TD-LTE Wave

VOL. 14 ● NO. 1 ● ISSUE 138

03 Optimizing Operations to Give Customers Better Value 30 HetNet Jump-Starts Mature LTE

Commercializtion22 Hi3G: Leading the Era of LTE TDD/FDD Convergence

Special Topic

TD-LTE WaveSweeping Across the Globe

FEB 2012

New solutions and opportunities are results of teamwork and

commitment.

Our customers know, since we have collaborated with them to

create win-win solutions since our foundation in 1985.

Today, ZTE is a global leader in telecom solutions, and now we want

to service you.

Visit www.zte.com.cn to find out more and to contact us for new

opportunities.

Buildingvalue together

FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 1

CONTENTS

03

VIP VoiceOptimizing Operations to Give Customers Better Value

Reporter: Fang Li

Special TopicTD-LTE Wave Sweeping Across the Globe By Liu Liangliang

With 4G approaching, TD-LTE is the optimal choice for operators that use WiMAX and PHS because it provides high spectral effi ciency and allows operators to expand quickly and reap cost advantages that derive from such expansion.

ZTE’s Full-Band LTE TDD Product Portfolios Boost Flexible Networking By Liu Liangliang

12

16

07

10

Tech ForumEnhanced ICIC for LTE-A HetNet By Chao Xiong

An Insight into LTE 1800 Refarming By Gong Kening

Operation InsightCreating a Cloud-Terminal Integrated Pipe Operation Model By Liu Jianye

19

12

07

03

In 2011, ZTE reaped the rewards of its “going global” strategy. Our journalist recently interviewed Fan Qingfeng, executive vice president of ZTE. He shared his thoughts on ZTE’s overseas expansion, global telecom environment, and some hot topics in the industry.

2 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012

ZTE TECHNOLOGIES

Editorial BoardEditor-in-Chief: Jiang HuaDeputy Editor-in-Chief: Huang XinmingEditorial Director: Liu YangExecutive Editor: Yue LihuaEditor: Paul SleswickCirculation Manager: Wang Pingping

Subscription / Customer ServicesSubscription to ZTE TECHNOLOGIES is free of chargeTel: +86-551-5533356Fax: +86-551-5850139Email: [email protected]: wwwen.zte.com.cn/endata/magazine

Editorial Offi ceAddress: NO. 55, Hi-tech Road South, henZhen, P.R.China Postcode: 518057Tel: +86-755-26775211 Fax: +86-755-26775217Email: [email protected]

ZTE Profi leZTE is a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions. It has the widest and most complete product range in the world—covering virtually every sector of the wireline, wireless, service and terminals markets. The company delivers innovative, custom-made products and services to over 500 operators in more than 140 countries, helping them achieve continued revenue growth and shape the future of the world’s communications.

CONTENTS

SolutionsHetNet Jump-Starts Mature LTE Commercialization By Mi Dezhong

SON: The Key to LTE Commercialization By Liu Yue

32

30

22

A technical magazine that keeps up with the latest industry trends, communicates leading technologies and solutions, and shares stories of our customer success

Success StoriesHi3G: Leading the Era of LTE TDD/FDD Convergence By Zhang Yanchuan & Lu Yue

Ucell Deploys a Commercial LTE Network in Uzbekistan By Zhang Zhibin

China Mobile: Successful C-RAN Trial in Changsha By Zhao Miao

Telcel Becomes More Agile with Next-Generation Service-Based Subscriber Data Management

By Lee Doyle, IDC

26

24

22

28

News BriefZTE Wins Informa LTE Award for Best Enabling Technology

37

Third EyeZTE’s Interoperability Testing Pushes TD-LTE Technology Closer to the Mainstream From Current Analysis

34

PB ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 3

VIP Voice

Reporter: Fang Li

Optimizing Operations to Give Customers Better Value

boosted with star smartphones such as ZTE Blade. ZTE is now one of the top four mobile phone suppliers in the world. In 2011, ZTE reaped the rewards of its “going global” strategy. Our journalist recently interviewed Fan Qingfeng, executive vice president of ZTE. He shared his thoughts on ZTE’s overseas expansion, global telecom environment, and some hot topics in the industry.

Journalist: In 2011, ZTE achieved significant sales growth in overseas markets. Could you talk about the

The telecommunications market i s i n a c r i t i c a l p e r i o d o f transition from voice to data,

and broadband is sweeping across the globe. To seize this historic opportunity for broadband development , ZTE has plan ned a number of 4G/ LTE deployments in different locations. ZTE is seeking to gain a leading edge in LTE. In 2011, ZTE became the fifth largest telecom equipment vendor in the world. ZTE has also recognized opportunities in the smartphone market. The company’s brand image has been

company’s overseas expansion? What are ZTE’s main achievements this year in overseas markets?Fan Qi ngfeng: O u r revenue f rom overseas markets in 2011 accounted for more than 60% of total operating revenue, an increase of nearly 30% year-on-year. ZTE has entered a phase of optimized operation in Asia, Africa, and Latin America and has become the mainstream telecom supplier in these regions. ZTE has also tapped into high-end European and American markets and is now optimizing operations in order to

Fan Qingfeng, executive vice president of ZTE

4 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 5

VIP Voice


fast-track development in these markets.ZTE performed well in overseas

markets in 2011. Our operating revenue from European and American markets increased, and now accounts for 22% of the total operating revenue. We have also expanded our presence in high-end markets, and our “going global” strategy has had a noticeable impact in these markets. ZTE is one of the world’s leading telecom suppliers. The key to tapping into high-end European and American markets lies in our many years of sustainable investment and operation in these regions and in our world-class products and solutions. We have cost advantages and competence in customization, so we can better satisfy customer needs and create greater value for our customers.

Journalist: What are opportunities and challenges in the international telecom market? How is ZTE seizing opportunities? Fan Qingfeng: Growth in the global voice market has slowed down. Developed countries already have a saturated voice market. In emerging markets, demand for voice is declining and is close to saturat ion af ter ten years of rapid development. As voice tariffs continue to fall, voice revenue for operators will decline in the years to come.

Data services have developed rapidly in recent years to the point where the volume of data traffi c now signifi cantly exceeds that of voice traffic. However, revenue f rom data services is only a small proportion of operator total revenue, and increased revenue from data business does not match data traffi c growth or make up for declining voice revenue.

T h e p a c e o f g l o b a l t e l e c o m investment has also slowed in recent years to an annual g rowth rate of 3–5%. Uncer taint ies in the global economy will also affect the growth of the global telecom market. These are big challenges for telecom equipment suppliers. However, there are also new opportunities. With the advent of the information age, there is a huge market opportunity for operators and equipment suppliers to build government-enterprise information systems.

There are more opportunities than challenges for ZTE. We have just tapped into the European, Amer ican, and Japanese telecom markets, and there is still much room for us to increase our market share in these markets. Although operators have curtailed their

investments, we can make full use of our cost advantages. Diverse operator needs also allows us to give full play to our customization advantages. We can provide world-class products, solutions, and services, and we have the confi dence and ability to acquire a greater share in the global telecom market. The rapid growth of the government-enterprise network market will also create new opportunities for us.

Journalist: LTE is a hot topic right now. Could you give us an update on ZTE’s involvement in LTE network deployment?Fan Qingfeng: LTE is currently the fastest-growing wireless technology. Since June 2010, the number of operators investing in LTE networks has almost doubled. By Q3 2011, ZTE had secured 28 commercial LTE contracts with operators including Hi3G, Softbank, Telenor, Sonaecom, and CSL. We have teamed up with 90 operators to deploy LTE t r ia l networks worldwide. In March 2011, we cooperated with Hi3G to construct the world’s fi rst large-scale LTE FDD/TDD dual-mode commercial network in Sweden and Denmark.

I n 2 0 1 1 , Z T E m a d e m a n y b r e a k t h r o u g h s i n LT E a n d w a s recognized within the industry. Frost & Sullivan awarded ZTE the prestigious title “2011 LTE Vendor of the Year” for its contribution to LTE. ZTE’s self-developed LTE micro base stat ion, ZXSDR BS8920, won the 2011 Informa LTE award for best enabling technology. In October 2011, ZTE completed the industry’s first test of interoperability between FDD-LTE/TD-LTE and GSM/UMTS. In July 2011, ZTE unveiled the

4 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 54 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 5

VIP Voice

world’s fi rst commercial LTE micro base station, ZXSDR BS8920, with 2×10W transmit power and 2T4R modulation for a large footprint.

ZTE has declared 235 essential LTE patents to ETSI, accounting for 7% of the total number of patent declarations. This makes ZTE one of the main patent holders of 4G standards.

Journalist: In recent years, national broadband network construction has gained momentum. How is NBN construction influencing the telecom industry? What role can ZTE play? Fan Qingfeng: NBN construction is another very important development in the telecom industry following voice network construction. Broadband has greatly affected the telecom industry. It has especially affected operators, who are becoming pipe providers, and their control over the value chain is g radual ly weakening. However, broadband networks have also brought unprecedented oppor tunit ies to the IT and CT industries. The explosive growth in traffic volume caused by the ever-growing information demands of governments, enterprises, families, and individuals, is creating great market opportunities.

To adapt to broadband , we a re responding to challenges and crises; we are cementing our position in the value chain; we are helping telecom operators with their business transformation and value enhancement; and we are working with IT service providers to promote healthy development of the industry.

Journalist: According to Q3 2011 reports by ABI Research, IDC, and Strategy

VIP Voice

Analytics, ZTE is now the fourth largest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. What are ZTE’s goals in the mobile terminal and smartphone markets? Fan Qingfeng: The global smartphone indust ry grew rapidly in 2011, and China experienced significant growth in smartphone sales. China surpassed the US in Q3 2011 to become the largest smartphone market in the world. ZTE continued to expand its sales of terminals

in the first three quarters of 2011. Our star smartphones, such as Blade and Skate, have rapidly enhanced our brand value. Our shipment of smartphones in 2011 far exceeded our expectations. In the future, we hope that sales revenue from mobile phones in North America will exceed that in China. Only in this way can we lay a good foundation for our sustainable development and achieve our higher goals.

6 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES PB

VIP Voice

st rateg ic t a rget and plan ned f u l l-scale ent r y into that market . ZTE has established special government-enter pr ise network market ing and service agencies in countries such as the US, India, Brazil, Japan, Russia, Britain, and France. Within a year, our government-enterprise network channels have developed rapidly, especially in Russia, Japan, the US, Brazil, and Europe.

Focus and cooperation are our key strategies in developing the overseas government-enterprise network market. In 2012, we aim to achieve breakthroughs in high-end overseas markets with our star products and solutions. As well as leveraging our advantages in traditional government projects, we are going to develop overseas distribution channels in key markets and focus on generating value in industr ies such as railway transportation, energy, and finance. We will strengthen overseas cooperation with Chinese-funded enterprises. The government-enterprise network market is far bigger and more complicated than the telecom market. We will follow the 80-20 r ule and concent rate on core industries and core solutions to sustainably develop both the telecom and government-enterprise network markets.

