OVERVIEW OF ETISALATs UMTS TRIALs

Hatem Bamatraf EMIRATES TELECOMMUNICATIONS CORPOROTION ETISALAT

ITU Conference SEPT 29-OCT 1st,2003 29DOHA,QATAR

3G

MOBILE SYSTEM

 Overview of Mobile System Quality VS Growth The Way towards 3G ETISALAT UMTS Trial

The Start Commercial launch in September 1994 Low configurations. Most users in small geographical areas. 30,000 Subscribers.

CURRENT STATUS & FUTURE GROWTH

Currently 2002 2001 2000 1999 1994

2,770,000 2,400,000 1,900,000 1,450,000 1,000,000 30,000

NO. OF GSM MOBILE SUBSCRIBERS

Current Status..

n currently standing at 2.77 million nCorresponds to 79% of population n99% coverage

(Cities,Highways,villages,sea,inbuildingetc

NO. GSM SUBSCRIBERS

Series2 Series1

3,000

80

2,500

70 70 64 2,400 58
60

No. of Subscribers x 1000

NO. OF SUBS. 1000

2,000 50

44
1,500 40

1,809 1,450
1,000 30

16
500

20 480 250

1,000

20

4 23
0 Dec94

4.7 43
Jun95

5 51
Sep95

6.6 93
Jun96

7.2 107

7.7 120

10

0 Sep- Nov96 96 Nov97 Dec98 Dec99 Dec00 Dec01 Dec02

PENT. %

FOUR DIFFERENT VENDORS

ABU DHABI & WR

DUBAI & ALAIN

WC, EC & RAK WR

Geographical Distribution

MOTOROLA

ALCATEL

N SO ICS ER

LUC

ENT

CONTROL CENTERS

QUALITY vs. GROWTH Improving Quality while Growing HOW ?? Dedication is the solution

How to measure Quality? Identify Key Performance Indicator (KPI)

Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)

Hand Over Success Rate (HOSR)

TCH and SDCCH congestion rates Call Drop Rate SDCCH Drop Rate

KPIs: Key Performance Indicators.

Set threshold for each KPI. - Network KPIs were observed. - Vendors recommendations were reviewed. - Thresholds were set that were :
- Challengeable - Achievable - Non comparable with other networks

Our Thresholds:
- Call Setup Success Rate (CSSR)
>99 %

- Hand Over Success Rate (HOSR) >98 %

- Call Drop Rate - SDCCH Drop Rate - TCH and SDCCH Congestion <0.9 % <0.5 % <1 % & <0.5 %

ContKPIs: Key Performance Indicators.

Q uality A ssurance team has been established

to guard the quality of the network.

Who measures?
KPIs are monitored Violations are highlighted

Quality Assurance Team:

Monitor System Statistics Handle Customer Complaints Perform A and Abis traces Perform NCQ : Network Coverage Tests PeriodicCC: Customer NSM: Network StatisticsDrive Complaint
and Quality report. Monitoring report. report

Produce Reports
NSM NSQ CC reports

Monitor System Statistics O AS I S : O nline A nalysis S tatistical I nformation S ystem - Produce customised Statistics - Windows based - Long term/short term stats - Flexible (Format, Addition)

Handle Customer Complaints - Automated Process - Call Centre QA Concerned Sections

- Record and follow up of complaints till closed - Update Customer

Perform Periodic Drive tests - To experience networks behavior from customers perspective - Network Level - Highlight Call drop, H.O. Failure, Rx Qual & Rx level

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Reports Reports .
NSM : Network Statistics Monitoring - Daily report containing Statistical Violations on the network level - Monthly report highlighting status of problems NCQ : Network Coverage and Quality - Quarterly report indicating status of problems faced in the drive tests (closed, Pending & Open) CC : Customer Complaint - Monthly report containing the status of the customer complaints.

Quality Vs Growth

CSSR

Traffic

CSR

Nov 02

May 01

May 02

May 03

Nov 01

JUL 01

Mar 02

Sep 02

Mar 03

Sep 01

Jan 02

Sep 03

Jan 03

Jul 02

Jul 03

Traffic (Erlang)

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The world market for mobile data is going to explode.

# of Subscribers (Million)

Projected Mobile Data Worldwide Growth Rates

800 700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 Voice only Data subscribers

Technologies
2G 2G 2G+ 2G+ 3G 3G

UMTS
GPRS

EDGE
GSM

GSM (1994):
Voice SMS Circuit switched data (9.6kBits/s)

GPRS (Jan2002):
Packet switched data (115.2kBits/s) Mass market WAP / internet/Intranet

EDGE (2004):
Circuit switched data
(144kBits/s local) Packet switched data (384kBits/s local)

UMTS (2004):
Multimedia potential
Circuit switched data Packet switched data 2MBits/s (local) 384kBits/s (anywhere)

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Services
GSM GSM Data GSM Prepaid Voice Mail SMS WAP SMS Breaking News GPRS GPRS Prepaid MMS : : : : : : : : : : Sep 1994 Dec 1995 Mar 1997 Nov 1998 Apr 1999 Apr 2001 Nov 2001 Jan 2002 OCT 2002 July 2003

Wireless Application Protocol Light protocol specifically for wireless clients

Commercial launch in april,2001

Contents and terminals are improving traffic increasing

# SUBS = 410,000

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GPRS
First GPRS call in the Lab in June 2000 Launched GPRS for Pre-Paid Subscribers in PreOCT 14th,2002 # SUBS = 75,000 CS3 & CS4 testing

MMS MULTIMEDIA MESSAGING

Launched in July,2003 Graphics, Images,Audio&Video Clips Mobile to Mobile/E-mail Encouraging results # SUBS = 160,000

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Services Planned for 2003/2004 GPRS Roaming Mobile Portal (Personalization) CBS: Cell Broadcast System LBS: Location Based Service Mobile Chat & Instance Messaging (Web,WAP,SMS) Mobile Office (Email, Intranet, PIM) JAVA (J2ME) Application Download to Mobiles Public WLAN

Why 3G ?!!
Do we really Do we really need UMTS ? need UMTS ? How bigger of How bigger of an investment an investment needed ? needed ?

