3G/mobile broadband industry news from the UMTS Forum
14 January 2011
TeliaSonera has selected Huawei and Ericsson to deploy a combined 2G/3G/LTE radio network in Norway. Huawei has been commissioned to expand and upgrade the operator’s GSM/HSPA+/LTE network throughout southern Norway. Ericsson has been awarded a 3-year contract to modernize and expand the northern part of TeliaSonera's Norwegian network, and to roll-out LTE in the same region using its multi-standard RBS 6000 solution. By 2012, TeliaSonera expects to provide 3G coverage to 95% and LTE coverage to 89% of the Norwegian population.
Ericsson has estimated that mobile broadband subscriptions globally will double to 1 billion in 2011. The greatest number of subscriptions, around 400 million, is expected to be concentrated in the Asia Pacific region, followed by North America and Western Europe with more than 200 million subscriptions each. Mobile data traffic growth is largely driven by smartphones, laptops and tablets. The dynamic growth will continue, and by 2015 mobile broadband subscriptions will reach 3.8 billion, with 95% of these using HSPA, CDMA and LTE networks.
ZTE has secured 235 essential patents for LTE standards. The Chinese vendor has a 7% share of the total LTE essential patents declared on the Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) online database of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute as of 30 November 2010. The company aims to achieve at least 10% of LTE essential patent market share by 2012.
Nigeria’s mobile operator Globacom has unveiled an LTE network targeting the business segment. The new technology will enhance more demanding applications like interactive TV, mobile video blogging, advanced games or professional services. Enabling downlink data speeds in excess of 100 Mbps, it will revolutionize deployment of data centric applications, including HD Video Streaming, HD-Video bridging, Interactive Multiple Gaming, E-Health Care.
Finnish operator DNA has selected Ericsson to expand and upgrade its 3G network, as well as deploy LTE services in major cities in Finland, with the commercial launch of LTE services planned during 2011. National mobile broadband coverage will be boosted by deployment of HSPA+ technology, capable of delivering downlink speeds of up to 42 Mbps. The three-year contract also includes network management products, radio access, packet core, backhaul and related network rollout services.
Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) has signed a contract with rural US operator Mosaic Telecom to deploy LTE services by reusing existing 700 MHz and 1700/2100 MHzspectrum. Under the terms of the deal, NSN will supply its Evolved Packed Core solution, comprising Flexi NS (Network Server) and Flexi NG (Network Gateway), along with its LTE radio network based on the Flexi Multiradio Base Station. Mosaic Telecom also intends to improve its in-building 3G coverage thanks to NSN’s femto base station technology. Deployment of the infrastructure is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2011.
Malaysian operator Axiata has teamed up with Motricity to provide a new mobile data service by enhancing users’ mobile internet experience across all its subsidiaries. The service will be enabled by Motricity’s platform, which empower users to customise content, enable new service plans for third party web-based content, and provide group-wide common application and store front. The move will improve the internet functionality for Axiata’s 3G users.
Vodafone Albania has launched 3G services in the capital city of Tirana and its suburbs. The operator will provide downlink speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps, enabling customers to stream data intensive media, perform video calls, download high volumes of content and use their preferred social networks. The operator plans to cover the entire country in 18 months.
T-Mobile USA to Double the Speed of HSPA+ Network
T-Mobile USA has revealed plans to upgrade its HSPA+ network to provide downlink speeds of up to 42 Mbps in 2011. The operator also intends to launch 25 new HSPA+ devices, including its first HSPA+ tablet, the Dell Streak 7. The operator will launch devices capable of delivering peak download speeds of up to 21 Mbps in the first half of 2011, and smartphones capable of peak downlink speeds of up to 42 Mbps in the second half of the year. T-Mobile's HSPA+ network now reaches around 200 million people in 100 major metropolitan areas.
Verizon Wireless has announced its line-up of LTE devices that includes four smartphones, two tablets, two mobile hotspots and two notebooks. All of the new devices will become commercially available by mid-2011, with some as soon as March. Android-based smartphones will be manufactured by HTC, LG, Samsung and Motorola Mobility, including the LTE-enabled models of the Motorola Xoom tablet and Samsung's GalaxyTab. In addition, personal hotspots will be supplied by Samsung and Novatel and notebooks by Hewlett-Packard and Compaq. The operator plans to add 140 LTE markets in 2011.
Verizon Wireless and Skype have announced that Skype mobile with video will soon be available on the operator’s recently launched LTE network. This new version of Skype mobile from Verizon Wireless will be deeply integrated into a wide range of Android-powered LTE smartphones with front- and rear-facing cameras to be available by mid-2011. The development will enable Skype-to-Skype video calling over Verizon Wireless’ LTE network.
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