Technical White Paper

4G MOBILE & FIXED SERVICES: NETWORK EVOLUTION OF TD-LTE

by Mark Altshuller, CTO, Telrad Networks
Telrad has recently conducted a series of workshops to discuss and strategize with our customers about the various
approaches to enable them to offer effective 4G services in their regions, with a particular emphasis on the role that TDLTE technology can play, and taking into consideration their existing network technologies. This paper summarizes the
findings of these efforts, in order to provide clarity on all aspects and considerations pertaining to the potential
deployment of TD-LTE technology.
This paper targets Operators who have deployed or are planning to deploy Mobile and Fixed BWA (Broadband Wireless
Access) networks.

Table of Contents
1.

Executive Summary: A New Reality ............................................................... 2

2.

At a Glance: Telrad Recommendations for FMC over LTE ............................. 2

3.

LTE Industry Trends ........................................................................................ 3

4.

5.

6.

3.1

FD vs. TD-LTE: Commonalities and Differences ..................................... 3

3.2

LTE Ecosystem Evolution and Device Availability .................................. 4

3.3

LTE Services Evolution ............................................................................ 5

Mobile vs. Fixed Services: Industry Trends .................................................... 6

4.1

WiMAX Unique Fixed Services ............................................................... 6

4.2

WiMAX to TD-LTE Transition Roadmap ................................................. 7

Fixed and Mobile Convergence ...................................................................... 7

5.1

Radio Deployment Rules and Constraints.............................................. 7

3.4

How Radio Networks May Be Converged ............................................ 11

3.5

How CORE Network May Be Converged .............................................. 12

Conclusion: The Telrad Value Proposition ................................................... 13

www.telrad.com

1. Executive Summary: A New Reality

In the past there was a clear boundary between mobile networks using 2G and 3G technologies on the one
hand, and fixed BWA networks using proprietary and WiMAX technologies on the other. The market acceptance
of 4G LTE technology has created a new reality, known as Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC), where Operators
may now consider using the same LTE technology to enable convergence of infrastructure for both mobile and
fixed services across their network.
The target of FMC was well summarized by Graham Finnie, Senior Analyst at Heavy Reading: FMC promises to
obliterate some of the physical barriers that now prevent telecom service providers from reaching all of their
potential customers with all types of services. This goal is correct, and certainly attractive, but Operators should
also take into account the very real constraints related to industry timing, ecosystem maturity, radio
characteristics, frequency availability, application types and other concerns. This paper addresses each of these
constraints, and provides guidelines for the Operator when considering FMC for their network.
Telrad Networks has more than 15 years of experience in the development and deployment of broadband
wireless solutions for both fixed and mobile applications. This paper summarizes our vast experience in the
industry and is based on nearly 300 commercial deployments of 4G networks.

2. At a Glance: Telrad Recommendations for FMC over LTE

Here are the highlights of our key conclusions and recommendations for FMC over LTE:
-

Offloading Fixed Services from Mobile Frequencies Using dedicated frequency for fixed services and
avoiding the need for low frequency reuse for fixed. The recommended way is to utilize TDD 2.x and 3.xGHz
spectrum if available. Using mobile and fixed on the same frequency channels with low reuse leads to
unmanaged service degradation and ultimately may negatively impact the business of the Operator.

Fixed and Mobile Radio Deployment Evaluate high diversity radio systems vs. high power base stations.
As explained in this whitepaper, a combination of high diversity with the correct transmit power level will
bring a better SNR regime and will enable better system performance. In addition, lower power systems
with high diversity significantly save OPEX and CAPEX.

Consider Differentiations Between Mobile and Fixed End-to-End Services, along with Different Grades of
Service While the mobile user expects simple IP connectivity everywhere, but is tolerant to service
degradation, the fixed user expects 99.999% carrier grade service and enabling Data, PSTN, L2 connectivity
and other specific requirements. In order to successfully combine both needs, the Operator should consider
ecosystem support, technology maturity and various solutions impacting price levels.

