Radio and Network Components

CDMA2000, whether 1X or 3X, requires upgrades to the radio and network
architecture of the existing system. It is important to note that the migration
path for a CDMA2000 operator will be from 1X to 3X if the CDMA2000
platform is implemented in the near term.
To understand which radio and network components are required for the
successful implementation of a CDMA2000 system, it is best to start with
a simplified network layout for a cdmaOne system. Figure 7-1 is a standalone
cdmaOne system employing several BTSs that are homed to two
BSCs. The BSCs are shown not colocated with the MSC but in reality could
be colocated depending on the specific interconnection requirements and
commercial agreements arrived at. The Home Location Register (HLR) is
shown, but many of the supporting systems are left out of the picture for
simplification purposes. The backhaul from the BTSs to the BSC and from
the BSC to the MSC could be via microwave links or fixed facilities.
What follows next is an example of a general CDMA2000 network,
shown in Figure 7-2. The connectivity to other similar networks is not
shown to keep the diagram less cluttered. Both Figures 7-1 and 7-2 identify
the new platforms required to support the CDMA2000 network over a
cdmaOne system.
What Figure 7-2 does not show are the platform upgrades needed. However,
Figure 7-3 indicates the various major platforms that either have
upgrades performed or are essentially new to the CDMA2000 network, as
compared to a cdmaOne system.
The platform upgrades involve the BTS and BSC that can be facilitated
by module additions or swaps, depending on the infrastructure vendor that
is being used. Whether the system is new or upgrading from a cdmaOne
system, the heart of the packet data services for a CDMA2000 network is
the Packet Data Serving Node (PDSN).