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The Wireless Communications Channel
Wireless
News Highlights
Key Words: 4G, 3G, 2G; TD-SCDMA; WCDMA, HSPA, HSUPA, HSDPA, GSM, UMTS; CDMA2000, EV-DO Rev.A; WiMax, 802.16, Wi-Fi, 802.11, Hotspots, FMC,
Convergence, IMS, Softswitch, WLAN, 3GPP, GPRS, EDGE, MVNO, Mobile Phone,
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Roaming, GPS, UWB, RF, Base Stations, UMA, Bluetooth, RFID; Carrier,
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Wireless Communications News
China's MII publishes detailed rules for 3G development
Chinese President Hu Jintao attends Ericsson's
signing US$1 billion GSM deal with China Mobile |
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France Telecom reiterates its decision to
procure mobile phones from China
France Telecom reiterated its decision to procure mobile handsets from China and
has established its Orange Developer Center (ODC) in Orange Lab Beijing.
Related Channels:
Wireless,
China
China GrenTech wins TD-SCDMA bids from China Mobile and China Telecom
China GrenTech has won bids from both China Mobile and China Telecom to supply
TD-SCDMA wireless coverage equipment for the expanded TD-SCDMA technique trial
network.
The win with China Mobile Group reportedly came through the first centralized
bidding process for China Mobile Group's TD-SCDMA wireless coverage products.
This is another win for the company garnered through China Mobile Group's large
scale centralized bidding process.
The expanded TD-SCDMA technique trial networks have been deployed in 10 cities
in China, among which, networks in 8 cities will be constructed by China Mobile
Group, while networks in the other two cities will be constructed by China
Telecom and China Netcom, respectively.
GrenTech established a business relationship in 2001 with China Mobile Group,
the largest wireless telecommunication network operator in China and largest
capital investor in wireless coverage solutions.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
Telecom New Zealand picks Alcatel-Lucent for W-CDMA/HSPA
Alcatel-Lucent Friday announced that it has been selected by Telecom New Zealand
as its technology partner for the deployment of a new third-generation (3G)
Wideband-CDMA (W-CDMA)/High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network deployment.
Subject to a suitable commercial arrangement being reached, Alcatel-Lucent will
work with Telecom New Zealand as part of a 168 million Euro (NZ 300 million)
mobile network investment plan that will position Telecom to meet New Zealand’s
future mobile needs.
Telecom’s plans include the development of a new W-CDMA/HSPA network that will
complement existing CDMA network capabilities and allow Telecom to provide
unparalleled mobile services.
Frederic Rose, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Asia Pacific activities welcomed
the announcement as a testament to the strength of Alcatel-Lucent’s ongoing
relationship with Telecom.
“Today’s announcement is a further example of Telecom's commitment to ensuring
that its customers have access to the strongest, most flexible set of
communications capabilities," Rose said. “With the most comprehensive wireless
technology portfolio in the industry, encompassing CDMA/EV-DO, W-CDMA/HSPA, GSM/EDGE
and WiMAX, Alcatel-Lucent is the only player positioned to take the best from
all technologies, to shape the future and deliver mobile broadband for all.”
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Wireless
Ericsson acquires Drutt
Ericsson announces it has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the
shares of Drutt Corporation, a world leading provider of Service Delivery
Platform (SDP) solutions. This deal represents yet another step in Ericsson's
ambition to become the leader in multimedia.
Telecom operators need solutions to provide consumers with new attractive
multimedia services and applications which can be created, launched, and
presented to consumers easily, reducing costs and time to market.
This is where service delivery platforms play an important role by providing
flexible tools for pricing and packaging, as well as uptake and consumer
behavior analysis.
Jan Wäreby, Senior Vice President Multimedia, Ericsson, says: "Being such an
innovative and focused company, with close to 70 percent of its workforce
dedicated to R&D and service delivery, Drutt adds an important piece to the
Ericsson SDP strategy."
"Ericsson is already the leader in the fast growing SDP market. By acquiring
Drutt, we will be even better positioned to support our customers to offer a
better consumer experience by adapting content for the individual, and making it
attractive to use," he added. "Our combination will provide operators with
integration-ready platforms, thus reducing system integration complexity".
Drutt's flagship solution - MSDP (Mobile Service Delivery Platform) offers an
end-to-end multi-channel solution for establishing a profitable mobile service
delivery business helping operators mobilize and charge for any content to any
kind of mobile device, over any mobile network and delivery channel.
Today, Drutt's MSDP is commercially deployed in more than 60 telecom operators
in 35 countries, managing millions of transactions every day.
Drutt Corporation has subsidiaries in Sweden, China, Canada and Mexico and is
owned by Provider Venture Partners Funds, TeliaSonera and certain employees. The
company employs about 85 people and more than 90 percent of the employees reside
in Sweden, where the global operations are located.
The transaction is conditioned upon approval by the relevant competition
authorities and upon board approval by TeliaSonera AB (publ). The transaction
will be closed through a direct purchase of 100 percent of Drutt's shares.
Related Channels:
M&A,
OSS, Wireless
UTStarcom wins iPAS deal with Chile telco Telefonica del Sur (Telsur)
UTStarcom has reached an agreement with Chile telecom carrier Telefonica del Sur
(Telsur), under which UTStarcom will help Telsur expand its IP-based PHS network
(iPAS) to the capital of Chile Aysen region, Coyhaique.
Related Channels:
Wireless
Nokia-Siemens Networks touts WiMAX in Tokyo
Nokia-Siemens Networks hosted a news conference in Tokyo to introduce its R&D on
WiMAX and LTE. The company said service providers like ADSL providers care more
about WiMAX than 3G telecom operators.
Related Channels:
Wireless
Luxury cellphone seller Vertu opens flagship store in Shanghai
Vertu, which sells mobile phones costing from 37,000 Yuan (US$4,805) to 2.7
million Yuan each, opened a flagship store on the Bund 18 in Shanghai yesterday.
"We have seen surging demand in China as more and more Chinese people require
the 'exceptional experience' we provide," said Pauline Cheng, Vertu China's
sales and operation director.
Each Vertu phone is made in England to a high standard of craftsmanship. It
features luxury materials used to decorate the phone such as diamonds, rubies or
leather.
Vertu, an independent subsidiary of Nokia, opened 25 stores in 18 cities on the
Chinese mainland. Vertu aims to open more stores in China, especially in the
second-tier cities.
"The luxury firms have cultivated the Chinese market and we are following their
steps to explore the market," said Cheng in the new Shanghai store next to Patek
Philippe.
China is the world's third biggest luxury market behind the United States and
Japan.
Vertu is a convergence of high technology and a luxury brand, Cheng added.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
Shanghai Media Group, Shanghai Unicom partner on mobile TV service
Dragon New Media, a subsidiary of Shanghai Media Group (SMG), has partnered with
Shanghai Unicom to provide mobile TV service.
Dragon New Media provides a mobile TV service based on streaming media
technology. Its parent company, SMG, received the country's first mobile TV
license in April of 2005, and kicked off a nationwide mobile TV service in
partnership with China Mobile in September, 2005.
Shanghai Unicom said its mobile TV service will be available to both its GSM and
CDMA subscribers. Live content from SMG's most popular TV channels, such as
Dragon TV and China Business News, will be offered through the mobile TV
service, as well as news and financial information, and video-on-demand (VOD)
content related to movies, music and lifestyle.
In addition, Shanghai Unicom's subscribers will be able to watch SMG's reality
TV shows "My Hero" and "My Show," as well as movie content provided by the
Shanghai Film Group Corporation, on their mobile phones.
Shanghai Unicom is currently offering a free trial of the mobile TV service. Its
CDMA subscribers can find a shortcut to the service from the company's wireless
Internet platform, while its GSM subscribers can access the service through the
site Nuvi.cn.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless,
Video/IPTV
Nokia to ship TD-SCDMA mobile phones to China in 1H08
Nokia plans to ship cellphones based on China's 3G standard (TD-SCDMA) in the
first half of next year.
