4G Mobile Communication System

4G Mobile Communication System
Akshay Gupta (02516412811)
ABSTRACT
Third-generation (3G) mobile networks face a new rival: so-called 4G. And,
astonishingly, the new networks may even be profitable. Alvin Toffler, an eminent futurologist,
once said, THE FUTURE ALWAYS COMES TOO FAST, BUT IN THE WRONG ORDER.
The state of wireless telecoms is a classic example. Even as 3G mobile networks which are being
the most widely used around the world, a couple of years later than planned, attention is shifting
to what is coming now: a group of newer technologies that are, inevitably, being called Fourth
Generation Mobile Networks (4G). 4G is all about an integrated, global network that's based on
an open systems approach.
The goal of 4G is to replace the current proliferation of core cellular networks with a
single worldwide cellular core network standard based on IP for control, video, packet data, and
VoIP. This integrated 4G mobile system provides wireless users an affordable broadband mobile
access solution for the applications of secured wireless mobile Internet services with value-added
QoS. This paper gives history of wireless communication, the reasons for the evolution of 4G,
after 3G had been deployed completely and successfully, the vision of 4G, and then gives the
information on the architecture of 4G followed by the key technologies needed for the 4G. Later
this gives the information about applications of 4G and the advantages of 4G. Finally it
concludes with the information about the challenges faced by the 4G technology.
INTRODUCTION
The 4G (fourth generation) mobile communication systems are projected to solve
problems of 3G (third generation) systems and to provide a wide variety of new services, from
high-quality voice to high-definition video to high-data-rate wireless channels.
The term 4G is used broadly to include several types of broadband wireless access
communication systems, not only cellular telephone systems. One of the terms used to describe
4G is MAGICMobile multimedia, anytime anywhere, Global mobility support, integrated
wireless solution, and customized personal service. As a promise for the future, 4G systems, that
is, cellular broadband wireless access systems, have been attracting much interest in the mobile
communication arena. The 4G systems not only support the next generation of mobile service,
but also support the fixed wireless networks. This paper presents an overall vision of the 4G
features, framework, and integration of mobile communication.
The features of 4G systems might be summarized with one word- Integration. The 4G
systems are about seamlessly integrating terminals, networks, and applications to satisfy
increasing user demands. The continuous expansion of mobile communication and wireless
networks shows evidence of exceptional growth in the areas of mobile subscriber, wireless
network access, mobile services, and applications.
The mobile communication systems and the wireless communication technologies have
been improving very fast day by day. Devices continue to shrink in size while growing in
processing power. Consumers are demanding more advanced and useful applications. Hence,
there is need of capacity improvements in wireless communications. In addition, wireless
communications is active areas of technology development of our time. Several major cellular
wireless communication techniques have been proposed in order to meet these user expectations.
From all future 4G systems, the primary expectation is that they provide enormously high data
rates to an excessive number of users at the same time.
The Fourth Generation of mobile networks will truly turn the current mobile phone
networks in end to end IP based networks. Every device in the world will have a unique IP
address that allows full IP based communications from a mobile device right to the core of the
internet and back out again. 4G is set to deliver 100Mbps to a roaming mobile device globally
and up to 1 Gbps to a stationary device. It wont be just the phone networks that need to evolve,
increased traffic load on the Internet as a whole will need to expand, with faster backbones and a
link requiring major upgrade. 4G Bandwidth will always be the main factor in the development
of application and devices. 3G networks are clear, its just not fast enough, and offering 384 kbps
doesnt meet the requirement of the most users. The evolution from 3G to 4G has been driven by
services that offer better quality of video & sound, greater bandwidth, more sophistication in the
association of a large quantity of information.
HISTORY
The history and evolution of mobile service from the 0G (zero generation) to fourth generation
are discussed in this section. At the end of the 1940s the first radio telephone service was
designed for users which was the public landline based telephone network.
Zero generation technology (0G): 0G refers to pre-cell phone mobile technology. Being the
predecessors of the first generation of cellular telephones. The system is called 0G. Technologies
used in 0G system included PTT (push to talk), MTS (mobile telephone system), IMTS (improve
mobile telephone services), and AMTS (advanced mobile telephone system).
First generation technology (1G): 1G refers to the first generation of wireless
telecommunication technology, more popularly known as cell phones. Through 1G, a voice call
gets modulated to a higher frequency of about 150 MHz and up as it is transmitted between radio
towers using a technique called FDMA. The main challenges of these wireless networks were
basic voice telephony, low capacity and limited local and regional coverage. The increased
demand for high frequency ranges in the telecommunications sector caused development in
analog to digital transmission techniques.
