3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
19 June 2009
EASY-C: First to Demonstrate Future Mobile Technology in Real-time
The EASY-C (Enablers for Ambient Services and Systems – Part C: Wide Area Coverage) researchers have demonstrated future mobile technology based on LTE Advanced live in operation at the 2009 IEEE International Conference on Communications (IEEE ICC 2009). Their test installations in Dresden and Berlin provide facilities for where innovative technologies for mobile communication can be implemented and tested under real-life radio signal propagation conditions.
Nokia Siemens Networks has upgraded 3 Ireland’s network to I-HSPA (Internet High Speed Packet Access), or HSPA+, technology. The I-HSPA rollout is part of Ireland’s National Broadband Scheme (NBS), for which 3 has been selected as the mobile network provider. I-HSPA technology will enable peak download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps in both NBS areas and 3’s existing network, with the upgrade to 14.4 Mbps planned in 2010.
DNA's 3G First to Reach 21 Mbps in Finland
Finnish operator DNA plans to upgrade its network to HSPA+ technology in an effort to enhance the performance of its WCDMA/HSPA network to 21 Mbps in the downlink and 5.8 Mbps in the uplink. With all base station in DNA’s network – supplied by Ericsson – already supporting HSPA+, the operator will be required to carry out a software upgrade. The commercial launch will take place during the third quarter of 2009.
eircom Enters Mobile Broadband Market
Irish incumbent telecoms operator eircom has launched a new mobile broadband offer, expanding its services beyond fixed broadband and repositioning the company as an integrated provider. Using the WCDMA/HSPA network of its mobile unit Meteor, eircom plans to offer peak download speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps for EUR19.99 initially in Dublin, Cork, Dundalk, Drogheda, Bray, Naas and Newbridge, with over half of the population to be covered by the end of the year.
Ericsson Sole Supplier of T-Mobile Macedonia's HSPA Network
Ericsson has signed a four-year contract with T-Mobile Macedonia, part of Deutsche Telekom-owned Magyar Telekom, to upgrade the operator’s network to HSPA and modernise the existing packet-core network. The move will enable T-Mobile Macedonia to offer its customers enhanced mobile broadband services, including mobile internet, video calls and other advanced multimedia services.
Gemalto Supplying to all Three Mobile Operators in China in Support of Their 3G Deployment
Security/card solutions provider Gemalto has been fully qualified by China’s three mobile operators for solutions supporting the different 3G technologies, including WCDMA deployed by China Telecom. The company has started supplying its UICC (Universal Identity Cryptographic Computer) and R-UIM (Removable User Identity Module) cards to the three mobile operators in China, ahead of the highly-anticipated 3G commercial launches this year.
Huawei has unveiled two new smartphones, the U8230 and the C8000, utilizing Android and Windows Mobile operating systems respectively. The commercial release is planned for the second half of 2009. The vendor has also confirmed plans to launch a series of touchscreen handsets that support WCDMA, CDMA, and TD-SCDMA standards in the second half of 2009.
Belgian mobile solutions provider Option has launched a new HSPA+ USB modem, the iCON 505, which will be available from Sweden’s TeliaSonera later this month. Option’s ultra-compact lightweight iCON 505 modem enabled maximum download and upload speeds of 10.2 Mbps and 5.76 Mbps respectively. A firmware upgrade – to be available soon – will boost download speeds on the device to 14.4 Mbps.
According to the latest data released by the Portuguese telecoms regulator Anacom, the number of mobile broadband users increased by 313,000 during the first quarter of 2009, representing a 57% year-on-year growth. This compares to 63,000 new users in the fixed broadband segment, or 9.3% year-on-year rise. The total number of users with mobile broadband internet access reached 2.69 million at the end of March, compared to 1.7 million users with fixed broadband internet access.
Vodafone Portugal Launches the First Mobile Broadband Service with Billing by Time
Vodafone Portugal has launched a new prepaid mobile broadband package, branded Vita Net Light, which for the first time offers billing by internet connection time. The new plan offers prepaid customers a 10-hour 1.0 Mbps mobile broadband internet access for EUR10, which can be used any time during a 6-month period without any data traffic limit.
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