Comparative study of error correction coding schemes for the GSM half-rate channel

The problem of achieving robust speech transmission on a digital mobile radio channel subjected to severe fading is addressed. The study includes a performance comparison between the Reed-Solomon and the punctured convolutional types of channel coders, which were used in conjunction with speech coders with bit rates ranging from 6.6 kb/s down to 5.4 kb/s. Speech coding within this range is of particular interest for the standardization of the GSM half-rate system, where the gross bit rate is limited to 11.4 kb/s. The properties of the speech coders and the channel coders are described, as well as results of a series of experiments comparing speech quality and robustness against the transmission errors of a typical GSM half-rate channel