Second generation technology (2G): 2G first appeared around late 1980s; 2G system digitized
the voice signal, as well as the control link. Second generation (2G), arrived to meet the capacity
demands of burgeoning voice plus telephony, text messaging and limited circuit switched data
services. By utilizing digital system, the signal can be compressed much more efficiently than
analog system, allows transmitting more packets into the same bandwidth and propagates with
less power. It provides the facility of short message service (SMS) unlike 1G that had its prime
focus on verbal communication. Depending on the type of multiplexing used, 2G technologies
can be divided into TDMA and CDMA. A typical 2G GSM network service uses 800/900 or
1800/1900 frequency spectrum. Data rate of GSM is 9.6 kbps. The bandwidth of 2G is 30-200
KHz.
2.5G- GPRS (General Packet Radio Service): which stands for second and a half generations
are a cellular wireless technology developed in between 2G and 3G. Data rate of GPRS are
~115kbps. It can be used for services such as wireless application protocol access, multimedia
messaging services and for accessing internet. It can be considered as an interim step taken
between 2G and 3G. It is basically an enhancement of the two major 2G technologies to provide
increased capacity on the 2G RF (radio frequency) channels and to introduce higher throughput
for data service, up to 115 kbps. A very important aspect of 2.5G is that the data channels are
optimized for packet data, which introduces access to the Internet from mobile devices, whether
telephone, PDA (personal digital assistant), or laptop.
2.75- EDGE (Enhanced Data Rate for GSM Evolution): EDGE (EGPRS) is an abbreviation
for Enhanced Data Rate for GSM evolution is a digital mobile phone technology invented by AT
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&T. The modulation bit rate is 810 kbps. It offers a data rate of 384 kbps, theoretically up to
473.6kbps.
Third Generation Technology (3G): 3G refers to a networking standard in cell phone
technology that is capable of providing high speed data service for mobile device. 3G wireless
networks become more widespread. You could finally connect to and use the internet at
particular speeds (with 3G enable Smartphone). Initially it focused on multimedia applications
such as videoconferencing for mobile phones. 3G thinking had to evolve as internet user
demanded more and more wireless applications and services. As personal wireless handsets
became more common than fixed telephones, it became clear that personal wireless Internet
access will follow and users will want broadband Internet access. The objective of the 3G was to
develop a new protocol and new technologies to further enhance the mobile experience. 3G,
which includes standards from 2.5G and also some other technologies such as WiMAX
(Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), is totally based on the packet switching
technology providing broad range of high quality services to the end user to meet the demand of
high data rate and increasing rate of network users. But 3G was unable to repeat the success story
of 2G as it provided only few new features over 2G.
Fourth Generation Technology (4G): Before 3G was deployed all over the world, the idea of
technology beyond 3G started evolving. This idea was beyond the imagination of ordinary
mobile user promising connect anytime, anyhow, anywhere. This network access has been
achieved by seamlessly integrating the available and new networks using a core IP based
network layer. This is called as the 4th generation of communication (4G), 4G mobile data
protocol. But a growing band of 4G users will tell you, its all about speed. LTE stands for Long
term evolution. 4G Smart-phone on version 4G LTE networks means you can download files
from the Internet up to 10 times faster than 3G. With 4G LTE using the web from your phones
becomes as pleasurable as using it from your home computer. The new 4G technology aims at
accomplishing new levels of user experience and multi-service capacity by also integrating all
the mobile technologies that exist i.e. GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications, GPRS
-General Packet Radio Service, IMT-2000-International Mobile Communications, Wi-FiWireless Fidelity, Bluetooth etc. The main objectives of 4G networks can be stated in the
following properties: Ubiquity, Multi-service-platform and low bit-cost. To achieve the proposed
goals, a very flexible network that would combine various radio access technologies has been
created. This network provides high bandwidth, from 50- 100 Mbps for high mobility users,
1Gbps for low mobility users and technologies that permit fast handoffs and efficient delivery of
service.
WHAT IS 4G?
4G is short for Fourth (4th) Generation Technology. 4G Technology is basically the
extension in the 3G technology with more bandwidth and services offers in the 3G. The 4G
technology is basically the high quality audio/video streaming over end to end Internet Protocol.