Many Operators are using WiMAX BreezeMAX systems deployed over the last ten years by Alvarion. These
Operators have a clear roadmap and opportunity with Telrad for enabling TD-LTE based on the BreezeCOMPACT
solution as part of our transition program (for further details, contact your local account representative).
Telrad Networks' BreezeCOMPACT solution, supporting TD-LTE bands 40, 41, 42 and 43, is a perfect solution to
comprehensively address all the needs for fixed BWA and mobile data-centric applications, offloading spectrumlimited FDD networks.

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3. LTE Industry Trends

3.1 FD vs. TD-LTE: Commonalities and Differences
LTE technology was adopted by the global telecommunications community as a next generation of the cellular
technologies defined by the 3GPP standards body. Commonly called 4th Generation (4G), LTE comes after
previous generations: 1G: AMPS/NAMPS; 2G: GSM/GPRS/TDMA/CDMA95; and 3G: UMTS/HSPA/EVDO.
Three generations built on sub-2GHz FDD. Historically, all previous generations used the paired frequency
allocations of FDD (Frequency Division Duplex), since the common service was voice, which has symmetrical
behavior in both directionsDownlink (DL) and Uplink (UL). In addition, all cellular technologies historically used
sub-2GHz spectrum (up to 2.1GHz for UMTS), since a low frequency has better signal propagationenabling
better coverage and in-building penetration for a particular cellular deployment.
WLL and BWA Niche Market Evolution. In parallel to the cellular mobile industry, the Wireless Local Loop (WLL)
and Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) industries developed as much smaller niche markets. Both WLL and BWA
solutions are used to provide connectivity services for various fixed and nomadic applications such as
residential, business, industrial and more. Due to the limited frequency availability in the sub-2GHz range, along
with the high prices required by most local regulators, the WLL and BWA industry players started using above2GHz spectrum of 2.x, 3.x and 5.x (known as the sub-6GHz spectrum). The sub-6GHz spectrum inherently has
significantly more bandwidth (about 1,800 MHz in total) and is much more affordable than the sub-2GHz
frequency bands used for the cellular industry. Because of physical limitations in using this spectrum for cellular
mobile (voice) applications, these frequencies were targeted by applications enabling LOS (Line of Sight) and
Near-LOS deployments with high-gain antenna CPEs (Customer Premises Equipment).
In the beginning, WLL and BWA were based on proprietary technologies and used FDD, since the main services
were voice (telephony) and narrow band data. Due to relatively high market prices, these technologies were
introduced to limited niche markets where the business case was valid or local government subsidized the
telecommunication infrastructure (these conditions were met mainly in remote areas, as a replacement for
wireline infrastructure, or leapfrogging wireline infrastructure where none existed).
Emergence of WiMAX and TDD. In practice, the big push for BWA use began with the key market players
adoption of the WiMAX technology based on the IEEE802.16e- 2005 standard, which standardized the air
interface and enabled open and competitive CPE and other end-device choices. As a result, the prices dropped
dramatically and the technology enabledfor the first timereal broadband speeds of 10 Mbps per user and
higher. For the first time, standard technology for licensed bands adopted Time Division Duplex 1 (TDD)
technology. Because TDD allows flexibility for asymmetric allocations between DL and ULcalled TDD split
TDD technology better fits data/internet traffic behavior, which thus became the main BWA service. The WiMAX
market focused on 2300-2400, 2496-2690 and 3300-3800 frequencies, and the major market push was led by
large Operators like Clearwire in the US (backed by Sprint), UQ in Japan (backed by KDDI), KT in Korea, and Yota
in Russia, who adopted the technology as a first 4G Mobile/Nomadic service, thereby advancing LTE by 3 to 5
years.
Following the road that was trailblazed by WiMAX, LTE 3GPP for the first time adopted TDD mode alongside FDD
and therefore currently LTE is running as a common standard for both FDD and TDD. The adoption of TDD is
sponsored mainly by China Mobile, which has TDD spectrum allocation in China (using 3G TDD Chinese
technology TD-SCDMA) and has made a strategic decision to play a leading role in adopting TDD mode for LTE
industry-wide. As time progressed, the large WiMAX Operators, mentioned above, joined China Mobiles
initiative and established an Operators group called GTI (Global TD-LTE Initiative), to promote TD-LTE as part of
the LTE global industry (the groups stated main purpose is to enable support of multimode devices for TDD and
FDD).
Table 1 shows the TDD bands defined by 3GPP, which overlap currently used WiMAX bands.
1

Note: Wi-Fi/WLAN uses TDD technology as well, but running over unlicensed bands.

