2007/30 – 28.8.

2007

Bandwidth Efficiency of Wireless Networks of

WPAN, WLAN, WMAN and WWAN
Ing. Milan Šimek, Ing. Ivan Míča, Ing. Jan Kacálek, Ing. Radim Burget
Department of Telecommunications, Brno University of Technology,
Czech Republic
simek.mil@phd.feec.vutbr.cz, xmicai00@stud.feec.vutbr.cz, kacalekjan@centrum.cz,
burgetrm@feec.vutbr.cz

The paper deal with the IEEE standard wireless networks of WPAN, WLAN, WMAN and
WWAN. It makes a comparison of these standards mainly on the base of the bandwidth
efficiency and the bitrate quantities and gives out the total review of the present-day wireless
networks.

1. Introduction
Wireless networks are most frequently divided into four specific groups. The areas of
application and the signal range are the main criteria for this division (See Figure 1). The first
group, Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) defines wireless networks that have a
maximal signal range of 10 meters and these networks are used for the inter-connecting the
respective devices one another. The following group complies with the standard for the
wireless networks created for the range of one room or maximally one building. This group is
called Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) and its signal range is approximately 30 meters
indoors and 100 meters outdoors. The WLANs have come be to generally called the Wireless
FIdelity (WiFI), but this expression is not quite exact. The Wireless Metropolitan Area
Network (WMAN) is third group of the wireless networks. The network working in
accordance with this standard have a signal range of approximately 5 kms; they are used to
connect the user to Internet. This standard is often called Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access (WiMAX). The last group is the Wireless Wide Area Network (WWAN).
WWANs employ on the network infrastructure of mobile operators by means of which they
provide wireless connection covering a wide area much wider than the group mentioned
above.

Figure 1. Wireless networks division

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2. Quantities in Wireless Networks

The properties of wireless networks are determined by means of a great number of
quantities such as frequency band, channel bandwidth, number of channels used, bitrate,
signal range, bandwidth efficiency, modulation used and so on.

The bitrate (vp [bit/s]) quantity determines the number of information units transferred
over a transmission path in basic time units. The unit of the bitrate is bit/s. The bitrate is often
reffered to as transfer rate, channel capacity, maximum throughput, digital bandwidth
capacity or connection speed.

Bandwidth efficiency is the ratio of the maximum bitrate (bits/s) to the channel bandwidth
(B [Hz]). Its unit is the bs-1/Hz. The bandwidth efficiency expresses the quality of modulation
that is used to modulate the signal over a specific bandwidth while respecting the required
bitrate.
If the transmission system requires the 10 KHz bandwidth to transfer data at bitrate of 9
kbit/s, thus the bandwidth efficiency is 2,5 bs-1/Hz (See formula 2-1).

vp 9kbit / s
bandwidth efficiency = = = 0,9bs −1 / Hz (2-1)
B 10 KHz

At the beginning of each chapter, there is a table summarizing the main properties of each
system. The abbreviations in the appropriate tables are:

b [MHz] … frequency band

vp [kbit/s, Mbit/s] … bitrate
sr [m] … signal range (indoors/outdoors)
be [bs-1/Hz] … bandwidth efficiency

3. WPAN
WPANs work in the Personal Operating System (POS), whose maximum range is 10
metres at average maximally. These networks are characterized by low power demands and a
lower bitrate (units of Mbit/s). WPANs are used for the connection of small devices with each
other such as PDA or mobile handsfree. The possibility of the ad-hoc mode connection, that is
mode without any access point, is an advantage of these networks. The typical
representatives are the Bluetooth technology in accordance with the IEEE 802.15.1 standard,
High Data Rate WPAN – UWB (Ultra Wide Band) in accordance with the IEEE 802.15.3a
standard, and Low Data Rate WPAN – Zigbee in accordance with the IEEE 802.15.4 standard
[1].

