Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, No.

9; May, 2013

WIRELESS MOBILE COMMUNICATION - A STUDY OF 4G

TECHNOLOGY

S. B. Akintoye
Department of Computer Science, Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State; Nigeria.

ABSTRACT
Mobile communication is one of the hottest areas and it is developing extremely fast in present
times with advanced techniques emerging in all the fields of mobile and wireless
communications. The exponential growth of user demands, the limitations of the Third
Generation of Mobile Communication Systems(3G) and the emergence of new mobile
broadband technologies on the market have brought researchers to a throughout reflection on the
Fourth Generation (4G).The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the different
aspects of 4G which includes its features, its proposed architecture , key technological enabler,
its benefits over existing wireless communication system, present key challenges and point to
some proposed solutions.

Keywords: Mobile system, Communication, Fourth Generation (4G), MIMO, SDR

1. INTRODUCTION system is expected to provide a

Mobile systems focus on seamlessly comprehensive and secure all-IP based
integrating the existing wireless solution where facilities such as IP
technologies including GSM, wireless LAN, telephony, ultra-broadband Internet access,
and Bluetooth. 4G systems supports gaming services and High Definition
comprehensive and personalized services, Television (HDTV) streamed multimedia
providing stable system performance and may be provided to users.
quality service [1] . 4G is a Mobile In 4G networks, users joining the network
multimedia, anytime anywhere, Global via add mobile routers to the network
mobility support, integrated wireless infrastructure. Network capacity and
solution, and customized personal service coverage is dynamically shifted to
network system [2]. 4G is used broadly to accommodate changing user patterns.
include several types of broadband wireless Wherever the concentration of people is
access communication systems along with more in one area, additional routes are
cellular telephone systems. created, thus enabling additional access to
A 4G cellular system must have target peak network capacity in terms of QoS. This
data rates of up to approximately 100 Mbit/s permits the network to dynamically and
for high mobility such as mobile access and automatically balance capacity and increase
up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low network utilization. The network is currently
mobility such as nomadic/local wireless used social networking. The following part
access, according to the International of the paper is deals with social networking
Telecommunication Union[ITU] and its technological issues.
requirements. Scalable bandwidths up to at
least 40 MHz should be provided. A 4G

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Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, No.9; May, 2013

2. MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS software. Radio advancements of 3G are

REVIEW classified as antenna techniques or
The history and status of mobile coding/modulation schemes. Several new
communications are shortly listed in the radio techniques are employed to achieve
following, together with the respective high rates and low latencies. They include
evaluations on the chief contributions. Space Division Multiplexing via Multiple
a) Traditionally, wireless systems were Input/Multiple Output (MIMO), Space Time
considered as an auxiliary approach that was Coding (STC) using higher order of
used in regions where it was difficult to modulation, and encoding schemes,
build a connection by wireline. sophisticated beam forming, beam
b) 1G was based on analogy technique and directionality control, and inter-cell
deployed in the 1980s. It built the basic interference mitigation.[6]
structure of mobile communications and
solved many fundamental problems, e.g.
cellular architecture adopting, multiplexing 3. ADVANTAGES OF 4G
frequency band, roaming across domain, The vision which considers 4G as an
non-interrupted communication in mobile extension to 3G cellular services is called as
circumstances, etc. Speech chat was the only the linear 4G vision [7]. But the extent of
service of 1G. 4G capabilities goes beyond the cellular
c) 2G was based on digital signal processing services. Envisioning 4G as high speed
techniques and regarded as a revolution delivery of services via the most efficient
from analogy to digital technology, which network available from the pool of wireless
has gained tremendous success during 1990s networks is called as the concurrent 4G
with GSM as the representative. It vision [7].
introduced a new variant of communication One of the major reasons of 3G being unable
called Short Message Service (SMS) or text to repeat the success story of 2G was the
messaging, Multimedia Messaging Services provision of only few additional services
(MMS), General Packet Radio Service over 2G. It was not encouraging enough for
(GPRS), Wireless Application Protocol the customer’s to change their equipments.
(WAP), Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Paper [7] suggests a user-centric approach
Evolution (EDGE), and Internet services.[4] for the design of 4G to avoid mismatch
[5] The utilization of SIM (Subscriber between the user’s expectations and the
Identity Module) cards and support services provided by 4G. Using the
capabilities for a large number of users were discussion in paper [7- 10], features of 4G
2G’s main contributions which cater to the end-user’s expectations
d) 2.5G extended the 2G with data service and the problems of the current generation
and packet switching methods, and it was networks can be listed as follows:
regarded as 3G services for 2Gnetworks.
Under the same networks with 2G, 2.5G 3.1 User friendliness
brought the Internet into mobile personal 4G aims at providing myriad of services to
communications. This was a revolutionary the end users at high speed. The applications
concept leading to hybrid communications. developed to avail these services should be
e) The third generation (3G) mobile highly user friendly minimizing the
broadband data services came with several interaction between the application and the
incremental improvements in radio user. For example, integration of speech
technology and command-and-control recognition technology in the user interfaces