"We believe that the market need for TD-SCDMA terminals is in the first half of
2008 and Nokia is planning to have a product offering in that time frame," Nokia
said in a statement delivered to Shanghai Daily yesterday.
Equipment and handset makers have been waiting for Chinese regulators to issue
3G licenses. China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator, is constructing
TD-SCDMA networks in several cities for the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.
"It is natural for Nokia as it won't miss the opportunity for China Mobile's
potential TD-SCDMA orders in the world's biggest mobile phone market," said
Sandy Shen, a Gartner's analyst based in Shanghai.
China Mobile is expected to invest as much as $784.5M to procure TD-SCDMA phones
around October.
About 18 phone makers now have TD-SCDMA phone products, including ZTE Corp,
Huawei Technologies, Datang Mobile, Samsung, LG, Haier, Lenovo Mobile, and TCL.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
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China Mobile to invite bids for TD-SCDMA cellphones in September
China Mobile Communications Corp. will invite bids for the supply of TD-SCDMA
mobile phones in September worth as much as $784.5M.
China Mobile will buy about two million TD-SCDMA handsets, putting the average
price between $260 and $390. Two million TD-SCDMA handset numbers will be issued
from October through the first half of 2008.
China Mobile is now constructing TD-SCDMA networks in Beijing, Shanghai and
other cities, while China Telecom and China Netcom are expanding their existing
TD-SCDMA networks in Baoding and Qingdao, which are expected to be completed in
October.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
China Media Group expands its Telecom & Mobile Computing business unit
China Media Group Corporation ("CMG") announces Thursday that it has expanded
its Telecom & Mobile Computing business unit to include the provision of Fixed
and Wireless Broadband Platforms / Solutions.
Mr. Con Unerkov, Chairman of China Media Group, stated, "Our mission is to
become one of China's leading new-age media companies through the use of new
technologies and devices combined with traditional media of TV, Newspapers,
Magazines, Billboards and the Internet to reach today's mobile society."
Mr. Unerkov further added, "People today spend more time on the go and this has
quickened the pace of technology adaptation. Today, internet advertising is the
fastest growing segment in the advertising industry. Technology is moving so
fast that we need to prepare our business for this new advertising medium. The
media market worldwide is changing rapidly and the broadband industry appears to
be playing a major role in this."
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
Telkom Indonesia may spend US$2B to expand networks
PT Telekomunikasi Indonesia, the nation's biggest company by market value, may
spend as much as US$2 billion this year to expand its networks, President
Commissioner Tanri Abeng said.
Indonesia's biggest phone company expects sales to rise more than 20% in 2007 as
the operator adds millions of users to its wireless network. The company is also
focusing on expanding its pay television, broadband and satellite businesses.
"We are not in a hurry to expand regionally because of the tremendous
opportunities for domestic growth," Abeng said. "We have to make sure all the
domestic segments are captured by us. We are the leader and we have to maintain
the leadership position."
Faster economic growth is fueling telecommunications demand in Indonesia, where
about one in every four people has telephone access. Southeast Asia's largest
economy expanded 6% in the first quarter from a year earlier.
The number of cellphone users in Indonesia, with an estimated population of 241
million, is expected to rise about 42% to 100 million by 2009, Indonesia's
Communications Minister Sofyan Djalil said in February. That may benefit Telkom
unit PT Telekomunikasi Selular, Indonesia's largest mobile phone operator, which
had 35.6 million subscribers in 2006, 47% higher than 2005.
Rival PT Mobile-8 Telecom, a mobile phone operator partly owned by Qualcomm,
will start a low-cost service in the third quarter and expects its subscribers
to increase to 4 million this year, from 1.8 million in 2006. PT Excelcomindo
Pratama, the nation's third-largest cellular phone operator, plans to expand its
mobile network.
Telkom Indonesia may spend about US$2 billion next year to expand its units.
Related Channels:
Wireless,
Video/IPTV
Datang Telecom's parent may transfer stake
Datang Telecom Technology Co said its parent may transfer a stake in Datang to a
newly created unit.
The China Academy of Telecommunication Technology may move shares in the
Beijing-based company to a unit the parent established in March to manage its
holdings, Datang Telecom said in an e-mailed statement.
The academy owns 36.6% in Datang Telecom.
Related Channels:
Wireless,
China
PicoChip upgrades WiMax basestation reference design
picoChip announced the next version of its industry-standard WiMAX basestation
reference design, with a software upgrade to support Mobile WiMAX Wave 2 and
MIMO. The new PC8532 WiMAX platform has its first public display at WiMAX World
Europe this week (Booth Number 204). It is the only basestation reference design
to support WiMAX Wave 2 and IO-MIMO, and scales from access point (femtocell) to
sophisticated multi-sector carrier macrocells. The PC8532 is used for WiMAX
certification and has already demonstrated the widest range of interoperability
with third-party terminals.
"The ability to upgrade our WiMAX basestations by software is fundamental to our
strategic market advantage", said Paul Senior, VP Marketing of Airspan Networks
and WiMAX Forum Board member. "picoChip's programmable PHY has been demonstrated
to support IOT between systems running WiMAX Forum CertifiedTM 16d, 16e SISO,
and 16e Wave 2 MIMO, all from a common hardware platform. This capability allows
our customers to deploy WiMAX services today, confident in their ability to
migrate to the latest features and performance enhancements as WiMAX evolves."
The PC8532 supports Wave 2 and IO-MIMO in both uplink and downlink. Wave 2 is
the latest version of the WiMAX standard, adding increased support for mobility,
while MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) increases data-rate and reliability by
simultaneously sending and receiving data by multiple antennas. The 2x2 MIMO
system used in WiMAX significantly reduces CAPEX and OPEX for carriers, by
increasing coverage and data-rate compared to other wireless technologies or to
non-MIMO WiMAX. As a result, Wave 2 delivers maximum download and upload
transmission speeds of 40Mbps and 12Mbps respectively.
Related Channels:
Chips,
Wireless
Tsinghua University and Nokia announce new research framework
Nokia and Tsinghua University, China, Monday announced the establishment of a
research framework and a facility dedicated to long term joint research
programs. This agreement is the first of its kind in Asia for Nokia Research
Center (NRC), which has established similar arrangements with several
world-class universities in the US, UK and Finland in recent months. Tsinghua's
professors and students will collaborate with NRC researchers on a wide range of
topics; some global, others focused specifically on Asia. The research framework
establishes the principle and practice that Nokia and Tsinghua will follow in
pursuing joint research projects over time and sets the direction and overall
topics for research.
Commenting on the agreement, Professor Zhisheng Niu, Vice Dean of the School of
Information Science and Technology at Tsinghua, said: "In some ways, the future
of mobile technology is the future of all technology in China. The country has
set itself the goal of developing indigenous innovation and, with four times as
many mobile subscribers as internet users, the opportunities within mobile
technology are clear. In addition, a world-class communications network is
essential to breakthroughs in all areas of science and technology research,
rendering mobile technology doubly important. With this announcement, therefore,
Nokia is not only promoting research in its own fields, it is actively
facilitating and supporting an entire culture of innovation."
The research will initially focus on a handful of areas, including wireless and
Internet for Asia, interaction solutions for Asia, Mechanics & Hardware for
Multimedia communications devices and mobile internet-based services. The
collaboration will be substantial from the outset, with around 20 Nokia
researchers working alongside 30 professors and associates and up to 50 students
from Tsinghua.
Commenting on the agreement, Dr. Bob Iannucci, Nokia Senior Vice President and
Head of NRC, said: "This new agreement gives us an opportunity to partner with
an acknowledged leader in information technology and engineering. The
establishment of NRC's first joint research facility in Asia further reinforces
the commitment to our open innovation model - which has served us and our
collaborators well in the US and Europe over the last eighteen months. We
anticipate that our collaboration with Tsinghua University will contribute
significantly both to the advancement of the state of the art in mobility and to
technologies with a specific relevance to Asia."
