ARTICLE SEPTEMBER 2002

FIGHTING FOR LEADERSHIP IN 3G TECHNOLOGY

European leadership in mobile phone networks has been so far a major technological asset. European GSM digital mobile phone technology has become the de facto world standard - despite some reservations in the USA. And Europe is leading the way with next - so-called 2.5 - generation EDGE (enhanced data for GSM) and even faster GPRS (general packet radio service) technologies. GPRS uses packet switching rather than the circuit switching, making it possible to offer an always-on service (in a similar way to ADSL for fixed line connections) and then charge for data transmitted.

However, while businesses may find the new generation of technologies appealing, particularly for mobile office applications and intranet access, there is some doubt about consumer relevance. Commercial viability will depend increasingly on more sophisticated mobile devices - from laptop computers to smart phones. And their success in turn will depend on the availability of high added value mobile services such as intranet and Internet access, banking and information services, as well as games, mobile-shopping and multimedia - including music, video and multimedia messaging services (MMS), the high tech successor to SMS that will offer image exchange.

There is also likely to be keen competition between the somewhat disappointing WAP (wireless access protocol) based services already available in Europe and I-Mode, which has been developed in Japan and is already to be found in Germany and the Netherlands.

But it is 3G technology that should really boost the market for mobile phones and more sophisticated devices. UMTS is the European name for a technology that is designed to offer:

• Far higher data transmission and reception rates than current mobile phones - initially at 144 kb/s but aiming at 2 MB/s;
• Global compatibility - allowing devices to be used anywhere in the world;
• High security - using smart card technology

Several MEDEA+ projects are therefore targeting development of the requested technologies to meet these challenges - from RF circuits to more secure SIM cards.

In theory, UMTS roll out will start already this year - but the high cost paid for the licences and the infrastructure costs to come are heavy burdens for the mobile telecommunications operators, with several operators delaying roll out or even withdrawing completely in the last two or three months. Figures of ? 100 billion for licences and similar amounts for infrastructure have been quoted.

A series of MEDEA+ application projects has been put together on high-speed communications, at the conjuncture of mobile phone and wireless communications within the office or home network. These projects involve the platforms both for mobile devices and for the base stations required.

This work involves developing the architectural platforms and microelectronic building blocks that not only span the applications areas from GSM to 3G UMTS but are already suitable for use in mobile terminals for the fourth generation (4G) - such as the work proposed in the MEDEA+ A107 4G Radio project. This implies that the technologies developed must be able to provide data transfer rates well above the 3G rate of 2 Mb/s in a multi-mode and multi-standard context while offering, smaller, cheaper and more reliable devices combining both digital and radio-frequency analogue signal processing.

The goal of the MEDEA+ A104 SCUBA project is boost the application of UMTS phones by developing innovative, easily and cheaply produced key functional elements for base stations to facilitate their access to the worldwide communications network. This is a key area for Europe to ensure that it remains competitive in the global market for mobile phone infrastructure - some 300,000 UMTS base stations are expected to be installed in Europe over the next few years.
SCUBA involves a consortium of telecommunications equipment manufacturers, research institutes and chipmakers. There are two main tasks: to develop better signal processing devices to optimise frequency spectrum use and able to work with new more efficient power amplifiers to guarantee quality of service; and to develop a new dedicated but reconfigurable, co-processor architecture to improve access to the multiplexer devices used to connect the base stations to their radio network controllers. The knowledge gained should help contribute to evolving standards in this area as well as helping focus European research efforts on the industrial requirements of tomorrow.

The MEDEA+ A108 SUPERSTAR project is developing a universal silicon platform for secured professional communications applications in Europe, Asia and North America. This project set out to enhance the development of multi-mode and multi-band digital secure mobile radio communication chipsets for volume production. Particular emphasis is being put on use of advanced technologies, such as RF, silicon-germanium (Si-Ge) and silicon on insulator (SoI) processes. Such chipsets are intended to meet the communications needs of public authorities, utilities, airport, transport and private security services. Parallel work on SiGe technology for use in portable terminals handling voice, image and data transmission is going on in the MEDEA+ T204 ASGBT project.

Current private mobile radio (PMR) and public access mobile radio (PAMR) standards are out of line with GSM/UMTS specifications, often requiring assembly of hundreds of discrete components in a typical digital terminal. And, while it is not possible for GSM or UMTS type components to fit PMR specifications, such as the ETSI TETRA (Terrestrial Trunked RAdio) standard, the generic principles for multi-mode radio architecture and advanced process development are the same. So experience is being exchanged with the 4G Radio project.