MAIN TOPIC

MAIN TOPIC

The fourth generation BTS

n the mid-1990s, the first generation BTS with analog power amplifier (PA) enabled people to have fun in their mobile communications. In 2000, the second generation BTS with digital PA greatly accelerated the development of mobile networks. In 2005, the distributed BTS, which represents the third generation BTS, brought substantial changes to network construction. With the application of the wideband RF and IP technologies, the fourth generation BTS has now becoming a highlight in the industry, and fully displaying its features of Convergence, Integration, All-IP and Green.

Convergence
The constant development of mobile communications has accelerated the upgrades of technologies and products. GSM networks are heading to the enhance data rates for GSM evolution (EDGE) and EDGE+, while WCDMA networks are evolving to high-speed packet access (HSPA), HSPA+, and long term evolution (LTE). Faced with different systems including WiMAX, operators have to invest much on operation and maintenance if different networks are constructed. Therefore, convergence has become a major concern throughout the industry. 17 FEB 2008 . ISSUE 38

The BTS accommodating different systems develops typically in two directions. First is the initial stage, in which the equipment room, antenna, feeder and auxiliary equipment are shared, while different networks use different types of BTS. Second, the software defined radio (SDR) technology is adopted to unify the hardware of BTSs in different technical systems. As a result, a hardware module can be configured to support a unique system such as GSM, WCDMA and CDMA, or even support two systems simultaneously. This can enable smooth upgrades and reduce operation costs, including the cost of service parts.

Integration
The need for greater capacity has been increasing with the drive of high-speed data services. BTSs adopting the multicarrier technology have higher integration and lower power consumption, and they can facilitate smooth capacity expansion. Multi-carrier technology is the current trend for radio frequency (RF) broadband usage, and it is a key technology for the fourth generation BTS. Multi-carrier technology was first applied in 3G BTSs. The 2G network used single-carrier technology in its early

phase, but can now use multi-carrier technology introduced from 3G networks. In a traditional BTS using single-carrier technology, each carrier includes a transceiver and a power amplification unit. Multi-carrier technology employs wideband RF technologies, in which multiple signals are combined through the digital intermediate frequency (IF) and are transmitted through a broadband power amplifier. In each multi-carrier module, the number of carriers can be flexibly configured and power can be shared among carriers. As a result, combiners are no longer needed, enabling flexible capacity expansion and reduced power consumption. In a grand expo four months ago in China, the traffic was estimated 10 times more than usual. The technical guarantee, however, had been proven to be an easy one. With the help of Huaweis fourth generation BTS equipped with multicarrier module, the network capacity was expanded three times through data configuration in one minute, without the need of adding new cabinets or renting new equipment room.

All-IP
The increase of data service has raised

Huawei Technologies

Apple gained a whopping success by wining 10% of operators revenue generated from iPhone users, which raised a heated topic about changes in the value chain. In an industry with stiffer competition, transnational operators have to fight tooth and claw to get a new market share from their competitors, while regional operators are striving to grab a larger stage. The industry is undergoing a hurricane, a telecom analyst said. Higher requirements have been imposed on the existing networks with the introduction of new services, increased number of users and higher average minutes of usage. Facing decreased ARPU and increased OPEX, operators need a future-oriented wireless network solution to handle these challenges and boost their profits.

Pointing the wind vanes for BTSs

By Xu Peizhong
higher requirements for bandwidth. Operators, however, have to face various challenges in each bandwidth expansion, such as replacing the existing equipment at a large scale, or making drastic changes in network architecture, especially in transmission network. High cost has become a curse in opening the door of broadband. The fourth generation BTS can solve the abovementioned problems. Based on IP and wideband RF technologies, the RF channel can be up to 20MB, while transmission interface can support 100MB traffic. As only data configuration is needed to enable the changes between different systems, operators can protect their investment during network transformation. For example, a 3x4 GSM BTS can be configured to a 3x2 HSPA BTS. This configuration does not require hardware replacement, but the transmission speed can be increased from 2MB to 20MB. Huaweis fourth generation BTS has gained a leading position, thanks to the companys rich experience in broadband and IP. In 2006, Huawei succeeded in deploying an All-IP HSPA network in Japan, which marks the very first time that IP technology is introduced into mobile networks. At the end of 2007, Huawei helped an operator establish its networks in Szechwan, China, using the GSM BTSs based on a wideband platform. fourth generation BTS is to reduce resources like equipment room and energy. Highlyintegrated BTSs with low power consumption are the key to green communications. The fourth generation BTS boasts enhanced features in its integrity and power consumption. Take a 12-TRX BTS of 3 sectors for example. A traditional BTS requires three cabinets and 8000W power consumption if air conditioning included. The fourth generation BTS, however, needs only one cabinet and 2000W power consumption even in an equipment room with higher temperature. By comparison, costs on auxiliary equipment can be reduced by over 30%, while power consumption of BTSs can be saved more than 75%. For an operator in South Africa, its traditional BTSs can consume energy equaling to USD1.2 billion in a five year period. If all the BTSs use Huaweis fourth generation ones, a total of USD0.75 billion can be saved. The year 2008 will be characterized by network transformation. An innovative and quick-response partner is needed in operators effort to explore the blue ocean. Relying on customer-based innovation, Huawei positions its technical development on Green, Convergence, Broadband and Evolution. Huawei has taken the lead in releasing the fourth generation BTS in the industry, and will always be a partner in building a future-oriented network with operators.
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Green
A major drive behind the development of the

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