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would ease the use of the applications for use. Figure 1 illustrates elements and
every layman. techniques to support the adaptability of the
4G domain.
3.2 User personalization
High data transfer rates and ubiquitous
coverage of 4G networks would provide
users access to large repository of data and
services. Users should have flexibility to
filter these data and services as per his
preferences by configuring the operational
mode of their devices, so that he can
preselect the service features he wants to

Figure 1: 4G will allow everyone to access the Internet from everywhere using almost any wireless device.

3.3 Terminal and Network heterogeneity common services independent of their

Terminal heterogeneity refers to the capabilities. This is also called as service
different types of terminals in terms of the personalization.
size, weight, display features, power
consumption, etc. Network heterogeneity 3.4 High Performance
means the different types of access networks Low transfer rates of 3G restrict the user’s
like WiMAX, Wi-Fi (Wireless Fidelity), ability to take advantage of the rich
UMTS (Universal Mobile multimedia contents across the wireless
Telecommunications System) and so forth networks. 4G is expected to provide wireless
which differ in their coverage area, data rate, download speeds of about 1Gbps in local
latency and data loss rate. area network (LAN) and 100 Mbps in wide
Each of these terminals and services cater to area network (WAN), about 260 times
different user requirements. In 4G, all these greater than the 3G wireless networks.
terminals and networks will provide

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3.5 Interoperability of both costs and speed. 4G will lead to

Multiple standards of 3G restrict the user’s convergence in terms of both devices and
mobility and interoperation across different services. Thus, handset capabilities, MP3,
networks. 4G targets at providing a unified camera, mobile broadband services would
global standard which will facilitate global be made available in a single device.
mobility and service portability. In other Service convergence will result from
words, end user can subscribe to different availability of telecommunication and
services from different service providers internet on a single platform. This would
using the same mobile device. force the fixed line sector to jump in the
competitive wireless market. In response,
3.6 Intelligent Networking the wireless operators will also jump into the
3G is based primarily on cell or base station fixed line sector. Thus slowly the boundaries
WAN design. 4G aims at building hybrid between these markets will disappear. Thus,
networks utilizing both the Wireless LAN the end user will benefit from one business
concept and WAN design. Thus, the world providing variety of services. He will
would have base stations everywhere experience high quality service at affordable
providing ubiquitous network coverage to prices. Thus fixed mobile convergence will
users at high speed. For example, a user act as a catalyst for stimulating markets to
walking on road is browsing internet using come up with new innovative and cost
GPRS (General Packet Radio Service-WAN effective ideas.
design). The moment he enters a mall with
Wi-Fi (LAN design), seamless hand-over 3.8 Scalability
from GPRS to Wi-Fi would take place Scalability in mobile networks is the ability
without the user’s knowledge. to handle the increasing numbers of users
and services. 4G will use IPv6 addressing
3.7 Network Convergence scheme which will support large number of
Network convergence is the efficient wireless devices eliminating the need for
coexistence of multimedia, voice and data Network address translation (NAT). NAT is
communication within a single network. technique of sharing limited number of
[10] Currently the telecommunication addresses among large number of devices.
environment is divided into wireless and The huge expanse of current internet world
fixed line communication. To avail these signifies the scalability support of IP. Thus,
different kinds of services, the end user the use of IP as core network layer will
require different devices such as cellular make 4G easily scalable.
phones, fixed line phones, laptops and
PDA’s. Once the fixed mobile convergence 3.9 Lower power consumption
is in place in 4G, the distinction between Battery technology has not been able to keep
these services will disappear. The current pace with the growing telecom industry. 2G
3G technology is not able to capture the devices required one battery while 3G
market share as done by the fixed line required two batteries. Battery drain is a
services partly because of its low bit rates of persistent problem of wireless devices. 4G
384kbps and because of the high costs aims at breaking this directly proportional
associated with these services. But with the rule. Shorter communication links is one of
emergence of 4G aiming at global integrated the few solutions proposed to cater to this
IP based network, the wireless sector will be requirement.
able to match the fixed line sectors in terms