Journalist: Finally, could you talk about ZTE’s business strategies for overseas markets in the next three years?Fan Qingfeng: Our vision is to be a global telecommunications leader that provides our clients with satisfying and customized products and services. We strive to become a world-class excellent enterprise and to be among the world’s top three telecom equipment vendors by 2015. In the next three years, we expect to maintain growth of 20−25%, with higher revenue growth from the international market than the domestic market.

In emerging markets, we will further optimize our operations, better serve operators, and enhance our profi tability. In high-end markets, we will shift our focus from penetrating new markets to optimizing operations. We will rapidly expand our overseas market share and become a mainstream equipment supplier and service provider. We will strengthen the competitiveness of our terminal products, including mobile phones, increase our market position, and become a first-class smartphone manufacturer. We will also explore the government-enterpr ise network market and seek new opportunities for development.

Journalist: Services have become a new means of profit in the telecom industry. What plans does ZTE have to develop its services, and what has ZTE achieved with its services?Fan Qingfeng: Early in 2005, ZTE planned to expand its services, and since then, our service business has grown. In 2011, we made breakthroughs in managed services for Vodafone, STC, Zain, Telefonica, AM, and China Mobile. Throughout the lifecycle of a network, OPEX accou nt s fo r a s ig n i f ica nt proportion of an operator’s TCO. It has been our goal over the past few years to reduce operator OPEX with our services. At present, operators are under pressure with their data business operations. This is what our services focus on. We will provide our customers with a turnkey solution for managed services and IT integration.

Journalist: Government-enterprise networks have become a strategic market of equipment suppliers. Would you talk about ZTE’s strategy and implementation in the government-enterprise network sector, especially its overseas development?Fan Qingfeng: Since beginning its expansion i nto overseas market s , ZTE has been improving the quality of local telecommunication services. With 16 years’ effort and development, ZTE has brought good economic and social benefits to local governments and people. ZTE has cooperated with local governments and businesses in e-government, green energy, national safety network, safe city, and smart power grid. In 2011, ZTE made overseas gover nment-enter pr ise networks a


VIP VoiceTech Forum

Enhanced ICIC

for LTE-A HetNetBy Chao Xiong

LTE is one of the technologies o f c h o i c e f o r 4 G m o b i l e communications. So far, it has

been deployed by 248 operators in 87 countries worldwide. 35 LTE networks have been put into commercial operation. In LTE networking, technologies such as intercell interference coordination ( IC IC ) , h ave b e e n ve r i f i e d b o t h theoret ically and pract ically. With ongoing LTE network deployments and technological innovation, enhanced ICIC (eICIC) has been developed for a new heterogeneous network topology in LTE-Advanced.

Intra-frequency Interference in LTEOr thogonal f requency d iv ision

multiple access (OFDMA) used in LTE is a combination of orthogonal frequency-

division mult iplexing (OFDM) and time division multiple access (TDMA). OFDMA identifi es different subscribers in the same cell by different time and subcarriers. To maximize spectrum efficiency, intra-frequency networking is often used in LTE. Intra-frequency networking means that each neighboring cell uses the same carrier. Different subscribers in the neighboring cells, especially those at the cell edge, may receive two or more signals of the same frequency at the same time. If these co-frequency signals from various cells are very strong, subscribers suffer severe interference and the quality of their communication is affected.

Introduction of ICICICIC wa s i n t roduced i n 3GPP

Release 8 to solve intercel l int ra-frequency interference. The main idea of ICIC is to divide each cell into cell center and cell edge and then allocate

different subcarriers to subscribers in different locations. Theoretically, it is impossible for subscribers at the edge of two neighboring cells to use the same frequency, and the possibility of interference between two neighboring cells is reduced.

ICIC can be classif ied in several ways. Depending on the per iod of resource scheduling, ICIC can be static, semi-static, or dynamic. It can also be classifi ed into fractional frequency reuse, soft frequency reuse, and full frequency reuse according to the type of resource scheduling.

Semi-static soft frequency reuse can maximize spect rum eff iciency in a less complex system. As shown in Fig.1, d i f ferent subcar r iers a re allocated to the edge of neighboring cells, and the subcarriers are reused in the cell centre. The power is controlled to prevent cell edges and neighboring cells from being affected.

VIP VoiceTech Forum


Tech Forum


To further expand pico coverage and carry more user traffi c, researchers have proposed cell range expansion (CRE) that allows user equipment (UE) to be served by a cell with weaker receiving power. In this way, picocells share more network load, and their coverage is extended.

Introduction of eICIC Employing HetNet topology for

LTE is a big challenge because LTE requires intra-frequency networking. The deployment of LPNs means more cells with intra-frequency interference are introduced. In particular, coverage overlaps between LPNs and macrocells in a HetNet, and intercell interference is diff icult to cont rol. CRE allows subscribers to access cells with weak receiving power. Low signal power and enhanced downlink interference lead to a lower signal to interference plus noise ratio (SINR). As a result, both service channels and control channels are greatly

affected. There are two main interference

scenarios that need to be considered: Macro-pico scenario: In areas covered by macrocells, subscr ibers with access to picocells are vulnerable to macro-pico interference. Their communication quality is affected. In par t icular, when CRE is used and subscribers (often at the edge of picocells) access the picocells with low receiving power, macrocells strongly interfere with them. Macro-femto scenario: Femtocells belong to a closed subscriber group (CSG) where access and services are restricted to authorized subscribers. W h e n m a c r o c e l l s u b s c r i b e r s enter areas covered by femtocells, femtocells strongly interfere with them. To s u p p r e s s i n t r a - f r e q u e n c y

interference in a HetNet and improve system capacity and user experience, eICIC is introduced in LTE-Advanced (3GPP Release 10).

The principle of ICIC is to divide the overlapping area of neighboring cells into different frequency bands in order to reduce intercell interference. This method no longer works in a HetNet. eICIC redefines an additional time dimension, which allows signals in different cells to be orthogonal in

Development of Network Topology W i t h t h e e x p a n s i o n o f LT E

networks and rapid development of LTE technologies, new network topologies have emerged, and ICIC has also been enhanced.

LTE networks are tailored for high-speed high-throughput user groups. With growing numbers of subscribers and demand for bandwidth, traditional macro base stations can barely meet subscriber requirements. Especially in some hotspots, simple macro coverage is not suff icient for meeting traff ic r e q u i r e me nt s . Such homoge nou s coverage inevitably causes blind spots that can impact user experience.

With the introduction of picocells, femtocel ls , and relay nodes , LTE network topology becomes more fl exible and can handle blind spots. This network topology is defined as heterogeneous network (HetNet) in 3GPP Release 10. In a HetNet, low power nodes (LPNs), such as RRUs/RRHs, pico eNodeBs, home eNodeBs, and relay nodes, are deployed in the macro coverage cell.

Network construction starts with macrocells in order to expand coverage; then LPNs are added to increase network capacity, eliminate blind spots, enhance indoor coverage, and improve user experience.

Figure 2. Evolution from homogeneous to heterogeneous networks.

●

●

MacorRelayPicoFemto

Figure 1. Soft frequency reuse.

Power

Frequency

Frequency

Frequency

f1 fCCU

Power

f2fCCU fCCU

Power

f3fCCU fCCU

Sector1

Sector2

Sector3


VIP VoiceTech Forum

the time domain. Compared with ICIC, eICIC can reduce intercell interference not only on traffic channels but also on control channels. In other words, ICIC coordinates intercell interference on traffic channels in the frequency and power domains, and eICIC coordinates intercell interference on traffi c and control channels in both the frequency, time and power domains also. eICIC in 3GPP Release 10 only deals with non-carrier aggregation and will be fully compatible with ICIC in 3GPP Release 8/9.

The concept of an almost blank subframe (ABS) is introduced in time domain eICIC to coordinate intercell interference in the time domain. ABS only contains some necessary signals with low power, such as PSS/SSS, PBCH, CRS, Paging, and SIB1, for compatibility with UE in 3GPP Release 8/9. eICIC

confi gures ABSs in the interfering cell. These ABSs are used by the interfered cell to provide service for its subscribers who previously exper ienced st rong interference. In this way, intercell interference is well coordinated.

For t he t wo main i nte r fe rence s c e n a r i o s i n H e t N e t , A B S s a r e confi gured as in Fig. 3. In a macro-pico scenario, the corresponding subframes in a macrocell are configured as ABSs to prevent strong interference on UE2 that has access to a picocell. The picocell provides service for UE2 using these ABSs. In a macro-femto scenario, the corresponding subframes in a femtocell are confi gured as ABSs to prevent strong interference on a UE2 that has access to a macrocell. The macrocell provides service for UE2 using these ABSs.

T he con f ig u ra t ion of A BSs i s

t ransfer red via the X2 interface or OAM. In general, a picocell transfers the confi guration via the X2 interface, and a femtocell belonging to a CSG transfers the confi guration manually via OAM.

As operators worldwide promote and deploy HetNet, it will be a trend in future network construction. However, HetNet cannot leverage its advantages unless the issue of intra-frequency interference is addressed. Analysis and simulation shows eICIC to be an effective solution to intra-frequency interference caused by HetNet. After a HetNet is deployed in conjunction with CRE and eICIC, coverage at the cell edge is signifi cantly improved and subscribers have better experience (Fig. 4).

eICIC also provides optional solutions for multicarriers, carrier aggregation, asynchronization network, and multiple timeslot conf igurations in the same network. eICIC is especially important when using a multicarrier network to help operators leverage their spectrum advantages, protect their investments, and raise their revenue.

Figure 4. Simulation results for HetNet and eICIC.

22%38%

78%

More Users with Data Speeds over 1 Mbps

Marco Only(R8)

Marco+Prico(R8)

Marco+Pricowith CRE and

eICIC

Better Cell Edge Coverage

1X 1.05X

1.7X

Marco Only(R8)

Marco+Prico(R8)

Marco+Pricowith CRE and

eICIC

Figure 3. Confi guration of ABSs in eICIC.

MacroConfi guration

SubframeSequence

PicoConfi guration

ABS

ForUE2

ForUE1 ABS

ForUE2

ForUE3

0 1 2 3 4 41 42 43 44 45

UE1

Macro

PicoUE3

MacroConfi guration

SubframeSequence

FemtoConfi guration

ABS

ForUE2

ForUE1 ABS

ForUE2

ForUE3

0 1 2 3 4 41 42 43 44 45

UE1

Macro

FemtoUE3


Tech Forum


W h y R e f a r m t h e 1 8 0 0 M H z Spectrum for LTE Use?

Mobile dat a se r v ices have developed very fast in recent years. The popula r it y of

smartphones, especially iPhone, means the number of mobile data services is doubling every year. Increasing the capacity to accommodate data services has become the top priority of mobile operators. Compared with 3G technology, LTE has high spectrum use, high peak data rates, and low latency.

