3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
28 August 2009
Nokia has expanded its product portfolio with its first mini-laptop, branded Nokia Booklet 3G, in an attempt to break into the booming netbook market. The HSPA-enabled Nokia Booklet 3G runs on Microsoft’s Windows operating system and Intel Atom processor. With up to 12 hours of battery life, the new device features a 10-inch glass HD-ready display, WiFi connectivity and integrated A-GPS.
T-Mobile has announced a multi-user trial of a next-generation mobile network (NGMN) using LTE technology in the city of Innsbruck in Austria that has been running since the beginning of July. The equipment for the real-world commercial network environment, which comprises 60 base stations, is provided by China’s Huawei. The trial uses LTE-enabled devices that are capable of 50 Mbps in down- and uplink with a variety of applications, such as high speed file transfer and high quality video on demand.
Hong Kong’s mobile operator SmarTone-Vodafone has exclusively launched HTC’s second Android-based handset, the HTC Hero. SmarTone-Vodafone has customisedHTC's new Sense user interface, giving its users access to a range of exclusive applications and widgets available across the seven-panel home screen through two distinctive user profiles (“In Town" and "Travel"). The service include FoneTV, the first Mobile TV service on Android, which includes 26 high-definition (HD) channels on their handset.
Verizon Wireless has updated the specifications for wireless devices that will run on its planned LTE (Long Term Evolution) network, which the US mobile operator first released in April. Verizon Wireless is deploying its LTE network in the Upper 700 MHz C-Block spectrum, expecting to commercially launch the ultra high-speed mobile broadband service in up to 30 markets in 2010, with full nationwide coverage planned in 2013.
Alcatel-Lucent has been the first vendor to obtain certification for its LTE (Long Term Evolution) base stations from the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The development has enabled the company to ship its LTE mobile broadband solution compatible with the 700 MHz band to service providers in the U.S.
Finland’s Ministry of Transport and Communications (LVM) will launch its first ever spectrum auction in November 2009. The winners will be granted 20-year licences for a maximum of 50 MHz of spectrum in the 2500-2690 MHz band, which is also suitable for the deployment of the next-generation mobile broadband services based on LTE technology.
Nokia has unveiled its latest N-series internet tablet device, the Nokia N900, which runs on Linux-based Maemo software. Designed for computer-grade performance, the new Maemo 5 software enables users to open several applications simultaneously. The HSPA-enabled Nokia N900 also features touch screen, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi connectivity and Mozilla-based browser. The device will be available in select markets from October 2009 at an estimated retail price of EUR500.
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