4G. Thus,
Wireless LAN technology will also need research to handle increased data rates.
HIPER LAN 2 is one such broadband wireless technology. It operates in the 5 GHz frequency
band and is intended to provide untethered connectivity for mobile devices in corporate, public,
and home environments. It uses a new type of radio technology called Orthogonal Frequency
Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
HyperLAN will provide mobility and high-speed transmission with a raw over-the-air data rate
of 54 Mbps at the physical layer as well as sustained throughput. For applications such as voice
and video, the transmission speeds are somewhat lower at 20 Mbps.

WiMAX
Acronym for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.

A wireless technology optimized for the delivery of IP centric services over a wide area.
A scalable wireless platform for constructing alternative and complementary broadband
networks.
A certification that denotes interoperability of equipment built to the IEEE 802.16 or
compatible standard. The IEEE 802.16 Working Group develops standards that address
two types of usage models:
A fixed usage model (IEEE 802.16-2004).
A portable usage model (IEEE 802.16e).

Why WiMAX?

WiMAX can satisfy a variety of access needs. Potential applications include extending
broadband capabilities to bring them closer to subscribers, filling gaps in cable, DSL and

T1 services, Wi-Fi and cellular backhaul, providing last-100 meter access from fibre to
the curb and giving service providers another cost-effective option for supporting
broadband services.

WiMAX can support very high bandwidth solutions where large spectrum deployments
(i.e. >10 MHz) are desired using existing infrastructure keeping costs down while
delivering the bandwidth needed to support a full range of high-value, multimedia
services.
 WiMAX can help service providers meet many of the challenges they face due to
increasing customer demands without discarding their existing infrastructure investments
because it has the ability to seamlessly interoperate across various network types.

WiMAX can provide wide area coverage and quality of service capabilities for
applications ranging from real-time delay-sensitive voice-over-IP (VoIP) to real-time
streaming video and non-real-time downloads, ensuring that subscribers obtain the
performance they expect for all types of communications.

WiMAX, which is an IP-based wireless broadband technology, can be integrated into

both wide-area third-generation (3G) mobile and wireless and wireline networks,
allowing it to become part of a seamless anytime, anywhere broadband access solution.

TWO TYPES OF SERVICES:

WiMAX can provide two forms of wireless service:

Non-line-of-sight: service is a WiFi sort of service. Here a small antenna on your

computer connects to the WiMAX tower. In this mode, WiMAX uses a lower frequency
range -- 2 GHz to 11 GHz (similar to WiFi).

Line-of-sight: service, where a fixed dish antenna points straight at the WiMAX tower
from a rooftop or pole. The line-of-sight connection is stronger and more stable, so it's
able to send a lot of data with fewer errors. Line-of-sight transmissions use higher
frequencies, with ranges reaching a possible 66 GHz.

WiMAX - Technology

WiMAX is a technology based on the IEEE 802.16 specifications to enable the delivery of
last-mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and DSL. The design of
WiMAX network is based on the following major principles:
Spectrum . able to be deployed in both licensed and unlicensed spectra.
Topology . supports different Radio Access Network (RAN) topologies.
 Interworking . independent RAN architecture to enable seamless integration and
interworking with WiFi, 3GPP and 3GPP2 networks and existing IP operator
core network.
IP connectivity . supports a mix of IPv4 and IPv6 network interconnects in clients
and application servers.
Mobility management . possibility to extend the fixed access to mobility and
broadband multimedia services delivery.

The world is moving towards a convergence of voice, data and video. This convergence will
demand interoperability and high data rate. Keeping this in mind, the IEEE 802 committee set up
the 802.16 working group in 1999 to develop wireless broadband or WirelessMAN (wireless
metropolitan area network) standards. Wireless MAN offers an alternative to high bandwidth
wire line access networks like fiber optic, cable modems and DSL (Digital Subscriber Line).
Figure depicts a WirelessMAN architecture.

