MobilenniuM Express
3G Industry news from the UMTS Forum
27 March 2009

mobilkom austria group Select Starent Networks' 3G/UMTS and 4G/LTE Solutions
Starent Networks, the US-based provider of mobile broadband solutions, has been selected by mobilkom austria group, to deliver a multimedia core solution across its European footprint for UMTS and LTE mobile broadband services. mobilkom’s two units, mobilkom austria and Croatia’s Vipnet, will deploy the Starent solution in 2009, with other subsidiaries across Central and Eastern Europea expected to follow in the coming years. Starent Networks’ solutions will be deployed by Kapsch CarrierCom.

China Unicom Selects Alcatel-Lucent to Deploy 3G W-CDMA networks in 14 Provinces
Alcatel-Lucent has been selected by China Unicom to deploy WCDMA networks in 14 Chinese provinces, with the initial network deployments planned in the cities of Tianjin, Baoding, Wenzhou, Taizhou, Guiyang and Guilin. Under the terms of the deal, Alcatel-Lucent will roll out 11,000 WCDMA base stations . The contract adds 4 new markets in addition to its existing 2G GSM provinces, expanding Alcatel-Lucent’s footprint with China Unicom.

Austria's Best Network is Now Also Europe's Fastest: mobilkom austria Launches Commercial Operation of HSPA+
Austrian operator mobilkom has unveiled Europe’s first commercial HSPA+ mobile broadband network with the support from Sweden’s Ericsson. In the first stage of the rollout, the HSPA+ network will cover Vienna’s 10th district, enabling peak download rates of up to 21 Mbps. More hotspots will be covered by the second quarter of 2009. HSPA+ data modems are available from the A1 Online Shop.

Telefónica and Vodafone Announce Milestone Pan European Collaboration
Telefónica and Vodafone have signed an agreement to share their networks across several European markets where they are both present. The deal covers Spain, Germany, Ireland and the UK, while the operators are still negotiating an infrastructure-sharing deal in the Czech Republic. The partners expect to deliver cost efficiencies of hundreds of millions of pounds for each company over 10 years. The deal is also aimed at enhancing their mobile broadband footprint and lowering the environmental impact thanks to the consolidation of existing sites and joint build of new sites.

Thousands of Oman Mobile Subscribers Enjoy 3.5G Network Services
Oman Mobile has commercially launched its HSPA network. The company has also unveiled a series of new tariff plans and data packages, including an unlimited mobile broadband offer for OMR1.00 (US$2.60) per day. Customers have a choice of two mobile broadband modems: the Huawei E180 priced at OMR65.00 and the Bandluxe C120 at RO59.00. Initially, Oman Mobile provides 3.5G network coverage in the Muscat governorate, which will be extended to include all parts of the Sultanate in the near future.

Cosmote Launches iPhone 3G in Greece
Cosmote has announced the launch of the iPhone 3G in Greece. The operator has also unveiled a number of new tariff plans starting from just €20 per month, which include free minutes, free SMS and free download capacity. On selected plans the iPhone 3G is available free of charge. 

Ericsson Signs Contracts with China Unicom to Build WCDMA Networks in 15 Provinces in China
China Unicom has selected Ericsson to roll out WCDMA networks in 15 Chinese provinces as part of the operator’s Phase One 3G deployment plan. Under the terms of the contract, Ericsson, along with its partners, will supply WCDMA core and/or radio access network systems, as well as the 2G/3G common core platform, WCDMA RAN system, network rollout services, tuning, spare parts and training services over the coming months. Ericsson has also been selected to upgrade China Unicom’s GSM networks to support 2G/3G interoperability in 10 provinces.