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LTE Band

WiMAX reference name

Frequency Range (MHz)

40

2.3GHz

2300 2400

41

2.5GHz

2496 2690

42

3.5GHz

3400 3600

43

3.6GHz

3600 3800

Table 1 - TDD LTE bands and corresponding WiMAX reference name

FDD and TDD are two modes of the same 3GPP releases and therefore there is no difference between the two
modes from the feature scope perspective. The differences are a result of the physical interface capabilities,
which are summarized in Table 2.
Capability

FDD

TDD

Traffic pattern (UL & DL)

Symmetric

Asymmetric (per TDD split)

Frequency allocation and

limitations

Requires paired frequency and guard

band between DL & UL for full isolation
(>100 db)

May use continuous spectrum (no guard

band required) if the neighbouring systems
are synchronized. Guard band required with
adjacent FDD systems. More flexible
spectrum allocation than FDD

LTE throughput (channel: 20Mhz) For 20+20, Total of 40MHz

(for UE: 1Tx X 2Rx)
DL: 120Mbps,
for best conditions
UL: 50Mbps
(considered as theoretical)

Total of 20Mhz
DL: 104Mbps,
UL: 23Mbps

Spectral efficiency
(spectrum utilization)

~6.4 b/s/Hz

~4.2 b/s/Hz

Channel estimation (important for Low channel correlation, since running on High channel correlation, since running on
open loop radio capabilities, e.g. different frequencies
the same frequency
diversity, beam forming)

Table 2 - FDD and TDD modes comparison: physical capabilities

3.2 LTE Ecosystem Evolution and Device Availability

Wireless market adoption is mainly based on the end device ecosystem, which consists of device chipset
vendors (among them Qualcomm, Intel, Marvell, and Broadcom) and device manufacturers (such as Apple,
Samsung and others). Large manufacturers are focused on multimode capability support on the single platform
2G/3G and LTE.
In addition, pure LTE players, mainly small and mid-size companies, have entered the market. Sequans, JCT and
Altair are the LTE chipset vendors, with Sequans and JCT coming from the WiMAX industry. In terms of end
devices, many CPE manufacturers, mainly in Asia, introduced and continue to develop various LTE CPEs in
different form factors: USB dongles, desktop CPEs, outdoor CPEs, portable LTE/WiFi routers, etc. The majority of
these manufacturers originally produced similar CPE types for the WiMAX industry and switched to LTE.
The first LTE adopters were Verizon and AT&T in the US, and KDDI and SoftBank in Japan; all are utilising FDD
spectrum [although Soft Bank recently launched the first large-scale LTE TDD network2]. Thus, the initial LTE
ecosystem focused exclusively on LTE FDD mode, although that is gradually shifting. Still, during the last two
years, the majority of LTE deployments were on the FDD spectrum.
The LTE TDD (also called TD-LTE) mass market was expected to flourish because of large planned deployments in
China (China Mobile) and in India. Because the deployment process has been delayed in both China and India,
the growth of the TD-LTE ecosystem has not progressed as quickly as in LTE FDD space.

On February 24, 2012, SoftBank officially launched TD-LTE services in three target citiesTokyo, Nagoya, and Osakawhich had
been identified as the starting point for their network rollout. By the end of 2012, the SoftBank groups TD-LTE network had
attracted more than 260,000 customers.

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As of mid-2013, TD-LTE CPEs have been starting to appear in the marketfirst in 2.xGHz (band 40 and 41)
spectrum and recently in 3.5 GHz (band 42). The leading vendors for TD-LTE CPEs are mostly existing WiMAX
CPE manufacturers and chipset vendors:
-

Gemtek based on Sequans chipset, which enables dual mode WiMAX and LTE
Green Packet similar to Gemtek
Zyxel using Altair chipset
Huawei using their own proprietary technology

