re: 3GPP OFDM Feasibility Study for consideration for inclusion in UMTS Release 6
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OFDM SI description (update 3)
Date: Thu, 29 Aug 2002 17:07:19 +0200
From: ------
To: 3GPP_TSG_RAN_WG1@LIST.ETSI.FR
Title: Analysis of OFDM for UTRAN enhancement
Feasibility Study considering the viable deployment of UTRA in additional and diverse spectrum arrangements
Justification
As the mobile radio systems evolve and become more integrated with daily activities, there is an increasing requirement for services requiring very high bit rates and higher system capacity for such services. These include services to individuals as well as multimedia broadcast services. OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) is one of the technologies that are proving themselves well suited to mobile radio access for high rate and multimedia services (i.e. DAB, DVB-T, 802.11a). Given the availability of this radio technology, its applicability to UTRAN and its potential to enhance UTRAN should be studied .
Objective
The objective of this Study Item is to study the applicability of OFDM in UTRAN and its potential to enhance UTRAN.
It should be possible to use OFDM in a 5MHz spectrum allocation. As a starting point, OFDM will be considered in the downlink only.
The use of OFDM should have the minimum impact on current protocols. Changes others than those needed to introduce the signalling necessary to support a new modulation in UTRAN will not be considered.
The following list provides examples of areas that may be considered in the study:
Throughput for data services. To be compared with throughput of current UTRAN releases
Support for MIMO and other advanced antenna array techniques
Support for personal, multimedia and broadcast services
Deployment scenarios, including frequency reuse aspects, within diverse spectrum allocations [Bandwidths higher than 5MHz]
The study should consider performance aspects, aspects linked to the evolution of UMTS (high level architecture, diverse spectrum arrangements and allocations), impact on signalling in UTRAN, aspects of capacity/cost/complexity/coverage, and aspects of co-existence with the existing UTRAN releases .
The output of the study item will be a Technical Report containing an analysis of the feasibility and potential benefits of introducing OFDM in UTRAN, and a recommendation to RAN Plenary on a potential work item time-frame and work plan.
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A few things to keep in mind:
* A 3GPP RAN1 WG is assigned to establish if OFDM RAN should be considered for inclusion in UMTS Release 6 - in a presently undefined capacity.
* They will be comparing OFDM to Release 5 HSDPA, which contains most of the 1xtreme trash technology concepts that were rejected by 3GPP2 for the 1xevdv foundation technology. (Some of these were reintroduced as 1xevdv component technologies for Release C addenda and future consideration to conclude voting conflicts - and are a reason why Dr. IJ downplays 1xevdv delivery schedules and very viability. It is also the genesis for PCS's 5mbs performance claims for 1xevdv, which are a lot of hog wash.) Anyway, the HSDPA technology and performance claims are mostly monkeyshine (including 10mbs performance) and will provide a steep hill for OFDM to climb. And recall Drucker's Law: You cannot displace an entrenched technology unless you are tenfold better.
* When might technology based on Release 6 go commercial?
Well... Release 5 was once scheduled for around 2005, however recent events suggest that Release 99 may not go commercial until that time frame. Release 99 was initially planned for 2001, presently placing projections around 4 years late. Applying this measure to Release 5 schedules places Release 5 around 2009.... however there's also Release 4 to contend with in the interim as well... <g>
When might Release 6 see the light of day?
Some time between 2009 and... never?
* Also, from the plethora of emails I've read, OFDM's role within UMTS standards would most likely be additive - not a RAN replacement.
* Perhaps most importantly, all of the powerful 3GPP vendors who tenaciously developed and now covet and cling to UMTS intellectual property - no matter how flawed and faulty - may find little joy in an ascendancy of Flarions with proprietary technologies and competing IP.
<g> |
