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With the growing maturity of
digital cellular systems around the world, attention has increasingly turned to the
development of "Third Generation" cellular Systems. Interest in this topic was
given a large boost by the announcement regarding next generation standards made by
Motorola, Inc. and other vendors of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) handset and
infrastructure equipment at the CDMA World Congress in June of 1997. These companies plan
to work together with the CDMA Development Group (CDG), and with standards bodies
worldwide, to develop specifications for next generation wireless communications
standards. In addition, there has also been a tremendous amount of activity around the
world, across a much broader range of organizations towards similar goals. The anticipated advent of Third Generation, or
"3G", Systems represents a juncture in the history of the cellular business with
even greater implications than were seen over the last few years with the introduction of
Second Generation systems. Important new technologies are being developed to meet a set of
requirements that the industry is only just beginning to understand. Those vendors who
demonstrate competency early on, and target the needs of the right set of markets, will be
the leaders in the industry for 3G and beyond.
Some environrnental and technical issues
relating to next generation systems are discussed below. First, though, a brief review of
cellular "Generations" is appropriate. |