Telrad is cooperating with Gemtek for its CPE portfolio and leveraging WiMAX/LTE Dual Mode device capability
which enables a smooth software upgrade from WiMAX to TD-LTE.
Since the industry is still in its initial stages, all of todays TD-LTE CPEs are purely 3GPP-compliant and therefore
lack special features and capabilities required by BWA fixed applications as supported by the WiMAX industry.
Therefore, in many cases the Operator which currently uses WiMAX technology for fixed applications will not be
able to use LTE CPEs to achieve the equivalent capabilities to WiMAX.
In addition, since the LTE industry is still premature, the LTE CPE prices are 20% to 50% higher than for WiMAX
CPEs. Another reason for the higher prices comes from the fact that the WiMAX industry is royalty free, while
in the 3GPP/LTE arena, the royalty cost is considered by vendors to be part of the product cost. The assumed LTE
royalties value is about 10% of the market price, which at the end is passed on in the prices that the Operators
and ultimately end customers pay.
It is clear, however, that during the next 2-3 years the fixed CPE prices will go down significantly once the
volumes cross the 10 million units-per-year threshold.
During the next five years, it is expected that 2.x and 3.x spectrum holders will benefit from their spectrum
assets, as TD-LTE on these bands will be used widely for sub-2GHz band offload to address the rapidly growing
data demand. There is speculation that big Operators and chipset vendors will decide to support TD-LTE for
3.xGHz. This development will change the market dynamic on this spectrum. On 2.x bands the process already
happening, although with delays, as mentioned previously in the case of China Mobile.

3.3 LTE Services Evolution

LTE still has faces hurdles in achieving full replacement of the 2G and 3G networks in worldwide deployments.
-

Business Model there is no clear business model for mobile data services as operators are looking for the
ways NOT to be a pipe provider. There are a lot of initiatives in this area, but the new viable business
model still has not clearly emerged. Furthermore, LTE networks now support data services only, while voice
and SMS are still running on 2G/3G networks. This fact is slowing down the justification for LTE investment
as well. As a result, many Operators are enhancing and upgrading their current 3G networks for the real
service delivery and are investing in LTE for trials and/or limited deployments for marketing reasons.

Voice and SMS the majority of the revenues for MNOs (Mobile Network Operators) still come from voice
and SMS services. In 2G and 3G, the voice service runs over CS (Circuit Switch) domain, and the global
service model including worldwide roaming is well developed. In LTE, the industry standard intends to use IP
infrastructure for voice and SMS services and defined the VoLTE (Voice over LTE) framework which is based
on an IMS (Internet Multi-media System) solution. The VoLTE framework is still not fully finalized, however,
and the roaming model and interworking with the current CS network are not concluded. Also the current
devices with LTE support (such as iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy) do not support VoLTE. An additional
significant limitation: in the VoLTE solution, the framework consumes much more spectrum resources for a
typical voice call when compared to the legacy 2G/3G CS approach. So the lack of VoLTE finalization and
delayed adoption is slowing the overall LTE adoption as well.

Global Roaming one of the big issues in LTE adoption is the lack of international roaming. The complexity
results from the wide variety of spectrum bands supported by LTE. While in 2G and 3G a total of 5 bands are
used by most of the countries (700, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100), 3GPP defined 44 LTE bands. For example,
Qualcomm recently announced support for 6 LTE bands, which will allow roaming, but is still far away from

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the frequency band spread allowed for in LTE. On top of that, all mobile devices should support multitechnology platforms including 2G and 3G along with LTE, which further complicates the LTE roaming model.
The aforementioned factors are slowing the adoption of LTE and are also impacting the BWA industry
ecosystem.

4. Mobile vs. Fixed Services: Industry Trends

4.1 WiMAX Unique Fixed Services
In order to analyze the TD-LTE adoption for Fixed BWA applications, the difference between Mobile and Fixed
applications needs to be understood.
Mobile applications. The LTE Mobile Industry is focused on the capabilities to provide mobile services in a way
that is similar to how it is currently done in 2G/3G networks and therefore the following scope is relevant:
-