The release of WirelessMAN (IEEE 802.16) standards in April 2002 has paved the way
for the entry of broadband wireless access as a new bearer to link homes and businesses with
core telecommunications networks. WirelessMAN provides network access to buildings through
exterior antennas communicating with radio base stations.
The technology is expected to provide less expensive access with more ubiquitous broadband
access with integrated data, voice and video services. One of the most attractive aspects of
wireless broadband technology is that networks can be created in just weeks by deploying a
small number of base stations on buildings or poles to create high-capacity wireless access
systems. In a wired set up, one physical wire will connect the device with the network.
Also, we need to keep many wires reserved for future growth. Therefore, the initial investment
in wired infrastructure is very high. Wireless network can grow as the demand increases. At any
point in time the number of active users are always a fraction of the number of subscribers.
In a wireless environment the number of channels is always low compared to the number of
subscribers. This makes wireless technologies very attractive to the service providers.

IEEE 802.16 standardizes the air interface and related functions associated with WLL
Three working groups have been chartered to produce following standards:
  IEEE 802.16.1—Air interface for 10 to 66 GHz.

 IEEE 802.16.2—Coexistence of broadband wireless access systems.

 IEEE 802.16.3—Air interface for licensed frequencies, 2 to 11 GHz.

 Extensive radio spectrum is available in frequency bands from 10 to 66 GHz

worldwide. In a business scenario, 802.16 can serve as a backbone for 802.11 networks.
Other possibilities are using 802.16 within the enterprise along with 802.lla, b or g.

IEEE 802.16 standards are concerned with the air interface between a subscriber’s transceiver
station and a base transceiver station. The 802.16 standards are organized into three-layer
architecture.

• The physical layer: This layer specifies the frequency band, the modulation scheme, error-
correction techniques, synchronization between transmitter and receiver, data rate and the
multiplexing structure.
• The MAC (Media Access Control) layer: This layer is responsible for transmitting data in
frames and controlling access to the shared wireless medium through media access control
(MAC) layer. The MAC protocol defines how and when a base station or subscriber station may
initiate transmission on the channel.

• Above the MAC layer is a convergence layer that provides functions specific to the service

being provided. For IEEE 802.16.1, bearer services include digital audio/video multicast, digital
telephony, ATM, Internet access, wireless trunks in telephone networks and frame relay.

WIMAX PHYSICAL LAYER

The WiMAX physical layer is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. OFDM
is the transmission scheme of choice to enable high-speed data, video, and multimedia
communications and is used by a variety of commercial broadband systems, including DSL, Wi-
Fi, Digital Video Broadcast-Handheld (DVB-H), and MediaFLO, besides WiMAX.

•
OFDM is an elegant and efficient scheme for high data rate transmission in a non-line-of-
sight or multipath radio environment.
WIMAX MAC LAYER
The IEEE 802.16 MAC was designed for point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access
applications. The primary task of the WiMAX MAC layer is to provide an interface between the
higher transport layers and the physical layer. The MAC layer takes packets from the upper
layer, these packets are called MAC service data units (MSDUs).and organizes them into MAC
protocol data units (MPDUs) for transmission over the air. For received transmissions, the MAC
layer does the reverse. The IEEE 802.16-2004 and IEEE 802.16e-2005 MAC design includes a
convergence sub layer that can interface with a variety of higher-layer protocols, such as ATM
TDM Voice, Ethernet, IP, and any unknown future protocol. The 802.16 MAC is designed for
point-to-multipoint (PMP) applications and is based on collision sense multiple access with
collision avoidance (CSMA/CA).
The MAC incorporates several features suitable for a broad range of applications at different
mobility rates, such as the following:
•
Privacy key management (PKM) for MAC layer security. PKM version 2 incorporates
support for extensible authentication protocol (EAP).
 •
Broadcast and multicast support.
•
Manageability primitives.
•
High-speed handover and mobility management primitives.
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Three power management levels, normal operation, sleep and idle.
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Header suppression, packing and fragmentation for efficient use of spectrum.
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Five service classes, unsolicited grant service (UGS), real-time polling service (rtPS),
non-real-time polling service (nrtPS), best effort (BE) and Extended real-time variable

rate (ERT-VR) service.

