Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Low Power GSM

his Web site introduces applications that could be provided by licence holders – either directly to consumers and businesses or in partnerships with building / land owners, local government and potentially, existing mobile network operators.

Ofcom provisionally awards low-power wireless spectrum: CommsUpdate : TeleGeography Research

UK regulator Ofcom has provisionally awarded Wireless Telegraphy Licences to twelve companies. The concessions are for 6.6MHz of spectrum which will be operated on a low-power basis in the 1781.7MHz-1785MHz paired with 1876.7MHz-1880MHz bands. The licences are technology neutral but many are expected to be used for private GSM networks in office buildings or campuses. Ofcom expects to grant the permits in the week commencing 1 May 2006, subject to payment of the full licence fees by 28 April.

Concessions will be awarded to BT Group, Cable & Wireless UK, COLT Mobile Telecommunications, Cyberpress, FMS Solutions, Mapesbury Communications, O2 UK, Opal Telecom, PLDT UK, Shyam Telecom UK, Spring Mobil and Teleware.

WiMAX chip has an eye for mobile services: News from Telecis Wireless

Telecis Wireless is claiming a WiMAX industry breakthrough with the introduction of its TCW 1620 chip, which enables both low-cost, indoor 'self-installed' customer premises equipment (CPE) for fixed WiMAX services and a 'portable' services market with vast potential and room for growth years before the advent of standardised 'mobile' services.

Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Vodafone Takes a Cautious View of Mobile WiMAX

Vodafone, the world’s largest wireless service provider by revenue, provides new insight into the carrier’s current assessment and future direction for next generation wireless technologies. In a talk at the April 20th IEEE East Bay ComSoc meeting, entitled, "Visions from a Global Carrier’s Crystal Ball," Dr. Stanley Chia, Senior Director of Vodafone’s US R&D Group, made several observations about Mobile WiMAX and how it might be positioned against 3G data technologies like HSDPA (WCDMA) and EVDO (CDMA). The theme of the talk was how 3G might co-exist with all the rapidly developing technologies (mobile WiMAX, mesh WiFi, VoIP, mobile broadcast).

KDDI Trials Japan's First Mobile WiMAX System - Verifies Functionality in an Urban Environment, Demonstrates Successful Connectivity with an 'Ultra 3

KDDI is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed field trials of a Mobile WiMAX system, the first in Japan to be built in accordance with IEEE802.16e, in the central Osaka area. The trials verified Mobile WiMAX functionality in an urban environment in demonstrating practical communication speed along with basic performance and high-speed handover between base stations.

Intel teams with Pacific Internet to push WiMAX in Asia-Pac

sia-Pacific regional ISP, Pacific Internet, has signed an MoU with Intel to develop mobile WiMax infrastructure in Singapore, and the region.

Thursday, April 20, 2006

Blueprint: Broadband Wireless

WiMAX has incredible potential in the wireless world, ranging in usage models from fixed to portable to mobile. It is clear, however, that “plugged in” wireless does not take advantage of wireless’ key attribute – the ability to move about. Once the end user is un-tethered from a plug in the wall and allowed to move around in either a portable or eventually mobile manner, the requirements demanded from the products becomes intense. These demands largely fall on the ASICs or SoCs inside the products, and include power consumption, size and signal gain to name a few.

WiMAX in France

French operator Iliad, which bought Altitude Telecom and its national 3.5GHz spectrum license last year, plans to offer WiMAX-based services to the 1.6m-strong customer base of its DSL subsidiary Free over the coming two months.

Free broadband subscribers will be equipped with customer premises equipment compatible with the Alvarion pre-WiMAX system used by IFW, the subsidiary created to house the wireless activities of Altitude.

Once they have the new CPE, users will be able to access the IFW network in any of its territories, which include most major French metropolitan districts.

However, IFW's WiMAX licence is being contested by rival Neuf Cegetel in a suit brought at the Conseil d'Etat, France's highest administrative court. Neuf held a WiMAX licence until 2003, when it was forced to give up the permit for lack of use and a planned new auction of the frequencies. Due to lack of interest from other candidates, the national regulator Arcep awarded only one licence in 2003 to Altitude. Since then interest in WiMAX has increased and Arcep is planning a new auction of the frequencies. According to Neuf, which is reportedly supported by France Telecom in the action, the change in circumstances requires the regulator to revoke Altitude's licence.