3.1. Bluetooth - 802.15.1

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
Bluetooth v 2.0 2004 2,4-2,4835 2,1 10 2,1

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Bluetooth was the first wireless personal network. The Bluetooth Special Industry Group
(SIP) company has been interested in the Bluetooth technology development since 1998. The
Bluetooth works (the same as the WiFI technology in accordance with the IEEE 802.11
standard) in the unlicensed Industrial, Scientific and Medical (ISM) frequency band at 2.4
Gigahertz and for the transport it uses the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS)
technique. Bluetooth exists in several development versions 1.0, 1.2 and the youngest one 2.0.
The 1.2 version is currently the most exploited version and it is implemented in the majority
of Bluetooth devices. The bitrate reaches a value of 723kb/s with a signal rate of
approximately 30 metres. The new Bluetooth 2.0 Enhanced Data-Rate (EDR) version makes
use of the new pi/4-DQPSK modulation technique, which is able to increase the bitrate value
almost three times against the 1.2 version. The bitrate of the 2.0 version reaches 2,1 Mbit/s.
With the 1MHz bandwidth, the bandwidth efficiency of the 1.2 reaches the 0,723 bs-1/Hz
whilst the 2.0 version reaches 2,1 bps/Hz. This high value is acquired due to the pi/4-DQPSK
modulation technique. The performance of the Bluetooth technology is divided into three
classes depending on the signal range. Class 1 with the 100-metres, class 2 with the 10-
metres, and class 3 with the 1-metre signal range. These classes are valid for all Bluetooth
versions [2].

3.2. UWB - 802.15.3a

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
UWB 2007 (Eur) 4.8-10 480 10 0.96

The substitution of the fast wire connection at short distances by a wireless technology was
the aim of the designing the Ultra Wide Band (UWB) technology. Bitrates of a hudreds of
Mbit/s were a condition for the implementation of this technology. Using a wide range of the
frequency band without interfering with the original technologies is the basic principle of the
UWB technology. In the USA, this system was permitted in 2004 in the frequency band of 3,1
GHz – 10 GHz with the -42,3 dbm/MHz power signal. In Europe, the UWB technology is an
absolute novelty, because the Europen Commission permitted this system in February 2007 in
the frequency band of 4,8 Ghz – 6 GHz with the -42,3 dbm/MHz power signal (See Figure 2).
The UWB has no tendency to interfere with other technologies and it is very safe against
snooping. The UWB has found application in fast home networks for video or audio data
transport, for digital camcorders, high-resolution printers, and so on [3].

Figure 2. UWB frequency diagram

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3.3. Zigbee – 802.15.4

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
Zigbee 2004 2,4-2,484 250 10 0.125

The Zigbee technology is designed for the connection of low-power devices, the same as
the two technologies mentioned above. The signal range depends on the antenna used and is
75 metres at the maximum. This technology uses the multihop ad-hoc routing that allows
communication in a wider range without direct sight distance. The Zigbee also serves for
creating larger wireless networks not demanding high data throughput. The most important
advantages are reliability, easy implementation, low power consumption, low price (the price
of the transceiver integrated circuit is approximately 4 $ - June 2007) and the high value of
the SNR. It works in frequency bands of 858 MHz with a theoretical bitrate of 20 kbit/s
(Europe), 902-998 MHz with a theoretical bitrate of 40kbit/s (USA), and 2.4 GHz with a
theoretical data rate of 250 kbit/s (worl-wide). The data signal is modulated by means of the
O-QPSK modulation and for the spreading of the spectrum it uses the Direct Sequence Spread
Spectrum (DSSS) technique. The bandwidth efficiency is approximately 0.125 bits-1/Hz [4.]

4. WLAN
The IEEE 802.11 standard was proposed for the WLANs. The first standard (802.11) was
released in 1997, works in the frequency band at 5 GHz with the raw data rate of 54 Mbit/s
and uses OFDM modulation. The media access method is Carrier Sense Multiple Access/
Collision Avoidance (CSMA/CA). The 802.11.x term is used to denote the set of amendments
to the standard. WLANs have a restricted signal range within the scope of the one building
and one room (indoor range is approximately 40 meters). The WLAN is created for example
by means of the connection of two computers together. The network operator of this network
is mostly its owner. Even if the development of the wireless network forward still to the
higher and higher bitrate values, this values still are not as high as the wire network are. In
present, the best values of the bitrate have a networks designed accordance with the 802.11n
standard that has the theoretical raw data rate of 540 Mbit/s [5].

