High-Speed Uplink Packet Access

High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) is a 3G mobile telephony protocol in the HSPA family with up-link speeds up to 5.76 Mbit/s. The name HSUPA was created by Nokia. The 3GPP does not support the name 'HSUPA', but instead uses the name Enhanced Uplink (EUL). [ [http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/html-info/25321.htm 3GPP specification: 25.321 ] ]

The specifications for HSUPA are included in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System Release 6 standard published by 3GPP.– "The technical purpose of the Enhanced Uplink feature is to improve the performance of uplink dedicated transport channels, i.e. to increase capacity and throughput and reduce delay."

HSUPA uses an uplink "enhanced dedicated channel" (E-DCH) on which it will employ link adaptation methods similar to those employed by HSDPA, namely:

* "shorter Transmission Time Interval" enabling faster link adaptation;

* "HARQ" (hybrid ARQ) with "incremental redundancy" making retransmissions more effective.

Similarly to HSDPA, HSUPA uses a "packet scheduler", but it operates on a "request-grant" principle where the UEs request a permission to send data and the scheduler decides when and how many UEs will be allowed to do so. A request for transmission contains data about the state of the transmission buffer and the queue at the UE and its available power margin. However, unlike HSDPA, uplink transmissions are not orthogonal to each other.

In addition to this "scheduled" mode of transmission the standards also allows a self-initiated transmission mode from the UEs, denoted "non-scheduled". The "non-scheduled" mode can, for example, be used for VoIP services for which even the reduced TTI and the Node B based scheduler will not be able to provide the very short delay time and constant bandwidth required.

Each MAC-d flow (i.e. QoS flow) is configured to use either "scheduled" or "non-scheduled" modes; the UE adjusts the data rate for "scheduled" and "non-scheduled" flows independently. The maximum data rate of each "non-scheduled" flow is configured at call setup, and typically not changed frequently. The power used by the "scheduled" flows is controlled dynamically by the Node B through absolute grant (consisting of an actual value) and relative grant (consisting of a single up/down bit) messages.

At Layer 1, HSUPA introduces new physical channels E-AGCH (Access Grant Channel), E-DCH Relative Grant Channel, F-DPCH (Fractional-DPCH), E-HICH (E-DCH Hybrid ARQ Indicator Channel), E-DPCCH (E-DCH Dedicated Physical Control Channel) and E-DPDCH (E-DCH Dedicated Physical Data Channel).

E-DPDCH is used to carry the E-DCH Transport Channel; and E-DPCCH is used to carry the control information associated with the E-DCH.

Versions

The following table gives uplink speeds for the different categories of HSUPA.

Roadmap

After HSUPA the 3GPP is working on further advancing transfer rates. LTE provides up to 326.4 Mbit/s for downlink and 86.4 Mbit/s for uplink. LTE-Advanced, in development as a minor update to LTE networks, supports maximum download rates of over 1 Gbit/s.

Adoption

seealso|List of Deployed HSUPA networks "(not updated)"

Devices

Some triband (850/1900/2100 MHz) HSUPA devices are already available:
*4G Systems – XSPlugP5 (USB-Modem), HSPA-WiFi Router XSBoxR5
* Advinne – AMC-HSUPA (USB modem)
*Huawei – E270 Wireless modem (USB), E870 (ExpressCard)
*Novatel Wireless – Merlin X950D (ExpressCard), Ovation MC950D (USB), Ovation MC930D (USB)
*ONDA Communication – MT505UP, MH505UP (USB), MDC525UP (USB), ET505UP (ExpressCard)
*Option – GlobeTrotter Express HSUPA, GlobeTrotter GT MAX HSUPA, GlobeSurfer iCON HSUPA, GTM380
*Sierra Wireless – AirCard 880/881 (PC Card), AirCard 880E/881E (ExpressCard) and MC 8780/8781 (PCI Express)
* [http://www.dovado.com DOVADO USB Mobile Broadband Router (UMR)] - USB router supporting a variety of HSUPA modems from Huawei, Option, Novatel Wireless and Sierra Wireless.
* [Call Direct] http;//www.call-direct.com.au - CDR-780seu (Router)
* [http://www.infoferenda.eu/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=20&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=2 HSUPA Router Bundle] .
* [http://www.htc.com/europe/product.aspx?id=64952 HTC Touch HD - High Resolution PDA] .
* [http://eeepc.itrunsonlinux.com/the-news/1-latest-news/163-asus-adds-hsupa-375g-to-eee-pc ASUS adds HSUPA (3.75G) to Eee PC]

ee also

*3GPP Long Term Evolution
*Broadband
*DigRF V3
*High-Speed Downlink Packet Access
*High-Speed Orthogonal Packet Access
*List of device bandwidths
*Quad band
*Triband (telephone)
*UMTS frequency bands

References

*cite book |title=HSDPA/HSUPA for UMTS: High Speed Radio Access for Mobile Communications |author=Harri Holma and Antti Toskala |year=2006 |isbn=0470018844