DoCoMo to Supersize 3G
January 8, 2005 - source: BWCS
NTT DoCoMo plans to spearhead a global move to "Super 3G" by 2008, according to a spokesman for the Japanese mobile carrier. The move is seen as a defensive play against the encroachment of WiFi and WiMax services which threaten current 3G systems with their faster wireless data speeds.
The giant Japanese mobile company believes that it will be at the forefront of the switch to the so-called Super 3G standard. DoCoMo spokesman, Takumi Suzuki, pointed out that it will not require much effort on its part to upgrade to the company's current 3G W-CDMA network with the necessary software. Once the new kit is in place, current 3G systems will be able to support download speeds of up to 100Mbps and upload speeds of 50Mbps. Suzuki claimed the service will initially be rolled out in metropolitan areas in Japan and should be operational by 2008.
DoCoMo signaled its intention to move to the new, faster speeds at the end of December 2004 when it signed an accord with the 3G Partnership Project (3GPP), a consortium of 26 major mobile equipment vendors and operators. The new partners have pledged to push ahead with the new "Super 3G" standard and plan to have it ready by the end of 2006.
Operators changing to the new standard will not need to replace much equipment, in fact the change will be much less significant in terms of new roll out than the switch to 3G itself was. While it is estimated that DoCoMo will have spent around US$17.8 billion on its 3G system by the end of 2005, the new systems will be much cheaper and, allegedly, quicker to install. Suzuki claimed "We needed three years to get our 3G network running, but this network will take a much shorter time. We are targeting the 2007 to 2010 period," he said. However some analysts, whilst agreeing with the cost structure have questioned how realistic the roll out schedule really is.
With public access W-Lan services currently offering download speeds of up to 54Mbps and WiMax threatening future mobile data revenues too, the race is on to beef up 3G's data speeds before the shine is well and truly knocked off the new mobile services.
3gnewsroom.com
Intel softens its position on coexistence, NTT takes NIMBY to new heights, 3GPP becomes more defensive and WiMAX participation surges [ grouper.ieee.org ]. 802.xx mindshare has never been so great, willing or not! ;^> A combined wimax/multiband-ofdm handset would truly serve all applications, removing so many variable & fixed costs from the system ...
Interesting times indeed ....
Willie Trombone .... o8-) |
