FREE White Papers

Tecore is pleased to announce the availability these new white papers. Following are excerpts of the papers. To receive your free copy of the complete document, please provide us with your contact information and you will receive the paper via e-mail. (All fields are required.)

Check off which white paper(s) you would like. Clicking on their titles will take you to the excerpts below.

The Long Term Future: Scalable Evolution to LTE in a Multi-Technology Environment

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The Long Term Future

Long Term Evolution (LTE), defined as the next generational step for the wireless industry, is the first specification set that allows the complete network architecture to fully embrace IP. The critical step forward provided in the technology is a universal set of IP-based interfaces and equipment throughout the network for the support of voice and data applications. Traditionally, these network services (voice and data) have been handled separately by dedicated infrastructure. LTE provides the first generation of technology that handles both through a common infrastructure set and common access method based on IP and packet communications.

The universal acceptance of IP transport as the standard communications medium is pushing towards the famous “IP Everywhere” statements made decades ago. One of the key aspects that IP enables is an ability to use common transport and common interfaces to carry multiple applications. The wireless industry is poised to leverage the power of a common pipe for communication through the support of not just LTE but multiple other protocols and technologies.

Other than the grass roots technologies of the 802.XX vintage, LTE represents the first globally significant shift of a wireless technology family to a full IP capability (EV-DO, being “data only,” does not count). While the wholesale incorporation of the LTE access into the network will take years to implement, the product paths today must support the incorporation of this technology. The LTE standards incorporate key network components that can lay the groundwork for support of access technologies for generations to come.

While the current deployments of 3G technologies can support voice/data on a single RF interface, the investments made in the core network for 2G, 2.5G, and 3G combined with the hesitation of the operators to use VoIP in their networks have left the core infrastructure implementations separated (voice handled in its environment (Circuit-Switched) and data handled in its environment (Packet- Switched)). This approach changes with LTE. The implementation of LTE allows for the IP transport of control and user data through to a common network working with a centralized handling infrastructure (IMS) that provides commonality of services and features across networks. While this realizes the implementation of the convergence utopia discussed for the past decade, truth be told there are still 3.8 billion subscribers on existing technologies that must be addressed before all can play as one in the IP kingdom.

As with any new technology, the standardization process (just achieved by the LTE group) is merely the first step in a long line of development and product hurdles that exist before the technology is truly market-worthy. History has shown that initial availability forecasts for any communications technology underestimate by a number of years the time it takes to become a mass-produced, mass-market deployment delivering the features and services promised. Another key factor is that the maturation process of the new technology takes money and investment. In today’s environment, the pressures of a global economy in distress and hesitancy toward large investments, LTE may encounter even further slowdowns in global adoption. This will no doubt impact the 2010 dates mentioned for widespread deployments in larger networks. For the smaller wireless operators who must wait on the technology family of LTE to mature and reach a point when user equipment becomes cost-effective, the path seems much further out. The “L” in LTE may represent the long period of time the industry will wait before LTE is a reality for all. On the bright side, one of the advantages LTE has is the ability to learn from the earlier WiMAX implementations and build on the lessons learned with OFDMA technology. This should shorten the timeframe required to deliver on the high-speed capacity and low-latency promises that have been the Achilles' heel of the current WiMAX developments.

However, despite the multiple detracting points that will no doubt lengthen the cycle of deployments, the global support of the world’s top operators provides LTE with the best chance to succeed as the next-generation technology of choice.

Military Secured Rapid Deployment System: Extending the Government Communications Network into the Mobile Environment

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Overview

As the complexities of technology and speed of developments continue to accelerate at an exponential rate, it has become increasingly difficult for military and government groups to develop internal solutions one at a time. The days of government innovations driving the technology of tomorrow for the consumer are over. Commercial technology developments have lapped the field several times over when compared to their government counterparts grown organically. Today it is much more commonplace for government and military applications to leverage commercial technology and overlay a custom feature set to achieve the desired solution. This provides a broader scope of solution possibilities across current state of the art technologies.

Communications, and specifically wireless, is a key element of technology where the commercial off the shelf innovations can be applied directly to the custom applications of the government and military. The economies of scale presented by technologies that have shipped to the billions of subscribers obviously has its advantages. The global compatibility of a technology like GSM provide a foundation to work from that is capable and familiar to users. While good in the sense of providing a mature technology that has been vetted and proven, basic GSM service does not implement the features and security elements required to adapt to the custom deployment situations presented by military and government applications.

To address this market and bridge the compatibility and worldwide presence of GSM with the unique feature set of G&M deployments, Tecore offers the Military Secured Rapid Deployment System (MilSec- RDS). MilSec-RDS is a custom built solution for G&M that implements the features and interfaces required to extend existing communications infrastructure over GSM technology. The system is scalable and supports both standalone as well as integrated operations making it ideal for everything from embassies to the battlefield.

Intelligent Network Access: Precision Control of Communications in Secured Areas

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Overview

The goal of a wireless system is coverage - anywhere, anytime, any place. The key to successful operations of the largest networks in the world has been the ever-expanding coverage area and ubiquitous service that it provides. With the goal of covering more areas and more potential users, little attention is paid to restricting access. However, as wireless communications has evolved, the necessity of providing restriction in certain areas or situations has increased. Whether for security, courtesy, or commercial reasons, the situations are numerous and the solutions in the market are few.

Rapidly Deployable Multi-Technology Mobile Networks

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Introduction

In the United States today, the majority of the population have or have access to a wireless phone. Whether on a nationwide carrier or a local service provider, by large the majority of the country has their choice of several operators. This has resulted in the implementation of several technologies. The resulting nationwide ubiquitous coverage has changed the-day to-day life of most Americans.

The two dominant technologies in the United States today have a relative split of the wireless subscriber base Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Global System for Mobile communications (GSM). Among the major service providers in the U.S.A., AT&T and T-Moblie use GSM, and Verizon Wireless and Sprint use CDMA. Both technologies therefore have a nationwide footprint and significant market penetration. Combined with the emergence of municipal Wi- Fi networks and hot spots, the resulting multi-technology environment in a given area must be considered when analyzing potential scenarios or situations. Add to this the additional deployment of the third generation wireless technology and the multi-technology equation gets more complex. This presents a significant challenge for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Multiple technology support is not a luxury for DHS, it is a necessity.

When DHS is called to action, the speed of deployment, the reliability of the solution, and the flexibility to adjust to the situation are key factors in addressing the needs of both targeted personnel and the general population on the ground. In a wireless environment, a Rapid Deployment System that can adjust to the proper technology or technologies from the same platform, is deployable in a rapid fashion, and is built for mobility are the key components for addressing the requirements of these critical situations.

Rural Mobile Network Architecture: Leveraging the Power of IP for 2G, 3G and 4G Services

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Overview

The challenge facing many operators today is how to provide service to rural and remote areas in an economic fashion while maintaining the same services as their main network. For these scenarios, Tecore offers the Rural Village System (RVS). The RVS turns remote build-outs that are traditional loss leaders to revenue potential. The RVS is a flexible network solution for distributed deployments in multiple wireless technologies. Targeted at scenarios for hundreds to several thousand subscribers, the RVS provides a compliant solution that extends the network to previously unreachable (technically or economically) locations.