If the Internet Protocol (IP) multimedia sub-system movement achieves what it going to do,
nothing of this possibly will matter. WiMAX or mobile structural design will become
progressively more translucent, and therefore the acceptance of several architectures by a
particular network operator ever more common. The main features of 4G services of interest to
users are application adaptability and high dynamism users traffic, radio environment, air
interfaces, and quality of service.
4G wireless is the term used to describe the fourth-generation of wireless service. 4G is a
step up from 3G, which is currently the most prevalent and high-speed wireless service. 4G is
only available in limited areas today. Sprint, for example uses WiMax technology for its 4G
network, while Verizon Wireless uses a technology called Long Term Evolution (LTE). No
matter what technology is behind it, 4G wireless is designed to deliver speed. On an average 4G
wireless is supposed to be four to ten times faster than today's 3G networks. Sprint says its 4G
WiMax network can offer download speeds that are ten times faster than a 3G connection, with
speeds that top out at 10 megabits per second. Verizon's LTE network, meanwhile, can deliver
speeds between 5 mbps and 12 mbps.
VISION OF 4G
This new generation of wireless is intended to complement and replace the 3G systems,
perhaps in coming years. Accessing information anywhere, anytime, with a seamless connection
to a wide range of information and services, and receiving a large volume of information, data,
pictures, video, and so on, are the keys of the 4G infrastructures.
The 4G infrastructures consists of a set of various networks using IP (Internet protocol)
as a common protocol so that users are in control because they will be able to choose every
application and environment. Based on the developing trends of mobile communication, 4G has
broader bandwidth, higher data rate, and smoother and quicker handoff and focuses on ensuring
seamless service across a multitude of wireless systems and networks. The key concept is
integrating the 4G capabilities with all of the existing mobile technologies through advanced
technologies. Application adaptability and being highly dynamic are the main features of 4G
services of interest to users.
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These features mean services can be delivered and be available to the personal preference
of different users and support the users' traffic, air interfaces, radio environment, and quality of
service. Connection with the network applications can be transferred into various forms and
levels correctly and efficiently. The dominant methods of access to this pool of information are
the mobile telephone, PDA, and laptop to seamlessly access the voice communication, highspeed information services, and entertainment broadcast services.
Figure below illustrates elements and techniques to support the adaptability of the 4G
domain. The fourth generation has encompassed all systems from various networks, public to
private; operator-driven broadband networks to personal areas; and ad hoc networks. The 4G
systems have interoperated with 2G and 3G systems, as well as with digital (broadband)
broadcasting systems. In addition, 4G systems provide fully IP-based wireless Internet. This
allen compassing integrated perspective shows the broad range of systems that the fourth
generation intends to integrate, from satellite broadband to high altitude platform to cellular 3G
and 3G systems to WLL (wireless local loop) and FWA (fixed wireless access) to WLAN
(wireless local area network) and PAN (personal area network), all with IP as the integrating
mechanism. With 4G, a range of new services and models are available. These services and
models need to be further examined for their interface with the design of 4G systems. Below
figure demonstrate the key elements and the seamless connectivity of the networks.
Vision of 4G
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Key Elements of 4G
NEED & OPPORTUNITY FOR 4G

The vision which considers 4G as an extension to 3G cellular services is called as the linear 4G
vision. But the extent of 4G capabilities goes beyond the cellular services. Envisioning 4G as
high speed delivery of services via the most efficient network available from the pool of wireless
networks is called as the concurrent 4G vision. One of the major reasons of 3G being unable to
repeat the success story of 2G was the provision of only few additional services over 2G. It was
not encouraging enough for the customers to change their equipments. There has been followed a
user-centric approach for the design of 4G to avoid mismatch between the users expectations
and the services provided by 4G. The features of 4G which cater to the end-users expectations
and the problems of the current generation networks can be listed as follows:
User friendliness: 4G aims at providing myriad of services to the end users at high speed. The
applications developed to avail these services should be highly user friendly minimizing the
interaction between the application and the user. For example, integration of speech recognition
technology in the user interfaces would ease the use of the applications for every layman.
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User personalization: High data transfer rates and ubiquitous coverage of 4G networks would
provide users access to large repository of data and services. Users should have flexibility to
filter these data and services as per his preferences by configuring the operational mode of their
devices, so that he can preselect the service features he wants to use. For an example, user in a
mall interested in buying clothes should receive alerts about various discount offers on clothes
rather than about the other accessories.
