An analysis of CDMA 3G wireless communications standards

This paper gives a high level overview of the development status of the next generation standards, particularly in the convergence of major CDMA 3G standards proposals. Major technical characteristics of the physical layer of key next generation (3G) CDMA wireless communications standards proposals in the ITU are discussed. General attributes and major forward and reverse link features are compared and analyzed. Key differences of the seven CDMA terrestrial radio transmission technology physical layers are highlighted, and a technical discussion for convergence of major parameters is given. Focus has been given to the most controversial issues such as the chip rate, the downlink pilot structure, and synchronized vs asynchronized system operations. Finally the author wishes to point out that while it is technically possible to achieve global harmonization with major impacts on system performance, other nontechnical factors are blocking the progress as well.