However, there is not much spectrum available for LTE, and the price for LTE spectrum is very high. Many operators are therefore considering the potential of existing frequencies. In most countries, 1800 MHz is used for GSM, and it has a lot of free frequency bands for other mobile technologies. Therefore, it is possible to use these free 1800 MHz

Dense Urban Areas Urban Areas Suburban Areas Rural Areas

1.8 GHz

Cell Edge User Throughput (Kbps) 512 256 128 64

Uplink Cell Range (Km) 0.38 0.68 2.78 7.13Coverage Area (Km2) 0.28 0.90 15.10 99.07

2.6 GHz

Cell Edge User Throughput (Kbps) 512 256 128 64

Uplink Cell Range (Km) 0.27 0.27 1.93 4.93

Coverage Area (Km2) 0.14 0.14 7.28 47.45

Table 1. Coverage capability of 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz.

An Insight intoLTE 1800 Refarming

By Gong Kening

bands for LTE.

Global Analysis of the 1800 MHz Spectrum

3GPP specifi es the bandwidth for the 1800 MHz spectrum as 2 × 75 MHz. This is a huge continuous bandwidth that encompasses frequencies supported in Europe, APAC, India, China, Africa, and the Middle East. 1800 MHz is technically neutral in many countries, which makes it easier to refarm enough spectrum for LTE and increases the


VIP VoiceTech Forum

LTE Bandwidth

GSM/LTE Co-site Guard Band requirementTheoretical Actual

1.4 MHz 0.2 MHz 0.2 MHz

3 MHz 0.2 MHz 0.2 MHz

5 MHz 0.2 MHz 0

10 MHz 0.2 MHz 0

15 MHz 0.2 MHz 0

20 MHz 0.2 MHz 0

Table 2. Guard band requirements for different LTE bandwidths. potential of 1800 MHz becoming a worldwide roaming spectrum.

1800 MHz is suitable for wide-area coverage, and 2.6 GHz is suitable for dense urban hotspot coverage. At the very beginning of LTE deployment, 1800 MHz is more suitable for deploying data services.

The 1800 MHz band has up to twice the coverage area of the 2.6 GHz band. This halves TCO and makes it possible to cover both urban and suburban areas.

As technologies advance, SDR is making GSM1800 and LTE1800 co-sites possible. GSM1800 operators benefi t by being able to reuse existing antennas, TMAs, antenna feed-lines, site space, power facilities, and backhaul transport of GSM1800.

LTE1800 Refarming Solutions Solution A: Refarm the entire GSM1800 spectrum for LTE use.

Operators only need to swap their existing terminals from 1800 MHz to 900 MHz. The spectrum refarming is quite straightforward. Solution B: Refarm part of the GSM1800 spect rum for LTE use. LTE1800 is located between GSM1800 frequency bands.

O p e r a t o r s h a v e t o c o n s i d e r interference between LTE and GSM at the frequency edge. Solution C: Refarm part of the GSM1800 spect rum for LTE use. LTE1800 is loca t ed on one s ide of GSM180 0 frequency band.

Operators have to consider interference between LTE and GSM at the frequency edge as well as interference between LTE and another neighboring frequency band.

LTE1800 Refarming InterferenceWhen LTE1800 is located between

GSM1800 f requency bands and the LTE1800 bandwidth is 1.4 MHz or 3 MHz, a guard band of 0.2 MHz is

needed. If the LTE1800 bandwidth is more than 3 MHz, no guard band is needed.

When LTE1800 is located on one side of GSM1800 frequency band and the LTE bandwidth is 1.4 MHz or 3 MHz, a guard band of 0.2 MHz is also needed, and interference between LTE and its neighboring frequency band has to be considered.

Traffi c Migration SolutionsSolution A: Refarm the entire GSM1800 spectrum for LTE use.

GSM1800 traffic is generally not high. The major issue is swapping user terminals to adapt to other GSM frequency bands. Currently, dual- or triple-band GSM terminals are widely spread.Solution B: Refarm part of the GSM1800 spectrum for LTE use.

Operators have to improve spectrum utilization in GSM1800 and reduce its bandwidth. They also have to improve spectrum utilization in GSM900 and migrate t raf f ic f rom GSM1800 to GSM900.

Interoperability af ter LTE1800 Refarming

Two solutions are possible for voice interoperabi l it y between LTE and 2G/3G.Solut ion A: Ci rcuit switched (CS) fallback. Voice services are carried on

the 2G/3G system. A GSM/LTE dual-mode terminal is needed.Solution B: Single radio voice call continuity (SRVCC). IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) is needed and the cost is very high.

Pa cke t - s w i t che d ( PS) s e r v ic e interoperability requires load sharing between LTE and 3G. This can be implemented in two stages.Stage 1: When LTE system still has much capacity, UMTS/LTE dual-mode terminals will f irst reside in an LTE network where PS traffi c is carried. Stage 2: When LTE equipment reaches it s capacity th reshold , the load is seamlessly balanced between LTE1800 and HSPA. VIP LTE users reside in an LTE network for optimum service exper ience, and al l thei r t raff ic is carried on the LTE network. Other LTE users reside in an HSPA network. Load balancing optimization ensures they can reselect the LTE network to access latency-sensitive or throughput-sensitive services such as real-time gaming and FTP downloading.

Conclusion With LTE being deployed worldwide,

market demand is growing, and the use of the GSM1800 for LTE deployment is looking favorable. The GSM1800 frequency band is becoming an important part of LTE development.


Special Topic

12 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES 1312 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012

Special Topic


VIP VoiceSpecial Topic

TD-LTE Wave Sweeping Across the Globe

By Liu Liangliang

TD-LTE Development MilestonesNovember 2008: Qualcomm announced it was ending development of UMB, favoring LTE instead. March 2009: 3GPP froze the specifi cations for LTE Release 8. October 2010: TD-LTE-Advanced was chosen by the ITU as a candidate for the 4G wireless communication standard.September 2011: The world’s fi rst commercial TD-LTE network was offi cially announced. 2012: A TD-LTE tide will sweep across the globe.

Ov e r t h e p a s t 2 0 y e a r s , m o b i l e communications have developed rapidly from analog to digital, voice to data,

narrowband to broadband, and single mode to multimode with the aim of broader bandwidth and more diverse services. A wide range of smart terminals have emerged, and mobile Internet services are changing from day to day. Explosive growth in data traffic has put much pressure on network operators. Ever-increasing user demand is driving technological advances, and these

technological advances stimulate user demand.

The Choice of TD-LTE Demand for high-speed wireless data and fast

service provision is a key driving force for the advancement of wireless technologies. Wireless technologies are also being advanced to leverage existing 2G and 3G resources, cut TCO, and maximize cost benefits. LTE fulfills these needs and is important in the evolution of wireless technologies.


Special Topic


With 4G approaching, TD-LTE is the optimal choice for operators that use WiMAX and PHS because it provides high spectral efficiency and allows operators to expand quickly and reap cost advantages that derive from such expansion.

“

”LTE can be classified as TD-LTE or

FDD-LTE, and the differences between these two are nearly all in the duplex mode. Compared with FDD, asymmetric TDD is more flexible in its use of spectrum resources and can better meet the requirements of mobile Internet dominated by asymmetric services. TD-LTE is becoming the global technology of choice for unpaired spectrum. With 4G approaching, TD-LTE is the optimal choice for operators that use WiMAX and PHS because it provides high spectral effi ciency and allows operators to expand quickly and reap cost advantages that derive from such expansion.

In most scenarios, the ratio of data uploading to downloading is 1:10. TD-LTE provides multiple time slot configurations that allow capacity to be flexibly allocated to the uplink and downlink. TD-LTE also provides a downlink rate of up to 100 Mbps. Therefore, TD-LTE is the best choice for operators seeking to mitigate data traffi c pressure.

TD-LTE and LTE FDD share the same core network and most of the s tandards and design. They al low seamless interoperability between 4G and 2G/3G networks. LTE is the preferred choice for operators that provide voice

and low-speed data services over 2G and 3G networks and that want to co-locate TDD and FDD sites in order to share existing infrastructure.

Building a TD-LTE EcosystemMass supply of TD-LTE terminals

is a symbol of maturity in the TD-LTE industrial chain. In February 2011, China Mobile, together with Softband, Bharit, Vodafone, Clearwire, and other operators, established the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI). GTI aims to work with industrial partners to build a strong and thriving TD-LTE ecosystem, promote the commercial deployment of TD-LTE worldwide, and provide subscribers with mobile Internet terminals that perform optimally and give the best user experience. Currently, 32 members from Asia, Europe, America, and Oceania are jointly researching key commercial issues, such as global roaming terminals, multiantenna techniques, and intra-frequency networking. They are seeking to accelerate the development of the TD-LTE industry through concerted effort.

Smartphones and semiconductor devices have always been a major bottleneck for the development of TD-SCDMA. However, TD-LTE has aroused considerable interest from

the world’s leading semiconductor device manufacturers. Altogether, 18 manufacturers worldwide have researched and invested in TD-LTE semiconductors. Qualcomm and ST-Ericsson recently announced the sampling of multimode LTE/3G chips, which is a significant milestone on the way to solving the TD-LTE bottleneck problem. At present, HTC, Media Tek and Quanta from Taiwan, ZTE, Hisilicon, Leadcore and Yulong are the dominant suppliers of TD-LTE terminals. In 2012, Hisilicon will launch fi ve-mode chips that support GSM, CDMA, UMTS, TD-LTE and FDD LTE. ZTE will launch commercial TD-SCDMA and TDD-LTE multimode terminals, which are directed towards uFi (supporting TD-LTE wireless hot spots) and smartphones.

Apple has also promised to launch an iPhone that supports TD-LTE. This was promised by Tim Cook, CEO of Apple, when he visited China Mobile as COO.

TD-LTE Deployments Worldwide In September 2011, China Mobile

completed the first phase of its TD-LTE



trial in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanjing, and Xiamen. The test results showed that TD-LTE performance is satisfactory and industry requirements can be met. Both TD-LTE infrastructure and terminals qualify for commercial use.

In November 2011, Japan’s third largest mobile operator, Softbank, made AXGP commercially available. AXGP is similar to TD-LTE, and has been deployed in Japan in conjunction with ZTE and Huawei. Two thousand base stations were built in the fi rst phase, and there will be up to 10,000 base stations built in the second phase. Ninety-nine percent of the Japanese population will be covered by 2012. So far, the Softbank network is the largest commercial TD-LTE network in the world. Wang Jianzhou, chairman of China Mobile, said, “If in the past the TD-LTE network was just a stratagem on paper, now it has turned into a reality.”

In September 2011, Mobily launched i t s commerc i a l TD-LTE ne twork covering 10 cities in Saudi Arabia. It is expected that the TD-LTE network will be available in 30 cities in Saudi Arabia

by 2012, covering 85% of the country’s population.

