On Link Quality Estimation for 3G Wireless Communication Networks

Third generation (3G) mobile radio communication systems like the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) are currently under study and development around the world. All these future wireless communication systems are being designed to support a great variety of services. From the user point of view these services shall be provided by the network with a certain Quality of Service (QoS), which is usually defined as end-to-end delay and error rate in terms of bock or bit error rate (BLER or BER). Whether BLER or BER is to be used generally depends on the type of service. Reliable and precise quality estimation in terms of the error rate is very essential in mobile networks for various reasons. For example, quality estimates are required for frame selection and outer loop power control algorithms in UMTS. It turns out that fast (timely), reliable and precise link quality estimates are important and critical for the control algorithms to work effectively.