Preface
In recent years, cellular voice networks have transformed into powerful packet-switched access networks for both voice communication and Internet access. Current 3.5G networks such as UMTS/HSDPA and CDMA 1xEvDO now deliver bandwidths of several megabits per second to individual users, and mobile access to the Internet from handheld devices and notebooks is no longer perceived as slower than a DSL or cable connection. Bandwidth and capacity demands, however, keep rising because of the increasing number of people using the networks and due to new bandwidth-intensive applications such as video streaming and mobile Internet access from notebooks. Thus, network manufacturers and network operators need to find ways to increase capacity and performance while reducing cost.
In the past, network evolution mainly involved designing access networks with more bandwidth and capacity. As we go beyond 3G network architectures, there is now also an accelerated evolution of core networks and, most importantly, user devices and applications. This evolution follows the trends that are already in full swing in the ‘fixed-line’ Internet world today. Circuit-switched voice telephony is being replaced by voice over IP technologies and Web 2.0 has empowered consumers to become creators and to share their own information with a worldwide audience. In the future, wireless networks will have a major impact on this trend, as mobile phones are an ideal tool for creating and consuming content. The ...