In India, Reliance, Bharti, Aircel, and Tikona plan to launch their TD-LTE commercial networks in the first half of 2012. These companies are focused on the burgeoning tablet PC to make supplement to their existing services.

Swedish operator, Hi3G, will work with ZTE to commercialize its 4G network, the world’s largest TD-LTE/LTE FDD dual-mode network, by the end of 2011.

Clearwire from the US and Sky TV from Brazil have also decided to join the TD-LTE group. Other regions where TD-LTE has great potential are Southeast Asia, South America, Canada, the Middle East, Africa, and Russia. According to statistics from China Mobile, two operators worldwide have officially launched TD-LTE commercial services, and ten operators have made plans for commercial services. More than 30 TD-

LTE trial networks have been constructed in North America, Europe, and Asia. The number of TD-LTE base stations is estimated to reach 6,500 by the end of 2011 and 30,000 by the end of 2012.

Looking to the FutureAccording to a forecast by Goldman

Sachs, global TD-LTE CAPEX could reach US$15 billion to US$20 billion from 2012 to 2014 and attract more than 40 million subscribers. China Mobile’s first phase of TD-LTE network trial includes 850 base stations in six cities in China. Half of China Mobile’s 230,000 TD-SCDMA base s tat ions wil l be gradually upgraded to TD-LTE. China Mobile will deploy 10,000 to 20,000 TD-LTE base stations across China by 2012.

China Mobile, Bharti, and Softbank will launch more TD-LTE commercial services by the end of 2012 and into 2013. China, India and Japan, where these TD-LTE services will be offered, have a population of 2.7 billion, 39% of the world’s population. The market potential for TD-LTE in these countries is very signifi cant.


Special Topic


villages. It must provide microcell coverage for urban hotspots and CBDs; in-depth coverage in gyms, office buildings, conference centres, exhibition halls, and other large venues; and point coverage for high-speed railways, overpasses, bridges, subways, tunnels, and scenic spots. An increasing number of operators realize that only three-dimensional coverage provided by TD-LTE can improve user experience.

TD-LTE coverage can be classified as indoor, outdoor, or special scenario. Mostly, network quality can be improved by enhancing indoor coverage. However, there are some issues that need to be considered:

how to meet the substantial increase in demand for data services without taking up too much spaceh o w t o m e e t d i f f e r e n t t h r e e -

●

●

dimensional coverage requirementsensuring there is multifrequency equipment to accommodate various frequency resources available to operatorshow to provide satisfactory coverage in fast moving environmentshow to provide low-cost, high-quality coverage and save network investment in remote and diffi cult-to-access areas.

ZTE’s Concept of Coverage ZTE has studied the diverse needs of

customers and has much experience in TDD. ZTE proposes large-capacity, full-band, multilevel TD-LTE products for broad coverage in different scenarios.

Macro base stations are for outdoors. A distributed BBU+RRU architecture has large capacity for meeting networking

In 2009, TeliaSonera was the only operator to launch commercial LTE networks in Sweden and Norway. By

the end of 2010, these networks neared their primary stage of commercialization. Leading operators have begun shifting their focus from discussing LTE concepts to putting these concepts into practice. China Mobile, Softbank, and Hutchison Whampoa have already started deploying T D - LT E w o r l d w i d e . T D - LT E ’s coverage is attracting much attention; a comprehensive and three-dimensional coverage solution is required before TD-LTE can be widely commercialized.

Requirement for Three-Dimensional Wireless Coverage

TD-LTE must provide macrocell coverage for densely populated cities, less-populated cities, and suburbs and

ZTE’s Full-Band LTE TDD Product Portfolios Boost Flexible Networking

By Liu Liangliang

●

●

●



Figure 1. Full-band TD-LTE products.

ZXSDR B8200

ZXSDR B8200

Outdoor BBU

8-ChannelRRU

4-ChannelRRU

2-ChannelRRU

1.4/1.8/3.5GRRU

PicoBase Station

FemtoBase Station

requirements in densely populated cities, less-populated cities, suburbs, and vi l lages. Micro base s tat ions provide moderate-traffic solutions for hotspots and CBD areas. Pico- and femto-integrated base stations provide solutions for light and heavy traffic in big gyms, office buildings, conference centres, exhibitions halls, and other large buildings. Pico base stations can be installed on a derrick, wall, or other location, and they are especially suitable for buildings where indoor construction is not possible. Pico base stations support Ethernet transmission, which makes network deployment easy. Compared with macro stations, pico and femto base stations cost less and cover more regions. The pressure on capacity of an outdoor macro stations is reduced.

For remote places, long-distance coverage solutions are used, and ZTE proposes distributed base stations. Power, transmission, and baseband are put into station-based cabinets, and RRUs are installed according to specifi c landscapes.

For fast-moving scenarios, such as high-speed trains, ZTE proposes adaptive frequency-offset correction algorithm. Information about the current subframe frequency deviation can be detected in real time at the baseband level. Then, the baseband signal phase offset caused by frequency deviation is corrected. As a

18 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES FEB 2012 FEB 2012 ZTE TECHNOLOGIES PB

Special Topic

In 2010, ZTE launched a series of full-band TD-LTE products which include 8 channel and 4 channel outdoor single-frequency RRU, and dual-channel indoor RRU. These products can satisfy the networking requirements for F, A, E and D bands in different scenarios. During China Mobile’s fourth-round of bid for TD-SCDMA, ZTE introduced its double-module product, R8928FA, for indoor and outdoor coverage. R8928FA supports TD-LTE system without any changes being made to the antenna. An operator’s investment is guaranteed to the greatest extent.

The fu l l -band BBU and RRU products can be flexibly combined. They can a l so be combined in to different macro and micro base stations to meet frequency and station address requirements in different scenarios. The networking is more flexible and construction is more convenient.

Consultancy fi rm, Open Vista, issued its LTE Development Briefing 2010 in February 2011. In the briefi ng, coverage, capacity, serialization, portfolio, and evolution of LTE products are discussed. ZTE was noted as having highest number of TD-LTE product series and as being the first commercial manufacturer of soft base stations. ZTE is also the first company to support CDMA/LTE, GSM/LTE, UMTS/LTE and GSM/UMTS/LTE modules as well as TD-LTE in a unifi ed hardware platform.

The development of LTE will gain pace in 2012. ZTE’s full-band TD-LTE products help operators deploy higher quality, more fl exible networks and pave the way to success.

result, demodulation in the base station is improved and the Doppler Effect can be countered at up to 500 km/h. The SDR-based RRU can support cascaded drawing, which suits continuous relay coverage for band-shaped regions.

For network coverage, ZTE proposes hierarchical deployment that is flexible in terms of capacity, planning, and implementation.

A wireless data network is suitable for unbalanced distribution. Operators can choose the type of ZTE TD-LTE base station according to different traffic conditions and coverage. In heavy traffi c regions, macro stations are insufficient, and the station addresses are extremely difficult to access. With flexible deployment of micro base stations, regional traffic capacity can be offloaded. These stations also have limited interaction with macro base stations because of lower transmit power.

To avoid overinvestment, operators usually build a thin network of macro

Figure 2. Network of layered coverage.

Macro BS

Micro BS

Pico BS

Femto BS

base stations for wide coverage in the in i t ia l s tage . As the ne twork expands with an increasing number of subscribers, operators can plan thicker and deeper networks in high-traffic regions according to actual needs. The whole network can be fl exibly controlled.

Ful l -Band LTE TDD Product Portfolios

The spectrum resources available to most operators using TD-LTE are diverse. China Mobile has 1.9G, 2.0G, 2.3G and 2.6G bands (F, A, E and D bands). In a TD-SCDMA system, 1.9G and 2.0G use 55 MHz, and for TD-LTE indoor coverage, 2.3G uses the 50 MHz between 2320 MHz and 2370 MHz. For TD-LTE outdoor coverage, 2.6G uses the 50 MHz between 2570 MHz to 2620 MHz. Besides the universal 2.3G and 2.6G band, ZTE’s TD-LTE equipment also supports the 3.5G band, which is reassuring for operators planning for LTE development.


VIP VoiceOperation Insight

that accurately corresponds to their usage. With a traffic-based charging model, the same price is charged per bit to all users. However, to satisfy the dynamic demand for high-quality service, the cost per bit when the network is busy is different from that when the network is idle.

Suppose you install a “My Star-Rated Service” client on your smartphone. The client provides you with

Traf f ic Obser ver. This d isplays running applications, uplink and downlink speeds across different networks, the amount of data used in the month, the amount of data remaining, and daily and monthly fees. Services On the Go. This informs

The t ransit ion f rom voice to data is a revolution in mobile communications. This revolution

has meant that telecom operators are no longer central in the service value chain because end users have become more concerned with quality of experience (QoE) and telecom operators have been unable to meet this requirement. Cloud-terminal integration is more effective than pipes, and spectrum resources are under threat from unauthorized bands. ISPs are attracting users with a serve first, charge later model and are vying for user desktops. Despite their full participation in the 7-layer open systems interconnection (OSI) model adopted for telecommunications and Internet, operators must st r ive to gain their supremacy by virtue of applications.

Creating a Mobile Internet Oriented Operation and Service Mode

Creating new operation and service r u les for mobi le Inte r net is a top priority. As competition intensif ies and the importance of communication pipes becomes more pronounced, the competitive edge lies in the provision of smart, flat, broadband pipe services. The current pipe business model is still based on simplifi ed bundle packages and

restricts users from creating personalized services. Because of the lack of cost-effective well-delivered pipe services and the loss of phone number stickiness, it is easy for users to vote with their feet. This is how “buying pipes online”―a new business model―is taking shape. Unl ike common commodit ies that users purchase online, pipe services are network capabilities, such as quality, ba ndwidth , a nd ne t work t y pe , or service capabilities, such as content, applications, and interfaces. Users who are invited to transparently manage pipe operation can customize services, pay on demand, and track updates at any time.

Building Transparent Smart Pipes Users demand transparent charging

●

●

Creating a Cloud-Terminal Integrated

Pipe Operation ModelBy Liu Jianye

Liu Jianye, chief architect of ZTE core network products


Operation Insight

you about whether the net work is busy or idle; it displays the fee schedule according to the network status, and provides network access options. It also provides bandwidth guarantee when the network is busy, queries your preferences according to your subscription package when the network is idle, and applies for an interim bandwidth guarantee based on real-time services, for example, video conferencing. ZTE proposes an advanced smart-

pipe solution called ZSP2.0 that helps operators crack dumb pipes and build smart pipes at low cost and with better QoE. ZSP2.0 aims to double pipe gains, control the network for superior QoE, and allow user autonomy.

When the pipes are idle, operators can push services a d a p t ive ly i n c r e a s e u s e r d a t a rates (beyond that allowed in the subscription) recommend preferential policies

improve network usei ncrease pipe revenue and user satisfaction. When the pipes are busy, operators can

notify users of the tariff at busy hours and in busy areasallow users to be more autonomous adjust network traffic according to tariffs in a similar way to “intelligent

transportation” increase pipe revenue (made up for revenue lost in idle hours).

