Bangkok--3 Jun--Farh Agency Operators can reduce costs and the time it takes to roll out rural 3G coverage by reusing existing GSM sites. WCDMA/HSPA, especially at the 2100 MHz band, gives a better coverage than GSM at the 900 and 1800 MHz bands but has relatively smaller cell range caused by the higher frequency band. However, several proven methods can be employed to compensate for this drawback, including: Improving base-station receiver sensitivity Increasing the output power Using high-gain antennas Increasing the height of antennas Deploying six-sector instead of traditional three-sector antenna configurations In extreme rural areas such as desert environments, where aesthetic considerations are less important, low-cost towers can be used to reduce site costs and improve coverage significantly. New base-station and antenna technology helps improving coverage and capacity with increased output power. Coverage can also be improved by using lower frequency bands, such as 850 MHz or 900 MHz, where possible. In some cases, operators such as Telstra in Australia need to extend the cell range beyond the standard maximum of 35-KM cell radius. An “extended-range” feature enables an operator to increase cell range up to typically 200 KMs; this is suitable wherever extreme coverage is needed, such as in desert regions or over large bodies of water. In rural areas, where the sites are designed for wide coverage, the transmission distances are much greater than in densely populated areas. Such areas also often have no fiber infrastructure in place or the available copper may provide only limited throughput. Microwave transmission becomes a cost-effective solution in such circumstances. A typical microwave network can be rolled out for less than one-tenth the cost of laying fiber over the same distance. In addition, it can be deployed much more quickly and almost in a plug-and-play manner. A microwave network is also much easier, and cheaper, to manage and operate. Speeds to satisfy broadband users The data rates provided by WCDMA/HSPA are already comparable to those offered by fixed broadband. In tests performed in a live Asian urban hspa network in August 2007, downlink rates exceeding 7 Mbps were achieved, the maximum being 7.2 Mbps. One can safely say that in rural regions, where interference is less, offered data rates will be even higher. The commercially available HSPA data speed will soon increase to 14 Mbps for the downlink and 5.8 Mbps for the uplink data rates. And in just a few years the available downlink data speed will be as high as 42 Mbps. High cost is no longer an argument In many urban parts of the developed world, we now see a new information society emerging in which broadband is becoming a natural part of people’s daily lives. Unfortunately, inhabitants in sparsely populated regions in many countries are excluded from this new world — not because they do not want it, but rather because of the high costs associated with delivering broadband services to them using traditional wireline technologies. However, the new generation of networks based on 3G wireless technology is now available. These networks can finally eliminate the digital divide by making advanced broadband and communication services available to all, including those in remote and inaccessible regions, and at aff ordable prices. WCDMA/HSPA technology has successfully emerged as the dominant global 3G standard with a simple vision of one network, one technology, and one complete service offering. It has a clear economy-of-scale advantage over other comparable technologies, which ensures lower prices both for terminals and infrastructure. The author: Bunyati Kirdniyom is Senior Manager specializing in 3G and its evolution. He has been working for Ericsson for 12 years holding management positions within business development within South East Asia. For further information, please contact: Mrs. Voraparn Eua-arporn (coco), GM of Farh Agency, Tel: 0 26160991-2, Fax: 0 2616 0993, MB: 08 9144 4014, 08 1376 5927