4.1. IEEE 802.11.a

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.11a 1999 5 54 30/100 2,7

The 802.11 amendment to the original standard was released in October 1999. The
standard operates in the 5 GHz band and uses OFDM with a maximum theoretical raw bitrate
of 54 Mbit/s (30 Mbit/s typically). The bitrate is reduced to 48, 36, 24, 18, 12, 9, 6 Mbit/s and
for these values the different modulation technique are used (See Table 4-1-1).

Table 4-1-1. The 802.11a – Modulation table with the bitrate and signal range values

bitrate [Mbit/s] 6,9 12,18 24,36 48,54

modulation BPSK QPSK 16-QAM 64-QAM
signal range [m] 70 50 30 10

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To achieve these high values, the OFDM was used for the first time. Before then, this
multiplex technology was used only in the Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) and Digital
Video Broadcasting (DVB) systems. The high value of the bitrate (compared to the 802.11b
standard) is not the only advantage. Another advantage results from the operating frequency
band 5 GHz. This band has not such a great load as the 2.4 GHz band and allows using of
more non-overlapping channels. In Europe, the 5 GHz band is unfortunately used by the
HIPERLAN/2 (the WLAN competitor). The 5 GHz band is separated into two sub-bands with
different usage condition (See Table 4-1-2). The range 5150 MHz – 5350 MHz with 8 non-
overlapping channels should be used only indoors. The range 5470 MHz – 5725 MHz with
the 11 non-overlapping channels could be used indoors and also outdoors. This standard is not
back-compatible with the 802.11b,g standards. The bandwidth efficiency is 2.7 bits-1/Hz [5],
[6].

Table 4-1-2. The 802.11a sub-bands

range [MHz] number of channels usage
5150-5350 8 only indoor
5470-5725 11 indoor/outdoor

4.2. IEEE 8O2.11.b

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.11b 1999 2,4-2,484 11 35/110 0.55

The 802.11b amendment to the original standard was released in October 1999 (the same
as 802.11a). A specific subsection of this standard is called Wireless Fidelity (WiFi). WiFi
operates in ISM frequency band of 2.4 GHz and uses the Direct Sequence Spread Spectrum
(DSSS) technique with a maximum theoretical bitrate of 11 Mbit/s (6 Mbit/s typically). The
Complementary Code Keying (CCK) as a part of the DSSS is used to achieve this bitrate. The
DSSS divides the band into 14 overlapping channels with 5 MHz channel isolation, but this
division does not match the 25 MHz channel isolation condition. Thus, the only three non-
overlapping channels 1 (2412 MHz), 6 (2437 MHz), 11 (2462 MHz) can be used for the
communication (See Figure 3.)

Figure 3. The 802.11b channels

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The standard specifies the step-by-step decrease in the bitrate (if signal quality becomes an
issue) in these steps: 11 Mbit/s, 5.5 Mbit/s, 2 Mbit/s and 1 Mbit/s. This gradual decrease in
the bitrate is also known as Adaptive Rate Selection (ARS). The WiFi networks have a
leading position in the networks based on the 802.11 standard but for the absolute winning in
this field, some issues must be solved. These issues are a lower bitrate, interference with the
other systems working on the same band of 2.4 GHz (Bluetooth, microwave oven, etc.), any
QoS support and security of the communication. The set of amendments to the original
standard (802.11d, e, f, h, i, j) are proposed because of these issues [5], [6].

4.3. IEEE 802.11.g

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.11g 2003 2,4-2,484 54 35/110 2.7

The 802.11g amendment to the original standard was released in June 2003, works on the
same band of 2.4 GHz (like 802.11b) and also uses three non-overlapping channels. The basic
change against the 802.11b standard is reaching a theoretical maximum raw bitrate of 54
Mbit/s that is achieved due to using the OFDM modulation scheme with the MultiCarrier
Modulation (MCM). The Table 4-3-1 shows the modulation schemes used for different bitrate
values [6].

