17.1.3g.doc - Overview of 3G INTRODUCTION Mobile networks...

Overview of 3G
INTRODUCTION
Mobile networks are differentiated from each other by the word 'generation', such as
'first-generation, 'second-generation' etc. This is quite appropriate because there is a big
'generation gap' between the technologies.
The first-generation mobile systems were the analogue (or semi-analogue) systems,
which came in the early 1980s - they were also called NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone).
They offered mainly speech and related services and were highly incompatible with each other.
Thus, their main limitations were the limited services offered and incompatibility.
The increasing necessity for a system catering for mobile communication needs, and
offering more compatibility, resulted in the birth of the second-generation mobile systems.
International bodies played a key role in evolving a system that would provide better services
and be more transparent and compatible to networks globally. Unfortunately these second generation
network standards could not fulfill the dream of having just one set of standards for global networks.
The standards in Europe differed from those in Japan and those in America, and so on. Of all the
standards, the GSM went the furthest in fulfilling technical and commercial expectations.
But, again, none of the standards in the second generation was able to fulfill the globalisation
dream of the standardisation bodies. This would be fulfilled by the third-generation mobile systems.
It is expected that these third-generation systems will be predominantly oriented towards data traffic,
compared with the second-generation networks that were carrying predominantly voice traffic.
The major standardisation bodies that play an important role in defining the specifications
for the mobile technology are:
OVER VIEW OF MOBILE NETWORKS:
ITU (International Telecommunication Union): The ITU, with headquarters in Geneva,
Switzerland, is an international organisation within the United Nations, where governments
and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services. The ITU-T
is one of the three sectors of ITU and produces the quality standards covering all the fields
of telecommunications.
ETSI (European Telecommunication Standard Institute): This body was primarily responsible for the
development of the specifications for the GSM. Owing to the technical and commercial success of
the GSM, this body will also play an important role in the development of third-generation mobile
systems. ETSI mainly develops the telecommunication standards throughout Europe and beyond.
ARIB (Alliance of Radio Industries and Business): This body is predominant in the Australasian
region and is playing an important role in the development of third-generation mobile systems.
ARIB basically serves as a standards developing organisation for radio
technology.