3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
09 October 2009
UMTS Forum welcomes positive steps by regulators in Europe and Asia to capitalise fully on ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity. At ITU Telecom WORLD in Geneva, the UMTS Forum has this week stressed the importance of globally or regionally harmonised spectrum arrangements that will maximise the socio-economic benefits of mobile broadband. UMTS Forum Chairman Jean-Pierre Bienaimé was a participant in the panel session “Future spectrum needs: supporting a digital transition”.
ZTE, TMN and Microsoft have jointly launched two new 3.5G smart phones in Portugal. The SilverBelt and BlueBelt II handsets feature the Windows® phone operating system which brings together the mobile phone, the PC and the Internet.
T-Mobile USA has launched Motorola’s H24 HSPA module as part of its M2M solutions portfolio. The module, which supports HSPA on 1700 MHz, features an embedded SIM, enhanced uplink/downlink capabilities, reduced latency that facilitates deployment of near real-time applications, and Internal GPS and FOTA support. Motorola’s H24 series of modules enables mobile broadband connectivity for next generation M2M solutions, such as automotive infotainment, fixed-wireless terminals, smart grid and advanced security systems.
U.S. operator Verizon Wireless has co-founded the 4G Venture Forum (4GVF) in collaboration with high-profile venture capital funds, including Alcatel-Lucent Ventures, Charles River Partners, New Venture Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners, Norwest Venture Partners (NVP) and Redpoint Ventures. The 4GVF aims to encourage investment, product incubation and market validation for LTE-based products and services. The 4GVF participants have committed up to US$1.3 billion investment as part of the initiative. Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, the primary LTE network vendors, are also infrastructure partners in the project.
Bell Canada will commercially launch its new HSPA network in November, ahead of the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver in February 2010. The HSPA-based services, which will enable peak downlink data transfer rates of up to 21 Mbps, will be available to 93% of the Canadian population. The new HSPA network, which overlays on Bell Canada’s existing 3G CDMA2000 1x EVDA system, will bring the benefits of global WCDMA/HSPA mobile broadband roaming, as well as the widest choice of smartphones, including the iPhone 3G and 3GS. Bell has been deploying the HSPA network jointly with Canada’s remaining CDMA operator Telus.
Zain Bahrain has contracted Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to upgrade its network with HSPA+ technology as part of the operator’s transition to an all-IP, flat network. NSN will deploy its Flexi multiradio base station, capable of supporting LTE via a simple software upgrade. The vendor will replace Zain’s existing core network with its Mobile Soft Switching (MSS) solution, while the charging system will be upgraded to the NSN prepaid solution, based on charge@once select. This evolution of its mobile broadband network will facilitate the operator’s plans to deploy LTE.
Finnish mobile operator DNA plans to implement the JoikuMetrix quality optimisation system developed by local mobile solutions provider Joikusoft. The JoikuMetrix software enables real-time measurement of mobile broadband data transfer speeds on the operator’s WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+ network for individual users. The software can be installed in a mobile phone and USB modem. DNA holds exclusive rights to JoikuMetrix in Finland.
Fujitsu has been selected by the Japan’s leading mobile operator NTT DoCoMo to supply a mobile broadband data terminal based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology. The device is backward compatible with WCDMA/HSPA networks. It supports the ExpressCard standard, thanks to which it can be embedded in a variety of products, including notebook PCs and netbooks. NTT DoCoMo will commercially launch LTE in 2010.
NEC has unveiled its new all-in-one Compact EPC (Evolved Packet Core) network system for LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology. EPC, which consists essentially of MME (Mobility Management Entity) and access agnostic Gateways for routing of user datagrams, is a core network system that controls LTE base stations. Each compact EPS system is capable of simultaneously accommodating nearly 300,000 subscribers while controlling more than 1,000 LTE base stations.
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