MobilenniuM Express
3G Industry news from the UMTS Forum
01 May 2009

Motorola Wins WCDMA Contract with China Unicom
Motorola has won a contract to supply WCDMA network for China’s second largest mobile group China Unicom. Under the terms of the deal, Motorola will provide WCDMA radio access network equipment, packet switched core network, and 2G/3G interoperability functions that will enable a seamless integration of China Unicom’s GSM and WCDMA networks. China Unicom plans to commercially launch 3G services based on WCDMA technology in the first half of 2009

BT Launches UK's Cheapest Home and Mobile Broadband Package
UK telco BT has unveiled a new fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) package starting from #15.65 (US$23.16) per month, which the operators claims to be the cheapest in the UK. In addition to the 8 Mbps offer over BT's ADSL network at home, customers get mobile broadband speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps over the HSDPA network when on the move. The new home and mobile broadband offer comes with free 1GB monthly usage on mobile broadband.

Ericsson and MobiCom bring mobile broadband to Mongolia
Ericsson has completed the construction of WCDMA/HSPA network for Mongolian mobile operator MobiCom. The new nationwide network enables MobiCom to offer the first high-speed mobile broadband services in the country, including mobile internet access, video telephony, multimedia messaging (MMS) and other innovative multimedia services. In addition to being the sole supplier of the WCDMA/HSPA radio access network, Ericsson is also responsible for network deployment, systems integration of MobiCom's multi-vendor network, support and competence development.

O2 Exclusively Launches: the First Android-Powered Mobile Phone with Google Services from Samsung
Telefonica O2 Germany has announced its exclusive contract to distribute the new Samsung I7500 smartphone. Featuring a 3.2-inch touch screen, 5-megapixel camera and 8 GB internal memory, as well as up to 7.2 Mbps HSDPA or WiFi connectivity, the device will be available to Telefonica O2's German customers from 1 June in combination with any O2 tariffs. The device also offers one-click access to Google Mail, Google Maps and the Android Market application store. The I7500 is Samsung's first Android-based smartphone.

World Class 3G Mobile Comes Early in New Zealand
Telecom New Zealand (Telecom NZ) is to launch its new Telecom XT 3G mobile network, based on WCDMA/HSPA technology, using the 850 MHz band. Backed by the NZ$574-million (US$324.94-million) investment over a two-year period, the network will commercially launch on 13 May, a month head of the planned schedule, covering 97% of the country's population. At launch, the operator will offer two exclusive handsets: the Sony Ericsson W995 and the touch screen Samsung F480. Telecom NZ, which also deploys CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology, is switching to the WCDMA-based network ahead of its planned move to LTE.

HTC Magic Available to Buy from May 1 Only at Vodafone
The new Android-based HTC Magic device, which will be the second device to run Google's Android operating platform, will be exclusively available from Vodafone starting from 1 May. The HTC Magic, which will be Vodafone's first Android-powered smartphone, features a 3.2-inch QVGA touch screen, 3.2-megapixel camera, GPS, MP3 player, as well as HSDPA or WiFi connectivity. In the UK, Vodafone will offer the HTC Magic free with a two-year GBP35-a-month contract with unlimited mobile broadband usage (limited by a fair usage policy to 500MB per month).

Starting Today, Nokia 5800 Comes With Music is Available in the Brazilian Market
Nokia has launched its mobile music download service, branded Comes with Music', in Brazil in cooperation with the local mobile group TIM Brasil. The service is available on the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music touch screen device, which features WCDMA/HSPA or Wi-Fi connectivity, a 3.2 megapixel camera, GPS with Nokia Maps and 8 GB of internal memory. As part of the deal, TIM Brasil is offering a free unlimited data package for two months as part of the deal. Brazil is the first country in the Americas to use Nokia's Comes With Music platform.

Vodafone’s Network Upgrade Rolls in to Major Regional Centres in Australia
Vodafone Australia has completed the upgrade of its WCDMA/HSDPA network in major regional centres, increasing 3G coverage to 80% of the Australian population. Vodafone will now provide peak download speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps, with typical download speeds between 300 Kpbs and 1.5 Mbps. The planned second stage of the upgrade will further expand 3G coverage to 94% of the population. At the same time, the operator has also revamped its mobile broadband data packages.