Terminal and Network heterogeneity: Terminal heterogeneity refers to the different types of
terminals in terms of the size, weight, display features, power consumption, etc. Network
heterogeneity means the different types of access networks like WiMAX, Wi-Fi (Wireless
Fidelity), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) and so forth which differ in
their coverage area, data rate, latency and data loss rate. Each of these terminals and services
cater to different user requirements. In 4G, all these terminals and networks will provide
common services independent of their capabilities. This is also called as service personalization.
High Performance: Low transfer rates of 3G restrict the users ability to take advantage of the
rich multimedia contents across the wireless networks. 4G is expected to provide wireless
download speeds of about 1Gbps in local area network (LAN) and 100 Mbps in wide area
network (WAN), about 260 times greater than the 3G wireless networks.
Interoperability: Multiple standards of 3G restrict the users mobility and interoperation across
different networks. 4G targets at providing a unified global standard which will facilitate global
mobility and service portability. In other words, end user can subscribe to different services from
different service providers using the same mobile device.
Intelligent Networking: 3G is based primarily on cell or base station WAN design. 4G aims at
building hybrid networks utilizing both the Wireless LAN concept and WAN design. Thus, the
world would have base stations everywhere providing ubiquitous network coverage to users at
high speed. For example, a user walking on road is browsing internet using GPRS (General
Packet Radio Service-WAN design). The moment he enters a mall with Wi-Fi (LAN design),
seamless hand-over from GPRS to Wi-Fi would take place without the users knowledge.
Network Convergence: Network convergence is the efficient coexistence of multimedia, voice
and data communication within a single network.
Currently the telecommunication environment is divided into wireless and fixed line
communication. To avail these different kinds of services, the end user require different devices
such as cellular phones, fixed line phones, laptops and PDAs. Once the fixed mobile
convergence is in place in 4G, the distinction between these services will disappear. The current
3G technology is not able to capture the market share as done by the fixed line services partly
because of its low bit rates of 384kbps and because of the high costs associated with these
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services. But with the emergence of 4G aiming at global integrated IP based network, the
wireless sector will be able to match the fixed line sectors in terms of both costs and speed. 4G
will lead to convergence in terms of both devices and services. Thus, handset capabilities, MP3,
camera, mobile broadband services would be made available in a single device. Service
convergence will result from availability of telecommunication and internet on a single platform.
This would force the fixed line sector to jump in the competitive wireless market. In response,
the wireless operators will also jump into the fixed line sector. Thus slowly the boundaries
between these markets will disappear. Thus, the end user will benefit from one business
providing variety of services. He will experience high quality service at affordable prices. Thus
fixed mobile convergence will act as a catalyst for stimulating markets to come up with new
innovative and cost effective ideas.
Scalability: Scalability in mobile networks is the ability to handle the increasing numbers of
users and services. 4G will use IPv6 addressing scheme which will support large number of
wireless devices eliminating the need for Network address translation (NAT). NAT is technique
of sharing limited number of addresses among large number of devices. The huge expanse of
current internet world signifies the scalability support of IP. Thus, the use of IP as core network
layer will make 4G easily scalable.
Lower power consumption: Battery technology has not been able to keep pace with the
growing telecom industry. 2G devices required one small battery of lower power while 3G
required larger battery with greater power. Battery drain is a persistent problem of wireless
devices. 4G aims at breaking this directly proportional rule. Shorter communication links is one
of the few solutions proposed to cater to this requirement.
Low costs: 4G is designed to be spectrally efficient with no requirement to buy costly extra
spectrum. It is not development of a completely new system rather built on the top of the existing
networks. 4G will also support backward compatibility with 2G and 3G devices. All these factors
will make 4G much cheaper than the current generation networks.
4G NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Figure below shows the 4G network structure with IP as the core network used for
communication; integrating the 2G, 3G and 4G technologies using a convergence layer.
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4G Network Architecture
Figure below shows the layered level Architecture of 4G network. This architecture fulfills the
basic requirement of servicing the standalone and mobile subscribers on an anytime, anywhere,
anyhow basis in dynamic network conditions. The architecture is based on Internet Protocol
version 6 (IPV6) which operates at the transport layer enabling seamless communication across
various heterogeneous networks and based on the key factors such as mobility, Quality of
Service (QoS) and efficient resource management schemes. The functionalities provided by each
layer and module can be described as follows:
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Layered 4G Architecture
Application: This layer is composed of various third party applications which provide value
added services to its subscribers.
