ADDIS ABABA SCIENCE AND

TECHNOLOGY UNIVERSITY
School of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department
Electronic communication stream 4th year

Research methods
Research proposal

The role of advanced mobile phone network/3G/ to solve the

network problem in AASTU.
Group members
Name
1. Besufekad Chemeda----

ID
---------------1658/05

2. Michael Desalegn---- ---------------------2332/05

3. Teralew Lemelemu----- -------------------2688/05
4. Tessema Tariku -------- -------------------2699/05
5. Welday Teame --------- -------------------2758/05
6. Wudneh Endale --------- ------------------2779/05
Submitted to Mr. Tewodros G.

submission date May 24/2008 E.c

Table of contents

page

Introduction

Background

Statement of the problem

Objectives

Significance of the study

Limitation and delimitation

Literature review

Research hypothesis

Methodology

Research budget

Time table

10

Dissemination

10

Reference

11

Appendix

12

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Introduction
Today almost all fields of study of human activities rely on the high speed broadband
technologies for their day to day activities. The banks for example are making plans to
implement better and more sophisticated services such as cashless banking and others mobile
banking. Everyone dont feel good to be passionate of waiting for some service even spending a
second with queue. This is one of the signs of ones country development.
Since time is the major factor for development, every activity of the citizens must be as planned
by them. There must not be any time wastage. Even in communication areas like downloading
some data must not take longer time. Students are one of the highly demanding parts of the
society for the fast internet connection and high data transfer rate. Our educational environment
is being changed rapidly with unexpected increase in technology. Although not begin yet in our
country, the lecture system is becoming video conferencing and online lecture. This other
technological advancement which needs sufficient internet connection network and high data
rate system.
Globalization is one of the greatest influential factors which by itself obligate the use of high
data rate and good quality communication system. Everyone needs to have hot news around the
world with his/her phone as quickly as possible without sitting at home and watching TV
Broadcasting like AL-JEZIRA or BBC. Someone also wants to watch the high ranking Box
Office movies of the week with his cell phone. May be he/she want to download and see them
offline. Also some R&B lovers may find that watching the weekly new music release as quickly
as they want. This cant be possible without the use of high data rate mobile network technology
i.e. 3G.
The 2G network coverage becomes a problem in most rural area and parts of the urban area in
Ethiopia. But, majority of our society is rural. To solve this problem using 3G may seem good.
But, there is another shortcoming. Rural community is sparsely populated area and 3G is most
effective in densely populated areas like Addis Ababa city, here may be using 4G is
recommended. This is because 2G network is designed in such a way that it has smaller
bandwidth with high power and large coverage area. Unlike this, 3G is designed for large
bandwidth demanding populated community in small areas.
Our campus is one of the areas included under 3G demanding. There is a large community
demanding very huge bandwidth. Students need to have good internet access for their education.
They need to watch online lectures, search new knowledge around the world, search books and
sites for their assignment, although not recommended they also need to see some entertainment
events. The simplest use of cell phone, calling and call receiving must also be clear and
unobstructed. Every community member need to have a good communication and find
somebody when he wants irrespective of his location in the campus.
As everybody feels how network problem is severe in AASTU, we will show how it can be
overcome by using advanced mobile phone network system i.e. 3G. We will try to investigate the
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reason why it is unavailable, what factors affect the network quality of the usual 2G network in
AASTU & its limitation to overcome this problem and so on. Mainly our analysis is on
comparison between 2G and 3G, because the prevailing wireless telephony technology is 2G and
the newly introduced one with increasing number of users is 3G. Thus understanding the defects
of 2G and finding how they are solved by 3G is better.
Ethio telecom, the only network vendor in Ethiopia, tried to solve the network problem by
erecting a base transmitter in our campus. But the problem is still not reduced. This may result in
improper placement of the base station or the invalid conclusion about the causes of the problem.
Since the base station is used for 2G network system, its effect may be invisible for 3G. This
leads us to investigate how 3G, the most advanced alternative we think of, is better and best
suited to AASTU.

