Fourth Generation Wireless Systems: Requirements and Challenges for the Next Frontier

Fourth generation wireless systems (4G) are likely to reach the consumer market in another 4-5 years. 4G comes with the promise of increased bandwidth, higher speeds, greater interoperability across communication protocols, and user friendly, innovative, and secure applications. In this article, I list the requirements of the 4G systems by considering the needs of the users in the future. These requirements can be met if technical and business challenges can be overcome. Technical challenges include mobility management, quality of service, interoperability, high data rate, security, survivability, spectrum, intelligent mobile devices, middleware, and network access. I discuss the most plausible solutions to these technical challenges in this paper. Businessrelated challenges include billing, payment methods, pricing, size of investments, content provision and mediation, and the trade-off between richness and reach. If these technical and business challenges can be met, then 4G will become the next frontier in data and voice communication infrastructure.

[1]  Dongsong Zhang,et al.  Delivery of Personalized and Adaptive Content to Mobile Devices: A Framework and Enabling Technology , 2003, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[2]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Issues in Emerging 4G Wireless Networks , 2001, Computer.

[3]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Mobile Commerce: Framework, Applications and Networking Support , 2002, Mob. Networks Appl..

[4]  Yasushi Yamao,et al.  Development for 4th generation mobile communications , 2001, Wirel. Commun. Mob. Comput..

[5]  Wolfgang Kellerer,et al.  An architecture supporting adaptation and evolution in fourth generation mobile communication systems , 2002, Journal of Communications and Networks.

[6]  K.R. Santhi,et al.  Goals of true broad band's wireless next wave (4G-5G) , 2003, 2003 IEEE 58th Vehicular Technology Conference. VTC 2003-Fall (IEEE Cat. No.03CH37484).

[7]  Rui L. Aguiar,et al.  An IP-based QoS architecture for 4G operator scenarios , 2003, IEEE Wirel. Commun..

[8]  Kiho Kim,et al.  Beyond 3G: vision, requirements, and enabling technologies , 2003, IEEE Commun. Mag..

[9]  Erik Bohlin,et al.  Financial Assessment of Fourth Generation Mobile Technologies , 2004 .

[10]  Janise McNair,et al.  Vertical handoffs in fourth-generation multinetwork environments , 2004, IEEE Wireless Communications.

[11]  M. Munoz,et al.  A new model for service and application convergence in B3G/4G networks , 2004, IEEE Wireless Communications.

[12]  Yasushi Yamao,et al.  Development for 4th generation mobile communications , 2001 .

[13]  Jiang Wu,et al.  4th-generation Wireless Infrastructures: Scenarios and Research Challenges , 2001, IEEE Wirel. Commun..

[14]  Stuart J. Barnes,et al.  Rising sun: iMode and the wireless Internet , 2003, CACM.

[15]  Sasha Dekleva.  M-Business: Economy Driver or a Mess? , 2004, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[16]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Mobile and Wireless Networks , 2000 .

[17]  Dusit Niyato,et al.  Call admission control for QoS provisioning in 4G wireless networks: issues and approaches , 2005, IEEE Network.

[18]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Pervasive Healthcare: Applications, Challenges And Wireless Solutions , 2005, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[19]  Marcos Katz,et al.  On the Definition of the Fourth Generation Wireless Communications Networks: The Challenges Ahead , 2005 .

[20]  Niels Jernes,et al.  Research Challenges for Wireless Personal Area Networks , 2001 .

[21]  Jürgen Jähnert.  Problem Statement: Metering and Accounting in the Full-IP 4G Environment , 2003, Networked Group Communication.

[22]  Lazaros F. Merakos,et al.  Evolving perspectives of 4th generation mobile communication systems , 2002, The 13th IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications.

[23]  Jaakko J. Sauvola,et al.  Features in future: 4G visions from a technical perspective , 2001, GLOBECOM'01. IEEE Global Telecommunications Conference (Cat. No.01CH37270).

[24]  M. Katz,et al.  Cooperative Techniques and Principles Enabling Future 4G Wireless Networks , 2005, EUROCON 2005 - The International Conference on "Computer as a Tool".

[25]  Y. Raivio.  4G: Hype or reality , 2001 .

[26]  Samir Chatterjee,et al.  Wireless Communications: Myths and Reality , 2004, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[27]  Sung-Ju Kim,et al.  A phased approach to 4G mobile network system , 2003, 10th International Conference on Telecommunications, 2003. ICT 2003..

[28]  Theodore Zahariadis.  Trends in the path to 4G , 2003 .

[29]  Song Junde,et al.  Consideration and research issues for the future generation of mobile communication , 2002, IEEE CCECE2002. Canadian Conference on Electrical and Computer Engineering. Conference Proceedings (Cat. No.02CH37373).

[30]  Katia Passerini,et al.  Moving Towards Mobile Third Generation Telecommunications Standards: The Good and Bad of the 'Anytime/Anywhere' Solutions , 2005, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[31]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  M-Commerce Services: Promises and Challenges , 2004, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[32]  M. Siebert,et al.  Requirements for an integrated system and service 4G architecture , 2004, 2004 IEEE 59th Vehicular Technology Conference. VTC 2004-Spring (IEEE Cat. No.04CH37514).

[33]  Teresa A. Dahlberg,et al.  Providing fault tolerance in wireless access networks , 2002, IEEE Commun. Mag..

[34]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Vehicular Mobile Commerce: Applications, Challenges, and Research Problems , 2005, Commun. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[35]  Lin Xiaokang,et al.  Stratospheric telecommunication in 4G , 2002, IEEE 2002 International Conference on Communications, Circuits and Systems and West Sino Expositions.

[36]  Upkar Varshney,et al.  Multicast over wireless networks , 2002, CACM.

[37]  M. El-Sayed,et al.  A view of telecommunications network evolution , 2002 .

[38]  K. Baughan,et al.  Visions of 4G , 2000 .

[39]  Julien Rotrou,et al.  Always Best Connected Enabled 4G Wireless World , 2003 .

[40]  Pieter Ballon,et al.  Scenarios and Business Models for 4G in Europe , 2004 .

[41]  Simon Forge,et al.  Is fourth generation mobile nirvana or … nothing? , 2004 .

[42]  Alan Kai-Hau Yeung,et al.  Challenges in the migration to 4G mobile systems , 2003, IEEE Commun. Mag..