Cheap model for 3G data.
VNU NET
(Gus - sure would be nice to get a license with these guys, eh?)
November 25, 2002
Roger Howorth and Dave Bailey.
An alternative third-generation (3G) technology may allow mobile carriers to offer high-speed data services for just one-sixth the price of their currently planned 3G networks.
Time Division Duplex (TDD) is similar to the Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) UMTS technology that Europe's mobile carriers currently plan to deploy but it supports only data, rather than voice and data. Chris Gilbert, chief executive of TDD UMTS specialist IPWireless, said that TDD offers similar bandwidth to 802.11b-based wireless LANs (WLANs) but extends up to 29km and does not need line-of-sight links. Up to 200 users per base station can connect via USB modems and PC Cards.
"Average throughput per base station is currently around 1.5Mbit/s, but that will increase to 3Mbit/s next year and 4.5Mbit/s later on. The bandwidth is aggregated, but burst speeds of around 3Mbit/s mean users will get all the capacity they need," he said.
Despite the cost savings, persuading UK operators already committed to FDD to upgrade their base stations to TDD will be hard. Most may prefer to maximise their revenues by providing both voice and data services, though Gilbert says IPWireless technology is being tested by all of them.
"European operators are being very secretive because this represents such a major change in their strategy, but things will start to happen very, very quickly," he said.
- www.ipwireless.com. |