Network: This layer consists of various sub layers described as follows:
Services: This layer manages the interaction between various value-added services and
networks.
Mobility Management: This layer provides quality and uniform services to the
mobile/stationary terminal across various heterogeneous networks. It provides features of
low handover latency and packet loss during the provision of real-time and non-real time
services to the end user moving across different networks. To achieve this, it performs
tasks such as binding update (updating the care-off address of the mobile user), location
management, common control signaling (signaling required to perform wireless network
discovery), address assignment, handover control mechanism and so forth.
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Resource Management: This layer incorporates the functionalities of allocation, deallocation and reallocation of the network resources which are acquired during the
communication sessions within the same or different network domains. This activity is
performed during or before the communication activity. This layer also performs the task
of congestion control, packet scheduling and packet classification.
Quality of service (QoS) management: This layer provides best optimal utilization of the
available resources. In scenarios where the network resources are limited it provides an
option to the applications to choose between high overall throughput and low end-to-end
delay. It provides the best trade-off mechanisms depending on the applications
preference. It encompasses several activities such as link utilization control, bandwidth
control and so forth.
Physical: This layer consist of the core IPV6 network of 4G and other heterogeneous access
networks such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), CDMA( Code Division
Multiple Access) and WLAN in their physical view. This layer is composed of two sub-layers
namely:
Convergence layer: This layer provides common control signaling mechanism across the
core and other heterogeneous networks at the physical level. It also allows different radio
access networks to transparently use the independent network services such as mobility
management, resource management and QoS management.
Different RAN: This layer consists of several radio access networks communicating with
each other at the physical level.
Operation, Administration, Maintenance and Provisioning: This layer spans across all the
layers of the network architecture and provides the functionalities of network controlling,
network monitoring and fault detection. It also maintains the repudiation between various
services and resources of several heterogeneous and core networks.
Security: This layer also branches across all the layers of the 4G network architecture which
perform the function of authentication, authorization, encryption, establishment and
implementation of service policy agreement between the various vendors.
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KEY 4G TECHNOLOGIES
Smart Antennas: Smart Antennas are Transmitting and Receiving antennas. It resolves the
problem of diminishing spectrum availability and doesnt require increased power or additional
frequency.
IPV6: IPV6 support is essential in preferring to support many wireless enabled devices. By
increasing the many IP addresses, IPV6 removes the need for network address Translation.IPV6
also enables many applications with better multicast.
VoIP: VoIP Stands Voice over Internet Protocol. It allows only packets (IP) to be transferred
eliminating complexity of two protocols over the same circuit. The All voice data will be
wrapped up in a packet. Samples Voice between 8,000 & 64, 000 times per seconds and create
streams of bits which is then compressed and put into a packet. Increase battery life attributable
to greater data compression.
OFDMA: Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) not only provides clear
advantages for physical layer performance, but also a framework for improving layer 2
performance by proposing an additional degree of freedom. Using ODFM, it is possible to
exploit the time domain, the space domain, the frequency domain and even the code domain to
optimize radio channel usage. It ensures very robust transmission in multi-path environments
with reduced receiver complexity.
OFDM also provides a frequency diversity gain, improving the physical layer
performance. It is also compatible with other enhancement Technologies, such as smart antennas
and MIMO. OFDM modulation can also be employed as a multiple access technology
(Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access; OFDMA). In this case, each OFDM symbol
can transmit information to/from several users using a different set of sub carriers (sub channels).
This not only provides additional flexibility for resource allocation (increasing the capacity), but
also enables cross-layer optimization of radio link usage.
SCFDMA: It can be used for the uplink transmission of the symbols. It is a channel allocation
scheme used for data transmission based on single carrier frequency division multiplexing
technique that allows the transmission of the symbols across a single carrier. The techniques
used for splitting the data is IFFT and Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) which performs the task
of splitting the data across multiple sub-carriers and transmitting virtually as a single carrier.
DFT is performed prior to IFFT. SCFDMA provides low peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) as
compared to OFDMA. In this scheme, as the data is transmitted along the multiple subcarriers
and if one subcarrier is in problem it is easy to recover the data from the other subcarriers based
on frequency selection for the channel. But the recovery of data at the receiver side requires the
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selection of the data from the multiple subcarriers and requires more efforts for removing the
error in the data.