Why not EDGE Why not EDGE and stop ? and stop ? What are the What are the advantages over advantages over 2G ? 2G ?

Are we Are we prepared ? prepared ?

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Why UMTS ?!!

3G is a new technology to build a mobile network which can use spectrum more efficiently. This technology can also increase network capacity and traffic volume. The following throughputs will be offered : up to 384 kb/s downlink for the packet switched services GSM and GPRS services/features presently offered will be provided by the UMTS network with higher bit rates 3G means new services opportunities.

UMTS

UMTS : A FOCUSED INVESTMENT

UMTS will start as Islands in a Sea of GSM and coverage will grow over a number of years GSM/GPRS will allow to provide a seamless service delivery to the UMTS subscribers nationwide
GSM/GPRS coverage

UMTS coverage

$2$

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Trials Agreements
In order to test and acquire UMTS equipment, Etisalat has signed a Framework Agreement with Three UMTS Vendors. These Trial Agreements include commitments from the manufacturers regarding the experimentation process : Commitments for the provision of equipment : Access Network, Core Network, test tools and terminals for the trial network Commitment for the training of Etisalat Staff Commitment on support : experts to assist in performing tests, operate and maintain the equipment

TRIALS OBJECTIVE
Analyse & Test the Capabilities of the UMTS systems.

Test Conformance of the offered systems to Standards. Experience ahead of live network deployment Develop the Knowledge in Network Planning, operation and optimisation skills Familiarise our Engineers in UMTS.

Integration, performance and tuning tests in multivendors environment

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UMTS Trial Plan

PHASE 1
Isolated platform End to end test for all supported features of all elements Conformance test of interfaces Basic CS and PS service Inter-working with Etisalat GSM/GPRS network IOT with other UMTS vendor Load testing Additional application service

PHASE 2

ETISALAT UMTS Trials

Trials started Q4,2002

Covering 3 Cities: Abu Dhabi,Dubai,and Northern Emirates.

Three different vendors

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Coverage Plan & Deployment

To preserve invested capital, UMTS sites were designed to reuse existing GSM/GPRS facilities to the full extent , such as tower, transmission, shelter and so on. UMTS sites installed along with existing GSM sites

System Testing
Covers the following interfaces :
Iub Node B to RNC Iu-cs RNC to MSC Iu-ps RNC to SGSN Uu Ue to Node B Gn SGSN to GGSN

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System Testing
Acceptance Test Plan covers the following domains: o Circuit Switch Domain o Packet Switch Domain o Combination of Circuit and Packet o Stability & Load domains CS Test cases covers: o Registration phase o Mobile originating/terminating calls o Scenario related to the Radio Resource Management, i.e.: o Soft/Softer Handover o Power control algorithm PS Test cases covers: o Attach/detach procedure o PDP context activation/de-activation o Mobile originating PS transfer with different traffic type (FTP, HTTP,.) o Soft and Softer Handover tests

TESTED APPLICATIONS

Voice

Video Phone

Email

Video Conference

SMS

MMS

Laptop Web Browse

LBS

WAP

Palm Web Browse

Video on Demand

Live TV streaming

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ETISALAT UMTS Demonstrated Applications

AMR Voice FTP & email Clips Download - Video Streaming - Live TV Streaming - Live Video Applications: - Video Feeds CAM Streaming - Video Telephony/Video Conference (Planned) High Internet Browsing Interactive Network Gaming

IOT with Different Vendors RAN & CN

Etisalat PSTN

Node B1( 2 1) STM-1 E1 UE Ga RNC Node B2( 3 1) SGSN GGSN STM-1 Gn Gi D MSC CG Gr HLR

Internet

DNS SERVER

RADIUS SERVER

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IOT with Different Vendors UE

Etisalat Node B1( 2 1) PSTN

STM-1 MSC E1

Gr RNC

HLR CG Ga Gn Gi GGSN Internet

Other vendors UE
Node B2( 3 1)

STM-1

SGSN

DNS SERVER

RADIUS SERVER

SYSTEM DESIGN
The Coverage initially will Target Specific areas within the the cities and it will grow based on feasibility and requirements Most of the existing GSM sites will be reused, they will be turned in GSM/UMTS sites When the existing GSM grid is not sufficient to provide the throughputs necessary in a given area, some pure UMTS sites are added.

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Challenges: Interoperability
3GPP Specifications Interpretation Operator/vendor defined Moving target Within the 3G Network (UE<->Node B <-> RNC <-> MSC/GSN) Terminals and RNC dominant Between the 3G Network and legacy Networks With PSTN/2G/ISP/Billing

Further Challenges
- Maintain similar or better Quality & depth of coverage than Existing 2G Network - Availability of (Reasonably priced, Volume, Feature rich) Dual mode mobile terminals - 3G Rich content & applications

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