IP-BASED ARCHITECTURE:
The WiMAX Forum has defined a reference network architecture that is based on an all-
IP platform. All end-to-end services are delivered over an IP architecture relying on IP-based
protocols for end-to-end transport, QoS, session management, security, and mobility.
A
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WiMAX system consists of two major parts:
A WiMAX base station.
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A WiMAX receiver.
WiMAX Base Station:
A WiMAX base station consists of indoor electronics and a WiMAX tower similar in
concept to a cell-phone tower. A WiMAX base station can provide coverage to a very large area
up to a radius of 6 miles. Any wireless device within the coverage area would be able to access
the Internet.
The WiMAX base stations would use the MAC layer defined in the standard . a common
interface that makes the networks interoperable and would allocate uplink and downlink
bandwidth to subscribers according to their needs, on an essentially real-time basis.
Each base station provides wireless coverage over an area called a cell. Theoretically, the
maximum radius of a cell is 50 km or 30 miles however, practical considerations limit it to about
10 km or 6 miles.
WiMAX Receiver:
A WiMAX receiver may have a separate antenna or could be a stand-alone box or a
PCMCIA card sitting in your laptop or computer or any other device. This is also referred as
customer premise equipment (CPE).WiMAX base station is similar to accessing a wireless
access point in a WiFi network, but the coverage is greater.

WiMAX - Reference Network Model

The IEEE 802.16e-2005 standard provides the air interface for WiMAX but does not
define the full end-to-end WiMAX network. The WiMAX Forum's Network Working Group
(NWG), is responsible for developing the end-to-end network requirements, architecture, and
protocols for WiMAX, using IEEE 802.16e-2005 as the air interface.
The WiMAX NWG has developed a network reference model to serve as an architecture
framework for WiMAX deployments and to ensure interoperability among various WiMAX
equipment and operators.
The network reference model envisions unified network architecture for supporting fixed,
nomadic, and mobile deployments and is based on an IP service model. Below is simplified
illustration of an IP-based WiMAX network architecture. The overall network may be logically
divided into three parts:
1. Mobile Stations (MS) used by the end user to access the network.
2. The access service network (ASN), which comprises one or more base stations and one
or more ASN gateways that form the radio access network at the edge.
3. Connectivity service network (CSN), which provides IP connectivity and all the IP core
network functions.
The network reference model developed by the WiMAX Forum NWG defines a number of
functional entities and interfaces between those entities. Fig below shows some of the more
important functional entities.
Base station (BS): The BS is responsible for providing the air interface to the MS. Additional
functions that may be part of the BS are micro mobility management functions, such as handoff
triggering and tunnel establishment, radio resource management, QoS policy enforcement,
traffic classification, DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) proxy, key management, session
management, and multicast group management.

Access service network gateway (ASN-GW): The ASN gateway typically acts as a layer 2
traffic aggregation point within an ASN. Additional functions that may be part of the ASN
gateway include intra-ASN location management and paging, radio resource management and
admission control, caching of subscriber profiles and encryption keys, AAA client functionality,
establishment and management of mobility tunnel with base stations, QoS and policy
enforcement, foreign agent functionality for mobile IP, and routing to the selected CSN.

Connectivity service network (CSN): The CSN provides connectivity to the Internet, ASP,
other public networks, and corporate networks. The CSN is owned by the NSP and includes
AAA servers that support authentication for the devices, users, and specific services. The CSN
also provides per user policy management of QoS and security. The CSN is also responsible for
IP address management, support for roaming between different NSPs, location management
between ASNs, and mobility and roaming between ASNs.

The WiMAX architecture framework allows for the flexible decomposition and/or combination
of functional entities when building the physical entities. For example, the ASN may be
decomposed into base station transceivers (BST), base station controllers (BSC), and an
ASNGW analogous to the GSM model of BTS, BSC, and Serving GPRS Support Node
(SGSN).