Overview of WCDMA or Third Generation

Telecommunication system has been developping from Analog cellular to digital cellular.

What is Analog cellular and Digital cellular systems?

Analog cellular systems are commonly referred to as first generation systems. The digital systems currently in use, such as GSM, PDC, cdmaOne (IS-95) and US-TDMA (IS-136), are second generation systems. These systems have enabled voice communications to go wireless in many of the leading markets, and customers are increasingly finding value also in other services, such as text messaging and access to data networks, which are starting to grow rapidly.

Facebook, Youtube, twitter and other social media which everyone are using to share information, to watch movies, send picture messages, game etc. so new technology was develpped called WCDMA or 3G.

What is 3G or third generation?

The 3G standard was created by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and is called IMT-2000.
Third generation systems are designed for multimedia communication: with them person-to- person communication can be enhanced with high quality images and video, and access to information and services on public and private networks will be enhanced by the higher data rates and new flexible communication capabilities of third generation systems. This, together with the continuing evolution of the second generation systems, will create new business opportunities not only for manufacturers and operators, but also for the providers of content and applications using these networks.

WCDMA technology has emerged as the most widely adopted third generation air interface. Its specification has been created in 3GPP (the 3rd Generation Partnership Project), which is the joint standardisation project of the standardisation bodies from Europe, Japan, Korea, the USA and China. Within 3GPP, WCDMA is called UTRA (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) and TDD (Time Division Duplex), the name WCDMA being used to cover both FDD and TDD operation.

Third-generation (3G) systems will support: 

• High data rates: Minimum of 144 kbit/s in all radio environments and 2 Mbit/s in low mobility and indoor environments.
• Circuit-switched and packet-switched services, such as Internet Protocol (IP) traffic and real-time video.
• Good voice quality (comparable to wire-line quality). 
• Greater capacity and improved spectrum efficiency. 
• Several simultaneous services to end users and terminals, for multimedia services. 
• Seamless incorporation of second-generation cellular systems, to avoid discontinuity between second- and third-generation systems.
• Global, i.e. international roaming, between different IMT-2000 operational environments

Herewith below Figure show WCDMA Data Services over Wireless

WCDMA Data Services over Wireless