Table 4-3-1. The 802.11g modulation schemes

bitrate [Mbit/s] 1,2 5,5 and 11 6,9,12,18,24,36,48,54

modulation (DBPSK/DQPSK)+DSSS DSSS-CCK OFDM

In a network with only the 802.11g clients (without 802.11b clients), the bitrate values are
the same as in the 802.11a network are (approximately 25 Mbit/s), but if the network is shared
with Wifi clients, the bitrate is decreased (approximately to 8 Mbit/s). It is still a little bit
more than the WiFi has. The 802.11g standard is an interesting WiFi extension, but the
advantage of the back-compatibility with the 802.11b standard is paid by lowered bitrate
values. However, it still is the fastest network in the 2.4 GHz band [5],[6].

4.4. IEEE 802.11n

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [m] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.11n 2006 2,4/5 150 35/110 3.7

Work on the 802.11n standard dates back to 2004. Publication is currently expected in
September 2008 [6]. The 802.11n standard differs from the previous version (802.11a,b,g) in
the increased theoretical bitrate of almost 540 Mbit/s due to the Multiple Input Multiple
Output (MIMO) function. The devices working with this standard need to use two antenna
couples for transmitting and receiving the wireless signal. The standard can work in the 2.4
GHz and 5 GHz bands and should be adapted to the other standards. In January 2007, the
802.11n draft 2.0 was approved. Draft 2.0 was based on the Task Group's working draft
version 1.10. The mean change is the use of the 40 MHz channel, which makes the raw bitrate

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higher (the previous standards use the 20 MHz channel). For the back-compatibility, version
2.0 uses two 20 MHz channels. Devices working with this standard first scan the surroundings
and, in the case that there appears to be an older standard device, they switch to the only 20
MHz channel, which results in decreasing the bitrate, but still the MIMO technology will be
used.. In the present, the 802.11n standard is still not fully approved, it is expected in 2008
[5], [6].

5. WMAN
WMAN is the official name trademarked by the IEEE 802.16 Working Group on
Broadband Wireless Access Standards (BWA) for its wireless metropolitan area network.
Although the 802.16 family of standards is officially called WirelessMAN, the expression
Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) by an industry group called the
the WiMAX Forum is frequently used. The aim of the WiMAX is the providing the
broadband internet connectivity for WLANs and LANs with the wireless access point. The
WiMAX technology is often called the technology for the Last Mile Access (See Figure 4).
The first revision of the 802.16 standard was completed in 2001 and published 2002. The
bandwidth efficiency reaches the value at the 5 bits-1/Hz. These networks match with data
transfer, VoIP, videoconferencing and QoS requirements [7].

Figure 4. WiMAX – Last Mile Access

5.1. Wimax QoS

The Basic Station (BS) makes decisions about the number of dedicated channels and a
bitrate for the single service flow. Each service flow is assigned a specific QoS class:

UGS (Unsolicited Grant Service): Reserved bitrate (the same as the Constant Bit Rate
(CBR) in ATM technology).
rtPS (Real-time Polling Service): Service flow obtains an arbitrary bitrate. (Variable Bit
Rate (VBR) in ATM). This QoS class is used for VoIP
or MPEG video transmission.
nrtPS (non Real-time Polling Service): Guarantee of minimum bitrate.

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BE (Best Effort): No guarantee.

5.2. 802.16
name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.16 2001 10-66 134 5 4.5

This standard was released in December 2001. The standard works in the 10-66 GHz band,
with a Line of Sight (LOS) condition and reaches bitrate between 32 and 134 Mbit/s. It uses a
Single Carrier (SC) Physical (PHY) standard. Due to the LOS demand and the high
frequencies used, this standard has not found its place in the wireless network field [7].

