CDMA2000

CDMA2000
Name	CDMA2000
Developer	Qualcomm
Introduced	1999
Standard	3rd Generation Partnership Project 2
Frequency	Multiple bands (800 MHz, 1900 MHz, 1700 MHz, 2100 MHz)
Modulation	Code Division Multiple Access variants
Predecessor	cdmaOne
Successor	LTE (telecommunication)

CDMA2000 is a family of third-generation mobile telecommunications standards based on code-division multiple access technologies developed to extend and evolve the earlier cdmaOne system. It was standardized and promoted by 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 and commercialized by manufacturers such as Qualcomm, operators including Verizon Communications, SK Telecom, and China Telecom, and equipment vendors like Ericsson, Nokia, and Huawei Technologies. The technology influenced later migrations to all-IP networks and competed with variants from 3GPP like W-CDMA and later with LTE (telecommunication) and UMTS deployments.

Overview

CDMA2000 comprises a set of standards intended to provide enhanced voice capacity, higher data rates, and backward compatibility with cdmaOne. Major variants were branded commercially by operators and implemented by vendors such as Motorola, Samsung Electronics, and NEC Corporation. The suite addressed spectrum allocations across regulatory regimes such as the Federal Communications Commission in the United States, spectrum plans in Japan under Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Japan), and auction outcomes influenced by bodies like International Telecommunication Union decisions. Its ecosystem involved chipset suppliers including Qualcomm and infrastructure providers such as Alcatel-Lucent.

Technical specifications

The radio interface uses direct-sequence CDMA with Walsh coding and variable-rate vocoders such as the Code-Excited Linear Prediction family implemented in devices from Kyocera and LG Electronics. Core specifications include air interfaces for 1xRTT, EV-DO, and optional EV-DV, defined by technical committees within 3GPP2. Channel bandwidth typically occupies 1.25 MHz carriers in bands assigned by entities like the FCC and regulatory agencies in South Korea, India, and Brazil. Data transport employed protocols mapped to packet-based cores described in standards by 3GPP2 and aligned with signaling protocols similar to SS7 transitions toward IP Multimedia Subsystem architectures. Power control, soft handoff, and rake receiver implementations were critical radio-layer features used by handsets from Sony Ericsson and base stations from Nokia.

Network architecture and deployment

Deployments used a circuit-switched core transitioning to packet-switched enhancements; operators typically implemented network nodes supplied by Huawei Technologies, Ericsson, or Nokia Siemens Networks. Key elements included Base Transceiver Stations integrated into Radio Network Controllers, Mobile Switching Centers interoperable with legacy Public Switched Telephone Network gateways, and Packet Data Serving Nodes for EV-DO. National rollouts in markets such as the United States, South Korea, China, and parts of Latin America followed regulatory licensing by authorities like the Federal Communications Commission and spectrum harmonization efforts discussed at International Telecommunication Union conferences. Roaming arrangements required interconnection with providers like Vodafone and regional operators including Sprint Corporation.

Services and features

Service offerings encompassed enhanced voice services, asynchronous packet data, multimedia messaging integrations with platforms from BlackBerry Limited era push services, and downstream broadband-like data using EV-DO for mobile internet access. Value-added services included location-based services leveraging GPS chipsets from suppliers such as SiRF Technology, push-to-talk overlays used by commercial fleets, and carrier services like mobile broadband plans from operators such as Verizon Communications and Sprint Corporation. Handset ecosystems featured integration with operating platforms from Microsoft (Windows Mobile era), RIM (BlackBerry), and later embedded solutions from Google partner devices transitioning toward Android (operating system).

Evolution and standards (1x, EV-DO, EV-DV)

The family evolved from 1xRTT (often called 1x) to packet-optimized EV-DO releases and proposals for EV-DV combining voice and data in a unified air interface. 1xRTT increased capacity and supported IS-95 backward compatibility defined in 3GPP2 documents, while EV-DO (Releases 0, A, and B) boosted downlink and uplink throughput and latency improvements influenced by competitive 3GPP releases for HSPA. EV-DV aimed to merge EV-DO data performance with 1x voice but saw limited commercial uptake; device and chipset roadmaps from Qualcomm and testing activities with certification bodies such as CTIA shaped deployment choices. Standardization interactions between 3GPP2 and regional administrators influenced spectral efficiency targets, and subsequent network evolution often migrated operators toward LTE (telecommunication) for higher spectral efficiency and ecosystem convergence.

Market adoption and global impact

Adoption varied geographically: widespread in North America with major carriers Verizon Communications and Sprint Corporation, strong presence in South Korea through SK Telecom, and significant deployments by China Telecom in China and by operators across parts of Latin America. Market dynamics were shaped by handset availability from manufacturers like Samsung Electronics, chipset economics from Qualcomm, regulatory spectrum policies from the FCC, and international roaming agreements brokered among multinational carriers such as Vodafone. The technology influenced device ecosystems, spurred mobile data usage trends tracked by research firms like Gartner, Inc. and IDC, and affected investment decisions leading to eventual migrations toward LTE (telecommunication) and broadband IP architectures championed by vendors including Ericsson and Nokia.

Security and interoperability

Security mechanisms included authentication and encryption strategies building on CDMA authentication frameworks and interoperability testing coordinated by industry consortia and certification bodies such as CTIA and standards groups within 3GPP2. Interoperability across vendors required conformance to air-interface and signaling specifications; interworking with legacy networks used gateways compliant with protocols associated with SS7 and evolving IP-based cores interoperating with IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem). Threat models addressed over-the-air interception, SIM/Removable Identification Module equivalence in certain markets, and network access controls implemented by operators including AT&T and Verizon Communications during roaming and interconnect scenarios.

Category:Mobile telecommunications standards Category:3G mobile telecommunications