This book is essential reading for those wishing to obtain a systems perspective and a broad view on the background, performance and application of the latest developments in HSPA in the context of the demands on today’s mobile broadband devices and networks. It takes the reader behind the scenes of 3GPP and provides an easily accessible understanding of the basic principles, the latest steps in the standard’s evolution, and the motivations behind the development of standardized features. It covers important topics such as smartphone related features, multi-carrier and multi-antenna operation, interface architecture, heterogeneous networks and HSPA system performance. Offering full coverage of recent developments in HSPA up to Release 13, this book will provide a comprehensive description of one of the dominating standards for mobile broadband. With this book, you will: Get a guided and consistent tour through the evolutionary stages of HSPA Gain an understanding of the 3GPP standardization process, the driving forces behind it, and the need for evolution Learn about the fundamental technology components of a modern wireless communication system, such as basic link level architecture, cellular system behavior, traffic management and scheduling and system management Learn in detail the features of the latest HSPA development up to Release 13 Gain a deep insight into the means by which HSPA performance can be simulated and characterized, the factors that drive the performance of networks and user experience, and the performance expectations for the technology Obtain insight into the telecommunications market and its evolution Learn about current trends and the future direction of HSPA A full insight into the 3GPP and regulatory standardisation processes and the factors that drive evolution of the specification A walk through of the fundamental technology principles that lie behind HSPA A structured overview of the WCDMA/HSPA feature set, offering insider coverage starting from the core release 5/6 technologies and reviewing each of the added features up to and including the most recent developments in the area An overview of the frequency bands available for HSPA An insight into the radio performance requirements, their background and implications for mobiles and networks A tutorial on simulation principles for HSPA A description of the performance of HSPA features within the context of a tutorial on the factors that drive performance