With over 480 million mobile subscribers in China, interest in mobile
technologies in the country is high. But the attraction of Tsinghua as a
research partner for Nokia goes beyond this statistic. Seppo Pienimaa, who is
heading NRC's contribution to the research facility, commented: "China's
universities have excellent facilities both for teaching and research in science
and technology. With the increasing number of engineering graduates every year,
the pool of talented and enthusiastic thinkers is large. NRC is excited by the
possibilities for collaboration that this opens up: we expect that sharing our
ideas across borders, oceans, cultures and life experiences will help develop
completely new areas of creativity and enable us both to pose - and to answer -
the most challenging questions."
About Tsinghua University
Tsinghua University, which was established in 1911, is one of the most famous
comprehensive universities in China.
Currently, the university consists of 54 departments distributed in 13 schools,
including the schools of sciences, architecture, civil engineering, mechanical
engineering, information science and technology, humanities and social sciences,
economics and management, law, arts and design, public policy and management,
medical, and applied technology.
With a splendid legacy accumulated over the past 90 years, Tsinghua has retained
its character and charm while promoting rigorous scholarship research, ensuring
academic and educational prestige in China and abroad. The university presently
has over 7,100 faculty and staff, with over 900 full professors and 1,200
associate professors, including 24 members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences
and 24 members of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. In addition, Tsinghua has
over 20,000 students, including 12,000 undergraduates, 6,200 master's degrees
candidates and 2,800 doctoral candidates.
With strong support from the nation and in the face of unprecedented
opportunities, Tsinghua University is poised to become a world-class university
in the 21st century. With the inspiring motto "Self-discipline and Social
Commitment," Tsinghua is dedicated to the well being of Chinese society.
Related Channels:
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Wireless
Vimicro and Microsoft strengthen working alliance in China to develop digital
multimedia market
Vimicro Corporation, a leading fabless semiconductor company designing advanced
mixed-signal multimedia products and solutions, and Microsoft China, reaffirmed
their strategic partnership during a ceremony in Beijing on May 24. The
companies are continuing to cooperate in the Microsoft-Vimicro Multimedia
Technology Center, originally established in 2003 within Vimicro's Beijing
headquarters, and are expanding the scope of their work together to include the
mobile multimedia sector. Mike Yu, vice president of Vimicro is appointed as the
Dean of Microsoft-Vimicro Multimedia Technology Center.
Vimicro and Microsoft China are finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding to
increase their joint efforts in further developing the digital multimedia
market. One goal of the Microsoft-Vimicro Multimedia Technology Center is to
enable Vimicro's multimedia processors to be compiled to the requirements of
Windows Vista drivers and be ready to get Windows Vista logo certification.
''Vimicro is honored to be Microsoft's ongoing partner,'' said Dr. John Deng,
chairman and founder of Vimicro. ''Over the past four years, Microsoft and
Vimicro have experienced great successes. As a result of our collaboration,
Vimicro has earned international recognition for the quality of our products at
a faster rate and Chinese Ministry of Information Industry's recognition as the
outstanding representative of Chinese IC design industry. Together, Vimicro and
Microsoft are continuing to cooperate in multimedia area and expand the
international digital multimedia market.''
Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang, corporate vice president of Microsoft and chairman of
Microsoft China Research and Development Group stated, ''Technology innovation
is essential to China's sustainable economic development. Microsoft desires to
contribute to China's innovation blueprint by developing a flourishing IT
eco-system through collaborating with partners on innovation. Vimicro is one of
the outstanding independent innovation representatives in China. Through
combining the innovation thoughts, strength and experience together, we're
confident that this new collaboration will continue to provide world-class
digital multimedia experiences
Dr. Ya-Qin Zhang, corporate vice president of Microsoft and chairman of
Microsoft China Research and Development Group stated, ''Technology innovation
is essential to China's sustainable economic development. Microsoft desires to
contribute to China's innovation blueprint by developing a flourishing IT
eco-system through collaborating with partners on innovation. Vimicro is one of
the outstanding independent innovation representatives in China. Through
combining the innovation thoughts, strength and experience together, we're
confident that this new collaboration will continue to provide world-class
digital multimedia experiences to consumers.''
Through their partnership over the past four years, Vimicro and Microsoft have
cooperated in real-time multimedia communications and 3C convergence areas. The
collaboration has already resulted in breakthrough PC-camera and embedded
notebook-camera solutions.
Vimicro and Microsoft began collaborating in 2002, when they formed a strategic
partnership to promote Windows-based digital imaging technology in the worldwide
market. The partnership combined Vimicro's VXP imaging technology with the
Windows XP platform to provide an enhanced multimedia experience for PC-users
worldwide.
About Vimicro
Vimicro International Corporation is a leading fabless semiconductor company in
China designing, developing and marketing proprietary digital multimedia signal
processing chips and solutions enabling multimedia applications for mobile
phones over 2.5G/3G networks and PCs over broadband Internet.
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OSS
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KPN's Telfort selects Huawei's OSS solution
China-based Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei"), a leader in providing next
generation telecommunications network solutions for operators around the world,
recently held the contract signing ceremony in its headquarters in Shenzhen,
China with Telfort, part of the Netherlands' largest telecoms operator KPN,
announcing that Telfort will procure the prepay solution of Huawei CBS. Huawei
CBS will help operators build an open and horizontal billing architecture with
the capability to support various networks and services.
Huawei currently supplies the KPN Group with extensive transmission and all-IP
based core network products. Telfort will have the opportunity to significantly
shorten its service delivery cycle for 2G and 3G services with the convergent
rating, charging and billing infrastructure powered by Huawei CBS.
The benefits of Huawei's CBS are manifold:
- It provides common and rule-driven rating engine to offer flexibly
configurable tariff plans, enabling short time-to-market to win in fierce
competition.
- It adopts customer-oriented data model and offers unified customer view,
enabling personalized marketing to attract new customers, reduce churn and boost
traffic.
- It supports both prepaid and postpaid subscribers with open and modularized
architecture, enabling converged operation and multi-supplier environment to
reduce CAPEX & OPEX.
Telfort CEO Mr. Marco Visser expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation
with Huawei at the ceremony. He said, "Huawei CBS is an important building block
for Telfort's future service development. This is the first time that the KPN
Group has been cooperating with Huawei on services, and marks a deepening of the
relationship between us."
Dr. Haiping Che, President of Huawei Application and Software Product Line,
said, "KPN is a prominent European operator that is highly innovative in
adopting new services to grow its competitive edge. Our product portfolio is
closely aligned with KPN/Telfort's strategy and well positioned to meet its
needs. We will continue to work closely with the KPN Group to help it achieve
its business goals."
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OSS
Chinese government agencies support WAPI
WAPI Industry Alliance has hosted a small-scale meeting and reported about the
WAPI status to senior officials from National Development and Reform Committee (NDRC),
Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Information Industry (MII). The three
ministries were determinant in government procurement. In the follow-up plenary
conference, Zhou Chengyue, vice director-general of the Treasury Dept. of MOF
said, MOF will further enhance its support to WAPI ( Wireless LAN Encryption
Standard with Chinese IPr). MOF will require the regional government to adopt
Chinese IPR products in priority.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless,
OSS & Security
TD-SCDMA handset vendors prepare for bidding in 3Q07
Lenovo Mobile has made full preparation for the upcoming TD-SCDMA terminal
bidding in 3Q07 by China Mobile. Lenovo Mobile would focus on the domestic
market and TD-SCDMA handsets in the coming one or two years, while the patent
licenses of CDMA 2000 and WCDMA the company has got are preparations targeting
at the international market.
TD-SCDMA handset vendors include ZTE, Datang, Huawei, Lenovo Mobile, Samsung, LG,
Motorola, Longcheer, Holley, Bird, Amoi, Haier, Hisense, Envada, New Postcom,
SIMCom, UT Starcom, TCL, etc.
Related Channels:
China,
Wireless
China Mobile tests mega-memory SIMs
China Mobile, the world’s largest mobile operator, is launching a trial of
mega-memory SIM cards in five provinces.
