3G Handset and Network Design

CHAPTER 14

Offered Traffic

In our last chapter we looked at the impact of asynchronous traffic on network hardware (antennas, filters, and optical transport). In this chapter, we try and define some of the traffic characteristics and traffic properties and how these characteristics and properties exercise system components in our network.

Characterizing Traffic Flow

In earlier chapters, we described how bursty bandwidth can put RF components (RF power amplifiers) into compression. Bursty bandwidth can also put ADCs into compression. Bursty bandwidth can also cause buffer overflow in routers, resulting in packet loss (buffer bandwidth compression). The properties of the traffic on the network therefore directly impact hardware performance in the network.

To work out how well our network will work, now and in the future, we need to characterize the traffic flowing through the network. The focus today tends to be to try and characterize the content being delivered from the network out to the target device. The alternative approach is to characterize content captured by the subscriber, processed in the subscriber's handset, and then sent to the network for onward transmission—the offered traffic mix.

Six industries, are presently converging all of which either produce or influence content. Computer products, consumer electronics products, and IT products all help to generate traffic. This traffic may come from, or go to, a wireline, wireless, or TV network.

The Internet is used increasingly ...