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All innovations lead to end-user satisfaction. All communication technologies compete with one another to achieve faster data transfer rate, more spectral efficiency, more scalability, and lowest possible power consumption, among other things, to enable the use of various data-intensive applications that have previously been impossible. UMB or Ultra Mobile Broadband is no different from these virtues. In a bid to upgrade the CDMA2000 mobile phone standard for advanced services toward 4G standard, the 3GPP2 (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2) developed the UMB standard, is expected to be made public for commercial use in the first quarter of this year.

UMB is a next generation communication technology, which incorporates the benefits of CDMA, TDM, LS-OFDM, OFDM, and OFDMA in single air interface. UMB, with its multiple radio and advanced antenna techniques like MIMO and SDMA, is capable of achieving very high data rates of 288 Mbps (2x20 MHz FDD, 4x4 MIMO) downstream and 75 Mbps (2x20 MHz FDD, 1x2 MIMO) upstream; ultra-low network latency with an average of 16 msec (32-byte, RTT) end-to-end network latency; and high spectral efficiency. With its flexible spectrum allocations, UMB makes possible scalable, non-contiguous, and dynamic channel (bandwidth) allocations; support for incremental bandwidth allocations from 1.25-20 MHz; and support of multi-carrier operations, facilitating, spectrum allocation as needed for variety of user applications and activities. Its enhanced VoIP capacity allows up to 1,000 simultaneous VoIP users, while scalable IP-based flat or hierarchical architecture facilitates greater flexibility in service deployment, enhanced performance, and cost saving. Apart from these key features, the UMB technology uses power optimally, leading to enhanced-battery life, which is very essential for smart handsets as they perform various functions simultaneously. All this means achieving the ITU's vision for next generation standard mobile services with data intensive applications like Mobile TV, videoconferencing, mobile wallet, mobile gaming, etc.

Attractions Aplenty
UMB is one of the technologies forming the 4G standard and ready to offer advanced, never-before-seen mobile services for communication as well as entertainment purposes. It enables the convergence of telecommunications, information technology, consumer electronics, and data intensive multimedia services. With its key features like multiple radio and advanced antenna techniques, OFDMA-based air interface, very high data transfer rates, and ultra-low network latency, it is capable of optimizing delivery of high-performance multimedia services. UMB makes it possible for consumers to have a wide range of interactive services. So, using mobile multimedia services becomes an enjoyable experience for the consumer, and, in turn, it generates revenue opportunities for network operators. And, with its higher bandwidth, spectrum and dynamic band options, and scalable IP-based flat or hierarchical architecture, service providers can benefit from greater margins for mobile broadband services. Its substantial performance advantages, will pose greater challenges to other wireless broadband technologies.

India has not even seen the rollout of 3G services. It might not be a long way for 4G service standards to be released by the ITU. Once it is released, the user experience will certainly change big time. These advanced services will get traction first in urban areas, while they will reach rural areas in a slow pace, as majority of rural Indians use mobile phones primarily for making and receiving calls.

Kannan K
kannan@cybermedia.co.in