The operator is planning to issue 50,000 SIM cards by next month, each packing
128-megabytes of flash memory. It plans to use the cards and specially equipped
handsets to store super-large phonebooks, downloaded music tracks, mobile yellow
pages and location-based services. The music downloads will be protected by a
digital rights management application. The cards will also carry 512 kilobytes
of conventional smart card memory to store the card’s operating system and
applications.
China Mobile is conducting the trial in Shanghai, Guangdong, Zhejiang, Jiangsu
and Shanxi provinces, say sources. The handsets will download content to the
SIMs via a high-speed connection that uses the MultiMediaCard protocol. This
protocol is available in handsets and SIMs sooner than the alternative USB
protocol, which international standards makers have adopted. China Mobile would
likely move to USB if it continues with the mega-memory concept. Chinese SIM
vendors Kesi, Eastcompeace and Datang will supply the cards.
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Wireless
Hong Kong approves Wi-Fi plan
A multi-million program to provide wireless Internet services in government
premises has been approved by the Hong Kong Legislative Council for improving
Internet services.
Deputy chief information officer Stephen Mak of Hong Kong government said the
program of HK$217.6 million ($27.84 million) would bring benefits to citizens,
the commercial sector, the information and communications technology industry
and Hong Kong as a whole.
Under the program, Wi-Fi facilities will be set up at about 350 government
premises for free use by the public in the coming two years.
And Wi-Fi services in priority sites, such as libraries and community halls,
will be provided by mid 2008.
"Through this program and in concert with other Wi-Fi initiatives in the private
sector, we envisage that ubiquitous access to the Internet would progressively
be made available in all built-up areas of Hong Kong," Mak said.
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Wireless,
China
Nokia completes construction of its China Campus
Nokia has finished construction of its China Campus, which will be home to its
China headquarters, R&D center, and mobile phone manufacturing base. The
project, located in Yizhuang economic and industrial zone in southeast of
Beijing, cost 450 million Yuan (about US$58 million) to build. The newly built
Nokia China Campus and Xingwang Industrial Park will form the biggest handset
manufacturing base in the world. Total investment in Xingwang Industrial Park
exceed 13 billion Yuan and output totaled 100 billion Yuan.
Related Channels:
Wireless,
China
Alcatel-Lucent wins WiMAX deal in Canada
Alcatel-Lucent announced that Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc., the largest
alternative communications carrier in Canada, and Mipps Inc., a Canadian
wireless operator that acquired 3.5 GHz licensed spectrum in most major cities
across Canada, have selected Alcatel-Lucent’s Evolium® WiMAX solution to support
market trials of IEEE 802.16e-2005 WiMAX broadband wireless access service.
Mipps will deploy the Alcatel-Lucent 9100 Evolium® WiMAX end-to-end radio
solution, including base stations, Wireless Access Controller and Operation and
Maintenance Center. Upon successful completion of the field trial, Primus
Canada, through its strategic relationship with Mipps, will provide its
subscribers with broadband access to high speed Internet and data transmissions
with a guaranteed level of quality.
“Primus and Mipps were looking for an equipment supplier who could deliver a
standards-based WiMAX IEEE 802.16e solution that would allow expansion of our
broadband coverage area and offer ‘always-on’ broadband connectivity at low cost
to our subscribers,” said Ted Chislett, president of Primus Canada.
“The Alcatel-Lucent 9100 Evolium® WiMAX end-to-end radio solution will enable us
to go to market quickly with an advanced technology platform using Mipps’ 3.5
GHz licensed spectrum.” said Joe Boutros, president of Mipps.
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ZTE wins CDMA WLL contract with United Telecom of Georgia
China-based ZTE Corporation has signed its first commercial contract in Georgia
for construction of a CDMA WLL network. United Telecom of Georgia (UTG) is the
largest fixed line operator in Georgia and agreement with it signifies the
success of ZTE in opening a doorway for itself in Georgian market.
The network, based on ZTE's mature All-IP CDMA solution which enables wireless
data transmission, better QoS (Quality of Service) and improved data service
applications, will support a wide variety of data rich multi-media applications
for UTG subscribers upon completion by August 2007. Whereas the phase 1 network
is expected to mainly provision voice and 1X data services for over 100,000
subscribers from Kakheti region of west Georgia.
"We're preparing to be a comprehensive operator, and this is our first time to
adopt CDMA for a WLL network," noted Mr. Jorg Schmolinski, CEO of UTG, "We have
been impressed with the strength and depth of ZTE's CDMA technology expertise,
that is the reason why we eventually chose it."
"ZTE's All-IP CDMA solution is a carrier-class hardware platform providing open
interfaces, advanced NGN Softswitch technology and powerful functionality.
Importantly, these features provide the necessary degree of compatibility for
the new network to be integrated with the operator's existing fixed-line
infrastructure," said Mr. Yan Tingxiang, Chief Representative of ZTE Georgia.
"The IP-based A interface enables more flexible network deployment and
transmission and substantial cost savings for bandwidth transmission between the
Media Gateway and Base Station Controller."
To date, ZTE has deployed over 60 million lines of CDMA equipment in over 100
carriers' networks in more than 60 countries and regions, including India,
Indonesia, the Czech Republic and a variety of countries in Africa, as well as
in developed markets like the U.S.A. and Europe.
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ITU cancels ITU Telecom Europe 2007 in Bulgaria
ITU’s forthcoming ITU TELECOM EUROPE 2007 in Sofia, Bulgaria, scheduled for
December this year is cancelled. The decision has been taken in order to focus
capacity and resources on upcoming ITU TELECOM events as well as a number of new
initiatives.
The announcement follows the first meeting of the ITU TELECOM Board of
Directors, a top-level representation of major global ICT corporations and
organizations, who met recently at ITU headquarters in Geneva.
The ITU TELECOM Board of Directors recommended the cancellation of EUROPE along
with a raft of new measures aimed at enhancing ITU TELECOM’s position as the
leading global networking platform for the ICT industry.
"Naturally, the decision to cancel an event is a disappointment. However, we
feel that we have reached the best decision for all event stakeholders, given
the constraints of time in which we found ourselves operating," Said ITU
Secretary-General Dr Hamadoun Touré. "I would like to take this opportunity to
express my sincere appreciation to the Bulgarian authorities for their
initiative to host ITU TELECOM EUROPE 2007 and I look forward to other
opportunities to collaborate in the future."
The next ITU TELECOM events will take place in Africa and Asia in 2008. An
announcement on ITU TELECOM AFRICA is expected imminently. ITU’s flagship ITU
TELECOM WORLD will take place in Geneva, Switzerland, 5−9 October 2009.
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Huawei helps global mobile operators deploy
ALL-IP core networks
China-based Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. ("Huawei"), a leader in providing
next-generation telecommunications networks for operators around the world,
recently held a large-scale seminar entitled "Leading Mobile Networks into an
ALL-IP Era" in the city of Xian, Shaanxi, China. Top mobile operators and
analysts from 20 countries attended the seminar to discuss the strategic
deployment and implementation of the transition to the ALL-IP network.
ALL-IP based mobile network can provide lower risks, lower costs, and increased
benefits to operators. Construction of ALL-IP core network becomes a key
investment for the industry as a whole. Still, carriers concern about the
migration from TDM network to IP network, service quality based IP, network
reliability, and future-oriented evolution.
In the seminar, Huawei shared its profound understanding of ALL-IP network
deployment, and introduced its commercial ALL-IP based mobile softswitch
solution to the attendees. Currently, leading operators such as China Mobile,
France Telecom (FT), KPN have selected Huawei to construct their ALL-IP core
networks. By now, Huawei mobile softswitch have served more than 280 million
subscribers all over the world.