Mobility, including high speed mobility of 120 km/h and more

Roaming between Operators region and International networks

Using SIM/USIM for global authentication and service subscription

Integration with existing 2G/3G networks including inter-technology handover

capabilities and integration with existing CORE and backend systems

Support of voice and SMS services based on IMS, and allowing for global roaming

Support for various regulatory requirements such as 911

Fixed applications. On the other hand, fixed BWA applications, currently working on WiMAX technology (or
other proprietary alternatives), are focused on different capabilities and in many cases replicate the services
used for wireline connectivity to provide DSL-like service for consumers or connecting businesses/enterprises for
internal/external communication or enabling various feeding and connectivity applications (as an alternative to
fiber or other media):
-

Fixed and reliable connectivity

IP & Ethernet transparency to

enable easy Metro Ethernet, VLAN
or IP DHCP transparent capabilities
over wireless LTE media

Support for telephony-like services

over broadband wireless, using
cost-effective SIP-based solutions
vs. costly IMS-based service

Local secret credential, e.g. using

username/password (in WiMAX,
based on EAP-TTLS), simplifying the
operation for local connectivity (no
need for 3GPPs IMSI global
credential)

Figure 1 - Service Level Comparison Between

Mobile and Fixed Applications

Simplified CORE and QoS framework support, e.g. using simple AAA RADIUS-based solution (vs. 3GPP HSS
DIAMETER-based), enabling static or pre-provisioned QoS solution (vs. complicated and costly 3GPP PCRF
solution)

The aforementioned differences between mobile & fixed services are complemented by the varying service
levels expected by the end-customer as shown in Figure 1.
These service level gaps and varying requirements have tremendous impact on the choice of radio deployment
model and CPE types used, as will be further explained in the following chapters.

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4.2 WiMAX to TD-LTE Transition Roadmap

One of the challenges for the successful transition of WiMAX to TD-LTE is to have the aforementioned
requirements be supported over TD-LTE as part of the standard and to have that standard then be adopted by
the global industry.
Currently 3GPP is focused on the Mobile/Cellular industry.
The WiMAX Forum made a decision by October 2012 to define WiMAX Advanced Release 2.x specifications and
to allow TD-LTE to be the basic radio technology for WiMAX Advanced. In other words, WiMAX Forum has
defined the specification to allow WiMAX industry transition from WiMAX to TD-LTE.
Telrad is among the vendors who promote and contribute to support fixed BWA requirements as part of WiMAX
Advanced Release 2.x activity. Telrad is working closely with various vendors to support these requirements.

5. Fixed and Mobile Convergence

This chapter describes different levels of integration and convergence between fixed and mobile applications
over a unified LTE network. Operators must realize that such convergence is possible but not always
straightforward. Many operators have plans to use their LTE network for mobile services along with fixed
services. Making such a decision without understanding the various constraints may result in system failure,
service degradation, and as a result, customer dissatisfaction and negative impact on the business.
Telrads has many years of experience in the deployment of WiMAX systems for mobile and fixed services.
WiMAX and LTE have similar technology fundamentals using OFDM, MIMO and IP, and our extensive experience
with these technologies is reflected in the guidelines below.

5.1 Radio Deployment Rules and Constraints

Mobile and fixed networks use
different UE (User Equipment) types
(refer to Figure 2).
Handheld devices are related to the
most common UE types used in
mobile networks, and include
smartphones, USB dongles, personal
WiFi routers, and more.
Desktop modems are used for fixed
services,
mainly
for
private
consumers, as an alternative to

Figure 2 - UE types & associated coverage radius from Base Station site
residential wireline DSL, typically
supporting data service with
integrated WiFi router capabilities
and PSTN service using SIP VoIP
technology.

Outdoor UEs/CPEs are used for

very remote users or for high-end
customers (e.g. large businesses,
enterprises) for high quality
connectivity. The outdoor UE
typically has capabilities similar to
Figure 3 - Fixed vs. Mobile Deployment characteristics
a desktop modem. Due to the
nature of the target end users, outdoor CPEs commonly support a variety of LAN/L2 connectivity services, i.e.
802.1q, 802.1p, multiple VLANs, and VLAN tagging. Clearly the UE type has an impact on the radio deployment.