Background
As explained in the introduction our main analysis is how 3G is better than 2G. To study this
first, we must put a clear point about what is meant by 2G and 3G network technologies.
2G (Second Generation)
Second Generation (2G) technology was launched in the year 1991 in Finland. It is based on the
technology known as global system for mobile communication or in short we can say GSM. In
this technology for the first time SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) is introduced and a more
secured and clear communication was established.
This technology enabled network, provides services like text messages, picture messages and
MMS. It uses either TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) or CDMA (Code Division
Multiple Access).
3G (Third Generation)
3G technology was first used in Japan in the year 2001 and it offers higher speed of mobile
devices. The standards of the technology were set by the International Telecommunication Union
(ITU). This technology enables use of various services like GPS (Global Positioning System),
mobile television and video conferencing. It provides much better bandwidth and increased
speed.
This technology is much more flexible as it can support 5 major radio technologies that operate
under CDMA, TDMA and FDMA.
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The main difference between 2G and 3G networks is seen by the mobile users who download
data and browse the Internet on the mobile phones. On 3G network you will find much faster
download speeds, faster access to the data and applications as compared to 2G networks. [4]
On the other hand, it is defined as second generation wireless telephony technology (2G) refers
to telecom network technologies that were launched on the Global System for Mobile
Communications (GSM) standard in 1991 by Radiolinja in Finland.
The most notable upgrade of 2G over its predecessor is the digital encryption of telephone
conversations, and considerably higher efficiency on the spectrum, which allows for greater
penetration level for mobile phones. 2G also introduced mobile data services, beginning with
SMS text messaging.
2G are maintained and described by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). This
technology uses CODEC (compression-decompression) algorithms to compress and multiplex
voice data. Because of this technology, 2G can bundle more calls per amount of bandwidth and it
offers services like SMS and email. There is error checking and voice quality can be improved
by lowering the noise floor.
The downside of 2G is that it is very dependent on proximity and location to towers, and its
digital nature will only compound that problem. Analog signals degenerate over distance,
consistently resulting in static until the signal becomes unintelligible, while digital signal cuts off
or loses and distorts dramatically because of its jagged, on-off nature. This means that as 2G
signal becomes lesser, the frequency of dropped calls and robotic-sounding voice becomes more
prevalent. [3]
3G is the third generation of mobile phone standards and technology, superseding 2G, and
preceding 4G. It is based on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) who formulated a
plan to implement global frequency band in the 2000 MHZ range, which will support a single,
ubiquitous wireless communication standard for all countries throughout the world. This plan is
called International Mobile Telephone 2000 (IMT-2000), Standard.
3G technologies enable network operators to offer users a wider range of more advanced services
while achieving greater network capacity through improved spectral efficiency. Services include
wide area wireless voice telephony, video calls, and broadband wireless data, mobile television,
GPS (global positioning system) and video conferencing, all in a mobile environment. 3G has the
following enhancements over 2.5G and previous networks: Enhanced audio and video streaming,
Several Times higher data speed, Video-conferencing support, Web and WAP browsing at
higher speeds, IPTV (TV through the Internet) support. [1]
Other than the defects of the technology by itself, there are also some common factors which
affect both 3G and 2G technologies. These are wireless propagation attenuations. It is usual to
model these radio wave propagations to predict in some common agreed prediction models.
Currently, radio wave propagation models consist of two types: small-scale and large-scale.

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Small-scale propagation prediction deals with fast fading (i.e. the variation of signal strength

over a short period of time such as one wavelength).

Large-scale propagation prediction computes the average signal strength over a longer period of
time.
The modelling of large-scale radio wave propagation in indoor environments plays a crucial role
in the investigation of 2G/3G network planning applications. In indoor environments, there are
usually more irregular objects and material types, which make modelling much more complex
when compared to outdoor environments.

Fig 1. Radio wave propagation in building areas

In general, large-scale propagation models fall into two categories: empirical and deterministic.
Empirical models are mainly based on empirical factors such as distance or frequency. They are
computationally fast but they do not consider a great deal of environmental information so their
accuracy is limited.
Deterministic approaches take into account the environmental information such as object
positions and the corresponding materials. Generally speaking, these approaches are more timeconsuming when compared to empirical models but allow for a higher level of accuracy to be
obtained. Despite many acceleration techniques being applied, the use of accurate propagation
modelling for indoor scenarios remains limited due to the complex indoor propagation
environment.
Aside from these two categories, some propagation models consider both empirical and
deterministic factors, which are categorized as semi-empirical (or semi-deterministic)
approaches. Such models usually perform faster than deterministic approaches such as ray
tracing and their accuracy is high in some scenarios. Ray-based methods can be categorized as
deterministic approaches. They are widely used in propagation prediction. Compared to FDTD
(Finite Difference Time Domain)-like methods, they consume less memory and are far more
efficient. These ray-based methods compute the possible rays between the emitter and receivers
in complex environments and they need to search the rays to compute reflections and
diffractions, based on Descartes laws. Hence, they tend still to be very time-consuming if the
environment is complex, i.e., if there are a large number of obstacles. Usually, the accuracy of
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ray-based methods is limited by the number of rays that can be computed within a reasonable
time. [6]

Statement of the problem

AASTU is one of the places where 2G network is not sufficiently available in most places.
Everyone in its community needs to communicate with the world. Thus, they use mobile phone.
But, 2G network is not available in dormitory and other building areas. But, some 3G mobile
phone network users are found to have better access. This makes us to find some way for solving
the problem. Thus, we will try to investigate the defective areas of 2G technology and find the
way 3G technology tries to solve this problem.