5.3. 802.16a
name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.16a 2003 2-11 70 10 3.7

This standard was released in April 2003. The extension of the original standard consists
in the Media Access Control (MAC) and the physic layer parameter specification for the 2-11
GHz frequency bands. For this to be of use, it also requires a non-line-of-sight (NLOS)
capability, and the PHY standard was therefore extended to include OFDM and Orthogonal
Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA). The OFDM technology allows by-passing
the problems caused by the NLOS condition. Frequencies of 2-11 GHz allow a cheaper signal
coverage for more customers, but with lower bitrate values. For signal modulation, the BPSK
and 256-QAM are first used [7].

5.4. 802.16c
The standard was released in January 2003; it solves detailed implementation
specifications of the 802.16 standard and focuses on test protocols and procedures.

5.5. 802.16d – 2004

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.16d 2004 2-11 75 8 3

The standard is referred to as 802.16REVd or only 802.16d. At the present time, this
standard is properly referred to as 802.16 – 2004. The same as the 802.16a standard, it works
in the band of 2 – 11 GHz in order to be functional, it does not need the LOS. This standard is
uniformly referred to as “fixed WiMAX”. The networks operating in accordance with this
standard do not support mobile users. The 802.16d standard in a fact essentially summarizes
the specification contained in the 802.16a/c standards. It reaches a maximum bitrate of 75
Mbit/s and a high bandwidth efficiency of 3 bits-1/Hz [7].

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5.6. 802.16e – 2005

Name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
IEEE 802.16e 2005 2-6 30 5 1.1

The standard was approved in December 2005 and published in February 2006. This
standard is uniformly referred to as “mobil WiMAX” because it supports users moving at a
speed of up to 150 km/h, but at speeds of over 60 km/h, the bitrate becomes decreased. The
standard uses the narrower frequency channel (1.25-20 MHz) and works also in the lower
frequency band at 2—6 GHz, specifically 2.4-2.483 GHz, 3.4-3.6 GHz and 5.7–5.8 GHz. The
specification starts from the technical principles of the 802.16n standard, but it also includes
support for roaming and handover between cells. Because of overhead charges for these
functions, the standard exhibits lower bitrates (30 Mbit/s) and also a lower signal range (5
km) [7].

5.7. WiMAX advantages

The following Table 5-7-1 summarizes the Wimax Advantages from the ISP and customer
view point. Reference [8] is the source of this information.
Table 5-7-1. The WiMAX advantages

WiMAX advantages
ISP (Internet Service Providers)
the greater scale of data and voice
services Orfee
the connecting posibility of the
customers with the large distance from
the basic station
the co-operation with the customers
demanding the maximal bitrate and
serveability
the offering of the stable condition for
services due to using of the licensing
WiMAX technologies
Customers
the using of the data, voice and
videoconferencing services
the possibility of the Internet access in
the out of way places.
the stable and quaranteed services
the connection stability comparable
with the cable connection

5.8. WiBRO (Wireless Broadband)

It is a technology very similar to “mobile WiMAX”, which was launched in South Korea
in June 2006. It works in the bandoft 2.3 – 2.4 GHz with the channels of 8.75 in width, using
two MIMO antennas. It guarantees a bitrate of 30–50 Mbit/s per user with a signal range of 1-
5 km and mobility support to 120km/h. The WiBRO technology is used for voice, data and
multimedia services.

6. WWAN
WWAN provides for users the possibility to create wireless connection with remote public
or private networks. This connection is maintained in a wide geographic area (in a city e.g.)

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using the existing network infrastructure of mobile operators. For the WWAN, the 802.20
standard group was created, whose aim is the normalization of Mobile Broadband Wireless
Access (MBWA). The 802.20 standard originated as the competitor of the classical 2.5 and
3G mobile networks. The best known generation of WWAN mobile technology is shown in
Figure 5. Thanks to the application of existing mobile networks, the WWAN makes it
possible to facile voice transfer.

