WCDMA+ Comes To Counteract Spectrum Crunch for HSPA Operators

Let me introduce a new mobile technology from Qualcomm – ‘WCDMA+’. WCDMA+ is made to provide more efficient voice, to triple the efficiency of today’s WCDMA voice networks.

In fact WCDMA+ can free up up to 70% of cell data capacity for more HSPA+ data.While voice traffic is stabilising for last months, data demand is growing at an exponential rate, this new technology will able the operators to get more out of their precious spectrum resources.

WCDMA+ achieves impressive 3x increase in spectrum resource through a combination of standard, independent device enhancements, and radio link improvements that are planned to be standardized in future 3GPP releases.

Device enhancements include enhanced equalizer, interference cancellation and others techniques which have already been successfully implemented for HSPA+ data. Now WCDMA+ is bringing them to voice services.

The radio link improvements include overhead channel improvements, more efficient power control, early termination and others. The device enhancements are expected to be available first, followed by the radio link improvements.

This staggered approach offers operators the flexibility to introduce WCDMA+ in phases

WCDMA+ employs techniques that are similar to those provided by 1X Advanced, which quadruples the voice capacity of CDMA2000 1X. HSPA+ Advanced is meant for data while WCDMA+ is meant for spectrum efficiency for voice.