Objective
General objective:
To investigate the network problem in AASTU and show the way how it can be solved by using
3G wireless telephony technology.

Specific objectives:
To know how 3G network system works.
To understand the downsides of 2G in solving network problems in specific areas like
AASTU.
To know how much of the students are users of 2G and 3G.
To analyze the causes for network problems.
To clearly indicate the solution mechanisms of the problems.

Significance of the study

One of the significant changes that will be made after our analysis (if the result is positive/not
contradictory/) is that ethio-telecom will have a deep insight in base station construction
around areas like AASTU. We will show the better way to solve the network problem. This
is relevant not only to ethio-telecom but for those who need to formulate another research in
different places. As we have stated, there is not organized documentation done before in
Ethiopian context which talks about how network problem in densely populated areas can be
solved by using 3G. We think that our investigation will fill this gap and will serve as a
secondary source for the next researchers in related fields as a reference.

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Limitations and Delimitations

Limitations:
The sources of data which we are going to use are mostly machine dependent. The variables
which we are going to measure vary with weather condition of the surrounding. This implies that
the research must be updated according to the weather. Also, the building type and amount of
building may vary within the fore coming years. In addition, the sample building may not
represent the average building type because every building has different internal structure,
number of people, also external shape. This is also another shortcoming. About the validity we
are not sure it is found to be useful for network vendors like ethio-telecom because may be the
company is not willing to accept for researches made by those who are out of employee in it.
Delimitations:
In our research we are not going to solve the network problem, because it is not our main motive
and we are not in a position to do that. Literatures talking about wave propagation out of the cell
phone working frequency will not be revised because we are working on 2G and 3G working
frequency. For our data collection method, we are not going to use two methods, questionnaire
and interview rather we use direct observation. The reason why they cant be used is that our
variables are not human beings rather it is the place where the mobile phone network is assumed
to be available.

Literature review
There are researches made about how 3G is better than 2G in providing solution to network
problems done before. But these researches are not combined and not printed in one
documentation. In addition, they take one reason and give a detail explanation about it. They
dont give a generalized term in this area. These researches are also made in areas different from
AASTU, may be in geographical land form, weather condition, building arrangement, and such
wave degradation and information lose causes.
Some of the literatures which we find to be useful for our research are quoted as follows.
UMTS (universal mobile telecommunications system) which is the most usual form of 3G, is a
completely different technology from GSM and it enhancements it usually works on 2100MHz.
the big difference from 2G is in how different users share access to the radio channel in case of
3G its WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access) a single 5MHz channel is shared for
all connected mobile phones and each has a special code assigned for decoding its data. [5]
The 3G network will give as better network in areas of having network problems due to 2G
coverage. The 3G technology greater capabilities and flexibility than 2G. [qualcomm technologies]
And also it has improved capacity for scalability. Here we can use all facilities at the same time
and it provides wider bandwidth.

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The main difference between 2G and 3G networks is seen by the mobile users who download
data and browse the Internet on the mobile phones. They find much faster download speeds,
faster access to the data and applications in 3G networks as compared to 2G networks. 2G
networks are less compatible with the functions of smart phone. The speed of data transmission
in 2G network is less than 50,000 bits per sec while in 3G it can be more than 4 million bits per
sec.
Function: The main function of 2G technology is the transmission of information via voice
signals while that of 3G technologies is data transfer via video conferencing, MMS etc.
Features: The features like mobile TV, video transfers and GPS systems are the additional
features of 3G technology that are not available with 2G technologies.
Frequencies: 2G technology uses a broad range of frequencies in both upper and lower bands,
under which the transmission depends on conditions such as weather. A drawback of 3G is that it
is simply not available in certain regions.
Implication: 3G technology offers a high level of security as compared to 2G technology because
3G networks permit validation measures when communicating with other devices.
Making Calls: Calls can be made easily on both 2G and 3G networks with no real noticeable
differences except that in 3G network video calls can also be made. The transmission of text
messages and photos is available in both the networks but 2G networks have data limit and the
speed of the data transmission is also very slow as compared to 3G.
Speed: The downloading and uploading speeds available in 2G technologies are up to 236 Kbps.
While in 3G technology the downloading and uploading speeds are up to 21 Mbps and 5.7 Mbps
respectively. [2]

Research hypothesis
The reason why network is not available in most areas of AASTU campus is because of the
limited coverage capacity and building penetration power of the 2G network system.