Figure 5. The review of mobile generation technology

6.1. GSM (Global System for Mobile communication)

name origin date b [MHz] vp [kbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
GSM 1992 900/1800 9,6 35 0,05

GSM belongs to the 2nd-generation mobile system. The European Conference of Postal
and Telecommunication Administrations (CEPT) and the European Telecommunication
Standards Institute (ETSI) have participated in the development of this standard. The first
GSM I standard was released in 1992 and it offered voice and basic data services (e.g. SMS),
international roaming, hand-over and blocking of talk and the encryption SIM card. The caller
and called participant identification, call holding and the extensive capabilities of data
services were added to phase 2 of the GSM standard – GSM II.
GSM networks operate in four different frequency bands. Most GSM networks operate in
the 900 MHz or 1800 MHz bands. Some countries in the Americas (including the United
States and Canada) use the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz bands because the 900 and 1800 MHz
frequency bands were already allocated [9].
The primary GSM (PGSM or GSM 900) uses the frequency band of 890-960 MHz which
is divided into two parts in accordance with the frequency band for the uplink and downlink:

Uplink (Mobile Station --- Base Transceiver Station) … 890-915 MHz

Downlink (Base Transceiver Station --- Mobile Station) … 935 – 960 MHz.
The band of 25 MHz is divided into 124 channels with 200 kHz interchannel frequency
displacement.

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The GSM 1800 uses the frequency band of 890-960 MHz:

Uplink (Mobile Station --- Base Transceiver Station) … 1710-1785 MHz
Downlink (Base Transceiver Station --- Mobile Station) … 1805 – 1880 MHz.
The band of 70 MHz is divided into 374 channels.

The GSM system is most frequently divided into these 3 subsystems:

Base Station Sub-System: the base stations and their controllers
Network and Switching Subsystem: the part of the network most similar to a fixed network
Operating Support Subsystem: provides the setting and coordinates the whole system
function (operation, maintenance, failure repairing and so on).

The GSM system reaches a maximum bitrate of 9.6 kbit/s. A disadvantage of this system is
the low operating capacity, worse quality of the voice transfer, and lower bitrate values [9].

6.2. GPRS (General Packet Radio Service)

name origin date b [MHz] vp [kbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
GPRS 1997 900/1800 80 35 0,4

GPRS is a technology allowing data transfer to the existing GSM users and belongs to the
2.5 generation of mobile systems. The GSM Release 97 standard was the first standard
including the GPRS technology. GPRS is packet-switched, which means that the transfer
medium can be shared by several users simultaneously. The bitrate of data transfer is not
guaranted because the GPRS works in the GSM networks, where the voice transfer has a
higher priority. The GPRS user pays only for the data transfer volume, not for the time of the
transfer medium usage. For the data transfer function, the GPRS technology implements the
new network facilities [10]:
SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node): The main task is the scanning of mobile users in
the appropriate cells, taking care of the security and packet forwarding.
GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node): It is a “gateway” routing the packet from the
external network to the mobile network.
PCU (Packet Control Unit): It is connected to the Base Service Control (BSC) and
provides data services for the whole BSC area.
CG (Charging Gateway): CG provides the data for user accounting.
The devices (PCMCIA cards, mobile phones) are divided into three classes
(See Table 6-2-):

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Table 6-2-1. Classes of the GPRS devices

Class A Support of the simultaneously voice and date transport. This function is called Dual
Transfer Mode (DTM)
Class B These devices can not the simultaneously transport of the voice and data. It is
transferred either voice or data whereas the voice has the higher transport priority.
The most of the present mobile phones belong to this class
Class C Support of the data transport only (PCMCIA cards e.g.)

The bitrate depends on the Coding Scheme (CS) used. The GPRS system uses four CS and
the appropriate CS is selected in terms of the Signal-to-Noise ratio (SNR) in order to achieve
maximum bitrate. Table 6-2-2 shows the dependence of the CS used [10].
Table 6-2-2. The GPRS coding schemes and bitrates

coding scheme CS-I CS-II CS-III CD-IV

bitrate [kbit/s] 8 12 14,4 20

The maximum bitrate depends on the devices used, because it depends on the number of
timeslots used for the downlink and uplink direction (or for both direction), which the mobile
device can use. The most common mobile phones (class 10) use 4 timeslots for downlink and
1 for uplink direction (4+1 configuration). A bitrate of 80 kbit/s is reached if the coding
scheme CS – IV is used together with the mobile phone in the 4+1 configuration [11].