With abundant of successful commercial experience, Huawei can help operators
reduce the risk for ALL-IP transformation. By innovative ALL-IP based mobile
softswitch solution of Huawei, operators can obtain a valuable core network. The
service quality is good as legacy TDM (Time Division Multiplexing). The network
is high reliable and flexible for operation and maintenance, which can lower
CAPEX and OPEX. Also, Huawei ALL-IP based mobile core network can enable a real
unified core network for 2G and 3G, significantly saving infrastructure
investment. What's more, professional and comprehensive services provided by
Huawei such as consultancy, network layout, network optimization can further
guarantee the smooth migration from TDM to ALL-IP.
Mr. François Ravel, head of the Services and Network Control Systems Department
in the France Telecom Network, Carrier & IT Division, said: "France Telecom has
launched various initiatives to implement its NExT strategy at both the central
and the local level. One important project has been the launch of Unik and VoIP
products."
Mr. Michael Vocke, responsible for KPN's mobile networks in the Netherlands
added, "KPN's ambition for the future is: nationwide coverage of HSDPA, Fixed /
Mobile convergence being reality and communications in general becoming ALL-IP.
We have put our trust in Huawei to help us achieve this."
"As a leading ALL-IP core network solution provider, Huawei has cooperated with
top operators around the world as their strategic business partner for ALL-IP
core network transformations" said Mr. Ding Yun, President of Huawei core
network. "Huawei ALL-IP core network solutions can quickly improve the network
capability for operators, helping them to develop their potential and providing
them with long-term benefits."
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Vodafone launches ultra-low cost handsets made by China's
ZTE
Vodafone unveiled its first Vodafone-only branded ultra-low cost consumer
handsets, the Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225, aimed at providing millions of
people in emerging and developing markets the opportunity to access to the
benefits of mobile technology for the very first time.
The Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225 are part of Vodafone's ongoing commitment to
expand access to mobile in emerging markets, where mobile technology and
networks are often the only viable and cost effective telecoms service. The
handsets are therefore key to offering a range of services, particularly in
rural areas where mobile penetration is often at its lowest.
In markets such as India or Tanzania the cost of purchasing a mobile handset can
be one of the key barriers to accessing mobile services. In countries such as
Kenya and Egypt, where Vodafone has introduced mobile financial remittance
services, mobile technology has been shown to be able to provide secure and
socially beneficial services beyond simple voice and data services to those who
have not access to a bank account. The Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225 handsets
are intended to help drive mobile penetration and will provide access to
services for people in emerging markets that are already commonplace in Western
Europe. The handsets are likely to retail at around $25-$45 US Dollars (19-35
euros) depending on the specific model and the local market conditions.
The Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225 are the first handsets manufactured for
Vodafone by China's ZTE Corporation, following a global handset procurement
agreement signed between the two companies in December 2006. The handsets are
almost identical in functionality however the Vodafone 125 has a black and white
screen and the Vodafone 225 has a colour screen. Features, design and
functionality were specified by Vodafone.
"The Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225 are the first of a range of ultra-low cost
handsets which will be manufactured exclusively for Vodafone and its affiliates
by ZTE Corporation, "said Jens Schulte-Bockum, Vodafone's Global Director of
Terminals. " We are delighted that they represent everything that customers have
come to expect from Vodafone ? high quality and exceptional value for money. We
believe that the Vodafone 125 and Vodafone 225 will help enfranchise millions
more people across the world, giving them good quality, attractive handsets,
with popular features and functionality, at a reasonable price"
"Our work with Vodafone represents a big breakthrough in the market and has
given ZTE an opportunity to demonstrate its capabilities in product design,
production and management", said He Shiyou, General Manager of ZTE's Handset
Division and Senior Vice President of ZTE.
Vodafone Egypt, Vodafone Romania and Vodacom (South Africa) will be the first
countries to launch the Vodafone 125 and 225 handsets in the next few weeks.
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Agilent accelerates 3G troubleshooting
Agilent Technologies Wednesday introduced functionality that extends its
existing assureME session trace solution beyond a 3G core network to the UTRAN.
The enhanced solution now enables end-to-end correlation of wireless
transactions, single-screen visibility, and quick and easy troubleshooting.
Agilent added these capabilities as part of its Power of 3 service assurance
initiative to provide carriers with comprehensive, three-minute detection of key
performance indicator (KPI) violations; three-click root cause identification;
and three-dimensional business intelligence across networks, services and
customers.
Agilent's extended session trace solution addresses the extreme complexity of
UMTS networks, substantially cutting time to repair, reducing operational
expenses and preventing the loss of customer revenues. Ordinary wireline calls
usually require six to seven messages for setup and clearance; 3G wireless
transactions require hundreds to thousands, making it nearly impossible to
correlate messages and identify any particular one as the cause of a service
problem. UMTS complexity is so great that typically only a company's Tier 3
engineers understand it.
Although Agilent's proven session trace tool has been available for the core
network, until now carriers were blind to the UTRAN, where more than 60 percent
of service problems originate. By extending session trace, Agilent simplifies
and accelerates near-real-time UTRAN monitoring and troubleshooting so that Tier
1 and Tier 2 personnel can easily detect and diagnose ordinary network problems.
This enables carriers to maintain high-quality service and allows Tier 3
engineers to focus on more complicated issues.
"Sustained service quality requires simple, fast and effective monitoring and
troubleshooting across an entire 3G network," said Neil Haydon, marketing
manager, Assurance Solutions Division. "If a session trace solution ignores the
UTRAN, carriers can't locate the source of most service problems, and customers
suffer and leave as a result. Agilent's enhanced tool removes this huge blind
spot and allows carriers to deliver a consistently high-quality customer
experience."
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Huawei wins Vodafone's Outstanding Performance
Award
During the second annual Global Supplier Conference of Vodafone held in May
2007, China-based Huawei won the Outstanding Performance Award in recognition of
its delivery of highly competitive products and services to Vodafone across the
group's network and its spirit of true strategic partnership with the operator.
For more details, please visit http://www.vodafone.com/start/media_relations/news/
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China releases mobile TV standard (CDMB)-
CAS158-2007
China Association for Standardization has released mobile TV standard (CDMB)-
CAS158-2007. CDMB core technology is the DAB based channel transmission
technology and AVS based signal processing technology. DAB technology is the
technical specification on Digital audio Terrestrial Broadcasting (GY／T214-2006)
recommended by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT);
AVS is the national standard (GB／T20090) launched by National Standards
Administration.
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China Mobile wants to buy CMPak (formerly Paktel) from its parent
China Mobile Chairman Wang Jianzhou said the the listed China Mobile has the
preference to buy CMPak, formerly called Paktel, from its parent company China
Mobile Communication Corp. (CMCC), may execute the right at any moment, but
still has no concrete timetable about that. CMPak is conducting the capacity
expansion work now, which will involve 400 million US dollars of investment this
year. Because the acquisition was just completed, the company cannot make a
timetable for CMPak about when it will become profitable.
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China Mobile gained 5.28 million new users in April
China Mobile Ltd., the world's largest mobile phone operator by users, added a
record number of subscribers for a ninth consecutive month as the company cut
prices on services to gain market share from fixed-line carriers.
China Mobile gained 5.28 million users in April, compared with 5.12 million in
March. The mobile operator's total subscribers increased to 321.4 million by the
end of last month.
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China Unicom Group to invest several billion Yuan in its CDMA network
China Unicom Group, the parent company of China Unicom, will invest several
billion Yuan in its CDMA network. All of the China Unicom listco’s investment
this year has nothing to do with the CDMA network, while its business capital
expenditure in GSM network will grow to 13.6 billion Yuan. China Unicom began to
upgrade its GPRS last year and sharply reduced its subsidies to CDMA mobile
phones. The GSM to GPRS upgrading will cover 129 cities before June 18, and
further extends to the whole country by yearend. China Unicom formally
introduced three types of GPRS business, which are mobile online business based
on WAP, multimedia messaging services (MMS) and value-added data business based
on JAVA.
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China Unicom launches GPRS-based data services
China Unicom, the smaller of China's two cellular operators, launched data
services based on the GPRS standard, which could give the company a leg-up in
the booming value-added service (VAS) market.
The GPRS data services will enable Unicom's GSM users to surf the mobile
Internet, send MMS (multimedia messaging service) messages and download data,
including music, using their mobile phones.
