3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
29 October 2010
US rural internet service provider Agri-Valley has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to deliver broadband data services in rural areas of Michigan. Agri-Valley Communications will use LTE technology to offer high-speed wireless broadband using 700 MHz spectrum. NSN will provide LTE infrastructure, including core and radio elements, as well as network management and related services. The LTE network will complement Agri-Valley’s current wireline, fixed and wireless CDMA services.
TeliaSonera’s Nepalese subsidiary, Ncell, has launched 3G services in the Mount Everest area in the Khumbu valley. Located at an altitude of 5,200 meters, the highest 3G base station allows locals, climbers and trekkers to surf the web, send videos and e-mails, as well as make voice calls at far cheaper rates than the average satellite phone. By the end of 2011, Ncell will provide mobile coverage to over 90% of the Nepalese population.
NEC has completed the first phase of an LTE field trial in the Philippines with Globe Telecom, a subsidiary of SingTel. The trial has verified a variety of LTE functions required for commercial service under field environment, such as quality of service, latency and hand-over within urban mobile environments in Makati and Quezon City. NEC has reported up to 60 Mbps downlink data throughput rates at 10 MHz bandwidth during the trial.
Renesas Electronics has announced plans to spin off its Mobile Multimedia SoC division, which offers system-on-chip (SoC) products for mobile devices and in-car systems, into a new consolidated subsidiary, Renesas Mobile. The spin-off will be effective on 1 December following the acquisition of Nokia’s wireless modem business, which is scheduled to be completed on 30 November. The acquired wireless modem business, including GSM, W-CDMA, HSPA, and LTE standards, will also be transferred to Renesas Mobile. The combination of its mobile multimedia platform and new assets will allow Renesas to offer products targeting the LTE/HSPA+ device market.
Research In Motion (RIM) has unveiled the BlackBerry Bold 9780 smartphone, the first device in the Bold line-up featuring the new BlackBerry 6 operating system. Equipped with an easy-to-use keyboard and optical trackpad, the BlackBerry Bold 9780 offers a 2.44-inch screen with 480x360 pixels resolution, a 624 MHz processor, 5-megapixel camera and 512 MB of RAM. It provides HSDPA 7.2 Mbps and Wi-Fi connectivity. It will be available via various carriers in November.
Telstra has launched its Android-powered T-Touch Tab. The tablet device combines mobile internet, online content, entertainment and phone-calling, as well as access to over 80,000 applications from the Android Market. It features a 7-inch touchscreen, 2-megapixel camera with video recording and a 800 x 480 pixel display. The T-Touch wireless tablet is priced at AU$299 (US$293) on a prepaid basis, with 3 GB of data and AU$10 of talk or text credit.
SFR has teamed up with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) to build an enhanced mobile voice and data network in rural France, which the operator will share with the country’s two other operators, Orange and Bouygues. NSN will modernize and expand SFR’s HSPA+ radio access infrastructure, using its Flexi Multiradio Base Station. The project is an early example of 3G HSPA+ network sharing in the 900 MHz spectrum.
Kazakhstan’s KaR-Tel, an affiliate of Russia’s VimpelCom, has contracted Alcatel-Lucent as its sole equipment supplier for the launch of the LTE 700 MHz market pilot in the CIS. Following successful preliminary LTE tests in Astana and Almaty with KaR-Tel in spring 2010, the new LTE network will cover the central districts of Amalty, the business capital of Kazakhstan, as part of the field trial. The move is a major step for the adoption of mobile broadband technologies in the CIS.
Israel’s Partner Communications, which operates under the Orange brand name, has signed a four-year contract Ericsson for the upgrade of its existing infrastructure, and the deployment of a high-speed mobile broadband network in the country. The replacement of the operator's switches and radio equipment is scheduled to be carried out by the end of 2012. The network rollout is subject to the allocation of the relevant frequencies by the Ministry of Communications.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has completed the licensing of spectrum in the 2 GHz band for 3G mobile telecommunications services at more than two thousand sites throughout regional and remote Australia. Licences for 1401 sites will add data capacity to Telstra’s Next G network.In May this year, the ACMA issued licences for 963 sites to Optus.
Deutsche Telekom has selected Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for its commercial roll-out of LTE indigital dividend spectrum across Germany. The LTE technology in the 800 MHz band will be initially available in rural “whitespot” areas currently lacking any kind of broadband access. NSN will deliver LTE hardware and software along with extensive services to support the operator’s planned launch during 2010. In addition, Deutsche Telekom has selected NSN as a future LTE supplier globally.
Malaysia’s U Mobile has announced plans to upgrade its network with Dual Carrier HSPA+ technology to enable peak downlink rates of up to 42 Mbps. Initially, U Mobile will provide Dual Carrier HSPA+ coverage in Berjaya Times Square. This will be followed by commercial deployment of the service within Klang Valley, starting with Subang Jaya and Sunway area, adding Penang and Johor by end of the year.
| Upcoming Events endorsed by or with the participation of the UMTS Forum | |
|
|
| For a full list please see events supported by the UMTS Forum | |
leave-mobilennium@list.umts-forum.org