6.3. EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for Global Evolution)

name origin date b [GHz] vp [kbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
EDGE 2003 900/1800 200/100 30 1,2

EDGE belongs to the 2.75 generation of mobile systems. This system offers several
improvements which allow reaching high values of bitrate and bandwidth efficiency. The
main idea was to use of 8-Phase Shift Keying (8-PSK) while the GSM and GPRS systems use
the Gaussian Minimum Shift Keying (GMSK).
The EDGE system involves two parts:
Enhanced GPRS (EGPRS): for the packet-switched networks
Enhanced Circuit Switched Data (ECSD): for the circuit switched networks
Practically, the EDGE system reaches a maximum bitrate of 200 kbit/s for the downlink
direction and 100 kbit/s for the uplink direction (with the 3+2 timeslots configuration) [12].

6.4. UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System)

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
UMTS 2000 1,8-2,2 2,048 2 0,4

UMTS is a system of the third mobile system generation, which was proposed by the
International Mobile Telecommunication in the IMT-2000 standard (in the year 2000). The
first standard was proposed in 1999. The Wideband Code Division Multiple Access

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(WDCDMA) technique is used for the access to the transport medium. The UMTS system
applies several modulation types; for example the T-Mobile company uses the Time Division
Duplex (UMTS-TDD – only for the data transfer) in comparison with the O2 company, which
uses the Frequency Division Duplex (UMTS-FDD). The UMTS system works in the 2 GHz
frequency band. The bitrate values depend on the speed of movement. The theoretical bitrate
value for the static movement is 2048 kbit/s, but the UMTS system practically reaches a
bitrate of 400 kbit/s. Table 6-4-1 presents the bitrate values in dependence on the speed of
movement of the receiving device.

Table 6-4-1. Table of the speed and the bitrate dependencies in UMTS system
speed [km/h] 0 5 150
bitrate [kbit/s] 2048 384 144

These values are only theoretical and they are not achieved in reality. The main problem in
the UMTS system is the packet delay and jitter. Because of this issue, the HSDPA/HSUPA
technologies were drafted [13].

6.5. HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access)

name origin date b [MHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
HSDPA 2004 873/1900 14,4 6 2,8

HSDPA belongs to the 3.5 generation of mobile systems. The HSDPA system should reach
the maximum bitrate of 14.4 Mbit/s for the downlink, but again it is only a theoretical value.
In practice, this system exhibits bitrates of about 2 Mbit/s for downlink direction and 384
kbit/s for uplink direction. It could be used with the UMTS-TDD and the UMTS-FDD
systems. For modulation the QPSK and 16-QAM modulation technology are used. For the
data transfer 15 frequency channels with 5 MHz in width in the band of 873 MHz and 1.9
GHz are used [14].

6.6. HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access)

name origin date b [MHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
HSUPA 2005 873/1900 1,45 5 0,4

HSUPA belongs to the 3.75 generation of mobile systems. This technology offers higher
bitrate values and lower jitter. It is an extension of the classical third generation systems that
allows sending data at a bitrate of 1.45 Mbit/s for the uplink direction. HSDUA is another step
in the implementation of the fully mobile broadband internet.

6.7. MBWA 802.20

name origin date b [GHz] vp [Mbit/s] sr [km] be [bps/Hz]
MBWA 802.20 2002 <3 1 / 0,3 12 1,0

Providing a technology that will compete with the 2.5G and 3G networks was the reason
for creating of 802.20 standard. The biggest advantage of this standard is the connection
capability in networks up to a speed of 250 km/h. The proposed standard should work in
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licensed band below 3 GHz with the NLOS and use frequency channels of 1.25 MHz – 40
MHz in width . For the recognition of the transfer direction, the TDD and the FDD techniques
are used. The bandwidth efficiency reaches 1 bits-1/Hz. With the channel of 1.25 MHz in
width it exhibits a bitrate of 1 Mbit/s for the downlink direction and 300 kbit/s for the uplink
direction due to the OFDM modulation technology used [16].

