Antenna architectures for CDMA integrated wireless access networks

The main resource in the design of a wireless multiple access bandwidth is the amount of radio spectrum allocated to the network. The requirement to provide mobile telephone services in a limited bandwidth has resulted in the development of the cellular network architecture. We consider different antenna sub-systems for integrated wireless access networks (IWAN). The various antenna sub-systems present alternatives to the standard architecture of a cellular system where the transmission/reception occurs via omnidirectional or directional antennas with each antenna located at a base station. The appropriate antenna sub-system is dependent on the modulation scheme used. We consider a CDMA scheme along with various antenna sub-systems such as a distributed antenna, an antenna sub-system which we refer to as a sectorized distributed antenna, and a distributed antenna utilizing sub-carrier multiplexing. These concepts lead to a network architecture consisting of network switches, radio controllers, base stations, and the various antenna subsystems. The mix of different approaches to antenna subsystem design leads to various system design alternatives with trade-offs in design issues such as capacity, system complexity, coverage, and robustness against fading