Software Defined Radio: Software Defined Radio (SDR) benefits from todays high processing
power to develop multi-band, multi-standard base stations and terminals. Although in future the
terminals will adapt the air interface to the available radio access technology, at present this is
done by the infrastructure. Several infrastructure gains are expected from SDR. For example, to
increase network capacity at a specific time (e.g. during a sports event), an operator will
reconfigure its network adding several modems at a given Base Transceiver Station (BTS). SDR
makes this reconfiguration easy. In the context of 4G systems, SDR will become an enabler for
the aggregation of multi-standard pico/micro cells. For a manufacturer, this can be a powerful aid
to providing multi-standard, multi-band equipment with reduced development effort and costs
through simultaneous multi-channel processing.
Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO): MIMO uses signal multiplexing between multiple
transmitting antennas (space multiplex) and time or frequency. It is well suited to OFDM, as it is
possible to process independent time symbols as soon as the OFDM waveform is correctly
designed for the channel. This aspect of OFDM greatly simplifies processing. Processing of the
received signals may deliver several performance improvements range, quality of received signal
and spectrum efficiency. In principle, MIMO is more efficient when many multiple path signals
are received. The performance in cellular deployments is still subject to research and
simulations. However, it is generally admitted that the gain in spectrum efficiency is directly
related to the minimum number of antennas in the link.
Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO): This is the variant antenna technology that enhances the
communication capabilities of the individual radio terminal used by radios in the network by
introducing multiple independent radio terminals. This allows transmission and reception to and
from multiple users using the same band.
Handover and Mobility: Handover technologies based on mobile IP technology have been
considered for data and voice. Mobile IP techniques are slow but can be accelerated with
classical methods (hierarchical, fast mobile IP).
These methods are applicable to data and probably also voice. In single-frequency
networks, it is necessary to reconsider the handover methods. Several techniques can be used
when the carrier to interference ratio is negative, but the drawback of these techniques is
capacity. In OFDM, the same alternative exists as in CDMA, which is to use macro-diversity. In
the case of OFDM, MIMO allows macro-diversity processing with performance gains. However,
the implementation of macro-diversity implies that MIMO processing is centralized and
transmissions are synchronous. This is not as complex as in CDMA, but such a technique should
only be used in situations where spectrum is very scarce.
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APPLICATIONS OF 4G
VIRTUAL PRESENCE: This means that 4G provides user services at all times, even if the user
is off-site.
VIRTUAL NAVIGATION: 4G provides users with virtual navigation through which a user can
access a database of the streets, buildings etc.
TELE-GEOPROCESSING APPLICATIONS: This is a combination of GIS (Geographical
Information System) and GPS (Global Positioning System) in which a user can get the location
by querying.
TELE-MEDICINE AND EDUCATION: 4G will support remote health monitoring of patients.
For people who are interested in lifelong education, 4G provides a good opportunity.
CRISIS MANAGEMENT: Natural disasters can cause breakdown in communication systems.
In todays world it might take days or 7 weeks to restore the system. But in 4G it is expected to
restore such crisis issues in a few hours.
MULTIMEDIA VIDEO SERVICES
4G wireless systems are expected to deliver efficient multimedia services at very high
data rates.
Basically there are two types of video services: bursting and streaming video services.
Streaming is performed when a user requires real-time video services, in which the server
delivers data continuously at a playback rate.
Bursting is basically file downloading using a buffer and this is done at the highest data
rate taking advantage of the whole available bandwidth.
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ADVANTAGES OF 4G
Pure Data Networks: 4G network is an all-IP based data network. A completely data based
network will allow for more bandwidth which means more data can be passed through the
network.
More devices and Application: 4G network devices can take advantages of the higher
bandwidth and speed to deliver more robust and data application.
Speed: Theoretical speed of 4G has been suggested that data rates up to 100 Mbps for high
mobility and 1Gbps for low mobility should be the target value.
Hand off: The improved 4G network standards will allow for smooth hand off from one
coverage area to another without interruption to any ongoing data transfer.
Faster response time: One benefits of 4G technology are faster response time or lower latency.
Support for interactive multimedia services like teleconferencing and wireless Internet.
Wider bandwidths and higher bitrates.
Global mobility and service portability.
Scalability of mobile network.
Entirely Packet-Switched networks.
Digital network elements.
Higher band widths to provide multimedia services at lower cost (up to 100 Mbps).
Tight network security.