7. Conclusion
This compendium describes all the ordinary standards used for wireless connection with
respect to its attributes from the practical point of view. It can therefore serve also as a quick
reference guide when deciding which standard to use in specific conditions, to avoid of using
an functional yet inappropriate technology. Table 7-1 describes the main properties of
individual technologies.
Table 7-1. Summary of wireless networks
origin frequency signal bandwidth
name bandwidth bitrate modulation
date band range efficeincy
Bluetooth 2004 2,4 GHz 1 MHz 2,1 Mbit/s 10 m 2,1 bps/Hz GMSK
UWB 2007 4,8-10 GHz 500 MHz 480 Mbit/s 10 m 0,96 bps/Hz OFDM
Zigbee 2004 2,4 GHz 2 MHz 250 kbit/s 10 m 0,125 bps/Hz O-QPSK
outdoor/indoor
OFDM,
IEEE
1999 5 GHz 20 MHz 54 Mbit/s 100/30 m 2,7 bps/Hz BPSK,QPSK,
802.11a 16QAM, 64QAM
IEEE BPSK,QPSK,
1999 2,4 GHz 20 MHz 11 Mbit/s 110/35 m 0,55 bps/Hz
802.11b CCK
OFDM,
IEEE
2003 2,4 GHz 20 MHz 54 Mbit/s 110/35 m 2,7 bps/Hz BPSK,QPSK,
802.11g 16QAM, 64QAM
IEEE
2006 2,4/5 GHz 40 MHz 150 Mbit/s 160/70 m 3,7 bps/Hz MIMO
802.11n

IEEE QPSK, 16QAM,

2001 10-66 Ghz 28 MHz 134 Mbit/s 5 km 4,5 bps/Hz
802.16 64QAM
IEEE BPSK,QPSK,
2003 2-11GHz 20 MHz 75 Mbit/s 10 km 3,7 bps/Hz
802.16a 16QAM, 64QAM
IEEE BPSK,QPSK,
2004 2-11GHz 25MHz 75 Mbit/s 8 km 3 bps/Hz
802.16d 16QAM, 64QAM
IEEE BPSK,QPSK,
2005 2-6 GHz 20 MHz 30 Mbit/s 5 km 1,1 bps/Hz
802.16e 16QAM, 64QAM
downlink/uplink

GSM 1992 900/1800 MHz 200 KHz 9,6 kbit/s 35 km 0,05 bps/Hz GMSK

GPRS 1997 900/1800 MHz 200 KHz 80 kbit/s 35 km 0,4 bps/Hz GMSK

EDGE 2004 900/1800 MHz 200 KHz 200/100 kbit/s 30 km 1,2 bps/Hz 8-PSK

1885-2200
UMTS 2000
MHz
5MHz 2048 kbit/s 2 km 0,4 bps/Hz QPSK

HSDPA 2004 873/1900 MHz 5MHz 14,4 Mbit/s 6 km 2,8 bps/Hz QPSK, 16-QAM

HSUPA 2005 873/1900 MHz 5MHz 1,4 Mbit/s 5 km 0,4 bps/Hz QPSK, 16-QAM
1024/300
IEEE 802.20 2002 < 3,5GHz 1,25 Mhz
kbit/s
12 km 1,0 bps/Hz OFDM

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8. References:

1. HEILE, B.: IEEE 802.15 Working Group for WPAN, IEEE, Inc., 2007 online:
<http://www.ieee802.org/15>
2. Bluetooth SIG, Inc.: Bluetooth, Bluetooth SIG,Inc, 2007, online:
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3. JupiterMedia Corporation: The Source for Ultrawideband Business and Technology,
JupiterMedia Corporation, 2007, online: <http://www.ultrawidebandplanet.com/>
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<http://www.zigbee.org >
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12. Tech FAQ: What is Edge?, Tech FAQ, 2007, online: <http://www.tech-aq.com/edge.shtml>
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umts-forum.org, 2007, online: <http://www.umts-forum.org/>
14. SLIDEN F.: What is HSDPA?, Conjecture Corporation, 2007, online:
<http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-hsdpa.htm>
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<http://www.hsupa.com/>
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