Cellular Network Standards Flashcards

1
Q

Cellular networks

A
  • Mobile devices - “Cell” phones
    • Separate land into “cells”
    • Antenna coverages a cell with certain frequencies
  • 2G networks
    • GSM - Global System for Mobile Communications
    • CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access
  • Poor data support
    • Originally used circuit-switching
    • Minor upgrades for some packet-switching
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2
Q

GSM

A
  • Global System for Mobile Communications
    • Mobile networking standard
  • 90% of the market
    • Originally an EU standard - Worldwide coverage

• Used by AT&T and T-Mobile in the United States
• Move your SIM card (Subscriber Identity Module)
from phone to phone

  • Original GSM standard uses TDMA to multiplex calls
    • Everyone gets a little slice of time
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3
Q

Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA)

A

• Multiple streams are combined into a single stream, and then broken out again - “Muxing”

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4
Q

CDMA

A

• Code Division Multiple Access
• Everyone communicates at the same time
• Each call uses a different code
• The codes are used to filter each call on the
receiving side

  • Used by Verizon and Sprint
    • Handsets are controlled by the network provider
    • Not much adoption elsewhere
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5
Q

4G and LTE

A

• Long Term Evolution (LTE) - A “4G” technology
• Converged standard (GSM and CDMA providers)
• Based on GSM and EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for
GSM Evolution
• Standard supports download rates of 150 Mbit/s

  • LTE Advanced (LTE-A)
    • Standard supports download rates of 300 Mbit/s
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