EGPRS2 Deployment as a Resource-saving Feature for Voice

EGPRS2 is part of the GERAN evolution standardized in 3GPP GERAN Release 7 and it allows higher throughput rates per timeslot due to the adoption of higher order modulation, higher symbol rate, turbo codes and spectrally wide pulse shape. Another possibility for EGPRS2 adoption by operators is to keep the existing EGPRS throughput rates using less network resources. EGPRS2 with higher spectrum efficiency and higher number of multiplexed users per timeslot can lead to lower PDTCH utilization. EGPRS2 deployment can lead to resource savings, which in turn can be used to increase the voice quality/capacity or can be used to refarm spectrum to WCDMA/HSPA/LTE networks. This paper shows how EGPRS2 adoption can provide voice gains in a regular scenario where PDTCH resources can be saved. EGPRS with 4 PDTCH is compared with EGPRS2 using 3 PTDCH.