Unicom, has been operating cellular networks based on second-generation (2G)
mobile telephony standards, GSM and CDMA.
The CDMA networks have already been upgraded to the high-speed CDMA1x-2000,
usually billed as a 2.75G service, which offers users a number of data services,
such as mobile Internet access and MMS.
But its GSM subscribers could only make voice calls and send short text
messages.
An upgrade from GSM to GPRS, a 2.5G mobile technology, could boost the
competitiveness of Unicom's GSM networks, said company vice-president Li Gang.
The upgrade marks Unicom's shifting focus from the CDMA service to GSM networks.
The company has been investing heavily on CDMA networks to snap up subscribers
from its larger rival, China Mobile, while investing little in its GSM networks.
Since last year, however, Unicom has stepped up its investment in GSM networks.
Some industry observers say this is as a sign Unicom might sell its CDMA
networks to fixed-line carrier China Telecom and focus solely on GSM services.
China Telecom Chairman Wang Xiaochu has publicly expressed interest in buying
one of Unicom's two cellular networks. Unicom denies it is in talks to sell to
the operator.
Rumors suggest Unicom will scale down or cease investment in CDMA networks this
year. Li denied the reports, saying Unicom will continue its investment, but
would not elaborate.
He added that the GSM service offers much untapped potential for Unicom.
Hong Kong-listed Unicom had 110 million GSM subscribers by March, an increase of
16 percent year-on-year. The number of CDMA subscribers totaled 37.7 million by
March. China Mobile had 316 million subscribers by March.
Unicom's GPRS service is now available in 70 cities across the country and will
be expanded to 129 cities on June 18.
Tong Xiaoyu, head of Unicom's VAS unit, said the company will soon launch a
number of new data services based on GPRS, such as banking, instant messaging,
as well as e-mail and mobile stock services.
The soaring stock market has boosted demands in China for mobile data services,
such as real-time stock quotes and transactions on mobile phones.
The Shanghai Composite Index has quadrupled after a five-year slump that ended
in July 2005. Mobile stock, enabled by CDMA services, is already very popular
among customers, according to Unicom.
Value-added services have become a new revenue stream for both China Mobile and
China Unicom. China Mobile last year generated 23.5% of its total revenue from
the value-added services, compared to 20.6 percent in the previous year. Unicom
generated 21.5% of its CDMA revenue from VAS, or non-voice services.
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China Unicom to expand its fast-growing mobile share trading service through
partnership with portal websites
China Unicom will join hands with portal websites, such as Sina.com, Sohu.com
and Tencent.com, in injecting Internet resources into the mobile share trading
service, said the company’s vice president Yang Xiaowei. At present, China has
approaching 40 million CDMA mobile phone users, which represent huge market
potential for this new service. Since it went into operation in Shanghai and
Shenzhen on April 15, its number of subscribers has kept surging.
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China Unicom to launch 3G-related VAS in Guangdong
China Unicom will launch a series of 3G-related value-added services (VAS) in
south China's Guangdong province in an effort to meet the continuously changing
demand. Presently, some of those value-added services such as instant messaging
tool, smart home and video surveillance have been put into an initial commercial
operation. Other 3G-related services like video sharing, mobile payment, and
mobile phone TV have also been put into technological experiment.
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Delayed 3G launch in China gives Ericsson more opportunity to accelerate
transformation
Ericsson need to face a new transformation when business expansion of global
telecom carriers slowed down, especially in newly emerged 3G markets like China
and India.
“Ericsson is strong in traditional hardware and network equipment market. In the
future, Ericsson will do more in software architecture and we will focus on
multimedia service.” said Carl-Henric Svanberg, CEO of Ericsson in an interview.
“The delayed 3G launch in China gives us more opportunity to accelerate
Ericsson’s transformation.”
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China Netcom, Ace Achieve collaborate on TD-SCDMA
Ace Achieve Infocom is collaborating with China Netcom for the construction of
the TD-SCDMA network infrastructure in Qingdao. This investment will focus on
basic infrastructure facilities, core network, wireless construction as well as
handset receiving end-terminals. The total addressable market for Ace Achieve's
repeater solutions in this project, targeted to complete by October 2007, is
estimated at 100 million yuan.
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Taiwan Mobile plans to acquire TTN
Taiwan Mobile is planning to acquire a majority stake in Taiwan
Telecommunication Network Services (TTN), the 3rd largest ISP in Taiwan, inorder
to develope a converged digital services portfolio. Taiwan Mobile hopes to
eventually obtain a 100% stake in TNN.
PCCW, Hong Kong's largest telco, is the majority shareholder in TTN with a 62%
stake. TTN specializes in value-added services (VAS) catering to business users,
with around 1/3 of the VPN customer market.
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Mobile advertising market set to multiply in just a few years
The more than $500 million mobile advertising market looks set to multiply in
just a few years, helped by new technologies and the spread of more advanced
phones, a Reuters report said.
The Reuters report quoted executives attending Reuters Global Technology, Media
and Telecoms Summit in Paris, New York and Seoul as saying that the demand for
mobile advertising was finally rising after years of high hopes in the industry.
"I think mobile is one of the great growth opportunities," Randy Falco, head of
AOL, which this week purchased mobile advertising company Third Screen Media,
was quoted by Reuters as saying.
"It will certainly be in the $4.5 billion to $5 billion range in terms of the
marketplace (in five years)," he said, adding that estimates for the annual
market now range from $500 million to $900 million.
The Reuters report also quoted Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP Group as saying that
he sees mobile advertising as an interesting area, which has much growth ahead.
"My sense is that that is an area that is small but growing fairly rapidly," he
said.
Strategy Analytics, one of the most cautious forecasters on mobile advertising
market growth, has forecast global mobile advertising market will reach $574
million this year and grow almost three-fold by 2010, the report said.
In addition to media firms and telecom operators, Internet players Google and
Yahoo and the cellphone maker Nokia are also keen to have a piece of the growing
pie, the Reuters report further said.
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Nortel and Toshiba to jointly develop WiMAX base stations
Nortel and Toshiba will jointly develop WiMAX base stations for mobile
communications terminals for the Japanese and global markets, combining
Toshiba's high-efficiency amplifier and miniaturization technology and Nortel's
next-generation broadband wireless technology.
Nortel will develop the digital module for the base station, utilizing its
extensive WiMAX-related research and development capabilities and its expertise
on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, or OFMD, and multiple input
multiple output, or MIMO, technologies that support high-speed wireless
broadband communications.
Toshiba will develop the radio module for the WiMAX base station based on its
advanced miniaturization and high-efficiency amplifier technologies.
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Agilent monitors and troubleshoots IMS
Agilent Technologies Monday announced that its NgN Analysis System now offers
end-to-end monitoring and troubleshooting of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)
networks. This major product extension facilitates the delivery of multimedia
services via a converged wireless, cable and wireline signaling domain and
enables complete visibility of IMS, VoIP and PSTN networks.
The solution’s new functionality correlates IMS, VoIP and traditional protocols
and integrates IMS monitoring with Agilent’s acceSS7. Agilent’s IMS initiative
is part of its broader Power of 3 service assurance strategy, which provides
carriers with three-minute detection of KPI violations, three-click root cause
identification and three-dimensional business intelligence across networks,
services and customers.
Building on five years global experience in complex call modeling, VoIP and
Push-to-Talk over Cellular, Agilent is well positioned to help carriers exploit
the opportunities and meet the challenges of IMS. IMS offers service providers a
standard, cost-effective, access-independent domain for implementing
Internet-type applications such as voice and video telephony, audio and video
conferencing, dual mode telephony, multimedia streaming, and presence and buddy
services. The successful convergence of so many services depends on complex
interactions among devices within the IMS infrastructure and between that
infrastructure and VoIP and SS7 networks. Carriers must manage these
interactions effectively to maintain high-quality customer service, which
requires a comprehensive solution for monitoring and troubleshooting.
