| This book gives a comprehensive overview of the technologies for the advances of mobile radio access networks. The topics covered include linear transmitters, superconducting filters and cryogenic radio frequency (RF) front head, radio over fiber, software radio base stations, mobile terminal positioning, high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA), multiple antenna systems such as smart antennas and multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) systems, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems, IP-based radio access networks (RAN), autonomic networks, and ubiquitous networks. These technologies are aimed at achieving higher data rates, greater coverage and capacity, lower infrastructure cost, ease of operation and maintenance, higher quality of services, and richer user experience. Some of them, such as radio over fiber, HSDPA, and transmit diversity, will become a reality in the near future. Other technologies, such as software radio base stations, smart antennas, multiple input and multiple output (MIMO) systems, IP-based RAN, and autonomic networks, are still regarded by many as research topics for the fourth generation mobile communications networks (4G). It should be noted, however, that these promising technologies are not of pure academic interest. Owing to their compelling advantages, they are being studied by leading mobile network infrastructure vendors and being employed in various field trials. Therefore, they will play major roles in future mobile communications networks. In fact, a few of them have even been adopted already by some local network operators around the globe.
The book is written from the viewpoint of system engineering and is focused mainly on high-level architectural issues. While highlighting the advantages of the advanced technologies, major theoretical and practical problems facing system designers are also discussed. This book aims to serve mobile communications system engineers, researchers, research and development (R&D) managers, and telecom analysts. I strive to strike a balance between theory and implementation, and between technology advance and economics. |