High Speed Downlink Packet Access

High Speed ​​Downlink Packet Access ( HSDPA, 3.5G, 3G or UMTS Broadband ) is a data transmission method of the UMTS mobile standard, which was defined by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project. The method enables DSL-like data transfer rates in the mobile network.

HSDPA is available in Germany, among others, by the network operators Vodafone, E -Plus, Telekom and O2 and in Switzerland by Swisscom, Sunrise and Orange. In Austria operate the A1, T -Mobile and Three HSDPA networks.

  • 2.1 Germany
  • 2.2 Austria
  • 2.3 Switzerland

Technology

The maximum data rate is limited by the so-called class of the receiver. Typical are 3.6 Mbit / s ( Class 6 ) and 7.2 Mbit / s ( category 8). For category 10 maximum 13.98 Mbit / s are possible, which in practice is hardly accessible since they would require a code rate R presuppose close to 1. Main features of HSDPA are fast and flexible data load balancing and adapting to the channel quality using " Adaptive modulation and coding " (AMC ).

The payload data at intervals (Transmission Time Interval TTI) of three UMTS time slots ( slots) on the so-called HS -DSCH (High Speed ​​Downlink Shared Channel) transmitted. A TTI having a length of 2 ms. Up to 15 channels are assigned simultaneously.

A terminal transmits information on the channel quality ( channel quality indicator, CQI ) in exchange every 2 ms. Using the received CQI values ​​of various devices and taking into account other data (buffer level, priorities, etc.) decides the UMTS base station ( the Node B ) as to which devices are to be operated with as many channels in parallel. Further, the CQI information is used, the channel coding to select the modulation method and the Node -B output.

HSDPA modems are available as USB sticks and data cards that support the HSDPA standard with 3.6 or 7.2 Mbit / s. The newest products also support HSUPA for faster upload with currently up to 5.76 Mbit / s HSDPA is integrated into many current mobile phones. These may be used as HSDPA modem.

In contrast to other UMTS data transmission method, there is no soft handover in HSDPA. Each terminal is always receiving the HSDPA channels at each time point of only a single base station. A change of cells is carried out by means of the procedure HSDPA serving cell change, which is tantamount to a handoff with a short interruption.

By compared to UMTS with HSDPA ( ideally with HSUPA combined) smaller round-trip times are made ​​possible many interactive applications with HSDPA.

HSDPA terminal categories

The following table is derived from Table 5.1a of 3GPP TS 25 306 Release 11 and shows the maximum data rate of the physical layer of different HSDPA categories.

Dissemination

Since late 2008, there is increased competition by the market entry of resellers who compared the price for pure data tariffs to undercut the previous year by up to 50 percent. However, it should be noted that although the competitors advertise with HSDPA or other broadband technologies, however, limit the bandwidth technically.

Worldwide there were in December 2007, a total of 150 HSDPA-N ETWORKS in 72 countries. Accounted for which 34 networks on the European Union.

Germany

  • The Telekom Germany has equipped the entire UMTS network with 42.2 Mbit / s HSDPA according to the information. In February 2007, over 60 percent of the population were covered.
  • The Vodafone network covers 82 percent of the population and is at least willing, while 54 percent of the network with HSPA / s are designed speeds of 42.2 Mbps HSPA with speeds of 21.6 Mbit / s.
  • The HSDPA expansion at O ₂ was made in late 2007 and was completed in late 2009. Meanwhile, theoretical speeds of at least up to 7.2 Mbit / s are available at all UMTS sites. In addition, there are many sites now HSPA with up to 14.4 Mbit / s In July 2013 O ₂ began with the implementation of DC - HSPA with data transfer rates up to 42.2 Mbit / s
  • E-Plus has 97 percent of its UMTS network upgraded to 21.6 Mbit / s HSPA and supplied 80 percent of the population. Since mid-2013, also the maximum speed with DC - HSPA 42.2 Mbit / s is increased.

Austria

  • T-Mobile Austria had equipped the entire UMTS network with HSDPA in March 2006, and reached in December 2007 to over 75 percent of the population.
  • 3 In mid- 2008 population coverage with HSDPA of over 94 percent since the end of October 2009, a real PC.
  • Mobilkom Austria (now A1 Telekom Austria ) planned by the end of 2007, a coverage of 85 percent of the population with HSDPA and HSUPA.
  • Bob has since August 2009, in addition UMTS and EDGE now also HSDPA.
  • Orange Austria covers with HSDPA around 70 percent of the Austrian population.

Switzerland

  • Orange has the entire UMTS network ( 92 percent coverage ) with HSDPA ( 7.2 Mbit / s, at selected locations 42 Mbit / s) in operation.
  • Sunrise has the entire UMTS network ( 80 percent coverage ) with HSDPA and HSPA ( 42 Mbit / s) in operation.
  • Swisscom has the entire UMTS network ( 98 percent coverage ) with HSDPA and HSPA ( 42 Mbit / s) in operation.
Bitrate Logarithmic scale Payload (computing) High Speed Uplink Packet Access Uploading and downloading
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