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Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, No.9; May, 2013

3.10 Low costs provided by each layer and module can be

4G is designed to be spectrally efficient with described as follows:
no requirement to buy costly extra spectrum.
It is not development of a completely new
system rather built on the top of the existing
networks. 4G will also support backward
compatibility with 2G and 3G devices. All
these factors will make 4G much cheaper
than the current generation networks.

4. 4G NETWORK ARCHITECTURE
Figure 2 shows the widely accepted 4G
network structure with IP as the core
network used for communication;
integrating the 2G, 3G and 4G technologies
using a convergence layer [9].

Figure 2 shows the proposed layered/level

Architecture of 4G network elucidated in
[6]. 4.1 Application
This layer is composed of various third party
applications which provide value added
This architecture fulfills the basic services to its subscribers.
requirement of servicing the standalone and
mobile subscribers on an “anytime, 4.2 Network
anywhere, anyhow” basis in dynamic This layer consists of various sub layers
network conditions. The architecture is described as follows:Services
based on Internet Protocol version 6 (IPV6) This layer manages the interaction between
which operates at the transport layer various value-added services and networks.
enabling seamless communication across
various heterogeneous networks and based 4.2.1 Mobility Management
on the key factors such as mobility, Quality This layer provides quality and uniform
of Service (QoS) and efficient resource services to the mobile/stationary terminal
management schemes. The functionalities across various heterogeneous networks. It
provides features of low handover latency

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Kuwait Chapter of Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review Vol. 2, No.9; May, 2013

and packet loss during the provision of real- 4.3.1 Convergence layer
time and non-real time services to the end This layer provides common control
user moving across different networks. To signaling mechanism across the core and
achieve this, it performs tasks such as other heterogeneous networks at the
binding update (updating the care-off physical level. It also allows different radio
address of the mobile user), location access networks to transparently use the
management, common control signaling independent network services such as
(signaling required to perform wireless mobility management, resource management
network discovery), address assignment, and QoS management.
handover control mechanism and so forth.
4.3.2 Different RAN
4.2.2 Resource Management This layer consists of several radio access
This layer incorporates the functionalities of networks communicating with each other at
allocation, de-allocation and reallocation of the physical level.
the network resources which are acquired
during the communication sessions within 4.4 Operation, Administration,
the same or different network domains. This Maintenance and Provisioning
activity is performed during or before the This layer spans across all the layers of the
communication activity. This layer also network architecture and provides the
performs the task of congestion control, functionalities of network controlling,
packet scheduling and packet classification. network monitoring and fault detection. It
also maintains the repudiation between
4.2.3 Quality of service (QoS) various services and resources of several
management heterogeneous and core networks.
This layer provides best optimal utilization 4.5 Security
of the available resources. In scenarios This layer also branches across all the layers
where the network resources are limited it of the 4G network architecture which
provides an option to the applications to perform the function of authentication,
choose between high overall throughput and authorization, encryption, establishment and
low end-to-end delay. It provides the best implementation of service policy agreement
trade-off mechanisms depending on the between the various vendors.
application’s preference. It encompasses
several activities such as link utilization
control, bandwidth control and so forth. 5. TECHNOLOGY USED IN 4G
COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
4.3 Physical There are some components which makes
This layer consist of the core IPV6 network the successful 4G systems they are:
of 4G and other heterogeneous access a) OFDMA
networks such as GSM (Global System for b) MIMO
Mobile communications), CDMA( Code c) IPv6.0
Division Multiple Access) and WLAN in d) Spectral efficiency of 4G
their physical view. This layer is composed e) SDR(Software Defined Ratio)
of two sub-layers namely: f) Smart antennas