C l o u d -Te r m i n a l I n t e g r a t e d Architecture

ZTE has developed cloud-based pipe services to improve QoE. ZTE’s cloud-based smart-pipe architecture consists of the desktop cloud, access cloud, control cloud, sensor cloud, and application cloud (Fig. 1). The terminal-pipe-cloud integrated architecture can be used to build a self-sensing, self-learning, self-organizing, self-adaptive, self-managing digital neural network that delivers different cloud services at different layers.

ZTE has also proposed a standard architecture with enhanced end-to-end information sensing and open interfaces (Fig. 2). This helps in the creation of a transparent network. A network information collection system is used to enhance end-to-end analysis of the sensor cloud. The sensor cloud makes network information and capabilities available to terminals so that users can sense network conditions and customize their exper ience. The sensor cloud also makes network information and capabilities available to services so that third parties can more effectively

●

●

●

Figure 1. Cloud-based smart-pipe architecture.

SaaS

PaaS

LaaS

Smart Pipe

Services

Terminals

Policy Management Billing Management

Analysis Service

DPI QoS Optimization Cache

Open Information and Capability Interfaces

ApplicationCloud

SensorCloud

ControlCloud

DesktopCloud

AccessCloud

●

●

●

●

●

●

Figure 2. End-to-end information sensing and open architecture.

IDC

Information Push

Nu Nu Na Np/Rx Ni/Nd Rx/Nx

NsAnalysis Sensor Cloud Service

DesktopInformation Collection

NetworkInformationCollection

Network andUser Information

DPI InformationCollection

Service AccessFeedback

Open InformationCapability

Desktop Cloud Access Cloud Control Cloud Service Cloud

Policy Biling


VIP VoiceOperation Insight

develop value-added services. Desktop cloud: Building a core portal to form a new homepage for users

The key to creating new operation and service rules for mobile Internet is to build a core portal that is indispensable and that allows users to manage pipes by themselves. Operators can bundle the core por tal with other Internet applications and customized content to form a new homepage for users. The portal could be similar to the Baidu search engine, which is centered on the search box. Access cloud: The screen display and access mode are separated, which frees them from the restrictions of wireless standards

A lthough operator s have bu i l t large-scale WLANs, few of these are adequately used because mobile phones don’t use them to off load traff ic as desired. Considering most smartphones suppor t Wi-Fi, ZTE has developed a personal gateway that can convert different wireless standards into Wi-Fi. As a result, the screen display is separated from access mode, and a wide range of “star” terminals can be used by operators. The access cloud helps in the creation of a ubiquitous wireless network that integrates multiple wireless networks and all WLAN hot areas into a heterogeneous network. WLAN then becomes a data network equivalent to GSM/UMTS and LTE.

Cloud means all kinds of access modes for users. Users don’t need to consider which network to use or how to perform network authentication and handover. The access cloud greatly improves QoE and increases the revenue from a multinetwork deployment. Control cloud: A smart network with real-t ime analysis and closed-loop control

ZTE has developed an innovative real-time network analysis and a closed-

loop control solution for policy control according to id le or busy network condit ions and resource allocat ion among heterogeneous networks.

A content-delivery engine is also used in the control cloud to improve QoE. The content-delivery engine allows control of virus removal, web page optimization, media code conversion, CDN, and web cache. Sensor cloud: Necessary for creating an open mobile Internet environment .

The cloud computing center can store and deal with terminal data, network data, management data, support data, user data, and service data. Architecture for mining mass data provides core capabilities for a data mining platform based on long-tai l analysis. These core capabilities include personalized interfaces, service behavior analysis, hot content analysis, and business intelligence (BI) reporting for capability providers.

A user-oriented integrated service platform can provide a self-service customization client for customers, applicat ion t ransact ion for service developers , and one-stop Inter net services. A developer-oriented capability convergence platform can also provide managed application execution, open telecom access, and Internet service access.

To gain a competitive edge operators need to provide star-rated services, create a way of buying pipes online, build a

cloud-terminal integrated architecture for pipe services, and accentuate the importance of creating new homepages. However, it takes time to make all these changes because they involve specific enterprise standards and complex system architectures. Constructing a ubiquitous access cloud network with multiple access binding (MAB) is important to address issues that arise from different wireless standards, terminals, and networks.

Application CasesZTE’s indust r y-lead ing smar t-

pipe solution has found widespread application. Since 2009, Hong Kong’s la rgest mobile operator, CSL, has cooperated with ZTE in rolling out an optimized operation and management solution (ZOOMs). ZOOMs has helped CSL manage service packages, improve network OAM, and lower OAM costs. The smar t-pipe solut ion was a lso adopted by China Telecom in Sichuan to solve problems that were occurring in busy areas and at busy hours. This helped operators make full use of their resources and generate more revenue.

ZTE has cooperated extensively with leading operators worldwide and has helped them solve operat ional problems with cutting-edge solutions. By cooperating and exchanging ideas with operators, ZTE has also enriched its smart-pipe solution, making it widely applicable and cost effective.

To gain a competitive edge operators need to provide star-rated services, create a way of buying pipes online, build a cloud-terminal integrated architecture for pipe services, and accentuate the importance of creating new homepages.

“

”


Success Stories

Hi3G: Leading the Era of

LTE TDD/FDD Convergence

By Zhang Yanchuan & Lu Yue

Sc a n d i n a v i a h a s a h i s t o r y o f p r o d u c i n g innovative operators and vendors. Many cutting-edge innovations, advanced communicat ion

technologies, and high-end communication services are conceived there. Swedish operator TeliaSonera launched the world’s first commercial FDD LTE network at the end of 2009; Danish operator TDC became the second to deploy an LTE network in Europe in June 2010; and Swedish operator Net4Mobility deployed an LTE commercial network at the end of 2010.

Another Scandinavian operator, Hi3G, has the fourth largest market share in Sweden and Denmark. Its competitors have all deployed LTE networks, and this has greatly impacted Hi3G’s development. Therefore, it is imperative for Hi3G to launch LTE.

Many high-end operators are choosing traditional FDD mode. However, Hi3G believes that after FDD and TDD standards are converged, a 4G network with TDD will have the same quality as FDD but will be cheaper because of spectral resource efficiency. Building LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode networks is the best choice for operators. Hi3G has only 2 × 10 MHz in the 2.6 GHz band for FDD in Sweden and Denmark. This narrow bandwidth makes it hard to provide competitive data throughput in hotspots. Hi3G therefore has to consider using an LTE TDD/FDD hybrid network that can cater for high-rate data services and leverage existing spectral resources.

In September 2010, Hi3G put out a tender for an LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode network solution. Interoperability between LTE TDD/FDD and Hi3G’s existing UMTS was

Success Stories


VIP VoiceSuccess Stories

a requirement. Moreover, the LTE FDD network had to provide wide coverage, and both TDD and FDD had to be applied in the same hotspots. Later, the LTE TDD network would be further expanded to cover more hotspots. From equipment delivery to installation and commissioning, the entire converged network had to be completed within three months.

Early in the bidding, Hi3G selected two suppliers to build its LTE network in Sweden. As the project proceeded, ZTE stood out from the competition with its advanced LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode solution, multimode SDR platform, diverse base stations, customized transmission solutions, leading multimode terminals, and powerful project delivery and logistics capabilities. In March 2011, Hi3G selected ZTE as its exclusive LTE vendor.

ZTE’s TDD LTE/FDD LTE/ UMTS mult imode c o nve r g e d s o l u t i o n m e t t h e r e q u i r e m e n t s fo r interoperability and load balancing between Hi3G’s existing 3G network and the new LTE network. The solution improved system security and stability and ensured network throughput in hotspots. With shared BBUs, antennas, GPS, transmission, OMC and EPC, the LTE TDD/FDD dual-mode network meant that site investment and network O&M costs were reduced for Hi3G, and the network was constructed quickly.

Because of system interference caused by co-siting the TDD LTE, FDD LTE, and UMTS networks, ZTE offered a co-antenna solution that was warmly received by Hi3G. ZTE used two-path broadband antennas that reduced interference between TDD LTE and FDD LTE through proper antenna isolation and customized

combiners.Hotspots require high network throughput. Hi3G

has limited site resources and sought to make full use of their existing UMTS sites. Winter temperatures are very low in Sweden, and this places very high requirements on base stations in terms of capacity, size, installation flexibility, and performance. In response to these needs, ZTE provided different LTE base stations that could be used in different scenarios and perform well even at -40 degrees Celsius. ZTE’s FDD/TDD dual-mode SDR base stations, compact outdoor BBU cabinets, large outdoor BBU cabinets, and outdoor distributed base stations were combined in different arrangements according to the environment. The eNB can be installed indoors or outdoors, mounted on a tower, or under a tower. This helped Hi3G save on engineering, alleviate installation diffi culty, and speed up network construction.

Hi3G was a pioneer in 3G, and lagging behind in 4G development was never an option. Fast network deployment and differentiated 4G terminals are key to LTE commercialization. ZTE launched the world’s first data cards based on Qualcomm chipsets that support 3G, TDD LTE and FDD LTE systems. This helps Hi3G rapidly commercialize its LTE network.

For operators, failure to commercialize a network leads to a tremendous loss of revenue and creates the risk of perpetually lagging behind the competition. ZTE set up professional project management teams for site acquisition, civil engineering, equipment installation, and managed services. Hi3G was very satisfi ed with ZTE’s standardized operation and quality project delivery.

“We have chosen ZTE for an additional 3G 900/2100 rollout and for LTE mobile broadband networks in Sweden because of the possibility to house three different mobile standards in the same physical infrastructure and the low cost of ownership. Furthermore, ZTE has advanced LTE dual-mode solutions and quick consignment responses that really meet our requirements,” said Peter Ramel, CEO of Hi3G.


Success Stories

By Zhang Zhibin

Ucell Deploys a Commercial LTE Network in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has witnessed a sharp growth in the number of mobile users in recent years. Ucell, a

wholly-owned subsidiary of TeliaSonera, is the second-largest mobile operator in Uzbekistan. Ucell has a fast-growing mobile subscriber base, and its total number of mobile subscribers reached eight million in July 2011. Ucell was awarded a 4G license by the government of Uzbekistan in July 2010.

With an increase in the number of mobile subscribers in Uzbekistan, the proportion of “ghost subscribers” and suspended subscribers is also on the rise. The number of premium subscribers, however, continues to decline. APRU is also significantly declining because of

intensified competition, reduced tariffs, and insufficient 3G services to attract subscribers. Furthermore, with the boom in mobile data and rapid deployment of LTE around the world, Ucell has had to work harder to develop more 3G data users and keep a close eye on LTE trends. Boosting data services is the key to increasing operator ARPU. Therefore, Ucell planned to build a quality mobile network that could deliver feature-rich data services and provide the best coverage. After careful consideration, Ucell fi nally chose ZTE as its main LTE equipment supplier.