Agilent’s NgN Analysis System connects at key signaling points within an IMS and
VoIP infrastructure, and provides the OSS industry’s most complete network-wide
correlation across all protocols, on demand on a per-call basis. Newly
incorporated protocols include Diameter, MAP, CAMEL and ENUM. Complete protocol
correlation enables the NgN Analysis System to provide end-to-end visibility of
IMS-based services. It also performs real-time and historical call monitoring,
call trace and ongoing management of service quality. The solution’s integration
with acceSS7 extends these capabilities to SS7 components of any service.
“Although carriers are keen to provide IMS-based services, they are wary of the
potential complexity and do not want to disrupt their existing service quality,”
said Neil Haydon, worldwide marketing manager of Agilent’s Assurance Solutions
Division. “To retain and attract customers, they need to get IMS right from the
start -- as well as support their adjacent VoIP architecture. Agilent’s NgN
Analysis System has already proven itself with VoIP and will enable carriers to
roll out reliable new IMS services. The solution provides end-to-end visibility
for quick and effective troubleshooting.”
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Agilent intros cell-based 3G analyzer
Agilent Technologies Monday introduced its Cell-Based Analysis solution for
monitoring, troubleshooting and optimizing UTRAN performance in 3G networks.
This industry-first solution simplifies end-to-end management of complex 3G
processes so that operators can repair network problems quickly, reduce reliance
on high-paid experts, ensure high-quality customer experience, and plan the most
efficient and cost-effective use of resources.
Cell-Based Analysis is a key element in Agilent’s Power of 3 service assurance
strategy, which provides carriers with three-minute detection of key performance
indicator (KPI) violations; three-click root cause identification; and
three-dimensional business intelligence across networks, services and customers.
Agilent’s Cell-Based Analysis is specifically designed for 3G UTRANs, which are
far more complex than 2G radio networks because they require many more cell
sites and because 3G mobile phones communicate with multiple cell sites at once.
The solution’s probes capture all UTRAN signaling and display real network
traffic in near real time. The dashboard’s straightforward row-and-column format
uses colors to signify when specific cell sites exceed KPI thresholds. Users
simply click for detailed measurements and troubleshooting. The drill-down
capabilities enable operators to analyze a variety of critical issues,
including:
- how to regulate signaling between adjacent cell sites;
- why handovers fail, calls drop or calls drift onto competitors’ networks;
- how to optimize cell sites for a high-quality customer experience;
- how to allocate network equipment efficiently; and
- when to purchase additional equipment.
- The solution also complements Agilent’s Wireless Network Optimization
Platform, a proven “drive test” tool, which measures network performance with
respect to simulated calls. The Agilent Cell-Based Analysis helps operators
determine where drive testing will be most effective.
“Agilent’s Cell-Based Analysis solution not only provides a complete view of
actual customer traffic, it simplifies network management and can save carriers
money and increase revenue,” said Neil Haydon, worldwide marketing manager,
Assurance Solutions Division. “In particular, the solution monitors key UTRAN
parameters and presents data in such an uncomplicated way that non-specialists
can quickly respond when values exceed pre-specified thresholds. Higher-paid
experts can devote themselves to the most complicated problems and network
optimization. Operators pay less for employees, avoid unnecessary equipment
purchases, fix problems faster, and provide the kind of service that attracts
customers and encourages them to spend more.”
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Datang Telecom drafts 4G standard
China-based Datang Telecom has drafted 4G standard technical scheme and begun
R&D on 4G and 3G technology convergence in China. Datang will submit their
proposal to ITU after the convergence trails in China completed. The standard
will become international standard if ITU accepted the proposal or converge it
with other international standards. Datang is preparing to launch the standard
and verify relevant 4G core technologies.
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Motorola to start selling Razr 2 in South Korea next month
Motorola plans to start selling Razr 2, the next generation of its popular and
ultra-slim Razr cell phone in South Korea next month ahead of a global launch in
July.
"Korean consumers are tech-savvy and leading the pack in terms of design," Gill
Hyun-chang, president of Motorola Korea, told Dow Jones Newswires in an
interview. "The launch of our latest phone in Korea first shows we're confident
about this product."
Razr 2 boasts a slimmer frame, larger screen and improved call quality compared
with its predecessor.
It will be available via SK Telecom, South Korea's largest wireless carrier.
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Wi-Fi Alliance to certify 802.11n products in June
The Wi-Fi Alliance will begin certifying wireless routers, networking cards,
microchips and other 802.11n products in June.
The products, which take their name from the upcoming 802.11n technical
standard, are expected to reach retail stores shortly thereafter.
Wi-Fi comes in several flavors _ "b," "a," "g," and soon "n" _ referring to the
subsection of the technical guidelines issued by the Institute of Electrical and
Electronics Engineers (IEEE), a technical professional organization.
The "n" version is expected to be about five times faster than the widely used
"g" variety.
802.11n products are said to offer better reach through walls and into dead
spots and will use multiple radios to send and receive data, making them better
at handling big video files.
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Top Story:
China adds WCDMA and CDMA2000 to 3G mobile standards to be used in China
China's Ministry of Information Industry (MII) approved Wednesday the use of
European and American standards for 3G mobile phones that are rivals to China's
homegrown TD-SCDMA, placing equipment vendors such as Huawei, ZTE and Ericsson
closer to receiving contracts worth as much as $20 billion.
Huawei makes wireless equipment based on WCDMA and CDMA2000. TD Tech, a JV
between Siemens Communications Group and closely held Huawei Technologies Co.,
has won some orders from China Mobile.
ZTE makes mobile gear for all three mobile standards. ZTE last month won orders
from China Mobile Communications Corp. to build TD-SCDMA networks.
Huawei and Ericsson are expected to get big slices of the WCDMA equipment pie in
China.
In January 2006, China first picked TD-SCDMA as one of its 3G technologies.
China's homegrown TD-SCDMA has been called the "Chinese 3G standard", WCDMA is
European and CDMA2000 is American.
"The three world standards will all be used in China," said Yang Peifang,
secretary general of the ministry's telecommunication economist panel.
By adding the two foreign standards to the Chinese market, the government has
consolidated its "technology neutral" stance and offered an open market for
different technologies.
"The introduction of the other two standards will help improve TD-SCDMA," said
Yang.
China's 3G development depends primarily on strong demand for mobile data
processing functions involving multimedia solutions and internet connections.
China's major four operators -- China Netcom, China Telecom, China Mobile and
China Unicom -- have started training 3G talents, constituting a war chest and
making technological preparations for a smooth transition from 2G to 3G.
China's TD-SCDMA technology passed a series of tests organized by MII last year.
Base stations and handsets based on TD-SCDMA are all qualified after three years
of tests. Key TD-SCDMA technologies and products meet 3G service requirements,
reported MII.
"We will let operators choose which standard they want to use. But the
government will decide how many 3G licenses are issued," said Xi Guohua, Vice
Minister of MII.
MII has set the technical specifications for WCDMA and CDMA2000 in a statement
posted on its Web site to "provide more clarity'' for domestic and foreign
companies to develop related products based on all three standards.
The government has promised to provide 3G mobile communications services in time
for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. TD-SCDMA is most likely to get the first license
followed by WCDMA and CDMA2000 a few months later.
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Top Story:
TD-SCDMA Forum's Chen Haofei touts TD-SCDMA's
prospects
Foreign equipment and handset makers should get more involved the
locally-developed TD-SCDMA standard or lose in the world's largest mobile phone
market by subscribers, said Chen Haofei, secretary-general of TD-SCDMA Forum.
"I believe many foreign companies have misjudged (the prospects of) TD-SCDMA,"
he told China Daily.
TD-SCDMA has long been lagging behind the better-established foreign standards
WCDMA and CDMA 2000 and lacking support from foreign companies. But a strong
backing from the government has significantly helped it mature and give it an
edge over foreign rivals.
China Mobile Communications Corp (CMCC), parent of Hong Kong-listed China Mobile
Ltd, is now expanding a trial of TD-SCDMA to six cities, with a budget of 30
billion yuan for the expansion. That's an indication of the head start TD-SCDMA
is getting.