Methodology
Over view of approach
In our research we are going to use quantitative approach. The data collection method is direct
observation as stated in the delimitation part above. The data collected using this method is used
as a primary resource.
The methods and steps to be involved through the study are the following:
i). Literature review: referring to books, websites and other papers done before on this area to
understand about the topic. It includes knowing how 3G works, understanding the theoretical
aspect of wireless propagation attenuation causes, finding how the prevailing 2G network system
tries to solve the wireless communication problems such as wave degradation and put a clear
distinction between the two network technologies. Most papers are not able to differentiate the
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two systems but going deeply through them will reveal their importance. This will need another
effort from the researcher (in this case we ourselves). During this process there may be a need of
money for internet browsing and a need of much time to have a good concentration. Thus, a hard
and careful analysis should be taken during the literature review.
ii). Site selection: selecting the appropriate site to collect unbiased data. It will be done in such a
way that the data collection is fair, i.e. it includes representative places of AASTU. The sites
may be indoor and outdoor. The outdoor is also near the buildings or far away. One great
problem of 2G network is its inefficient data addressing ability. The signal cant penetrate
buildings. It will also be blocked by complex building areas. Bare areas are places where the
signal is unaffected by outdoor attenuation causes.
Our sampling technique will be done as follows: there are two building areas densely
built (dormitories) and sparsely built (class rooms). One sample for each will be taken to analyze
indoor signal propagation strength. This is done because the signals outdoor to indoor
propagation will be different for different building density areas. The open area sampling is done
by selecting one random place. These sample places will make our sampling fair.
iii). Data collection: After the sampling is done carefully, we will use quantitative approach and
collect the data by directly observing the effect. We will use similar brand phones e.g. Huawei
Y210 model with different network types, 3G and 2G. The data rate of each network type will be
recorded one by one in the sample areas. Next we will check the signal strength of 2G and 3G
network technologies.
The signal strength is measured with the methods like: counting the number of nebulous
bars at the top of the screen (N.B each bar has its own receiving power strength value in dBm).
Using Real Signal application, it will show a persistent notification in the status bar with its own
series of 5 bars. Another way is measuring the received power. Observing the voice quality may
be additional mechanism to check the network quality which cant be quantified in numbers. The
data collection and recording step is done at the same time and place to keep the controlled
variables unchanged.
iv). Data analysis: observing what comes out, the data will be analyzed properly. We use the
data collected and check whether it confirms our expectation or it contradicts. In the analysis
mathematical formulation and manipulations used using MS excel program. Finally, the precise
conclusion will be drown based on the data analyzed.

Research Budget
We are not going to expend that much money. The working resources are available in our hand.
If it is necessary, we may spend about ten or fifteen birr for internet download checking. Others
are fundamental costs like time.

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Time table
Activity

3 weeks

One
week

One week
(in deferent time

One
week

One
week

One
week

One
week

from the previous)

Literature review
Site selection
Data collection1
Data collection 2
Data analysis
Writing research report
Submission and defend

Dissemination
At last our research will be available at AASTU library. If it is found necessary and if it is
possible, we will try to make it available at Ethio telecom documentation.

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References/ Bibliography
[1] Andrea Goldsmith, WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, 2005, by Cambridge University Press.

[2] David Tse, Fundamentals of Wireless Communication, 2005, University of California, Berkeley
[3] Mohammad Meraj ud in Mir et al, the working principles of mobile phone network technologies, Vol.
6 (3) , 2015, 2545-2551, (IJCSIT) International Journal of Computer Science and Information
Technologies

[4] Rodney Vaughan and Jrgen Bach Andersen, Channels, Propagation and Antennas for Mobile
Communications, 2007, The Institution of Engineering and Technology
[5] Rupert Baines, VP marketing at picochip, pioneered femtocells, 2012, Engineering guarage

[6] www.techopedia.com

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Appendix
The data collecting tools which will be used are:
One mobile phone which is capable of supporting 2G and 3G simultaneously
Recording paper
Small size power meter

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