In August 2010, Ucell and ZTE jointly announced the successful launch of an LTE network in Tashkent, capital

of Uzbekistan. The construction of the network was based on ZTE’s Uni-RAN solution using the advanced SDR technology. Ucell is the first operator to deploy an LTE network within the Commonwealth of Independent States. These achievements are attributable to Ucell’s efficient internal processes as well as ZTE’s outstanding LTE solutions and strong project execution capabilities.

Rapid DeploymentThe services ZTE provided to UCell

included site acquisition and survey, network planning and design, equipment installation and commissioning, and managed ser v ices. Ucel l and ZTE worked together to overcome diffi culties



in acqui r ing sites and gaining the necessary construction permits. It took ZTE only one month to manufacture and ship equipment for the LTE deployment. The fi rst LTE data call was successfully made one week after all equipment had arrived in Uzbekistan. Ucell CTO, Sait Eryilmaz, wrote a letter of thanks to ZTE for their excellent work during the project.

“I appreciate not only the success of the deployment but also the commitment and determination of ZTE’s team. On behalf Ucell, I am really proud of the i nc r e d ib le work we completed together in such a short time. The Ucell technical team is very happy to work with you,” said Sait Eryilmaz. “The launch of such new technology within such a short period was almost impossible, but your team made possible what i s i mposs ible , and that m ight be a world record. I hope we continue this successful cooperation in the future.”

Seamless 3G and 4G Interoperability

Ucell had a complete 3G network with a huge subscriber base. Its newly-b u i l t LT E n e t wo r k w i l l p r ov id e subscribers with high bandwidth and feature-rich data services. However, because of the immaturity of the LTE industry, in the initial LTE rollout, Ucell could have faced problems with incomplete coverage, and the quality of the LTE network may not have been the same as the 3G standard. It was therefore necessary for Ucell to ensure interoperability between 3G

and 4G networks. Seamless 3G and 4G interoperability allows subscribers to access mat u re 3G ser v ices and high-speed LTE data services. It also encourages more subscribers to use the quality LTE network in the mature stage of LTE deployment.

ZTE proposed interoperability tests for Ucell’s LTE and exiting 3G networks. Multimode LTE terminals were used to implement reselection and interoperation in 3G and 4G systems. The tests showed that there was no adverse effect on user experience. Ucell succeeded in realizing

seamless interoperability and smooth service migrat ion among dif ferent operators and different systems.

Innovative Solutions ZTE’s 700/2600 MHz dual-band

coverage solution leverages Ucell’s existing LTE spectrum resources and shares BBUs between LTE700 and LTE2600 networks. ZTE’s industry leading SDR-based network convergence solution was also used in the Ucell deployment. The SDR solution protects Ucell’s investment and has enhanced its network competitiveness. Distributed b a s e s t a t io n s we r e u s e d t o s ave equipment room, and a multimode co-site solution was used to allow equipment

rooms, transmission, feeder antenna, and power supply to be shared between GSM, UMTS, and LTE systems. This solved difficulties in site acquisition, swap-over, and maintenance and helped Ucell cut CAPEX and OPEX.

Looking into the Future Ucell’s new LTE network leverages

the spect rum advantages that were present in its exist ing network and offers complete coverage and world-leading mobile broadband performance. The ultra-high-speed transmission and

high bandwidth of the LTE network will give users with unprecedented mobile access.

As well as providing high-speed data access and complete mobility, a highly reliable LTE network also enriches enter tainment and interaction. People can enjoy high-bandwidth HDTV, 3D-TV, interactive games, and e-Learning anytime and anywhere.

The LTE network will change the way people work, live, play and communicate. It will allow them to be fully immersed in a high-speed mobile experience.

In terms of business applications, LTE networks will provide mobile offi ce, mobile HD video conference, real-time mobile monitoring, mobile interactive market promotion, and real-time mobile medical imaging. This will create more business opportunities for enterprise users and help them become more effective and productive.

Ucell aims to advance 4G telecom and will continue to work with ZTE to offer more innovative and customer-oriented services to mobile users in Uzbekistan.

“We are proud that Uzbekistan has become one of the few countries in the world to use the 4G network. As a part of TeliaSonera, a company with over a hundred years of experience in telecommunications, we are committed to delivering state-of-the art technologies and an excellent wireless data experience to our customers,” said UCell CEO, Oguz Memiguven.

“

”


Success Stories

China Mobile:

Successful C-RAN Trial in Changsha

By Zhao Miao

Success Stories



Drive test results show that the uplink obtains 3 to 7 dB gain, MOS increases by 11.4%, and intercell handover is reduced by 15.3%. The multi-RRU and co-cell mode enhances signal stability and increases cell coverage quality and handover success rate.

Saving Fiber Resources and Protecting Services Using RRU Cascaded Ring Networking

The test results showed that each of the 18 cascaded RRUs functioned normally. Delay compensation was normal, and QoS met the standards. Ring networking guarantees the reliability of cascaded RRU sites. If any fi ber section or any RRU in the link is damaged, the current link is automatically switched to the reverse link so that upper-level RRU and lower-level RRU is not affected.

Re d u c i n g N e t wo r k TCO a n d Shortening Deployment Time with C-RAN

Using C-RAN, China Mobile can reduce CAPEX by 27.1% and OPEX by 63.9% for 11 sites with 272 carriers. In Changsha, C-RAN can reduce China Mobile’s CAPEX by RMB 1.435 million and OPEX by RMB 666,000 a year. For a local network with 10,000 sites, C-RAN can reduce CAPEX by RMB 2 billion a year and OPEX by RMB 0.4 billion a year. If C-RAN is used to build networks on a large scale, OPEX is signifi cantly reduced.

Using centralized baseband and collaborative radio, new-generation C-RAN enables dynamic network load balancing and network resources to be shared. C-RAN fully incorporates the concepts of “green, collaborative, and sharing.” At present, C-RAN is only in the initial stage, and with the application of new concepts and technologies, C-RAN will bring even greater benefi ts to networks.

complex, and network KPIs need further improvement. The trial area was also suitable for verifying dynamic sharing of baseband resources with tidal traffi c from the college district.

After the test scheme was determined, the network deployment and all tests were completed within 26 days. The test results show that C-RAN has great potential and show the highlights of ZTE’s GSM C-RAN solution.

Overcoming Tidal Effect Through Centralized Baseband

During the test, baseband units were placed in the central equipment room of Tianmashan. This saved equipment room. The monitoring data shows that the tidal effect was very strong between 21:45 and 22:45. When students return to their dormitories after evening study, the traffi c in the teaching building declines and traffic in the dormitories increased markedly. When the tidal effect occurs, baseband resources are dynamically adjusted; that is, the baseband resources begin to migrate from the teaching bui ld ings to the dor mitor ies. The baseband resources are shared by two sites, so the resources are saved by 16% and BBUs are reduced by 14% in the baseband board.

Improving Service Through Radio Collaboration

Usual ly, t he anten na feeder i s mounted on the rooftop and covers two cells. In one coverage cell, signal loss is severe because of trees and plants. The other has a weak indoor area. In the C-RAN network, a multi-RRU and co-cell mode is used. Two RRUs are connected to two antennas. One antenna is mainly used to cover the remote end of the cell, and the other antenna is mainly used to cover the near end of the cell. Two RRUs are confi gured to one cell.

With the rapid development of telecom ser v ices and c o n s t a n t c h a n g e s i n

subscriber behavior, operators are faced with unprecedented challenges in their radio access networks (RANs): high-power consumption caused by large numbers of sites, increasing CAPEX and OPEX, and low wireless coverage quality caused by complex networks. Site resources are hard to acquire, and some base stations are being used ineffi ciently because of the tidal effect. In the midst of technology, cost, resource, and security challenges, a completely new platform is emerging.

I n A p r i l 2 010 , C h i n a Mo b i l e proposed the C-RAN architecture—a new-generation, green RAN architecture. C-RAN is another innovation based on dist r ibuted base stat ions. Using centralized baseband, collaborative radio technologies, and real-time cloud computing, C-RAN allows dynamic network load balancing, and it allows network resources to be shared. C-RAN is a clean and effi cient RAN that allows smooth evolution and provides higher bandwidths. More f lexible multiple operation standards are also supported.

Shortly after proposing the C-RAN architecture, China Mobile immediately conduc ted fea s ibi l i t y s t ud ie s for commercial deployment in several provinces. In Changsha, Hunan province, China Mobile selected ZTE as its partner to trial the GSM C-RAN. To verify the C-RAN network functions and capability, China Mobile chose the college district near Yuelu Mount as the trial area. In a population of 40,000, there are 22,000 2G subscribers, so the location was suitable for verifying C-RAN capability in a densely populated metropolitan area with heavy traffic. The area contains many student dormitories and residential buildings. The radio environment is very


Success StoriesSuccess Stories

By Lee Doyle, IDC

Telcel

Becomes More Agile with Next-Generation Service-Based Subscriber Data Management

addressed are charging, assurance, and pre-paid billing. These systems must be scalable, highly reliable, f lexible, and secure.

Telcel needed to replace its legacy subscriber data management system for a number of reasons. Operating costs were high because multiple databases were required to support applications. There was a lack of service and support because of the age of the system, and new services could not be easily added because of the dependence on subscriber data. Dependency on old server and storage design limited scalability and Telcel’s ability to keep up with growth in subscriber numbers. Also, old database design resulted in poor reliability and disaster recovery.

For part of the OS upgrade, Telcel

chose ZTE to provide a next-generation subscriber data management system called universal subscr iber prof ile platform (ZXUN USPP).

ImplementationIn late 2009, Telcel decided to

upgrade to a new subscriber management system. Among the six vendors that were considered during the thorough RFP evaluat ion, ZTE was selected for its solution and experience. ZTE established a project implementation team comprising experts from its China headquarters and local office to work closely with Telcel.

The ZTE implementat ion team provided detailed professional services to smoothly migrate from the legacy platform. ZTE worked to tight deadlines:

Introduction

Telcel Mexico is the local brand of America Movil, a Fortune 500 company and one of the largest

companies in Latin America. It has over 236 million subscribers in Mexico, Latin America, and the Caribbean, making it the four th largest mobile operator in the world. Like many mobile operators, Telcel is facing the challenge of modernizing its infrastructure to improve operational efficiency and to quickly deliver new revenue-generating services to its broad customer base.

Given competitive pressures and the size and growth of its customer base, Telcel is looking to transform its back-office operations in order to quickly introduce new services with low operating cost. Key functions to be



SolutionZTE’s USPP solution was chosen

to provide service-based subscriber data management. Since it was f irst released in 2006, ZTE USPP has been improved and is now widely used in the market. With a distributed architecture, it leverages a centralized database and provides open interfaces that support standards such as LDAP, MML, SOAP, XML, Web Service, ODBC, and JDBC to facilitate convergence of user data.

