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Introduction

Mobile in Minute papers

The goal of 4G will be to replace the entire core of cellular networks with a single worldwide cellular network completely standardized based on the (Internet Protocol) IP for video, packet data utilizing Voice over IP (VoIP) and multimedia services.  The newly standardized networks would provide uniform video, voice, and data services to the cellular handset or handheld Internet appliance, based entirely on IP (Internet Protocol).

The 4G standards have not been set and underlying technologies are not fixed, which leaves plenty of room for other applications to overlap into the 4G space.  The industry has guidelines for the migration from 3.0G to 4.0G, but a clear path has not been proven.

The 4G providers of advanced cellular technology in FEC (Forward Error Correction) are adopting Concatenated Coding which has the capability of multiple QoS (Quality of Service) levels.  FEC coding adds redundancy to a transmitted coded signal through encoding prior to transmission.  A major advantage of Concatenated Coding over the Convolution Coding method by Viterbi will be improved network performance by the combining of two or more coding techniques, such as a Reed-Solomon and a Convolution Code, as one Concatenated Code.  The combination improves error correction and combines error correction with error detection.  FEC using Concatenated Coding allows a wireless network to send much larger blocks of data while reducing bit-error rate, thereby increasing the overall through-put. 

The primary goal of the planned 4G cellular services will include the following:

•           Interactive Multimedia, Voice, Video Streaming

•           High Speed Global Internet Access – VPN Availability

•           Service Portability with Scalable Mobile Services

•           High Speed, High Capacity, Low Cost Services

•           Improved Information Security

•           QoS Enhancements

•           Multi-Hop Networking

•           Spectral Bandwidth Efficiencies (8bits/Second/Hz)

•           Seamless Network of Multiple Protocols - 4G must be all-IP*

Highlighting the primary drivers for 4G wireless network deployments are cost, speed, flexibility and universal access.  Increased speed is a critical requirement for 4G wireless services to be successful.  Data-rate increases of 10-50X over 3G will put streaming audio and video access into the hands of consumers.  Each wireless generation demands a much richer set of wireless features.