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a. OFDMA(Orthogonal Frequency OFDMA is currently applied on various

Demux): wireless and wire line standards such as Wi-
OFDMA can be used for the downlink Fi, Wireless LAN, Ultra Wideband (UWB),
transmission (signal transmission from the Wireless PAN, WiMAX, WiBro,
base station to mobile terminal) of the HiperMAN, Wireless MAN, 3GPP UMTS
symbols for achieving high spectral & 3GPP@ LTE (Long-Term Evolution).
efficiency. It provides high performance on
full bandwidth usage. b. Multiple-Input and Multiple-Output
It is a channel allocation scheme based on (MIMO)
the orthogonal frequency division To improve the communication performance
multiplexing technique that splits the data to between sender and receiver, the multiple
be transmitted along the orthogonal antennas are used at both transmitter and
narrowband carriers well spaced by receiver end. The signal transmitted by m
frequency. The technique used for splitting antennas and signal received by n antennas
the data is Inverse Fast Fourier Transform and the processing of the received signal
(IIFT) which incorporates the advantage of may produce significant performance
transmitting the data at a higher rate. The improvement such as range, quality of
introduction of a cyclic prefix (CP) in terms received signal and spectrum efficiency.
of guard interval consists of repetition of the
last part of the symbol at the beginning of c. Software Defined Radio (SDR)
each symbol transmitted. This avoids SDR is a radio communication system
interference between the various symbols implemented as software on the personal
and the carriers if the CP interval is longer computer or embedded devices. It scans the
than the delay caused by the interferences of available networks and then reconfigures
the channel. This improves the robustness of itself for the selected network by
the technology used for the multipath downloading the software specific to that
transmission. The use of narrowband network. It is used for implementation of the
subcarrier is to get a channel which is multimodal, multi-band, multi-standard user
constant for each sub-band (input symbol terminals and base stations which allows
broken down number of smaller bands). accessibility across various wireless and
This avoids synchronization problems at the wireline heterogeneous networks. There are
receiver side during the symbol transmission several advantages of SDR such as
through the channel. In order to get high flexibility in network expansion i.e. operator
spectral efficient system, overlapping can expands its network infrastructure by
between the mutually orthogonal subcarrier adding few modems to base station
is allowed. transceiver system. It reduces the cost for
OFDMA is compatible with other development of multimodal, multiband and
technologies such as Multiple Input Multiple multi-standard user equipments. This will
Output and smart antennas. OFDM not only benefit both the end users and the service
improves the performance of the physical providers. The current SDR technology is
layer but also adds to the improvement of not capable of supporting the multiple
the Data Link Layer. It facilitates the networks. It should be enhanced to support
optimization between various layers of multiple networks.
network for usage of radio link from
multiple radios.

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d. IPv6.0: area networks will run different operating