ZXUN USPP, based on the ATCA platform, has large capacity. It has 3 racks that can support 100 million dynamic subscr ibers , and it has low power consumption, which reduces OPEX. ZXUN USPP supports 12 types of FE applications, which allows for unified UMTS, CDMA, SAE, and IMS services. This, in turn, allows for subscription cont rol convergence. ZXU N USPP simplifi es network deployment, accelerates the provision of new services, and promotes service innovation. It helps operators provide competitive integrated services.

Benefi tsTelcel’s new dat a management

architecture delivers the desired benefi ts of a project. ZTE ZXUN USPP is the basis of a modern data management system and has the following benefi ts:

high performance. It can handle more than 30,000 transactions per second.large capacity. It can accommodate more than 100 million subscribers.high scalability of server capacity (ATCA blade server design).quick delivery of new services. It has a converged database with unifi ed and open interfaces.

planning and technical specifi cations: one monthhardware and software installation: one monthtesting of availability, security, and management: one monthi n t e g r a t i o n o f v a l u e a d d e d applications such as, ringtones, SMS, and voicemail: three monthsmigration from legacy provisioning system: one weekDuring each phase of the project,

ZTE worked closely with Telcel’s operations personnel to provide onsite training and knowledge transfer. ZTE also now provides round-the-clock support services for Telcel.

ChallengesAn important challenge in this project

was to smoothly migrate from the legacy platform to next-generation subscriber data management system. The transition needed to be transparent to Telcel’s customers and allow for integration of existing (20+) applications such as ringtones, voice mail, and SMS. The new system needed to be able to handle mass data and have very fast response times. It also needed to be able to rapidly integrate new value-added services. For scalability, reliability, and performance, a new subscriber management system requires tight integration between the hardware (blade server and storage), the database management system, and the applications.

ZTE smoothly migrated Telcel’s legacy plat for m by adapt ing non-standard applications that support the LDAP protocol. All implementations of this type require high-quality integration services, and ZTE personnel were on site to help with this transition.

i mproved secu r i t y. I t p rov ides f lexibility in security profiles and allows access to information on a need-to-know basis so that customer privacy is protected.high reliability with hot standby capability and geographic redundancy. It is 99.9999% reliable.i m p r o v e d m e a s u r e m e n t o f performance indicators, including memory, CPU, and t raff ic. This provides a much data about the operation of the platform for easy management.The system provides distr ibuted

memory across different compute blades in the server as well as tight integration with the DBMS sof tware. The new LDAP directory architecture offers more efficient memory use and much faster performance for database queries.

A key benefi t is the ability to quickly develop new revenue-generating services for Telcel’s customers. Telcel is in the process of rolling out new services, and the new subscriber management systems greatly reduces the time it takes Telcel to develop, test and integrate a new service. In one case, the time taken to introduce a new service was reduced f rom 8 months to 2 months. ZTE is helping Telcel integrate new services into the subscriber management system and is enabling future development via training and knowledge transfer.

Telcel is sat isf ied that i t s new subscriber data management system will facilitate integration with LTE and new requirements such as machine-to-machine mobile communications. In addition, large capacity, increased performance, and simplifi ed management are very useful to Telcel.

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●

●


Solutions

HetNet Jump-Starts Mature

LTE CommercializationBy Mi Dezhong

A repor t published by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) in October 2011 confi rms that, to date, 35 LTE networks

have been commercialized in 21 countries, and 248 operators in 87 countries are now investing in LTE. 185 operators worldwide have committed to LTE, and 63 operators worldwide are conducting pre-commitment trials. The GSA also forecasts that at least 103 LTE networks will be in commercial service by the end 2012. However, some problems have emerged with the large-scale deployment of LTE.

Most LTE networks operate at high frequency bands and have large signal attenuation and penetration loss. This results in poor indoor coverage and even blind spots. Data traffi c has continued to grow but is distributed unequally. Insufficient capacity is a problem in urban hotspots and in densely populated areas where data traffi c is heavy. Macrocell deployment puts high requirements on base station sites. Site acquisition is a big challenge in dense urban areas. To address these issues, heterogeneous network

(HetNet) is int roduced in 3GPP. HetNet means low-power nodes (LPNs) are placed throughout a macrocell layout (overlaid) and also different layers are coordinated. In a HetNet, a macro network served by high-power base stations provides the foundation for wide area coverage. LPNs, including microcells, picocells, femtocells/home eNBs (HeNBs), and relay nodes (RNs), are designed for incremental capacity growth, eliminating coverage holes, richer user experience and indoor coverage. LPNs have the following features:

Microcells or picocells are usually centrally deployed, and serve several dozen users within a radio range of 300 m or less. They have a typical transmit power range of 23 to 30 dBm and are mainly used for capacity as well as outdoor or indoor coverage infi ll in environments where there is insuffi cient macro penetration, such as bus/train stations, airports, underground parking, and offi ce buildings.Femtocells, also known as home eNBs, are low-cost, low-power user-deployed access points that provide blind spot or hotspot coverage in homes or small business environments. Typically, the femtocell range is less than 50 m, and the femtocell’s transmit power is less than 23 dBm. Femtocell terminals support plug-and-play. Relay nodes connect with macrocells via radio links. They are positioned to increase signal

●

●

●

●

●

●


VIP VoiceSolutions

Het Ne t p rov ide s a seamless network exper ience, and users c a n e n j o y h i g h - s p e e d communicat ion anywhere and anytime.

ZTE has been developing a series of LTE base stations. ZTE’s LTE macro base stations include dis t r ibuted base s t at ions , i ndoor macro base stations, and outdoor macro base stations for various deployment scenarios. ZTE has collaborated with CSL Hong Kong and Hutchinson Sweden to commercialize these base stations. In June 2011, ZTE unveiled the world’s fi rst commercial LTE micro base station. The base station is small, lightweight, and easy to install. It supports AC/DC power supply and all frequency bands for LTE. It can be quickly and cheaply deployed in hotspot areas. ZTE has also been developing femtocells, picocells, and relay nodes. With a full series of LTE products and an end-to-end HetNet solution, ZTE is well-positioned to meet operator LTE needs in different scenarios and to strengthen the core competitiveness of operators.

“With multilayer coordination, HetNet addresses coverage issues for indoor areas, blind spots, and high-speed scenarios and

enhances system capacity in hot spots. ”

strength and help operators cheaply expand network coverage. They can be also used for temporary network deployment and to provide l imited coverage in high-speed scenarios. Compared to a traditional homogeneous network

comprising a single layer of macrocells, HetNet small cells are deployed in large numbers and are overlaid with macrocells. This presents new challenges for interference elimination, self-organizing network (SON), network management, traffic offloading, and user equipment (UE) mobility. Because coverage overlaps between LPNs and macrocells in a HetNet, intercell interference is more diffi cult to control than in a homogeneous network, and the interference also changes as a UE moves between macrocells and LPNs. To reduce or eliminate intercell interference, several new techniques have been introduced in LTE-Advanced networks, including TDM-based enhanced intercell interference cancellation (eICIC) with ABS configuration, FDM-based carrier aggregation (CA) with cross-carrier scheduling, and MIMO-based coordinated multi-point (CoMP) transmission and reception.

HetNet is based on a mixed deployment of macrocells and LPNs, which facilitates large-scale and mature commercialization of LTE networks. With multilayer coordination, HetNet addresses coverage issues for indoor areas, blind spots, and high-speed scenarios and enhances system capacity in hot spots.


Solutions

SON:The Key to LTE Commercialization

By Liu Yue

LTE is preferred by operators because i t can reduce user delay, it can handle higher user

data rates, it has higher volume and better coverage, maintenance costs are lower, and it can be smoothly evolved. However, these advantages do not guarantee the LTE will be successful commercialized. Better user experience and lower operation costs bring with them new chal lenges i n t e r ms of network deployment, maintenance, and implementation. Self organization is a newly introduced network concept that improves the intelligence of LTE networks.

What is SON?Self organizing network (SON) is a

complete set of network concepts for the development of LTE. It is designed for operators who are trying to reduce LTE network construction and OAM costs. It has now been extended to include the entire wireless network.

SON is a new idea for network c o n s t r u c t i o n , o p e r a t i o n , a n d maintenance. It is based on the latest wireless technology and combines the advantages of traditional network planning and optimization. SON is mainly applied to LTE but can also be applied to 2G and 3G networks.

What Functions Does SON Have?SON is cha racte r i zed by sel f-

configuration, self-optimization, and self-healing.

Self-configuration means that there is little or no human intervention, from equipment instal lat ion to network access . I t s i mpl i f ie s new s t a t ion measurement processes, reduces the necessity for human intervention, and lowers construction needed for realizing plug and play. It substantially reduces the difficulty of deploying new base stations and OAM costs. A SON is capable of autonomously establishing transmission, authenticating nodes, i ns t a l l i ng and updat ing sof t ware versions, testing equipment, planning neighbourhoods, managing assets, and planning wireless parameters.

Self-optimization involves automatic optimization of network parameters. UE and eNB performance are measured in order to improve network quality and reduce optimization costs. Traditional opt imizat ion of OAM is based on assessments made by engineers after drive tests have been performed and simulation data analyzed. SON reduces the need to hire specialists and provides timely reminders and more accurate, detailed test data for network defects. It quickens the processing speed of

the trouble ticket. Self-optimisation includes opt imizing coverage and capacity, adjusting power transmission (or even shutting down cells) to save energy, detecting and reconfiguring to avoid conflict or confusion, optimizing mobility robustness and load balance, opt i m i z i ng R ACH, coord i na t i ng intercell interference and optimizing QoS.

Self-healing, by definition, means the network can cure itself of network p roble m s . Se l f -he a l i ng i nvolve s correlating alarms, locating root causes, detecting silent cells, detecting and compensating for faulty cells, and automatically tracking and diagnosing problems.

SON involves all aspects of network deployment, and makes traditional OAM methods more intelligent.


VIP VoiceSolutions

Why Does LTE Need SON?The network element node of an LTE

access network is evolved NodeB. eNB evolved from NodeB and RNC in 3G. X2 is the interface between nodes, and S1 is the interface of the core network. The compressed nodes considerably improve processing speed and eff iciency in internal signalling. The full evolution of packet networks is a typical improvement in LTE networks. The 3GPP definition of SAE architecture specifies support for multiple wireless modes and the necessity for high speed, low latency, and optimized packet transmission. S1 is must be used to switch between different network standards, and X2 can be used to switch between LTE cells.

Because of LTE’s f lat structure, eNBs encompass two original elements of the access network of 2G and 3G. Therefore, the number and complexity

of wireless base station configuration parameters increases sharply. The cost of network planning, OAM, and upgrading is unacceptably high for operators. Also, the number of element nodes and eNBs increases signifi cantly for the full-coverage LTE network. Because of the considerably weakened LTE frequency and penetration loss at high-frequency, s m a l l c e l l s a r e u s e d by l e a d i n g telecommunication manufacturers and operators.