Japan's ACCA Networks Selects Alcatel for WiMAX Trial in the Tokyo Area; 1st Alcatel WiMAX IEEE 802.16e-2005 Reference in Japan

Alcatel (NYSE: ALA; Paris: CGEP.PA) has been selected by ACCA Networks Co., one of Japan's largest DSL and Optical Fiber Access service providers with over a million subscribers, to launch a WiMAX trial in the Tokyo area. This is a significant step forward for both companies towards WiMAX services in Japan.

Lessons to be Learnt as 3G Reaches 40% Penetration in Japan and South Korea, says Analysys

Lessons to be Learnt as 3G Reaches 40% Penetration in Japan and South Korea, says Analysys

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Motorola buys Orthogon to expand BFW access

Motorola Inc. has bought, for an undisclosed sum, British broadband wireless equipment specialist Orthogon Systems, in which the Schaumburg, Ill.-based conglomerate already had a minority stake.

Thursday, April 13, 2006

The WiMAX opportunity

If the fixed wireless access version of WiMAX can be broadly described as a DSL replacement technology, then it stands to reason that its best chance of profitable deployment is in countries where there isn’t much DSL — or any other wireline infrastructure for that matter.

WiMax d vs. e: The Difference a Letter Makes - Computerworld

The emergence of the WiMax standards has spurred tremendous interest from operators seeking to deploy next-generation, high-performing, cost-effective broadband wireless networks. However, the availability of 802.16e and 802.16d as two different and incompatible iterations of the WiMax standards has in some cases added confusion to the operator's investment decisions.

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Croatia awards 4 WiMAX concessions

The Council of Croatia's Telecommunications Agency's (HAT) has granted four concessions for the use of frequencies for providing telecommunications services on the fixed telephony network with the use of WiMAX technology around the Zagreb district. Companies awarded concessions include Wimax Telekom, Odasiljaci i Veze, Iskon Internet and Optima Telekom. A total of ten companies competed for the concessions, including T-HT, VIPnet, Nexcom, GlobalNet Group, Portus and Primatel. A participant in the tender, Portus (H1), strongly criticised HAT's decision, saying that "it was known beforehand who would win this WiMAX tender for the district of Zagreb, which means that it is senseless to publish open bids and create an illusion of transparent market competition".

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Plans Announced for North America's First Commercial Mobile WiMAX Deployment

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) unveiled its plans to work with regional service provider Arialink to deploy the first commercial Mobile WiMAX network in North America. Samsung plans to provide its suite of WiMAX-ready products, as well as installation, training and product support, enabling Arialink to commercially launch Mobile WiMAX in Muskegon County, Mich., in early 2007.

Aperto adds to WiMAX war chest

Aperto Networks says it raised $26 million in its latest round of financing, bringing the base-station maker’s total funding to date to $120 million. The company says it plans to use the funds to roll out its fixed WiMAX product and for mobile WiMAX gear.

Mobile operators embrace HSDPA - ZDNet UK News

Mobile operators embrace HSDPA - ZDNet UK News

SR Telecom and MTI Announce Advanced Radio Design Agreement: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

SR Telecom and MTI Announce Advanced Radio Design Agreement: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

WebWire® | Alcatel launches new broadband access platform certified by the Metro Ethernet Forum

WebWire® | Alcatel launches new broadband access platform certified by the Metro Ethernet Forum

Nortel bolsters WiMAX position with portfolio enhancements, new customers

Demonstrating its increased investments in WiMAX, Nortel [Nortel.com] has announced WiMAX portfolio enhancements powered by MIMO technology. This innovative technology speeds deployment of next-generation, high-bandwidth wireless capabilities and is designed to make possible 'Internet Everywhere' services such as VoIP, videoconferencing and interactive gaming.

Friday, April 07, 2006

Spectrum auction may kick-start mobile TV - ZDNet UK News

A valuable chunk of the UK's radio spectrum will be auctioned off early next year, a move which could speed up the rollout of mobile television services.

Communications regulator Ofcom announced on Friday that 40MHz of spectrum, between 1452MHz and 1492MHz, will be made available in the first quarter of 2007.

Samsung unveils WiMAX-based IMS products

Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) unveiled its IP-based Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution that will enable the global availability of converged telecommunications services via a WiMAX network. The latest product portfolio consists of two elements that support the IMS solution -- the Radio Access Station (RAS) and the Access Control Router (ACR). The IMS network, which is the basis of Samsung's WiMAX platform, will deliver high-speed services like voice, video conferencing and instant messaging, to rural and suburban locations not accessible by current technology. The solution also will create broadband hot zones in more densely populated areas.