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Figure 3 shows the typical deployment aspect differentiations between mobile and fixed networks.
One of the crucial parameters impacting radio deployment is a difference in the radio signal propagation regime
between fixed and mobile deployments.
As shown in Figure 4, in the fixed
deployments (mainly with outdoor
CPEs), which use high gain
directional antennas and are
installed above the rooftops, the
most common effect is the
interference impact between the
CPE and other Base Stations
(eNodeB) in the area using the
same frequency channel. Since
outdoor CPEs have strong transmit
power (common case) we have:
27dbm (Tx Power) + 15 dbi
(Antenna Gain)
= 42dbm (EIRP)
Therefore it may cause strong UL
interference toward other base
stations (BSs) in the area. In DL the
effect is similar, but directed

Figure 4 - Interference effect for Outdoor CPE

in Fixed BWA Deployment

Figure 5 - High and Mid-Power BSs in field testing

(BreezeMAX & BreezeCOMPACT)

towards the CPE itself. This results in the

Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) caused by
interference being higher than signal
strength itself (RSSI) and may reduce
significantly the performance and traffic
stability, which is crucial for fixed BWA
service.
In order to reduce SNR for fixed
deployments, Telrad conducted a
variety of simulations and field testing in
different environments to compare the
system's Spectral Efficiency with a high
power BS (37dbm power per port) vs. a
mid-power BS (30dbm power per port).
For high and mid-power BSs we used
Telrads 4Motion BreezeMAX BS and
BreezeCOMPACT respectively (Figure 5).

Both BreezeMAX and BreezeCOMPACT use 4x4 radios and the same software, therefore we assume no
difference between the different Base Stations algorithms. In addition, we made 4Tx diversity optimization of
the COMPACT to test the impact of the diversity on the performance. As shown in Figure 6 & Figure 7, the
measured RSSI on a CPE for the BreezeMAX was better, but spectral efficiency on the BreezeCOMPACT was on
average 15% higher.

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Figure 6 - CINR & SE comparison between BreezeMAX and BreezeCOMPACT

Figure 7 - SE histogram comparison between BreezeMAX and BreezeCOMPACT

The field tests actually confirmed our theoretical simulations that predicted that a mid-power BS with high
diversity and optimized diversity mechanisms may provide better performance than a high-power base station.
After many years of the industry using expensive high-power BSs, Telrad presents a new, more cost-efficient
deployment approach based on BreezeCOMPACT's high diversity, high performance solution.

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Figure 8 - The BreezeCOMPACT Value Proposition

On the other side of the deployment equation, mobile devices use low transmit power and OMNI low gain
antennas. In addition, a mobile device typically is located at street level or behind walls (indoor case). As shown
in Figure 9, the most relevant signal propagation regime for a mobile device is multipath diversity, while the
interference from other sites has lower
impact, since buildings, walls and other
obstacles provide good levels of
isolation. Thus good RSSI is a more
important factor for mobile devices.
For LTE deployment, however, the
recent trend to have a higher density of
cell sites based on small cells and
heterogonous
networks
(HetNets)
actually enlarges the SNR impact in
future deployments. In this case, lower
transmit power and high diversity
makes BreezeCOMPACT the ultimate
small cell deployment solution for the
mobile environment as well.

Figure 9 - Multipath and Interference for Mobile Devices

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To summarize, the Operator should consider radio deployment factors as follows:

Factor

Fixed

Mobile

Outdoor UE/non-massive Desktop UE:

Medium/Low: 1 - 2 Watt

BS Transmit Power

Desktop UE only:
High: 5 - 10 Watt

Frequency Reuse

High sensitivity for low reuse

BS Antenna Tilt

~ -3

Cell Edge Planning

Assumptions

High: 5 - 10 Watt

Low sensitivity for low reuse

~ -3 for overall coverage
~ -7 for near capacity extension

High RSSI/Good modulation in DL

Connectivity level

UL limited for Outdoor UE

DL limited for Desktop UE

UL limited

Drive Test

Not relevant

Good prediction of the service

Network Optimization

Outdoor UE accurate installation a must

Desktop UE close to correct window

On base station level only

Table 3 - Comparison of Fixed and Mobile Radio Deployment Factors

3.4 How Radio Networks May Be Converged

The convergence of mobile and fixed services under the same radio deployment is possible, but requires
consideration of the following principles.
-

Sufficient Spectrum Availability one of the major constraints in fixed BWA deployment is avoidance of
Low Frequency Reuse (or Reuse One). The reason, as explained above, is the level of interference, as a result
of which the SNR regime will be so problematic and unpredictable, that it will result in low system
utilization, end user dissatisfaction, unplanned infrastructure enhancements, and high maintenance costs.
Cell site densification for more capacity in low reuse increases the problem. The techniques used for low
reuse/co-channel interference such as fractional reuse and inter-cell interference coordination (ICIC) in
practice do not help much, as in BWA deployment the interference may come from remote sites and not
just from nearby neighboring base stations.

