Thursday, December 13, 2007

BT Eyes Femtocells

The cost of the BT Home Hub is significantly less than 50 percent of what we're being quoted for a femtocell," says Buckley. "The cost model now does not justify me putting a femtocell in the Home Hub.

Choice, competition, innovation: Delivering the benefits of the Digital Dividend | Ofcom

These decisions create new opportunities for a wide range of uses:

1. National digital terrestrial television in standard or high definition. Ofcom has already demonstrated that new High Definition and Standard Definition channels can be delivered on Freeview without the need for any digital dividend spectrum. This was the subject of proposals published by Ofcom on 21 November 2007. In addition, Ofcom will package the cleared spectrum in a way that makes it suitable for more digital terrestrial television, but it will not be reserved for this use.
2. Cognitive radio. This is a new wireless technology that shares with other services by detecting when spectrum is not being used. It is hoped that cognitive radio devices will be able to work together to create so-called ‘mesh networks’ that can support a range of wireless applications such as high-speed broadband access across urban and rural locations. Ofcom is proposing to allow cognitive radio to use the interleaved spectrum provided it can be shown this does not cause interference to other spectrum users.
3. High speed mobile broadband and mobile television. Our market research has found keen interest in high speed mobile broadband. We will package the cleared spectrum in a way that makes it suitable but not reserved for these uses.
4. Local television. Ofcom will auction packages of interleaved spectrum suitable but not reserved for local television in some 25 locations across the UK where there is evidence of demand to provide this type of service.
5. PMSE spectrum users. Ofcom will award most of the available interleaved spectrum by ‘beauty contest’ to a band manager who will be required to manage spectrum for PMSE users. This process will be designed to ensure that the licensee’s interests are aligned with those of PMSE users. The licensee will earn revenue by charging for access to the spectrum but will be required to meet reasonable demand from PMSE users on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory terms. These measures will ensure that PMSE users can continue to access spectrum while moving towards a more market-based approach over time.

Friday, December 07, 2007

Nortel and Qualcomm Lay Foundation for Enhanced Dual-Mode Phone Service Out-of-the-Box

The Testing was conducted using Qualcomm's IMS/VCC device client solution on a Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipset powering a test handset together with Nortel's IMS VCC network solution in Nortel's Ottawa research and development labs. The Nortel VCC network solution is expected to be commercially available from Nortel in the first quarter of 2008. VCC-ready devices are expected to be available from Qualcomm in the market mid 2008.

Ubiquisys and Motive Team to Manage Femtocell Networks of Millions

Ubiquisys Femtocell Management Agent has been successfully verified for Baseline TR-069 Interoperability with Motive Inc.'s Home Device Manager. Ubiquisys has long argued that DSL-type management systems based on the TR-069 standard are the best method to manage millions of residential femtocells. The combination of the Ubiquisys Femtocell Management Agent and Motive's Home Device Manager means that operators can centrally manage their femtocell population, ensuring that the consumers get a genuinely simple experience.

Telecom Italia Dumps UMA for FMC

Unstrung

Telecom Italia Dumps UMA for FMC
December 6, 2007

Telecom Italia SpA has decided not to use unlicensed mobile access (UMA) for its fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service Unica, and has relaunched the service with a homegrown SIP-based solution.

The operator made the technology change because of Italy's regulatory regime and the limited availability of UMA-enabled handsets.

Telecom Italia launched a limited commercial FMC service earlier this year with UMA network controllers from Motorola Inc.. But the service got tangled up in a regulatory tussle -- along with Vodafone Italy 's home zone service -- at national regulator Agcom .

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

WiMAX on the ropes?

The announcement that Verizon has chosen to use LTE/SAE (also known as Evolved Packet System by 3GPP) is a blow to mobile WiMAX (IEEE802.16e-2005). It also casts a shadow over the future of QUALCOMM'S UMB technology.

Now with Sprint declaring it is interested in spinning off its WiMAX assets, one can only speculate what is the future for a technology that is rapidly being marginalized? Continuing delays in Certification (now looking like 3Q 2008), means that mobile WiMAX is losing its lead over LTE, which will start trials next year. (See NSN Touts 4G post).

Ericsson and QUALCOMM, both of which have declared their support of 3GPP standards and not IEEE standards, must be feeling quietly confident and looking forward to a prosperous New Year!

Sprint Looking To Divest WiMax Business

Ever since former CEO Gary Foresee's departure, one of the biggest questions on the minds of Sprint investors and others has been on the future of Sprint's planned WiMax build-out. It has been on shaky ground over the last month, though Saleh has on several occasions said that Sprint remains committed to WiMax. Now it looks as if Sprint might be kicking WiMax to the curb.

Sprint and Clearwire recently put the kibosh on plans the two companies had drawn up to cover more than 100 million people with WiMax. The companies had never signed a definitive agreement, and mounting pressure from Sprint's investors was just one reason that led to the annulment of the agreement.

Saleh reiterated to the investors that Sprint is mulling its options, but has a team studying the idea of a sale. What company or entity Sprint would sell its WiMax network to is unknown. Such a move would have several large consequences.

NSN Touts Tier 1 4G Trials

NSN says its partner Panasonic Mobile Communications Co. Ltd. , with which it is developing LTE (Long Term Evolution) base station products, has been chosen for DoCoMo's Super 3G (LTE) Base Station project. (See DoCoMo Does LTE With NSN.)

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

Qualcomm, Nortel Team On Dual-Mode Phone Service -- Cell Phone -- InformationWeek

The companies tested Nortel's IP Multimedia Subsystem-based Voice Call Continuity network application and Qualcomm's chipset that uses the IP Multimedia Subsystem and Voice Call Continuity device client. Both technologies are based on standards defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project organization.