Preface
Second generation telecommunication systems, such as GSM, enabled voice traffic to go wireless: the number of mobile phones exceeds the number of landline phones and the mobile phone penetration is approaching 100% in several markets. The data handling capabilities of second generation systems are limited, however, and third generation systems are needed to provide the high bit rate services that enable high quality images and video to be transmitted and received, and to provide access to the web with higher data rates. These third generation mobile communication systems are referred to in this book as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System). WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and its evolution HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) is the main third generation air interface globally. During the publication of the 5th edition, the number of WCDMA/HSPA subscribers has exceeded 500 million. It is expected that the 1 billion landmark will be passed in less than two years. There are over 300 commercial HSPA networks globally supporting peak data rates up to 42 Mbps. HSPA has grown to be the preferred radio network for providing wireless broadband access, for supporting an increasing number of smart phones and for offering high capacity and high quality voice service in an efficient way. This book gives a detailed description of the WCDMA/HSPA air interface and its utilization. The contents are summarized in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Contents of this book
The book ...
