Wireless Application Protocol and 3-G Technology

 

 

Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)

 

         Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) is a defacto world standard that makes it possible to enhance enterprise applications so that they can be accessed from virtually all web-enabled phones.  By 2005, the use of Internet-enabled cell phones is expected to reach 96 million in North America alone.  WAP will make it possible for mobile users to access their enterprise applications while away from their desks without having to learn are carry a new device.

 

         Before wireless applications can take hold, what’s needed is a standard that corporate developers can use to provide enterprise applications on the hundreds of different types of wireless devices in use around the world.  WAP addresses this issue as it is an open specification standard for presentation and delivery of wireless information and telephony services on mobile phones, pagers, PDAs, and other wireless terminals.

 

         At the heart of WAP applications is the microbrowser.  A microbrowser is needed because of the unique characteristics of wireless devices:

·       One finger navigation

·       Smaller screens

·       Limited Ram/ROM

·       Usefulness of location-based information

 

 

         Wireless markup language (WML) provides the foundation of a microbrowser specially designed to capitalize on these unique factors.  It accomplishes this task by:

 

 

1.    Unlike a flat document structure (like HTML in Internet applications) , WML structures it document in decks and cards.

 

2.    A card is usually small enough to be displayed on even the smallest cell phone screens.

 

3.    The use of decks provides the navigation model that calls for minimum interpage navigation—the user is guided through a series of cards rather than having to scroll up and down a page.

 

4.    WAP addresses the limited memory and CPU of mobile phones and wireless devices by defining a lightweight protocol stack that makes small claims on computational power and memory resources.

 

5.    It addresses bandwidth limitations by encoding transmissions into a compact form that minimizes on-air traffic.

 

How does a WAP connection operate?

 

         A WAP connection consists of three elements:

                

1.    A WAP-enables mobile phone

2.    A gateway that provides the link between the mobile phone and the Internet

3.    The application that is hosted on a conventional web server

 

         A user select options from the WAP-enabled devices using arrow keys, phone buttons, pen selectors, or some other device to jump to specific pages.  The WAP stack of protocols covers the entire process of wireless content delivery and resides on the gateway.  The actual request goes to the gateway, which translates requests from the WAP protocol stack to the web protocol stack. 

 

         Content must be formatted to suitably for the mobile phone’s small screen and low bandwidth/high latency connection.  Content is written in WML, which includes a scripting language to provide client-side intelligence.

 

Tips for Content Conversion to WAP

 

         At the heart of Wireless Applications is it’s content conversion form client-side applications to WAP’s card and deck structure.  It is best to consider the value that would be gained by accessing each application under consideration for the protocol.  Some points to remember are:

 

1.    Look for a low-bandwidth application, keeping mind that you may be able to reduce the amount of data handled by the application and still maintain its value

 

2.    In reducing the amount of data, if current reporting presents 3-dimensional graphics that are far too complex to be shown the screen of a cell phone, change its presentation.  Perhaps, only a few key numerical values would fit or a different graphic could display the same information.

 

3.    Try to save money and time by leveraging existing code.  This is possible if applications are built with separate business logic and presentation layers.

 

 

4.    Try to place the entire screen within a single column, so that the application does not wrap around the screen.  There is no horizontal scroll bar.  Each object should be placed on the left-hand edge of the interface and have the same horizontal position of the other objects.  Long objects such as labels need editing.

 

5.    Eliminate all unnecessary text and graphics to conserve screen space and bandwidth.

 

 

6.    If possible combine host screens.  For example, host screens that show different currencies can be rewritten to a global variable and the variables can be written to a second currency screen.  All values may then be viewed simultaneously. 

 

          

WAP Organization Website:

http://www.wapforum.org/

 

White Papers on Wireless Application Protocol:

http://www.syntelinc.com/syntel/english/00000297/Syntel_wireless_naturalevolution.pdf

http://www.wapforum.org/what/WAP_white_pages.pdf

 

 

 

 

3-G Cellular Technology

 

         The UMTS (Universal Remote Telecommunications System) is the so-called Third Generation (3G) Technology.  It is a broadband packet-based transmission of text, digitized voice, video, and multimedia at data rates up to and possibly higher than 2 megabits per second. 

                         

        

        

         3G Technology will be available to mobile computer and phone users throughout the world.  Based on the GSM communication standard, UMTS, endorsed by major standard bodies and manufacturers, it is currently being implement as a standard for mobile users around the world.

         Once UMTS is fully implemented, computer and phone users can be constantly attached to the Internet as they travel and have the same set of capabilities no matter where they travel to. Users will have access through a combination of terrestrial wireless and satellite transmissions. (Until UMTS is fully implemented, users can have multi-mode devices that switch to the currently available technology (such as Gprs and Edge ), and where UMTS is not yet available (Cf spectrum page))

 

         Today's cellular telephone systems are mainly circuit-switched, with connections always dependent on circuit availability. Packet-switched connections (WAP), using the Internet Protocol (IP), means that a virtual connection is always available to any other end point in the network.

 

         The higher bandwidth of UMTS also promises new services, such as video conferencing. UMTS promises to realize the Virtual Home Environment in which a roaming user can have the same services to which the user is accustomed when at home or in the office, through a combination of transparent terrestrial and satellite connections.

 

         UMTS is a network consisting of two main elements connected over a standard interface, called Iu. These two elements are:

·       UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network). This is composed of Node B which is equivalent to the GSM BTS and the Radio Network Controller (RNC) which is equivalent to the GSM BSC. A novelty with the UTRAN concept is the existence of a new modulation scheme: the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and W-CDMA. This mode offers the highest efficiency within a single system whatever the conditions—wide area, urban, indoor coverage from outdoor, indoor, and so on. One carrier use 5 Mhz. 

 

·       The Core Network. This is the equivalent of the GSM NSS. There are two options for the implementation of 3G and the evolution of the GSM Core Network:

 

1.    Iu-PS (Packet Switched) interface instead of Gb on the packet domain.

 

2.    Iu-CS (Circuit Switched) interface instead of A on the circuit domain.

 

         3-G Technology also has a Transport Independent and multimedia architecture: this R'00 (2000)  architecture is in line with the Next Generation Networks architecture and introduces separation of control and user planes. It also integrates multimedia capabilities.

 

Differences between Conventional CDMA and WCDMA:

 

Note the frequency band changes (Consolidation):

 

                 

 

 

 

Note the limiting of distortion because of rake processing available in W-CDMA

 

        

 

 

 

3-G Technology Website:

http://www.3g-generation.com/

 

FOMA was the first in Japan:

http://www.3g-generation.com/foma.htm

 

Location of companies to view prototypes of Phones:

http://www.3g-generation.com/prototype.htm