re: (Another) Ericsson "First" - AWS UMTS Call
>> Ericsson And At&T Made First Live 3G Voice Call
March 7, 2002
3G Newsroom
Ericsson and AT&T Wireless teamed up to complete the first live 3G UMTS voice call in the United States last month. For some telecom companies such history in the making may be a first, but for Ericsson it is only one more in a long line of 3G firsts. It is not the first time the company has made history and it certainly won’t be the last.
The historic call, which took place at the AT&T Wireless headquarters in Richmond, Washington, was part of a testing process to ensure AT&T Wireless delivers 3G on schedule to subscribers.
The call was made using Ericsson wireless networking equipment. The system was part of Ericsson’s volume production of UMTS equipment.
UMTS offers data rates at speeds up to 2Mbps, meaning that operators who choose UMTS will be able to offer their customers network access to everything from regular voice telephony to content-rich, multimedia services. For example, over UMTS consumers will be able to watch a video clip while receiving an e-mail.
What the players say “We are proud to be part of AT&T Wireless’ leadership in bringing 3G capabilities to the US market,” said Dominique Jodoin, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Ericsson Inc.
Rod Nelson, chief technology officer for AT&T Wireless, said: “AT&T Wireless can and will deliver true 3G services to our customers on schedule, as planned. “We can move from GSM/GPRS to EDGE to full UMTS in accordance with our plans.”
AT&T Wireless and Ericsson’s deployment of GSM/GPRS systems is seen as merely the first in a whole wave of 3G networks, applications and services soon set to tempt American operators and consumers alike. <<
- Eric - |