The Chinese government has yet to formally award operators licenses to build 3G
networks. Once that happens, it will result in billions of dollars in contracts.
Chen said the expanded TD-SCDMA trial is actually a soft launch of commercial 3G
in China, something like "doing it without licensing".
Foreign telecom firms such as Ericsson and Nokia have been betting big on WCDMA
though they have tied up with some local companies in developing TD-SCDMA.
But they have not won many orders from the trial as they did not pool enough
resources in developing the local standard, Chen said.
China Unicom in 2001 started building a cellular network based on CDMA, a 2G
standard developed by US wireless firm Qualcomm. Around 30 billion yuan was
spent on the first phase of the network.
Compared to CDMA, CMCC's spending on the TD-SCDMA trial is already a "decent
figure", said Chen.
Chen said he expected CMCC will focus on fine-tuning the TD-SCDMA networks
before the end of next year and not much investment will be made on networks
based on other foreign standards.
TD-SCDMA Forum forecast an additional investment of 20 billion yuan in building
TD-SCDMA networks next year, with 40 billion yuan each in 2009 and 2010.
"Foreign companies need to get serious about TD-SCDMA as they are less likely to
get anywhere with WCDMA and CDMA 2000 in the near future," Chen said.
He estimated CMCC will spend 4 billion yuan of the budgeted 30 billion yuan in
procuring 2 million TD-SCDMA mobile phones from around October.
Big foreign handset makers except Samsung have yet to give full support to
developing TD-SCDMA cellphones. Motorola has developed a model based on the
Chinese standard. Nokia and Sony Ericsson have adopted a wait-and-see policy.
To profit from the opportunities brought about by TD-SCDMA, "foreign companies
need to show a good attitude, at least to get a ticket to the TD-SCDMA game",
said Chen, adding that TD-SCDMA is a neutral and open platform.
The TD-SCDMA Forum was established in 2000 by eight firms, including five
Chinese companies and Motorola, Nortel Networks and Siemens.
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China Mobile expands GSM/GPRS/EDGE network
Alcatel-Lucent has signed a comprehensive agreement valued at $340M for mobile
communications solutions and services with China Mobile, the world's largest
cellphone operator by subscribers and stock market value. The deal was secured
through Alcatel Shanghai Bell (ASB), Alcatel-Lucent’s flagship company in China.
Under the terms of the agreement, Alcatel-Lucent will provide China Mobile with
GSM/GPRS/EDGE radio and core network equipment, customised solutions and related
services that will support China Mobile’s network expansion programs in 2007.
The network expansion China Mobile plans to undertake with the solutions
provided by Alcatel-Lucent is expected to enable the operator to meet the demand
for mobile service in China while reducing network operating costs.
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Top Story:
China Mobile's parent acquires 100% of Paktel for US$460M and renames it CMPak
China Mobile Ltd, the world's top mobile phone operator by subscribers and stock
market value, said Wednesday its parent, state-owned China Mobile Communications
Corp., bought 100% of Pakistan telecommunications operator Paktel Ltd. for
US$460 million and renamed it CMPak Ltd.
"The parent company plans to invest US$400 million in Pakistan this year to
expand the (CMPak) networks," China Mobile Ltd.'s chairman, Wang Jianzhou, said
after the company's annual general meeting.
Wang said China Mobile Ltd.'s parent made the acquisition as investors in the
listed unit were wary of risk, but China Mobile Ltd. might acquire the Pakistan
operation from its parent in the future.
Wang said China Mobile Ltd. doesn't have a timetable to buy CMPak.
China Mobile already has a foothold in Pakistan, which has more than 52 million
mobile users, after it agreed earlier this year to buy an 89% stake in
money-losing operator Paktel Ltd for US$284 million, its first acquisition
outside its home market.
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China Unicom picks Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent has signed a USD 120 million agreement for mobile communications
solutions and service with China Unicom, a leading Chinese mobile service
provider. The agreement encompasses a range of network projects China Unicom has
undertaken or plans to undertake in 2007.
The projects include a CDMA2000 1xEV-DO Rev. A high-speed data network upgrade
to be implemented in China Unicom’s network in Macau, as well as a further
expansion in the CDMA core network, radio solutions, and applications that will
support China Unicom’s broader mobile network expansion.
The agreement also provides for GSM/GPRS/EDGE core and radio network solutions
and optical network components in support of China Unicom’s GSM service
offerings.
The network solutions planned for in the agreement will enable China Unicom to
keep pace with the demands of a rapidly expanding wireless services market in
China and provide users with a range of new applications and services.
“The agreement we are signing with China Unicom is significant because of the
scope of solutions it involves,” said Frederic Rose, President of Alcatel-Lucent
Asia Pacific. “It meets China Unicom’s demand for near term expansion and
provides a means to sustain growth in the future.”
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Deutsche Telekom simplifies its brand identity
"Appealing to the customer as 'One company. One service' with clear brand
structure” – brand migration starts with teaser campaign on May 19, 2007 –
T-Home campaign "Grenzenlos Zuhause" (limitless home) with variety of multimedia
services from June – T-Home for "home-based" products and T-Mobile for on the
move – Deutsche Telekom remains corporate brand – CI/CD migration underway –
Successful international T-Mobile brand to be further expanded as global brand.
Deutsche Telekom is simplifying its brand identity. The aim is to be the leading
provider in Germany with the new "one company" identity. The clear brand
structure is intended to lead to a clear improvement in the domestic competitive
position. The main idea behind this simplification: In Germany, the company
offers its customers in the consumer market services predominantly under the two
brands T-Home and T-Mobile. T-Home will offer services for the home and T-Mobile
for on the move. The T-Home teaser campaign will start on May 19, 2007; the
campaign will be continued with a range of product offers under the motto "Grenzenlos
Zuhause" (limitless home) from June. The existing T-Com brand will be absorbed
into the T-Home brand. This will lead to a clear differentiation between the
brands T-Home, T-Mobile and T-Systems for business customers under the T
Deutsche Telekom umbrella. Deutsche Telekom will remain the corporate brand in
terms of the CI/CD (Corporate Identity / Corporate Design), there will be a
visual differentiation between T-Home and T-Mobile, as well as T-Systems for the
business customer segment to reflect customer needs. The CI/CD will be migrated
step by step in the second half of the year.
"The brand identity is focused on the customer: As a result, customers will be
able to find their way around our services much better. One company. One
service. That's why we have streamlined our marketing and sales, reduced the
number of brands and established a new brand architecture. The overriding goal
with the new brand identity is to appeal to the customer. Nobody has better
resources to achieve that than Deutsche Telekom. We are pooling all our
strengths internally to perform even better in our intensely competitive market.
We took a close look at our communication activities to date and decided to
simplify the way we approach the market and our brand architecture," explained
René Obermann, Chairman of Deutsche Telekom, in Bonn.
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Nuance to acquire VoiceSignal
US-based Nuance Communications, Inc. Wednesday announced that it has signed a
definitive agreement to acquire VoiceSignal Technologies, Inc., creating an
organization with broad resources, solutions and expertise that will satisfy the
accelerating demand for speech-enabled mobile devices and services. Nuance
expects to serve more than one billion consumers within the next three years
with voice-based mobile solutions that allow people to simply and effectively
navigate, retrieve and transact across the vast and growing universe of content
and services available in mobile phones, automobiles and personal navigation
devices.
Nuance and VoiceSignal share a vision to make the growing list of mobile device
features, content and services available to consumers through a single button
and a natural voice command. With proven technology, broad industry
relationships, real-world deployment experience and an organization passionate
about speech technology, the combined company will be able to develop new and
innovative speech solutions and mobile search capabilities to more effectively
serve the rapidly expanding market for mobile services and applications.
"Today, more than two billion people worldwide rely on mobile phones to stay
connected, informed and productive. We see an expanding opportunity in helping
consumers to use the powerful capabilities of their phones and to access
