ZTE´s 3G CDMA2000: Continuous Innovation for a Win-Win Future

The 3G CDMA2000 "Superstar Family" launched by ZTE comprises a series of products for both Core Network (CN) and Access Network (AN). Adopting advanced Softswitch technology, the CN products include the Mobile Switching Center Emulator, Home Location Register Emulator, Service Control Point Emulator, Media Gateway, Access Gateway, Signalling Gateway, etc., and the AN products include Base Station Controller, macro Base Transceiver Station (BTS), compact BTS, micro BTS, Remote Radio Frequency System, etc.

More information at:
http://www.zte.com.cn/English/03product/list3.jsp?CateID=118

1 Remarkable Achievements Demonstrate ZTE’s CDMA  Strength
ZTE commenced independently developing CDMA mobile communications system based on the CDMA2000 standards in 1995. In 2000, ZTE became the first enterprise in China to obtain network access licenses for all CDMA products that included switching system, base stations and mobile handsets. To ensure a smooth transition to 3G, ZTE’s CDMA products follows the technology evolution roadmap of IS-95A/B to CDMA2000 1X, CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and CDMA2000 1xEV-DV, while being fully compatible with international standards and mainstream technologies. By September 2004, ZTE had successfully deployed its CDMA products in more than 40 countries and 50 operators, with a total of 20 million lines of its CDMA mobile communications products and wireless access products running on networks at home and abroad.

  ZTE is truly capable of providing world-class professional CDMA technology and services. ZTE has witnessed the development of the CDMA technology worldwide, made remarkable achievements in the CDMA market and opened the path to international forays.

2 Continuous Innovations for Building Excellent All-IP 3G Products
After launching the CDMA2000 1X products, ZTE followed it up with its new-generation all-IP based 3G CDMA2000 products to continue with the technical development trend. The 3G CDMA2000 "Superstar Family" launched by ZTE consists of a series of products for both Core Network (CN) and Access Network (AN). Adopting advanced Softswitch technology, the CN products comprises Mobile Switching Center Emulator (MSCe), Home Location Register Emulator (HLRe), Service Control Point Emulator (SCPe), Media Gateway (MGW), Access Gateway (AGW), Signalling Gateway (SGW), etc., and the AN products include Base Station Controller (BSC), macro Base Transceiver Station (BTS), compact BTS, micro BTS, Remote Radio Frequency System (RFS), etc.

  With cutting-edge technology, forward compatibility, high integration and flexibility, ZTE’s
"Superstar Family" series may help operators build competitive 3G CDMA networks and consequently improve their market competence.

  ZTE’s all-IP solution has the following features:

• The all-IP based architecture supports smooth transition to the future communications network. ZTE’s all-IP products provide all advantages inherent with all-IP technology, and are compatible with the existing ATM-based networks.
• The CN employs the Softswitch technology to separate the call control, service and bearer, so that the network entities can be combined or separated flexibly. The AN also implements the separation of control and bearer. The CN product series (ZXC10-3GCN) can be migrated smoothly to the multimedia domain simply by adding related functional entities.
• Large-capacity switching and distributed processing is supported. The Base Station Subsystem (BSS) and the CN have a processing capacity of 50 000 Erl and 60 000 Erl respectively.
• Hybrid networking is allowed, which ensures a smooth transition from 2G to 3G networks.
• It provides abundant standardized interfaces and open signaling interfaces. The open service interfaces supported are also various.
• The all-IP macro BTS achieves high integration. A single shelf with the height of only 1.6 m can support a maximum capacity of either 8 carriers 3 sectors or 4 carriers 6 sectors.
• It provides a series of BTS products including the micro BTS, macro BTS, compact BTS and remote RFS. All the BTS products have a unified architecture.
• With ZTE’s patent technologies, it can support the channel element sharing with chip-level resolution among 24 carrier-sectors.
• With ZTE’s patent technologies, it can support highly reliable ring networking at the baseband-RF (Radio Frequency) interface. Besides, it enables a single fiber to carry all required information for 24 carrier-sectors.
• It adopts cutting-edge technologies such as multi-carrier digital Intermediate Frequency (IF) and data pre-distortion. It also supports optional N +1 backup for the transceiver and the power amplifier.
• It fully supports CDMA2000 1X Release A, EV-DO and EV-DV services. At the BTS side, it supports mixed insertion of channel boards and configuration for any carriers, providing great convenience in upgrading.
  

3 Tailor-Made Solutions  Help Operators Construct Cost-Effective Networks
ZTE’s "Superstar Family" can provide customized solutions to meet operators’ various requirements for high capacity and wide coverage, high capacity but small coverage, small capacity but wide coverage, or small capacity and small coverage.

  The "Superstar Family" series consist of the following products:

• Macro BTS: A single rack supports a maximum capacity of 24
  carrier-sectors. Combining two racks can support a maximum capacity of 48 carrier-sectors. The configuration for different capacities can be done flexibly.
• Compact BTS: A single rack supports a maximum capacity of 12 carrier-sectors. Combining two racks can support a maximum capacity of 24 carrier-sectors. The configuration for different capacities can be done flexibly.
• Economy BTS: A single rack supports a maximum capacity of 6 carrier-sectors. Combining two racks can support a maximum capacity of 12 carrier-sectors. The configuration for different capacities can be done flexibly.
• Micro BTS: A single cabinet of the micro BTS-A supports 1 carrier-sector and can be expanded to 3
  carrier-sectors, while the cabinet of the micro BTS-B supports 4 carrier-sectors and can be expanded to 12
  carrier-sectors.
• Remote RFS: The cabinet of the remote RFS-A supports 1 carrier-sector, while the cabinet of remote RFS-B supports 4 carrier-sectors.
  Moreover, ZTE uniquely proposed a "Super BTS" solution.  The "Super BTS" is a baseband pool that comprises 1 master baseband cabinet of the macro BTS and optional slave baseband cabinets with a maximum of 4, supporting super-powerful and super-flexible baseband processing capacity of 1-120 carrier-sectors. At each 3G site, the remote RFS receives baseband signals sent from the baseband pool, convert them into radio signals, and sends them out. By using the remote RFS, the solution can cover the same area as a few dozen conventional BTSs. The following "Super 8C" is the 8 times strong strength of the solution, including central deployment and distributed coverage.
  