Mixing Mobile and Fixed customers under the same cell it is possible, however it should be taken into
account that fixed CPE's require fewer sites than mobile. Therefore, in order to enable ubiquitous cellular
coverage for mobile services,
additional cell sites are required.
In order to avoid interference
between the additional sites with
the sites that provide fixed BWA
service, it should be done on
separate
frequency
bands
(designated for mobile service
only). The concept is illustrated in
Figure 10.

The deployment approach shown in

Figure 10 may actually be considered
an offload solution of fixed service
from mobile, or vice versa.

Figure 10 - Conceptual Mobile & Fixed

Radio Deployment Convergence

When observing the current situation of most MNOs, they are limited in their available FDD spectrum in the sub2GHz range. In fact, most of the mobile LTE deployments in FDD are running Reuse One, which is sufficient for
mobile service. However for deployment of a complementary fixed BWA service, MNOs should consider

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additional spectrum. In this case, 2.xGHz and 3.xGHz spectrum can be used as good offload spectrum for fixed
BWA and for mobile.

3.5 How CORE Network May Be Converged

CORE network convergence has various levels:
-

EPC convergence it is possible to achieve convergence between mobile and fixed services. But most of the
Evolved Packet Core (EPC) solutions are much more expensive than are really necessary for fixed BWA
service. Telrad developed a unique Distributed Access Gateway (AGW) solution for WiMAX and LTE in
contrast to the common large centralized EPC. Our approach enables a better fit for converged fixed and
mobile services with much better economy of scale than typical solutions in the market (Figure 12)

Figure 12 - Telrad EPC Distributed Solution

-

Backend
Systems
and
IP
Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
convergence this mainly refers to
the necessary billing, CRM and
other backend systems. Here it is
clear that convergence may easily
happen in scenarios where both
mobile and fixed services share an
interface with the same Backend
and IMS systems.

The overall mobile and fixed converged

network using a combination of
Telrads Distributed CORE and Mobile
CORE is presented in the Figure 11.

FMC

Figure 11 End-to-End Fixed & Mobile LTE Converged Network

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6. Conclusion: The Telrad Value Proposition

In summary, Telrads vast experience in the deployment of fixed and mobile 4G solutions is a benefit to
operators who are navigating new LTE territory while maximizing the profitability of their WiMAX investments.
With more than 15 years broadband wireless experience and nearly 300 commercial deployments, the
company is well-positioned to offer Operators a clear roadmap for enabling TD-LTE based on the
BreezeCOMPACT solution.
The BreezeCOMPACT meets all the requirements for fixed BWA and mobile data-centric applications, offloading
spectrum-limited FDD networks. A high diversity, high performance solution, BreezeCOMPACT delivers a
revolutionary, cost-effective deployment approach.
-

Telrad's BreezeCOMPACT product family can be leveraged as a 2.3, 2.5, 3.5 and 3.6 GHz LTE offload solution
for Fixed and Mobile applications.

Telrad's WiMAX/LTE Dual Mode device capability (in partnership with Gemtek) enables a smooth software
upgrade from WiMAX to TD-LTE.

Telrad is a leader and the initiator for the fixed services solution over LTE to enable real convergence
between mobile and fixed services. Telrad is open for cooperation with other industry players (Operators,
Vendors) in order to build an open and efficient FMC solution.

For Telrads customers using 4Motion BreezeMAX we propose a mature roadmap for transitioning the
network to TD-LTE and enabling new business opportunities with our FMC approach.

Telrad is providing customers with professional services and consultation to help them effectively utilize
their TDD spectrum and the existing infrastructure investments.

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