Geneva sounds like fun Maurice --3Com Unveils Migration Plans for 3G Wireless
Network System
Will Leverage Leadership in CDMA Wireless Data Market
GENEVA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 11, 1999--3Com Corporation (NASDAQ: COMS - news) today announced plans
for enabling CDMA wireless service providers to migrate to 3G (3rd generation) networks, which will provide high-speed data
access speeds up to 2Mbps. The migration plans, which comprise a critical component of the company's wireless connectivity
strategy, include the development of a suite of industry-standard, open-interface network products for a 3G CDMA wireless
data network infrastructure.
Phase I of the seamless, low-cost migration path will support the IS-2000, Release 0 (1XRTT) standard, which will increase
mobile packet data and voice access speeds up to 144Kbps. With its greater efficiency and capacity, the 1XRTT solution will
be able to host more than 10,000 concurrent calls in the space of a standard central office rack. Phase I is scheduled for
market trials by yearend 2000.
Phase II, which is scheduled for early 2002, will initially support the IS-2000, Release A (3XRTT) standard for higher access
speeds of up to 384Kbps for mobile packet data and voice, as well as video. Ultimately, Phase II will also support access
speeds as high as 2Mbps for stationary packet data/voice/video applications.
3G CDMA Network Architecture
''3G technology requires a fundamental change in the design of wireless networks,'' said Irfan Ali, senior vice president and
general manager, 3Com Carrier Systems. ''Until now, circuit switches have been at the core of virtually every wireless
network. But with the migration to packet switching and higher data speeds, today's circuit switches are ill-equipped to handle
the demands of this new technology.''
In the new 3G networks, Radio Nodes (RN) will connect directly -- via a new R-P interface -- to a Packet Data Serving
Node (PDSN), which will perform the traffic aggregation function which is similar to that handled by circuit switches today. The
PDSN uses Authentication, Accounting, and Administration (AAA) servers for user authentication and traffic management, and
then forwards traffic to a Gateway Router/Home Agent (GRHA) at the designated IP network.
3G CDMA Wireless Data Network System
3Com plans to offer a suite of three standards-based products for the 3G CDMA Wireless Data Network:
a PDSN, which will aggregate user traffic from the CDMA network and provide the entry point into the data network
-- AAA servers for accounting and traffic management -- a GRHA, which will terminate user traffic at the designated IP
network
The products will be offered as a system for optimum performance, but are also designed to work independently in an open 3G
architecture. 3Com plans to deliver the first implementations of these products to wireless service providers by yearend 2000
to enable the carriers to introduce new 3G wireless services to their customers.
3G Strategy
The 3Com 3G CDMA Wireless Data Network System is based on industry standards and open interfaces to ensure that the
equipment interoperates with other standards-based products, thus providing carriers and service providers the greatest
flexibility in designing and developing their individual networks. As one of the industry's strongest proponents of standardization,
3Com is an influential participant in the TIA TR45 Committee, the group responsible for driving the cdma2000 international
standard for 3G wireless.
3Com also plans to collaborate with strategic partners in the wireless industry to develop products that are designed to the
carriers' needs. Strategic relationships are not new for the company's Carrier Systems organization, which has been working
with key industry leaders over the past four years to develop the cdmaOne technology used in today's 2G wireless data
networks.
Additionally, the company plans to leverage its leadership in today's CDMA wireless Internet access market by offering this 3G
migration path to the company's extensive customer base. 3Com is the world's leading manufacturer of CDMA wireless data
equipment - with virtually 100 percent of the US market and an estimated 90 percent of the global market. The 3Com CDMA
solution is currently compatible with all major CDMA switches and is used by virtually every major CDMA cellular and PCS
carrier worldwide.
''This industry-leading technology combined with our expertise in building highly reliable and scalable systems uniquely
positions us for the migration to 3G solutions,'' said Ali. ''We're already the supplier of choice to many of the world's largest
wireless network service providers, and we intend to leverage these strengths to lead the 3G market as well.''
Earlier Phases of 3G Migration
3Com began its 3G migration with last year's development of the InterWorking Function (IWF), which enabled wireless
carriers to integrate voice and data traffic over the same 2G (2nd generation) circuit-switched network. The IWF serves as a
gateway between wireless cdmaOne networks and the wireline PSTN, connecting directly to CDMA Class 5 circuit switches
to provide the interworking and protocol conversions required to deliver circuit-switched data capabilities to mobile data users.
Additionally, the IWF's Quick-Net-Connect (QNC) feature enables mobile users to completely bypass the PSTN and rapidly
establish direct digital connections to IP networks. Bypassing the PSTN reduces toll charges and establishes connections in as
little as 5-7 seconds.
And in May of this year, 3Com announced the integration of a new packet-switched cdmaOne wireless network platform
which will support wireless data access speeds of up to 64kbps for mobile users. This advanced 2G network platform
introduced new AAA server and Mobile IP technologies that will give mobile users realtime, ''always connected'' access to IP
networks. Currently in market trials, the packet data platform will be generally available by the end of the year.
This earlier development work provided 3Com with much of the basic technology behind the 3G cdma2000 network
architecture, as well as the practical experience of collaborating with wireless infrastructure manufacturers and service providers
to develop and implement new wireless technology.
All of 3Com's CDMA technology is based on the company's award-winning Total Control(R) multiservice access platform,
which provides carriers and service providers a powerful, highly reliable, and scalable networking solution, including support for
remote access, carrier-grade IP telephony, voice-over-IP, fax-over-IP, virtual private networking, and other converged voice,
data and video applications.
About 3Com Corporation
With over 300 million customers worldwide, 3Com Corporation connects more people to information in more ways than any
other networking company. 3Com delivers innovative information access products and network system solutions to enterprises,
small businesses, carriers and network service providers, PC OEMs and consumers. 3Com - More connected.(TM). For
further information, visit 3Com's World Wide Web site at www.3com.com, or the press site at www.3com.com/pressbox.
Note to Editors: 3Com and Total Control are registered trademarks and More connected. is a trademark of 3Com
Corporation.
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