3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
19 March 2010
Alcatel-Lucent has unveiled an upgraded mobile packet solution in an effort to help mobile operators deal with the exponential growth in mobile data services on current 3G networks and drive transformation to all-IP. The Ultimate Wireless Packet Core solution will enable service providers to deliver bandwidth-hungry, enriched and personalized services with enhanced quality, as well as reduced provisioning, operating and maintenance costs across all parts of the network, from the radio access network (RAN) to the backhaul elements and into the packet core.
Qualcomm has confirmed its plans to participate in India’s upcoming auction for BWA (Broadband Wireless Access) spectrum in the unpaired 2.3 GHz spectrum band. The mobile chipset maker intends to facilitate deployment of TD-LTE with the use of integrated multimode devices to support India’s broadband goals. Should Qualcomm win the auction, it will seek local operator partners in an effort to create a TD-LTE infrastructure and device ecosystem that will be compatible with 2G and 3G networks.
Canada’s Telus plans to invest CA$650 million (US$640 million) to expand its advanced broadband services in Alberta. The investment covers both wireline and mobile broadband services. Telus continues to expand its wireless broadband network throughout the province, following the November 2009 launch of its HSPA+ network in Canada. The new network enables peak downlink speeds of up to 21 Mbps and reaches 93% of Canada's population.
Singapore’s StarHub has successfully concluded trials of Dual Carrier technology on its HSPA+ network, in co-operation with China’s Huawei as its vendor partner. The planned upgrade will double StarHub’s peak downlink rates to up to 42 Mbps. Dual Carrier technology is based on the principle of bonding two carrier channels, allowing an doubling of transmission rates compared with the current maximum of 21 Mbps. StarHub has also commences technical trials of LTE technology.
Singapore’s SingTel and Ericsson have begun an LTE technology trial showcase at the operator’s Comcentre headquarters. The trial is targeted at industry players including application developers, game producers and other content providers. SingTel plans to implement LTE progressively over the next 12 to 24 months. Commercial deployment will be phased depending on the availability of frequency spectrum and LTE-enabled devices. SingTel is also in the process of upgrading its network with 42 Mbps Dual Carrier technology, which will be launched in the second half of 2010.
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has unveiled its National Broadband Plan, detailing plans for expanding high-speed Internet services across the nation in an effort to connect consumers and economy with next-generation networks. The FCC has pledged to free up 500 MHz of spectrum over the next ten years for licensed and unlicensed use in an effort to foster innovation and leadership in mobile broadband services.
MetroPCS in the US has contracted Gemalto to provide an LTE over-the-air platform and Universal Integrated Circuit Cards (UICC) for its LTE broadband network launch planned in 2010. Gemalto’s remote management platform will help MetroPCS manage wireless devices and subscriber service delivery in its combined LTE and CDMA network, while UICCs will enable the LTE authentication. The UICC is a next generation SIM card that will be used by MetroPCS in LTE mobile devices to identify subscribers and their services and manage secure access to the wireless network.
Mobile handset vendor INQ Mobile, backed Hong Kong's Hutchison Whampoa, plans to launch the INQ Mini 3G and the INQ Chat 3G phones in India in co-operation with Aircel. The operator expects to use the devices to tap into the dynamic growth of social networking in India. The models have been exclusively customised with CricInfo, an application aimed at cricket fans, and the Orkut social application.
Australia’s Telstra has selected Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) and Huawei as technology partners for its LTE trial scheduled in May. The six-month trial will assess how the new technology will complement the operator's Next G HSPA+ network, focusing on several of LTE's attributes including radio access characteristics, coverage, performance, signal propagation and enhanced packet core features. The trial will comprise urban and rural evaluations of LTE using the 1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz frequency bands in addition to extensive laboratory trials.
Orange UK has signed three new MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) contracts with Unicom, Catalyst and Axis Telecom. The deals, which cover the operator’s 2G and 3G networks, were signed on the Orange Partner Platform via its mobile virtual network aggregator, Transatel. Orange’s 3G network currently covers over 93% of the UK population. All three MVNO’s are expected to launch in the first half of this year. Thanks to Transatel, the companies are able to launch as an MVNO in just six weeks.
Turkcell, in co-operation with Ericsson, has carried out a trial of Dual Carrier technology ahead of its planned launch to customers of peak downlink rates of up to 42.2 Mbps later this year. Turkcell is one of the first operators to upgrade its HSPA+ network with Dual Carrier technology. The upgrade will be based on Ericsson’s HSPA Multi Carrier Solution.
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