Mobile World

Intodution
Cellular telephone systems are a way of providing portable telephone services. Each phone is connected by a radio link to a base station. In turn, this is linked to the telephone network, which is the largest machine on the planet. There is nothing special about radio links - they've been used for scores of years. What is clever is that with a cellular system, each base station covers a limited area, and if a phone moves away, the connection is passed across to an adjacent base. This is called a hand-off, and allows mobility of phones, whilst permitting re-use of frequencies by base stations in nearby, but not adjacent, 'cells'. The size of cells varies from system to system and place to place. They can be from over 50 miles across on the analogue 'TACS' systems from Vodafone and Cellnet, to less than 500 metres in busy areas on the 'GSM 1800' networks, One2one and Orange. The smaller the cell size, the more users that can be fitted onto the network, and the less power the mobile handset needs to reach the base, so it and its batteries can be smaller and lighter. Unfortunately, small cell sizes means more cells, so more expense to install, and more problems covering remote, low-population areas. A cellular network is an expensive thing to build, and it costs well over £1,000,000,000 to get into this in a serious way. The four UK players in this game are all big, multi-national companies, who have big money to invest, or access to it from other sources.

About TACS
TACS is the traditional analogue mobile phone system, introduced in the 1980s by Vodafone and Cellnet at 900MHz. ETACS is the same thing, but includes some extra channels borrowed from military frequencies, which were added in congested areas when the networks found new cell sites undesirable. The system worked quite well enough for most people's needs. In fact, on a good connection, the clear, smooth sound of a TACS phone was more pleasant than the rather harsher sound of a digital phone.

About GSM
GSM is a digital equivalent to TACS, but using digitally encoded signals, which are not prone to eavesdroppers with "scanner" radio receivers. Vodafone and Cellnet have 900MHz GSM networks in the UK. Both networks are building fast, and GSM is now as widespread as the TACS systems, if a little more patchy. About PCN PCN is really an old marketing term, not a technology. The industry no longer refers to PCN at all, but instead calls it GSM 1800.PCN/GSM 1800 is the system that is most recent to the market. It is used by the One2one, Virgin and Orange networks. Vodafone and Cellnet also have frequencies allocated in this band, but it is not yet clear how they plan to use them. GSM1800 was designed and expected to become a mass-market system, and the Orange network is being built with a design capacity for many users. Generally, signal strength inside buildings can be a problem at these frequencies, but more transmitters are improving signal generally as they come on line. In some buildings it works better than 9800, though!

Introduction to Mobile Data
Market Growth Technologies-Circuit Switched Data-Packet Switched Data-Sub-Band Data Transmission-Shared Voice and Data-Wireless Modem Protocols-Wireless Security-Modem Pools-Internet Protocols Wireless Data Applications -Credit Card Devices-Parking Meters-Vending-Environmental Monitoring-Energy Management-Dispatch-Utility Monitoring-Wireless E-mail-Wireless Internet-Mobile Computing-Advertising-Vehicle Monitoring Services Mobile Data Systems -Cellular Data-DataTAC™-Mobitex-Cellular Digital Packet Data (CDPD) -Cellemetry(sm)-Aeris Microburst-Ricochet-FM Sub-band Signaling-General Packet Radio Service (GPRS)-Enhanced Data for Global Evolution-Enhanced Voice and Data Only (EVDO)-High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)-Wireless LAN Hot Spots Mobile Data Devices -Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) -External Modems (USB or Ethernet)-PCMCIA Air Cards -Embedded Radio Modules-Mobile Telephones -Multi-Mode Capability -Mobile Device Classes Services -Always-On Service -Stream Prioritization -Quality of Service (QoS)-Multicast Services -Location Based Services (LBS)-Circuit Switched Data -Packet Switched Data -Messaging Addressing -Mobile Device -Infrastructure Addressing-IP Addressing Future Enhancements -Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) Data -Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) Data -Wi-MaxIndex

About the Author

Mr. Lawrence Harte has over 29 years of experience in the electronics industry including company leadership, product management, development, marketing, design, and testing of telecommunications (cellular), radar, and microwave systems. He has been issued patents relating to cellular technology. He has authored over 75 articles on related subjects and has been a speaker and panel moderator at industry trade events. Mr. Harte earned executive MBA at Wake Forest University and received his Bachelors degree from University of the State of New York. During the TDMA digital cellular standard development process, Mr. Harte served as an editor and voting company representative for the Telecommunications Industries Association (TIA) TR45.3, digital cellular standards committee. As of 2003, Mr. Harte had authored and co-authored over 20 books relating to telecommunications technology. He has served as a consultant and expert witness for leading companies including Ericsson, Siemens, VLSI, AMD, Casio, Samsung, Sony, ATT, Nokia, Hughes and many others.
Description This book explains the basics of circuit switched and packet data via a variety of wireless mobile systems. Included are descriptions of various public and private systems that are used for mobile data and messaging services. You will learn the different types of systems that can be used for mobile data ranging from simple cellular data connections to mobile telephones to dedicated packet radio communication systems and how the cost of these systems can range from less than a few pennies per gigabyte to over $10 per kilobyte. In addition to traditional mobile data systems, wireless system operators are converting their voice, dispatch, and paging systems to two-way mobile data systems. This has resulted in a much lower cost of sending mobile data, and it has increased consumer awareness of the availability and reliability of mobile data services. Because the needs of voice and data communication are different, the operation of the mobile data radio is different. The reliability, cost, and bandwidth limitations compared to wired communication systems can significantly vary. This book provides an understanding of what some of the key differences between mobile data systems and services. You will discover that the key types of mobile data devices include external radio modems, wireless PCMCIA cards, embedded radio modules, and mobile telephones. External radio modems allow the customer to simply plug in their mobile data device to their USB or Ethernet data port to their desktop or laptop computer. Wireless data PCMCIA cards can be added to most laptop computers or embedded radio modules allow devices such as PDAs and Laptops to integrate high-speed wireless data. Some mobile telephones include both voice and mobile data capability. Mobile data devices can have single mode (data only) or they may provide for dual mode (voice and data) capability. You will discover how the mobile data system can have dramatically different data transmission rates. In introduction to the different types of mobile data systems is covered including cellular data, DataTac™, Mobitex, CDPD, GPRS, EVDO, HSDPA and WLAN hot spots is provided. You will learn the basic operation and components, how these systems operate and the basic services that they can prepaired.