Telecommunications

- Introduction -

MSc in Software Development

Dr. Dirk Pesch

Introduction
• Telecommunications covers hardware, software and
networking aspects
• Telecommunication today is at the boundary between
electronic engineering and computer science
• Telecommunications software covers about 80% of todays
telecommunication systems
• With increased number of telecommunication services and the
convergence of telecommunications and information
technology, software development will play the main role in
systems development
• The global telecommunication network is also the largest
machine ever built by mankind

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 1

 Telecommunication Networks
• Traditional Telecommunication Networks
– PSTN, ISDN
• Data Networks
– Public Data Networks – PSPDN (X.25), CSPDN
– Local Data Networks, IEEE802 LANs, FDDI
– Metropolitan Data Networks – MAN, SMDS, IEEE802.6
– Wide Area Data Networks - X.25, Frame Relay, ATM
– The Internet
• Wireless Networks
– Mobile communication networks
– Cordless communication systems
– Mobile satellite networks
– Fixed wireless networks
– Wireless LAN/MAN (IEEE802.11/802.16)

Public Switched Telephone Network

• Analogue end systems (telephone)
• Designed to carry voice service
• Data transmission capability based on modems at end
points (limited by 4KHz channel bandwidth)
• Switching uses digital technology today
• Network control signalling based on SS7
• Use of SS7 facilitates supplementary services
– Call waiting
– Call forward
– Conference calls, etc

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 2

 Integrated Services Digital Network
• ISDN is an all-digital transport and signalling system that
conveys user traffic and control signalling across the same
interface
• ISDN was designed to carry voice as well as data services in
one network
• ISDN is divided into a user-to-network interface and a
network-to-network interface part
• The UNI uses the Digital Subscriber Signalling System #1 to
manage calls and sessions between terminals in an ISDN
• The NNI uses Signalling System #7 to manage calls, provide
data base access and other features between switching nodes
within the core network

Local Data Networks

• IEEE802 series Local Area Networks
– Ethernet (IEEE802.3) up to GBit Ethernet
– Token Ring (IEEE802.5)
– Token Bus (IEEE802.4)
– Personal Area Network – Bluetooth, IEEE802.15
• Fibre Channel
• ATM LANs
– Third generation of LAN systems
– Addresses the need to carry multiple service on a LAN
– ATM LANs typically backbone for smaller LANs based on
first/second generation LAN technology
– Data rates up to 622Mbit/s possible

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 3

 Metropolitan Data Networks
• Metropolitan Area Networks
– IEEE802.6 Distributed Queue Dual Bus (DQDB)
• Slotted bus based system
• Physical layer provides access to twisted pair, coaxial or optical
fibre based transmission medium
• Data rates from 2Mbit/s to 622Mbit/s
• Used to carry the Switched Multi-megabit Data Service
• Facilitates ATM cell transport
– Fibre Distributed Data Interface
• Physical layer provides access to optical fibre based transmission
medium
• MAC layer similar to Taken Ring
– MANs based on optical fibre rings using SDH technology

Wide Area Data Networks

• X.25
– Defines layer 1 – 3. Based on a maximum line data rate of
64kbit/s
– Call control packets use same channel as data packets
– Both layer 2 and 3 use flow and error control
– Multiplexing takes pace at layer 3
• Frame Relay
– Developed to overcome data rate limitations of X.25
– Data rates of multiples of 64kbit/s possible
– Layer 2 and 3 are divided into control and user plane
– Multiplexing only at layer 2, thus eliminating one entire
layer of processing
– Protocols are based on ISDN protocols

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 4

 Wide Area Data Networks
• Asynchronous Transfer Mode
– ATM is a fast packet (cell) switching and transport
technology
– ATM is designed as a versatile technology for a range of
applications from WANs to LANs
– ATM is the basis of the future broadband ISDN
– ATM fulfils need for integration of a wide range of
teleservices on a common transmission and switching
platform
• TCP/IP based Internetworking

Telecommunication Services
• The telephone service
• Telematic services
– Facsimile, Teletex, Videotex, message handling service, multimedia
mail service
• Data transmission services
– Public data services over telephone network
– Packet and circuit –switched data service
– Data transmission on the ISDN
• Internet based data services
– File Transfer, Web browsing, E-mail, Network News, Chat, Talk, etc
• Call centre services
• Supplementary services and Intelligent Network services

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 5

 Convergence of Telecommunications and
Data Networks
• Universal acceptance of TCP/IP networking as the
future platform for an integrated services network
• Network transport for both real-time tele-
communication services as well as non-real-time data
services
• Telephony service – Voice over IP
• Multimedia services
– Streaming media – audio, video
– Videoconferencing (NetMeeting)
• Unified Messaging
• Legacy Internet services

