It is difficult to imagine the modern world without the use of communications, Wi-Fi and various data transfer standards. All of them assume the presence of their own architecture, structure and coverage area. The technology of data transfer has divorced in recent years so much that to understand them in order to successfully apply in various situations is not so simple. This article will examine the WCDMA mode, what it is and how it differs from other standards.
A bit of history
The first mention of first-generation networks was noticed in the 1980s. There were three well-known technologies at that time: AMPS, TACS and NMT. At this time, few people thought about data transfer. The entire network of the first generation was completely analog, and served to transmit voice.
2G began to develop almost simultaneously in Europe and in the USA. In the first case, it was the GSM standard, in the second - WCDMA. However, full-fledged data transfer became possible only in the 2.5 G standard. At this time, a new GPRS service appeared, which became a new milestone in data transfer. It became possible to use access to the Internet only when it is really necessary. That is, traffic was charged according to how the user used the Internet.
It is worth noting that the 3G standard actually includes a whole range. This includes 2.75, 3, 3.5 and 3.75 G. The characteristic features for all of them were declared the possibility of simple migration with the second generation mode.
What is WCDMA?
The term stands for WideBand Code Division Multiple Access, which can be translated into Russian as "code division multiple access". The communication format itself is quite old, and was implemented for the operation of 3G networks. The term WCDMA is usually applied to both the radio interface and a particular type of cellular network.
Standard definition
WCDMA is actually just an add-on to GSM networks. The main difference is device registration. For example, the GSM standard has always been tied to a specific SIM card of a mobile operator, and WCDMA is tied entirely to the device and subscriber number. The use of WCDMA in individual solutions, for example, in data transmission devices, was unreasonable, since when changing the device or the tariff, you had to constantly contact the help of the provider.
What is WCDMA? These are 2 radio frequency bands with a range of 5 MHz each. Unlike other standards, WCDMA can only work at this frequency. Which, of course, does not give it flexibility.
For use in cellular networks, the WCDMA mode has been redesigned to operate in the range from 1.9 to 2.1 gigahertz. In most cases, almost every mobile operator uses this particular standard for data transfer via the Internet through a 3G network.
The principle of WCDMA operation can be described as follows: the data that was received from the information source is first expanded. In particular, the signal spectrum is expanding . This allows you to slightly distribute energy in the frequency band. This happens due to the multiplication of each bit of information by a special sequence, expanding it. This is called Spreading. This procedure allows you to increase the speed of the signal, reduce the length of the pulses, but at the same time increases the occupied frequency band. After the addressee has received the signal, the reverse procedure of extracting useful information and decoding takes place.
Pros and cons
Among the obvious advantages of the WCDMA standard, the following positive characteristics can be distinguished:
- the format is well developed and debugged, which allows it to be used at high speeds, while not losing stability of the connection;
- due to its high prevalence, the standard received a large coverage area;
- due to many years of experience, it is easily integrated into 3G networks;
- excellent compatibility of modern devices on Android and WCDMA 3G;
- the load on the hardware nodes of the device is reduced, which in turn affects the autonomy of the gadget;
- due to being a rather old technology, it can be used on almost every smartphone.
Despite all the advantages, the standard has some disadvantages. For example, some of them:
- no matter how successful and technologically advanced the standard may be, it is still outdated and no longer always meets modern requirements;
- new LTE networks have a much higher data rate;
- network architecture is much more complex than the new modern modes;
- when moving away from the base stations of the cellular network operator, there is a noticeable decrease in data transfer speed;
- the need to install in some devices, for example ZTE, the WCDMA driver, this is necessary for proper operation in the operating system, in particular, a lot of driver search queries are related to ZTE WCDMA Technologies.
The claimed speed of the standard near the towers of the mobile operator can be up to 2 megabits per second. At the same time, if the distance is palpable, then the speed drops to 384 megabits per second.
Development prospects
Good integration into various modes and standards allows WCDMA to be integrated in accordance with the requirements of the present. In this regard, the constant development of technology allows us to hope for the creation of a new standard that is more optimized than LTE. Moreover, over the years a huge database of various formats and modes has already been developed.
conclusions
The main answer to the question of what WCDMA is can be formulated as follows: it is a standard that surpasses the second generation in its technical characteristics, but does not reach the fourth one. It is also worth adding that it copes well with data transfer, is relatively safe and has good speed.