Features of WCDMA
The key operational features of the WCDMA are listed below:
1.Support of high data rate transmission: 384 Kbps with wide area coverage, 2 Mbps
with local coverage.
2.High service flexibility: support of multiple parallel variable rate services on each
connection.
3.Both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD)
4.Built in support for future capacity and coverage enhancing technologies like adaptive
antennas, advanced receiver structures and transmitter diversity.
5.Support of inter frequency hand over and hand over to other systems, including hand
over to GSM.
6.Efficient packet access.
7.Employs coherent detection on uplink and downlink based on the use of pilot
symbols.
8.Multiple types of handoffs between different cells including soft handoff, softer
handoff and hard handover

Advantages of WCDMA
1. Service flexibility
WCDMA allows each carrier of 5MHz to process mixed service from 8Kbps to 2Mbps. In
addition, circuit switched service and packet switched service can be carried out in the same
channel, and a single terminal is used to carry out multiple circuit and packet switched
services, so as to realize genuine multimedia service. WCDMA supports services with
different requirements (such as voice and packet data) and ensures high quality and perfect
coverage.
2. Spectrum efficiency
WCDMA can make highly efficient use of available radio spectrums. Because single cell
multiplexing is adopted for WCDMA, no frequency planning is needed. Network capacity
can be notably improved by using technologies of hierarchical cell structure, adaptive
antenna array and coherent demodulation (bidirectional

Capacity and Coverage

The number of voice users which can be processed by WCDMA RF transceiver is 8 times
asmany as that of typical narrowband transceiver. Every RF carrier can handle 80 voice
callingusers at one time or every carrier can handle 50 internet data users at one time.
4. Every connection can provide multiple services
Packet and circuit switched services can be freely mixed in different band width and can be
provided to the same user at the same time. Every WCDMA terminal can access up to 6 kinds
of different services at the same time, which may be combinations of various data services
such as voice, fax, e-mail, video, etc.
5. Network scale economics
When WCDMA wireless access is added to existing digital cellular network (such as
European GSM) and the network is running in two systems, the same core network can be
multiplexed and use the same base stations. The latest ATM mode i.e. micro-cell
transmission procedure is used for the links between WCDMA access network and GSM core
network. This method can process highly effective data packets, which can enhance the
capacity of standard E1/T1 lines to 300 voice calls compared to 30 voice calls for that of
existing network. It is estimated that about 50% transmission costs can be saved.
6. Outstanding voice capability
Although the main purpose for the next generation mobile access is to transmit high bit
ratemultimedia communication, with regard to voice communication, it can also fully make
useof specs
WCDMA AD/DIS

Advantages of WCDMA include:

Increased cellular communications security.

Simultaneous conversations.
Smaller phones.

Low power requirements and little cell-to-cell

coordination needed by operators.
Extended reach - beneficial to rural users situated far
from cells.


Disadvantages of WCDMA include:

WCDMA is relatively new, and the network is not as
mature as GSM.
WCDMA cannot offer international roaming, a large
GSM advantage