(1) Cost-effectiveness

• The remote RFS can be installed outdoors to reduce the number of equipment rooms used, which brings about a great saving in building or renting the equipment room.
• The baseband pool of Super BTS combined with remote RFS reduces cables, and consequently saves the related expenses.
• Circuit sharing saves investments in GPS equipment, control circuit and Abis interface circuit.
  

(2) Capacity

• It has large capacity and high integration with a processing capacity of 60 000 erl at CN and 50 000 erl at AN.
• The Super BTS has a maximum baseband processing capacity of 120 carrier-sectors, enabling a larger scale of channel sharing.
• Centralized baseband processing and traffic balance of multiple sites save baseband resources.
  ?誗The probability of soft handoff and network performance are improved to reduce the demand for resources.
• Unoccupied bandwidth at the Abis interfaces of all the sites is centralized to use, which improves the transmission efficiency of the Abis interface.
  

(3) Compatibility

• The same baseband supports 1X Release A and EV-DO as well as smooth upgrade to EV-DV.
• The all-IP based architecture allows smooth migration to the
  next-generation all-IP network.
• Rich and standard system interfaces provide powerful network interoperability.
  

(4) Coverage

• Savings in cable bring better coverage gain, wider site coverage, less site deployment and lower equipment cost.
• Improved coverage saves the cost involved in coverage enhancement technology.
• The BTS series helps enhance coverage ability both in coverage width and coverage depth.
  

(5) Customization

• It provides operators with customized and total network solutions.
• The complete product series can meet operators’ various requirements for high capacity and wide coverage, high capacity but small coverage, small capacity but wide coverage, or small capacity and small coverage.
• Perfect pre-sales and after-sales service system and local manufacturing provide operators with fast and convenient services.
  

(6) Convenience

• Eliminating the need for renting a large number of BTS equipment rooms speeds up the network construction.
• Allows installation of BTS and BSC in the same place facilitating engineering implementation.
• Flexible networking modes at the Abis interface and baseband-RF interface enables fast and easy service provisioning.
• Built-in BTS primary power as well as perfect environment monitoring provides operators with integrated solutions.
• Support of the multi-band BTS makes possible a unified network planning and management.
  

(7) Centralization

• Centralized control, maintenance and management not only implements single-point monitoring, but also save labor cost.
• Unified version upgrade makes maintenance more convenient.
  

(8) Commercialization

• The established products have been put into a large-scale commercial use worldwide, and the company has rich experiences in their commercial applications.
• Rich network planning and optimization experience as well as professional service support provide a guarantee for building competitive CDMA networks.
  

4 Total Solutions Enable  Feature-Rich Services
ZTE’s CDMA2000 all-IP solution is a total end-to-end CDMA2000 solution built on a universal platform and open standards. It is a perfect 3G solution.

  (1) Helping Operators Quickly Deploy Value-Added Services
  With an all-IP based platform, diversified services will be deployed more flexibly and rapidly. 
  ZTE can deliver feature-rich 3G-oriented value-added services such as Location-Based Services (LBS), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services, Multimedia Messaging Services (MMS), streaming media, video phone, JAVA/BREW download, PTT service, etc. Also, ZTE’s strong ability in industry chain cooperation guarantees its commitment to customized, professional, differentiated and integrated service solutions.

  In addition to the services defined in the protocols, ZTE’s CDMA2000 all-IP based CN products can deliver various featured services such as the Over the Air (OTA) service, police interface (legal monitoring) service, concurrent service, Foreign Location Register (FLR) service (i.e. roaming between CDMA and GSM networks), radio paging, and wireless payphone to meet different requirements of operators.

  (2) Mature Industry Chain Integration Ability
  Driven by the growing demand for value-added services, ZTE, a leading global supplier of enhanced services and integrated services solutions, has established extensive service cooperation with well-known Content Providers (CP), Service Providers (SP) and Geographic Information System (GIS) providers at home and abroad, and at the same time accumulated rich experience in industry chain cooperation. Through years of practice, ZTE has successfully set a win-win industry chain operation model to maximize benefits for the cooperative parties.

5 Sincere Cooperation with Global Operators for a  Win-Win Future
ZTE’s launch of new-generation all-IP based 3G CDMA2000 products with forward-compatible system architecture, state-of-the-art technology and outstanding performance not only verifies the powerful technology strength of ZTE in the CDMA field, but also signifies that ZTE is leading the industry with a full grasp of the CDMA core technologies.

  ZTE has put its CDMA2000 1X system into large-scale commercial applications worldwide, and made good partnerships with global operators.

  Looking forward to the future and in response to the current new situation, ZTE is striving hard to make remarkable achievements on its way to CDMA industrialization, aiming to be a first-class enterprise in the world on the strength of its quality products, state-of-the-art technology and the corporate values of "Customer First". ZTE makes a sincere attempt to cooperate with global operators for a win-win future in the 3G era.

Manuscript received: 2004-12-08