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CHALLENGES IN 4G
The challenges faced in the migration to 4G have been grouped, based on three different aspects
and have been discussed below in detail as follows:
Mobile station:
Multimode user terminal: Multimode user terminal is a device working in different modes
supporting a wide variety of 4G services and wireless networks by reconfiguring themselves to
adapt to different wireless networks. They encounter several design issues such as limitations in
the device size, cost, power consumption and backward compatibility to systems. One possible
solution to this is the use of SDR which adapts itself to the wireless interface of the network.
Figure below shows multimode user terminal simultaneously interacting with the different access
networks.
Wireless network discovery: Availing 4G services require the multimode user terminal to
discover and select the preferred wireless network. Service discovery in 4G will be much more
challenging than 3G because of the heterogeneity of the networks and their access protocols.
SDR approach has been proposed to counter this challenge. As shown in the figure below, SDR
will scan for the available networks and download the software required to interface with the
selected network. Software can be downloaded from a PC server, smart card or from over the air
(OTA). Slow download speeds is one of the major problems faced by the SDR approach.
Multimode User Terminal

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Wireless network selection: 4G provides the users a choice to select a wireless network
providing optimized performance and high QoS for a particular place, time and desired service
(communication, multimedia). But what parameters define high QoS and optimized performance
at particular instant needs to be clearly defined to make the network selection procedure efficient
and transparent to the end user. Possible considerations may be available network resources,
network supported service types and cost and user preference.
System:
Terminal mobility: Terminal mobility is an essential characteristic to fulfill the Anytime
Anywhere promise of 4G. It allows the mobile users to roam across the geographic boundaries
of wireless networks. Two main issues in terminal mobility are location and hand off
management. Location management involves tracking the location of the mobile users and
maintaining information such as the authentication data, QoS capabilities, and the original and
the current cell location. Handoff management is maintaining the ongoing communication when
the terminal roams. Handoff can be horizontal or vertical depending on whether the user moves
from one cell to another within the same wireless systems or across different wireless systems
(WLAN to GSM). Handoff process faces several challenges like maintaining the QoS and
system performance across different systems, deciding the correct handoff time, designing the
correct handoff mechanism, packet losses, handover latency and the increased system load.
Network infrastructure and QoS support: Unlike previous generation networks (2G and 3G), 4G
is an integration of IP and non-IP based system. Prior to 4G, QoS designs were made with a
particular wireless system in mind. But in 4G networks QoS designs should consider the
integration of different wireless networks to guarantee QoS for the end-to-end services.
Security: Most of the security schemes and the encryption/decryption protocols of the current
generation networks were designed only for specific services. They seem to be very inflexible to
be used across the heterogeneous architecture of 4G which needs dynamically reconfigurable,
adaptive and lightweight security mechanism.
Fault tolerance: Wireless networks characterize a tree-like topology. Any failure in one of the
levels can affect all the network elements at the levels below. This problem can be further
aggravated because of the multiple tree topologies. Adequate research work is required to devise
a strategy for fault tolerance in wireless networks.
Services:
Multiple operators and billing system: In the era of 2G and 3G networks, each operator had its
own billing scheme based on the call duration, services used, etc. But in 4G each user can avail
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to different services made available by different operators. This would complicate the billing
system for both the service providers and the end users. This asks for a unified billing system for
all the services of the 4G network. To cater to these issues several frameworks are being studied
based on the requirements of scalability, flexibility, accuracy and usability.
Personal mobility: Unlike terminal mobility, personal mobility considers the movement of the
user. It emphasizes on provision of personal communication- ensuring message delivery to the
user irrespective of his location and the terminal he is using and personalized operating
environment- adapting the message display as per the characteristics of user terminal.
CONCLUSION
4G technology is still relatively new that provides high speed data rate to mobile devices. It
consists of the LTE and WiMAX network. 4G networks are prone to many security threats due
to the open nature of the architecture and standards. 4G can be described in one word MAGIC,
which stands for: Mobile Multimedia Anytime Anywhere Global mobility support Integrated
wireless and personalized services. The fourth generation technology promises to fullfil the goal
of PCC which stands for Personal Computing and Communication, a vision that provides
affordable high data rates everywhere over a wireless network. 4G seem to be a very promising
generation of wireless communication which will change peoples life in the wireless world.
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REFERENCES
www.ieee.org
www.flarion.com
http://www.networkmagazine.com
www.ist-wsi.org
www.nttdocomo.com
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Akshay Gupta (02516412811)