Looks like the big Q has someone breathing down their neck.
American and European trials of SpectruCell?
Hmmmm...
British Telecom PLC - Co-operation agreement
RNS; Sep 21, 2001
mmO2 AND T-MOBILE SIGN 3G NETWORK ROLL-OUT CO-OPERATION AGREEMENT
mmO2 and T-Mobile International today announced that they have signed binding agreements to co-operate on the roll-out of third generation (3G) mobile networks between their operating subsidiaries in the UK and Germany.
mmO2 and T-Mobile International announced their intention to co-operate on June 12 this year. The final binding agreements between BT Cellnet and One2One in the UK and T-Mobile and VIAG Interkom in Germany were signed on 20 September.
Over the past few months both parties have been working extensively together to finalise the operational, technical and commercial details of the agreements. This agreement is expected to deliver up to 30 per cent cost savings over 10 years to mmO2 on capital expenditure relating to 3G network build.
Peter Erskine, chief executive officer, mmO2, said: "Today's announcement is another important development for mmO2. We are now in a position to move into the implementation phase and focus on driving forward our 3G network roll-out plans in Germany and UK. This exciting agreement should lead to substantial cost-savings, faster network coverage for O2 in Germany, and the additional benefit of reducing the number of cell sites needing to be deployed in both countries for 3G.
Kai-Uwe Ricke, Board Member of Deutsche Telekom for Mobile and Online and chief executive officer of T-Mobile International, said: "The speed with which we have reached agreement on these detailed technological and operational points indicates the spirit of co-operation we have established on this issue. Reaching this point means both groups can start to realise a more cost effective 3G network construction in two of the most advanced markets for mobile services in the world."
mmO2 and T-Mobile believe that these agreements are consistent with all existing regulatory and competition obligations. They are committed to meeting current 3G licence terms and conditions.
From the ADVC PR yesterday:
``This initiative will provide a powerful catalyst for the company's growth. SpectruCell's software defined flexibility is already attracting substantial interest from mobile wireless carriers in both the United States and Europe and I returned to the United States to document and finalize field trial agreements and new strategic alliances initially agreed to with these carriers by our Australian operations. Securing field trials with major carriers will definitively prove the viability and flexibility of our SpectruCell technology. It will also significantly improve our ability to execute a merger with a NASDAQ listed partner and achieve our long stated goal of moving from the OTC Bulletin Board.
Advanced Communications Technologies Inc. -- 3G Shared/Virtual Networks Utilizing SpectruCell SDR Base Stations
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 30, 2001--Advanced Communications Technologies Inc. (OTCBB:ADVC - news; ACT-US) today confirmed that the company's Australian affiliate Advanced Communications Technologies (Australia) Pty Ltd is currently negotiating with several major U.K. and European carriers to provide SpectruCell based Virtual or Shared Networking infrastructure for the rollout of third generation (3G) networks.
ACT's software defined radio (SDR) SpectruCell technology is ideally suited to provide common infrastructure for multiple network operators. In planned 3G network rollouts, carriers can both minimize network establishment costs as well as remove technical and compatibility issues that up until now have prevented network operators from sharing a single mobile wireless network infrastructure.
ACT's SpectruCell SDR based Virtual/Shared networking will be able to provide major cost savings and crucial competitive advantages for network operators as telecommunications regulators globally seek to implement sharing of network infrastructure as a means to speed up and ensure the roll out of 3G mobile services.
SpectruCell lowers infrastructure costs for network operators by allowing them to share common equipment and backhaul services and provides next generation management and accounting facilities to ensure quality of service between carriers. These features significantly lowers the total cost of ownership for a network provider.
This key ability is derived from SpectruCell's SDR operating system (patent pending), which allows network operators to simultaneously support multiple communications standards (GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA, 3G etc) on the one network infrastructure. Importantly, this support can be achieved using the same or different bands of radio spectrum over the one SpectruCell based infrastructure. Unlike present hardware based 3G solutions, any additional protocol support requires relatively minor software upgrades to the SpectruCell SDR Base Station.
``The planned rollout of 3G networks is placing an incredible financial burden on network operators around the globe,'' said Roger May, Chairman of ACT-US. ``As a consequence, concerned industry regulators are increasingly turning to infrastructure sharing to reduce the cost and ensure the rollout of 3G services. ACT's SpectruCell SDR base station is the only known technology that will be available in early 2002 that has the ability to provide secure seamless simultaneous support for multiple communications standards for several competing carriers on the one network infrastructure.''
This unique proprietary capability of the SpectruCell base station is particularly suited to the massive U.S. market where regulators are encountering many 3G rollout difficulties and also in the European market where network operators have outlaid tens of billions of dollars for 3G spectrum.
One major European mobile carrier plans to implement some 40,000 base stations in their 3G rollout, compared with the 10,000 in their current 2G network. This global requirement to increase the number of cell sites in order to roll out 3G services is requiring both regulators and operators to move to a shared network model for 3G network rollouts. The company believes that SpectruCell is the only technology, expected to be available in early 2002, that can support planned 3G shared network infrastructure and that has the ability to comply with proposed FCC standards.
``The pressure on the U.S. market to secure 3G spectrum is immense with everything from Presidential directives to specialist FCC reports being issued to combat the problem. SpectruCell's ability to be dynamically reconfigured in real time provides the ideal solution in that it could simultaneously support 3G services in existing spectrum that is presently used for a 2G service like CDMA or GSM,'' said May.
Recent statements from both the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Telecommunications and Information Association, NTIA and the U.K. regulator for the telecommunications industry, OFTEL, have confirmed that infrastructure sharing will be increasingly championed as the solution to expensive 3G network rollouts. This powerful industry pressure and high cost of existing hardware based solutions is providing ACT with an exceptional opportunity to generate substantial revenues from the increasing global demand for next generation 3G network upgrades.
ACT is also currently negotiating with one major U.S. carrier to implement SpectruCell SDR base stations in their current mobile network and their planned provision of third generation services.
ACT's SpectruCell technology is supported by several patent applications and the recent securing of development alliance with RLM Systems, a joint venture between Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT - news) and Tenix Australia.
What other solution could they be implementing then SpectruCell? |