4G wireless technology will be using mobile systems. The heterogeneity of these wireless
IPv6 which allows assigning more number networks exchanging different types of data
of addresses than IPv4. In IPv6 each device complicates the security and privacy issues.
have own IP address. User can keep their IP Furthermore, the encryption and decryption
address even if user changes the access methods being used for 3G networks are not
point. appropriate for 4G networks as new devices
and services are introduced for the first time
e. Smart Antennas: in 4G networks. To overcome these security
There are two types of smart antennas which and privacy issues, two approaches can be
are switched beam smart antennas and followed. The first is to modify the existing
adaptive array smart antennas. Switched security and privacy methods so that they
beam systems have several available fixed will be applicable to heterogeneous 4G
beam patterns which help in making networks. Another approach is to develop
decisions as to which beam to access at any new dynamic reconfigurable, adaptive, and
given point of time based on the lightweight mechanisms whenever the
requirements of the system. While adaptive currently utilized methods cannot be adapted
arrays allow the antenna to steer the beam to to 4G networks [12].
any direction of interest while
simultaneously nulling interfering signals. 6.2 Quality of Service
With respect to network quality, many
telecommunications providers are promising
6. CHALLENGES
that there will be enhanced connectivity, and
6.1 Security and Privacy
the quality of data that is transmitted across
In the development of 4G Networks,
the network will be of the highest possible
security measures must be established that
quality, as in the case of Ericsson’s 4G
enable data transmission to be as safe as
Network for TeliaSonera [13]. The company
possible. Specifically, “The 4G core
promises that “The new 4G network will do
addresses mobility, security, and QoS
for broadband what mobile telephony did for
through reuse of existing mechanisms while
voice. With real-time performance, and
still trying to work on some mobility and
about 10 times higher data rates compared to
handover issues” [11]. Therefore, it is
today's mobile broadband networks,
necessary for the organization to develop an
consumers can always be connected, even
effective series of tools that support
on the move” [13]. As a result, it is
maximum 4G security measures as a means
important for providers to develop an
of protecting data that is transmitted across
effective approach to the 4G Network that
the network from hackers and other security
will enhance quality, provide effective
violations. Because of the nature of the 4G
security measures, and will ensure that all
network, there is an increased likelihood of
users are provided with extensive
security attacks, and therefore, multiple
alternatives for downloading video, music,
levels of security, including increased
and picture files without delays.
requirements for authentication, will be
The main challenge that 4G networks are
necessary to protect data and information
facing is integrating non-IP-based and IP-
that is transmitted across the network [11].
based devices. It is known that devices that
One of the main goals of G4 networks is to
are not IP address based are generally used
blanket very wide geographic area with
for services such as VoIP. On the other
seamless service. Obviously, smaller local

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hand, devices that are IP address based are but will also simplify design problems and
used for data delivery. 4G networks will will reduce power consumption. However,
serve both types of devices. Consequently, accessing different mobile and wireless
integrating the mechanisms of providing networks simultaneously is one of the major
services to both non-IP-based as well as IP- issues 4G networks have been addressing.
based devices is one of key challenges 4G One mechanism that has been proposed to
networks have to address [14, 15]. handle this problem is termed “multi-mode
devices”. This mechanism can be achieved
6.3 Complex Architecture through a software radio that allows the end-
6.3.1 Multimode End-User Terminals user device to adapt itself to various wireless
To reduce operating costs, devices that interfaces of the networks. Figure 3 shows
operate on 4G networks should have the an example of such solution.
capability to operate in different networks.
This will not only reduce the operating cost

Figure 3: Accessing multiple networks and services through multi-mode software

6.3.2 System Discovery and Selection technology based on the time, place and
Due to the heterogeneity of 4G networks, service provided, and thus, may affect the
wireless devices have to process signals sent Quality of service provided to the end user.
from different systems, discover available One solution to resolve this issue is called
services, and connect to appropriate service “System-initiated discoveries”. This
providers. Various service providers have mechanism allows automatic download of
their own protocols which can be software modules based on the wireless
incompatible with each other as well as with system the user is connected to [16].
the user’s device. This issue may complicate Another approach to handle this problem is
the process of selecting the most appropriate based overlay networks. In such case, the

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end-user device is connected to different

networks through an overlay network. The
overlay network performs all necessary
tasks such as protocol translation and
Quality of service negotiation as depicted in
Figure 4.

Figure 4: Automatic system discovery is one of the features provided by 4G networks.

6.3.3 Service and Billing service providers and end users drive the
Managing user accounts and billing them adoption of 3G services that, in turn, lead to
has become much more complicated with the demand for even more advanced
4G networks. This is mainly due to services. The realization of 4G tears down
heterogeneity of 4G networks and the the wall between wireless and wireline
frequent interaction of service providers. services, a challenging endeavor. We
The research community addressed this believe, however, that future research will
concern and proposed several frameworks to overcome these challenges and integrate
handle the customers’ billing and user newly developed services to 4G networks
account information [17, 18]. making them available to everyone, anytime
and everywhere.
7. CONCLUSION

This paper presents 4G wireless

communication. 4G wireless networks not
only enable more efficient, scalable, and
reliable wireless services but also provides
wider variety of services. The benefits to

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