For full coverage and high capacity, HetNet is proposed. In addition to macro eNB, home eNB is introduced to extend indoor coverage and increase capacity in urban hotspots. Wireless relay stations are used for low-cost coverage. All these elements form a real heterogeneous network. Macro stations reduce the operation cost of SON, and home eNB meets the needs of SON in various

scenarios. It is necessary to consider the affect of changing wireless environment, turn-on time and frequency flexibility, and power consumption for end users. These are challenges in t radit ional network planning, construction, and maintenance.

In addition, the coexistence of LTE, 2G and 3G networks needs to be taken into account to ensure smooth future evolution.

Many other issues cannot be dealt with by traditional maintenance methods. Such issues include capacity and power consumed as a result of wide coverage, flexible deployment and changed OAM modes based on home eNB, interference caused by hotspot coverage, and load adaptation. These increase labor and maintenance costs, and so operators have long awaited the arrival of SON.

SON’s Progressive Development SON is an essential par t of LTE

development and commercialization. As a result of 3GPP and NGMN-related projects, issue-tracking and legalization are under way. There is st i l l much work to be done in terms of functional c o l l a b o r a t io n a nd i m p r ove m e n t . Commercialization involves a run-in period. ZTE, the leading provider of LTE equipment and solutions has been keeping abreast of relevant legislation and is conducting R&D on SON. As the result of substantial investment in R&D, ZTE has come up with a series of SON solutions.

SON is an essential driving force beh ind the evolut ion f rom mobi le telecommunication networks to smart networks and is playing an increasingly important role in LTE.


Third Eye

ZTE’s Interoperability Testing Pushes TD-LTE Technology

Closer to the Mainstream

July 2011, selected from market research fi rm Current Analysis

Vendor importance: highZTE is looking to maintain its TD-

LTE moment u m by expand ing i t s 25 network tr ials and deployments. E x p a n d i n g t h e m a r k e t f o r T D -LTE will require the technology to suppor t handover between TD-LTE and traditional FDD-based wireless technologies. Handover is needed to support carrier-to-carrier roaming and to ensure established mobile operators can integrate TD-LTE with their previously deployed networks.

Market impact: highZ T E’s i mp a c t i n t he w i r e le s s

infrastructure market will be high. TD-LTE interoperation with GSM/WCDMA/CDMA EV-DO could greatly increase the interest of mobile operators in TD-LTE. Established mobile operators will be more likely to deploy TD-LTE if it can interoperate with their existing networks. ZTE’s test also shows how a vendor can benef it f rom having both device and infrastructure assets,

●

●

●

●

●

Third Eye

Event Ratings

Perspective

ResponseIntensity

VendorImportance

Innovation MarketImpact

Copyright @ 2011 Current Analysis,Inc.Generated:07-14-2011


especially in driving development of new markets. Competitive Positives

Signals growing maturity of ZTE’s TD-LTE solutionShould help expand operator interest in TD-LTEInteroperability includes both 3GPP and 3GPP2 networksHighlights that ZTE is both a device and infrastructure vendorPoints to the company’s overall momentum with TD-LTE

Event Summary

July 11, 2011―ZTE announced that it had completed interoperability test ing of a mult imode device

that can support handovers between a TD-LTE network and CDMA, GSM, WCDMA, and LTE networks. The multimode device used in the testing is a prototype and is not yet commercial. ZTE claims this interoperability test is a market fi rst.

Analytical SummaryPerspective: moderate

Current Analysis has a moderate outlook for ZTE’s mult imode TD-LTE device that can support network handover between TD-LTE networks and GSM, WCDMA, CDMA EV-DO, and LTE networks. By successfully managing network handovers between TD-LTE and other networks highlights, ZTE demonstrates the growing maturity of its TD-LTE solutions. ZTE has helped raise interest in TD-LTE by showing operators how TD-LTE can be integrated into their existing networks.


VIP VoiceNews Brief

ZTE Completes World-First TD-LTE CSFB Tests

22 December 2011, Shenzhen ― ZTE announced it has completed a series of world’s first tests between TD-LTE and 2/3G GSM/UMTS networks using circuit switching fallback (CSFB).

A number of services, including mobi le o r ig i na t i ng ca l l s , mobi le terminating calls and short messaging service (SMS), were tested. The tests further reinforce the convergence of TD-LTE and existing networks. In addition, the tests demonstrate that CSFB is a reliable voice solution on TD-LTE networks.

When someone uses a CSFB phone on an LTE network to make a call within the range of a 4G network, the handset rapidly falls back to available 2/3G networks to complete the call. This use of exist ing inf rast ructure enables voice services without the need for IMS deployments. It is a single chip voice-implemented solution defined by 3GPP.

ZTE-Implemented Bangladesh WiMAX Network Hits 200,000 Subscribers

the national Bangladeshi network in only one year. The network supports TDD -LTE evolut ion and uses t he telecom indust r y’s most advanced large-capacity BTS 4×8 equipment. Ba ng l a io n i s B a ng l a d e s h’s No.1 WiMAX operator.

“We’d like to thank ZTE for its support as the exclusive supplier for Banglalion’s WiMAX network. Our customers were pleased by the quality of the network,” said Banglalion CEO Neil Graham.

“ZTE will continue to collaborate closely with Banglalion to maintain high-speed and stable networks with r ich ser v ices for the Bangladesh i people,” said ZTE Bangladesh country manager Sabin Shrestha. “Our aim is to help Banglalion maintain its leading position in WiMAX and to assist it with launching more diverse services such as VoIP, video surveillance and conferencing.”

12 January 2012, Shenzhen ― ZTE announced that the WiMAX network i t i mplemented i n Ba ng ladesh i n cooperation with operator Banglalion now serves 200,000 subscribers.

ZT E i s t he exclu s ive ne t work equipment supplier for Banglal ion and helped the operator implement

ZTE Drives LTE Adoption at 2012 Consumer Electronics Show ZTE showcases latest handsets at CES

11 January 2012, Las Vegas, Nevada ― ZTE is participating in the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week in Las Vegas, Nevada.

CES kicks off 2012 for ZTE, a year in which the company will drive LTE adoption by launching a full ser ies of LTE handset products, including smartphones, hotspots, tablets and fi xed-station products. New devices will also feature powerful, high-end technology while enhancing users’ experience with audio, visual and touch functionality.

At CES 2012, ZTE is demonstrating latest LTE handsets including Arthur, LTE tablets V6 and V8, LTE hotspots MF91, LTE dat aca rd MF 880 and MF821, LTE CPE MF28D, and Windows Phone Tania, as well as the newest products brought to market in 2011, which included 10 devices for top tier American carriers. This year’s display of U.S. devices includes the ZTE WarpTM and ZTE ScoreTM smartphones as well as the ZTE MemoTM and ZTE ChorusTM feature phones.


News Brief


ZTE Germany Receives Health and Safety Certificate by TÜV Rheinland

14 December 2011, Düsseldorf ― ZTE has been awarded an occupational health & safety advisor y ser v ices (OHSAS) 18001 cer tif icate by TÜV R h e i n l a n d . T h e O H S A S 18 0 01 confirms ZTE Germany’s compliance with the European and German labor safety requirements. The certif icate also demonstrates that ZTE Germany

preventively implements the highest standards of health and safety.

The OHSAS 18001 s t andard is recognized in more than 80 countries and is the best-known and most important standard for a safety management system. The goal is the prevention of occupational accidents and improving the health of employees in the workplace.

ZTE Launches Waterproof STAR7 Softbank 009Z Smartphone in Japan

20 December 2011, Tokyo ― ZTE announced the launch of the unique, water proof STAR7 Sof tbank 009Z smartphone in Japan.

The STAR7 Sof tbank 009Z is a fashionable, easy-to-operate Android 2.3 smar tphone. It features a wide 3.8-inch touch screen and takes its inspi rat ion f rom the solar system, planets and satellites. It is available in a lineup of seven metallic colors: Neptune green, Venus yellow, Mars red, Jupiter pink, Moon white, Saturn black and Earth blue.

Hi3G and ZTE Announce Launch of World’s First LTE FDD/TDD Network

15 December 2011, Shenzhen ― ZTE, in collaboration with Swedish carrier Hi3G, has announced that the world’s fi rst commercial LTE FDD/TDD dual-mode network has gone live in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo.

Hi3G is committed to upgrading its network to enhance

the subscriber experience with signifi cantly faster radio access speeds and a much more extensive range of data services. Hi3G signed the LTE network contract with ZTE in March 2011 to cover the whole of Sweden.

Jörgen Askeroth, CTO of Hi3G, commented, “This network fully indicates the practical use of the mature LTE multi-mode convergent solution. It allows us to extend the partnership with ZTE.”

STAR7 Softbank 009Z Smartphones

Headquarters of ZTE Germany in Dusseldorf


VIP VoiceNews Brief

H3G Austria’s Mobile Network from ZTE Named Fastest in the Country

14 December 2011, Shenzhen ― ZTE and H3G Austria, have announced that the H3G mobile network has been proved to be the fastest in Austria, in independent tests conducted by European telecommunications publication CONNECT.

Each year, CONNECT organizes

formal tests of mobile networks covering the German-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland. The programme includes tests for download speeds, upload speeds and user experience. In the download speed test, H3G’s network-wide average rate was 9 Mbps, far ahead of the

second fastest network.CONNECT magazine editor Bernd

Theiss said, “H3G Austria was not only the fastest network; it also achieved a score of 476 out of a possible 500 in customers’ evaluation of overall network performance.”

ZTE Wins 50% in Centralized Purchase of China Telecom’s Metro Aggregation and Access Network Project

12 December 2011, Shenzhen ― ZTE announced it has won 50% of the contract business for China Telecom’s 2011 comprehensive metro aggregation and access network project, the highest percentage of all contract bidders.

The contract was issued in response to an urgent need by China Telecom for a comprehensive bearer network in multiple Chinese cit ies capable of car rying CDMA base stations and providing large customer services and soft-switching. As part of the China Telecom Metro network project, ZTE will build 6 local networks in six core cities: Guangzhou, Nanjing, Ningbo, Shanghai, Quanzhou and Wenzhou. The networks will be built with ZTE’s IP RAN (IP/MPLS) solutions, which are based on the company’s ZXCTN 9000/6000 series products.

ZTE Wins Informa LTE Award for Best Enabling Technology

21 November 2011, Shenzhen ― ZTE announced its ZXSDR BS8920 micro base station won the 2011 Informa LTE Award for Best Enabling Technology at the LTE North America conference in Dallas, Texas.

T h e Z X S D R B S 8 9 2 0 w a s d e ve lo p e d b a s e d o n Z T E’s Un i -RAN platform and is the world's first

commercial LTE micro base station. The product’s hardware cost is 50% less than traditional distributed base stat ions, and its auxil ia r y faci l ity costs are 30% less in comparison. It is compact and lightweight and supports all-standard LTE bands. Its low power consumption helps operators reduce total cost of ownership.

Documents

TD-LTE Wave