Mobile Telecommunications Systems

• What are mobile communication systems
Any kind of radio based communication between two or more terminals of
which at least one is in motion or at unspecified locations and usually one
is fixed such as a base station
• A possible classification
–Radiophones (CB radio, walkie-talkies)
–Dispatching systems (taxi’s mobile radio systems)
–Radio paging systems
–Packet radio systems
–Radiotelephone systems - early mobile telephone systems
–Digital Cellular and Personal Communication Systems, e.g. GSM
–Cordless communication systems
–Mobile Broadband Systems
–Wireless Mobile Networks

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 6

 First Generation Cellular Systems
• Analog systems
• Based on Frequency Division Multiple Access
(FDMA)
• Modulation based on analog Frequency Modulation
(FM)
• Systems:
– Europe: NMT450/900, TACS/ETACS,
C-Netz, Radiocom 2000
– Japan: NTT, JTACS
– North America: AMPS

Second Generation Cellular Systems

• Digital systems
• Based on TDMA or CDMA
• Several digital modulation and coding schemes
• Systems:
– Europe (World): GSM900, GSM1800
– North America: IS54/136, IS95, PCS1900
– Japan: PDC
• Variations of above systems are evolving due to
regional needs for additional capacity and/or services

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 7

 Code Division Multiple Access
• CDMA uses spread-spectrum signalling where many narrow
band user signals are transmitted in a single wideband channel
• Spreading is achieved by using quasi-orthogonal signals or
codes
• Individual channels are defined by assigning them different
codes
• Two main types
– Direct-sequence (DS) CDMA
– Frequency hopping (FH) CDMA
• DS/CDMA has several key advantages over FDMA/TDMA
– increased diversity, RAKE reception, soft-handover, soft capacity,
location management, low power spectral density

2nd Generation Cellular System Parameters

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 8

 3rd Generation Cellular Mobile Systems
• Two main standardisation bodies - 3GPP and 3GPP2
• 3GPP develops UTRA/UMTS and 3GPP2 the
CDMA2000 system
• Radio access will be based on W-CDMA or CD/TDMA
(UTRA), EDGE/GPRS (GERAN), and MC-CDMA
(CDMA2000)
• Fixed network part is expected to be initially based on
evolved GSM/GPRS or IS-41D network and eventually
based on an all IP based network in UMTS Rel.5/6
• Other 3rd generation systems under development
– UWC - evolved US TDMA system based around EDGE/GPRS
– evolved DECT based system mainly for indoor applications

Cordless Systems

• Current systems are all digital systems based on TDMA

and time division duplexing (TDD)
• System standards
– Cordless Telecommunication 2 (CT2)
– Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT)
– Personal Wireless Telephony (PWT)
– Personal Handy-phone System (PHS)
– Personal Access Communication System (PACS)

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 9

 Cordless System Parameters

Mobile Satellite Systems

• INMARSAT/ICO
– large consortium involving major telecommunications companies and
operators from around the world
– MEO, TDMA/FDMA based, 12 satellites
• Iridium
– Motorola led consortium, Big LEO, TDMA based, 66 satellites
• Globalstar
– Loral-Qualcomm led consortium, Big LEO, CDMA based, 48 satellites
• Odyssey
– MEO, CDMA based, 12 satellites
• Teledesic
– Microsoft and Boeing, Big LEO, TDMA based, satellite based Internet
access, up to 840 satellites

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 10

 Wireless Local Area Networks
• Usually Operate in Unlicensed Frequency Bands - 2.4GHz,
5GHz
• Several Standards by standards bodies or by Special Interest
Groups (SIG)
– IEEE802.11 WLAN, IEEE802.11a/b/g
– ETSI HiperLAN1/2
– HomeRF SIG
– Bluetooth SIG
• Proprietary Systems
– Lucent WaveLAN @ 900MHz (old, non IEEE802.11 compliant)
– Motorola Altair @ 17 - 19GHz
• Wireless ATM (mostly prototype implementations)
– Prototypes - WATMNet, BAHAMA, Magic WAND, MEDIAN, AWACS
– Commerical - Alcatel 9900 WW
– WI-LAN 300-24

Wireless/Mobile Services
• Existing services
– Mobile telephony, incl. supplementary services
– Mobile data
• FAX, data transmission up to 14.4kb/s
• messaging services
• Future services
– Internet Protocol (IP) based services
• E-mail, WWW access (WAP), VoIP, other IP based services
• Data transmission at
– up to 2Mb/s (3G) and beyond
– up to 54Mb/s (WLAN)
– Messaging Services (instant multimedia messages)
– Push-to-Talk
– Multimedia streaming, video-telephony
– Location based services

© Dr D. Pesch, CIT, 2002 11