3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells

Published by Analysys Mason (January 2008)

Dr Mark Heath Director of Research, Sound Partners Dr Alastair Brydon CEO of Sound Partners

Product overview

3G networks are still relatively new; just 6% of GSM/UMTS subscribers were on 3G networks at September 2007. In spite of this, the 3GPP standards body has already planned a series of enhancements to UMTS, which will increase throughput and capacity, improve coverage and decrease system delay. These enhancements include HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+ and LTE. Cellular infrastructure vendors are strongly promoting these enhancements to drive their sales, but there is uncertainty about what these technologies will realistically deliver and when, and if, they should be deployed.

3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells investigates the evolution options for mobile network operators, in order to identify the realistic timescales and capabilities of 3G enhancements. It considers how 3G network evolution will be affected by a number of key developments, including indoor base stations (especially femtocells), broadcasting networks (such as DVB-H), alternative wireless broadband technologies (such as WiMAX) and the emergence of network sharing.

3G Network Evolution from 2007 to 2012: HSPA+, LTE, WiMAX and femtocells reviews the current state of HSDPA and the services offered by operators, and then considers each of the key 3G enhancements, quantifying the services and customer usage profiles that can realistically be supported. The report models a typical 3G network in order to evaluate the match between service requirements and network capabilities, considering usage of each service type and the split of indoor and outdoor use. The report considers the best choice of 3G evolution path and assesses the broader implications of this for mobile network operators and equipment vendors.