UMTS (3G) Technology

2 days

Introduction to UMTS
Outlines the evolution of UMTS from GSM, its history and the differing Standards Organisations world-wide. The path takes us from GSM though GPRS to EDGE.

Spread Spectrum (SS) Techniques
A description of the different SS techniques available but concentrating on the Direct Sequence (DS) option. An Explanation of the basic DS elements, the RAKE receiver, Power control, Soft handover, Inter-frequency handovers and Multi-user Detection (MUD). Spectral spreading and scrambling codes along with processing gain (Gp) are explained.

UMTS Services
In this section we describe Bearer services, Tele-services, QoS and the four classes of service: Conversational - including Multi media (H323, H324, and IETF) as well as Adaptive Multi-Rate (AMR), Interactive, Streaming and Background classes. Circuit and Packet switched services are listed. The handover of different service types to and from GSM are described. Also covered are user, network, data and application security together with user and network authentication. The Virtual Home Environment (VHE) and wireless protocols are also introduced.

UMTS Interfaces and Protocols
This section describes the functions of the network elements in the UMTS system - comprised of the radio access network (UTRAN) and the Core Network (CN) elements - for both the Packet Switched (PS) and a Circuit Switched (CS) networks. We describe the open interfaces, Uu, Iub, Iu, Iur, Gu, Cu, and the application parts MAP, RANAP, RNSAP, and CAMEL, outlining their protocol stacks and functions.

Radio Interface Protocols
This section describes layers 2 and 3 in some detail. The major topics covered are the Media Access Control (MAC), the Radio Link Control Protocol (RLC), the Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), the Broadcast and Multicast Control Protocol (BMC) and the Radio Resource Control Protocol (RRC).

The UTRAN Physical Layer
A outline of the UMTS Physical Layer (Layer 1) - from logical channels through transport channels to the actual physical channels in both the uplink and the downlink. The topics covered are: User data transmission (in both the uplink and the downlink) on dedicated and shared channels, channel multiplexing, signalling control channels and Physical Layer Procedures.

Signalling Protocols
This section highlights the signalling protocol and its application in the three areas of Transport plane, Control plane and User plane interfaces.