CDMA2000 Evolution Leads Wireless Revolution

The CDMA Development Group (CDG) announced details about the CDMA2000 evolutionary roadmap, taking CDMA2000 into the next decade. Highlights include the commercial deployment of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Revision A networks by late 2006, and the publication of the Revision C standard by the second quarter of 2007. These developments put CDMA2000 operators ahead in the introduction of all-IP and next-generation multimedia technologies.

Vodafone unveils new structure to meet challenges

Analysts were most excited by the separate business unit to focus on new technologies such as convergence services, which link mobile and fixed-line devices, and Internet services.

Vodafone's "pure-play" mobile operation has been viewed as a disadvantage at a time when traditionally separate fixed-line and mobile businesses are converging into a cheaper, single service that works seamlessly across both networks.

Cellular TV next big money spinner, but who profits?

Global mobile phone operators hope mobile TV will be the next big money spinner, but if South Korea is anything to go by, their optimism may be misplaced.

As mobile call rates sag in established markets, operators in Asia, Europe and the United States are gearing up for mobile TV broadcasting, a market that could be worth $8.4 billion by 2010, according to London-based Informa Telecoms & Media.

Thursday, April 06, 2006

WiMAX trial success

The German utility firm NEW Energie and equipment vendor Nortel have successfully completed a trial of WiMAX broadband wireless technology. The trial, carried out in the town of Erkelenz, offered broadband internet services with speeds of up to 10Mbps. NEW Energie says it now hopes to go on to launch a full commercial WiMAX service within the next few months, targeting areas which are currently underserved by fixed broadband networks.

IBAX Places Multi-Million Dollar Order With Navini to Drive WiMAX in Italy

"The Italian WiMAX market will consist of millions of users (CPEs) and thousands of BTSs," said Ugo de Fusco. "We know that Navini's equipment delivers most of the characteristics of mobile WiMAX today and Navini's experience clearly demonstrates that they have mastered the complexities of large deployments," added de Fusco. "The new Ripwave(TM) MX platform provides seamless software upgrades to IEEE 802.16e."

Samsung Announces New Products, Breakthrough Technologies at CTIA News Conference: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

At a news conference kicking-off the annual CTIA Wireless 2006 trade show, Samsung Telecommunications America (Samsung) announced an impressive line-up of 35 mobile phones, network solutions and alliances that give consumers an array of options for mobile productivity and entertainment.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

WiMAX will Wedge Its Way into the 3G Market

WiMAX services will generate $53 billion in mobile revenue in 2011 and will generate $65 billion in mobile capital expenditures between now and then. TelecomView's new report Broadband Strategies for the Mobile Market analyzes the market for 3G and WiMAX in mobile networks with forecasts through 2011 along with a business case, which illustrates the benefits of WiMAX architecture in high-speed mobile networks.

Motorola Showcases Its First Public Demo of 802.16e-based MOTOwi4(TM) WiMAX Solution for Underserved Markets | Nachrichten |

Motorola's first MOTOwi4 WiMAX system focuses on delivering low-cost fixed and nomadic services in underserved markets and developing countries using the 3.5GHz spectrum available in most of the world. Although the IEEE 802.16e WiMAX standard is most often associated with mobility, it is a more robust wireless access technology than 802.16-2004 and is well suited for fixed deployments.

Siemens solution certified by the WiMAX Forum

he WayMAX@vantage solution from Siemens, which consists of a base station, modems and routers, is one of the first products to pass the interoperability tests in the WiMAX Forum’s international standardization laboratory. It is certified for the WiMAX FDD 3.5 GHz system and thus ready for the future IEEE 802.16e-2005 OFDM profile and the ETSI HiperMAN standard. The IEEE 802.16 standard used today allows data transmission at rates as high as high as 10.5 megabits per second in 3.5 MHz bandwidth.

ALVARION TO DEMONSTRATE PERSONAL BROADBAND SERVICES

New Telephony - Fujitsu to Outline Broadband Wireless Access Strategy

New Telephony - Fujitsu to Outline Broadband Wireless Access Strategy

Monday, April 03, 2006

Intel Capital, PIPEX Create Broadband Wireless Company in the UK; Companies Form PIPEX Wireless to Deploy Wireless Broadband Services Based on WiMAX

Intel Capital, Intel's venture capital investment organization, and PIPEX Communications PLC, a major United Kingdom-based telecommunications provider, announced today that they have jointly formed PIPEX Wireless, a wireless operator which will provide broadband services in major metropolitan areas. These services are designed to meet the needs of consumers, enterprises and governments for wireless broadband, including citywide "hotspot" wireless access.

Super-fast HSDPA mobile broadband coming soon - vnunet.com

Super-fast HSDPA mobile broadband coming soon - vnunet.com