CDG 2.1 GHz CDMA2000 Solution (Late) & Nortel's 1st (In Lab) Calls
In August of 2002 (see CDG Press included here below the Nortel Press Release cellabrating the first 2.1 GHz 1xEV-DO voice and data calls in lab) CDG FINALLY announced that they would focus on a CDMA2000 2.1 GHz Solution where none existed before and they sets targets for trialing and commercially delivering infrastructure and terminals for that solution:
2.1 GHz CDMA2000 Availability for Trialing: (as early as) September 2002
2.1 GHz CDMA2000Commercial Availability: (as early as) February 2003
Qualcomm was able to rally 7 members of their value chain (Ericsson, LGE, Lucent, Motorola, Nortel, Samsung and ZTE who committed to provide wireless operators with CDMA2000 infrastructure, terminal equipment, and related technology to offer commercial service at 2.1 GHz frequency.
CDG stated in their announcement that:
"This commitment by leading manufacturers to develop CDMA2000 infrastructure and terminal equipment for 2.1 GHz frequency assures operators that there will be a range of solutions to choose from at 2.1 GHz."
The initial trial equipment will be developed to potentially support the 3G trial efforts of China's Ministry of Information Industries (MII).
Perhaps delivering infrastructure for customer trialing and testing purposes as has already taken place?
Perhaps commercially available infrastructure (upgradeable with software) has shipped?
Obviously commercially available infrastructure and terminal equipment is not in place, and just as obviously no trials have commenced including those scheduled for China, and those promised by and for KDDI.
If in fact Nortel in late March was the first wireless equipment vendor to complete 2.1 GHz 1xEV-DO calls in laboratory, it is understandable why no trials commenced on or shortly after the targeted date of September 2002, and one can also understand why CDMA2000 in 2.1 GHz IMT-2000 core spectrum was not commercially available in February 2003.
One does have to wonder why CDG set such ambitious target dates.
CDG is of course the organization that hired Hershel Shostek in mid 2001 to write a FUD piece targeted at IS-136 TDMA carriers contemplating a switch to eiher a GSM migration path or a CDMA migration path. Central to the thesis developed by Herschel in that FUD piece was difficulties that vendors would have migrating GSM900 or GSM1900 to GSM850, and the difficulties they would face providing multi-mode/multiband GAIT handsets or quasi-GAIT worldphones.
Transparent and blatant FUD seldom flies. It didn't in this case. The IS-136 TDMA carriers elected almost en masse to elected to choose the GSM migration path. They don't have to wait till some date in the future to enjoy GSM/TDMA roaming or roaming worldwide. They can and are enjoying it now.
There were in fact difficulties to overcome and still some tuning to be done, but GSM850 is rolling out and in commercial use, there are GAIT (AMPS/TDMA/GSM GPRS) handsets and and quasi-GAIT worldphones commercially available, and a nice increasing menu of GSM GPRS 850/1900 handsts is becoming available. It is likely that GSM EDGE will not only "see the light of day" but also be commercially available and rolling out before we see the commercial availability of CDMA2000 in 2.1GHz.
However late this may be, and despite some missed targets, at least the CDG community is on the right track.
It does take time to mature a technology and migrate it to a new frequency plan.
Current news:
>> Nortel Networks Achieves CDMA2000 3G Wireless Service Milestone
March 20, 2003
3gnewsroom.com
Nortel Networks has completed 3G wireless voice and data calls using CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and CDMA2000 1X wireless standards over 2.1 GHz radio spectrum in the Nortel Networks Global Technology Center in Ottawa.
This is particularly significant for wireless service providers in the Asia Pacific region, where 2.1 GHz spectrum is being considered for use in delivering commercial wireless services. Nortel Networks is working with the CDMA Development Group (CDG) to develop 2.1 GHz 3G wireless data network equipment.
Nortel Networks is believed to be the first wireless equipment vendor to complete 2.1 GHz 1xEV-DO calls. Using Nortel Networks Univity radio and IP-core network equipment and 2.1 GHz handsets, Nortel Networks completed high-speed wireless data calls at speeds up to 2.4 megabits approximately 16 times faster than CDMA2000 1X per second. This included transfer of five-megabit data files in less than three seconds.
CDMA2000 1xEV-DO is designed to help wireless service providers offer new, revenue-generating services and superior subscriber experiences with Web browsing, e-mail with attachments, streaming video and multimedia services. 1xEV-DO can drive improved network data capacity while positioning wireless service providers to drive reduced network costs and to generate new revenues through personalized data service offerings.
Nortel Networks CDMA networking platforms use common hardware to support both CDMA2000 1X and CDMA2000 1xEV-DO for seamless, cost-effective migration to 3G. Nortel Networks provided 100 percent of the infrastructure equipment for the 2.1 GHz calls, including a Univity CDMA Metro Cell Base Station, which supports both standards simultaneously over multiple frequencies. Also included were Univity CDMA Packet Data Service Node (PDSN) and Univity CDMA Radio Network Controller (RNC).
The 2.1 GHz calls were another in a recent series of Nortel Networks CDMA2000 1xEV-DO achievements. Nortel Networks recently announced 1xEV-DO contracts with in Asia and Latin America, and has completed a 1xEV-DO market trial with Verizon Wireless in San Diego. <<
Old news that lives up to the CDG tradition of overpromising and underdelivering:
>> Eight Leading Wireless Companies Sign Memorandum Of Understanding To Commercially Deliver CDMA2000 Infrastructure And Terminals For 2.1 Ghz Spectrum
Ericsson, LG Electronics, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, Nortel Networks, Qualcomm, Samsung and ZTE Commit to the Delivery of 2.1 GHz CDMA2000 Equipment
CDG Press Release
Costa Mesa, CA
Aug. 20, 2002
cdg.org
The CDMA Development Group (CDG) and eight wireless vendors signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the delivery of CDMA2000 infrastructure and terminal equipment to be used for 2.1 GHz spectrum.
Under the MoU, Ericsson, LG Electronics, Lucent Technologies, Motorola, Nortel Networks, Qualcomm, Samsung and ZTE have committed to provide wireless operators with CDMA2000 infrastructure, terminal equipment, or related technology to offer commercial service at 2.1 GHz frequency.
"Today's announcement is indicative of the collaboration between the CDG and its member manufacturer companies working to ensure that 3G CDMA2000 equipment is available to operators regardless of spectrum," said Perry LaForge, executive director, CDG. "CDMA2000 has proven itself in the 3G market place with more than 13 million global subscribers. The public commitment from CDMA wireless vendors underscores the industry's confidence that CDMA2000 has a strong position in the 3G market."
"KDDI's decision to use CDMA2000 at 2.1 GHz complements our commercial CDMA2000 system at 800 Mhz and lets us expand our service offering. The flexibility of CDMA2000 enables us to offer advanced data services as well as rapid rollout regardless of the spectrum band," said Toshio Okihashi, senior executive managing officer of KDDI Corp. "This commitment by leading manufacturers to develop CDMA2000 infrastructure and terminal equipment for 2.1 GHz frequency assures operators that there will be a range of solutions to choose from at 2.1 GHz."
Under the terms of the MoU, 2.1 GHz equipment will be available for customer trial and testing purposes as early as September 2002 and commercially available as early as February 2003. The initial trial equipment will be developed to potentially support the 3G trial efforts of China's Ministry of Information Industries (MII).
As part of the CDG's on-going 3G initiative the Group will continue to facilitate interactions between CDMA operators and vendors to promote and support the deployment of CDMA-based 3G systems worldwide. <<
Best to All,
- Eric - |
