ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an overview of the key convergence technologies that offer many services from the network infrastructure point of view. It deals with convergence technologies for third generation (3G) networks. The chapter reviews technologies for 3G cellular wireless communication systems. It describes the third generation wideband code-division multiple accesses (WCDMA) standard has been enhanced to offer significantly increased performance for packet data and broadcast services through the introduction of high-speed downlink packet access, enhanced uplink, and multimedia broadcast multicast services. Mobile network operators have invested heavily in the technology and the infrastructure, and it is unreasonable to expect this to be simply discarded when a new 3G system is proposed. 3G mobile communication systems based on the WCDMA and CDMA2000 radio access technologies have seen widespread deployment around the world. 3G Partnership Project (3GPP) is considering continuous evolution of WCDMA, as well as more substantial steps as part of the so-called 3GPP long-term evolution.
