Eric L: More on data migration to 3rd gen CDMA 2000 - from the horse's mouth so to speak - from CDG: (Another contribution re the conversation started by you on G&K thread)
(Apologies for much too much copied - but stuck with it for now)
See last story at the end for data progression to 3rd gen CDMA 2000:
Suggest skip down to it.
"Sprint Affiliate Airgate PCS Awards Lucent Technologies Contract Worth Up To $150 Million To Provide Equipment For Network Build Out In Carolinas
Atlanta, GA, October 12, 1999 -- AirGate PCS and Lucent Technologies today announced a three-year supply contract worth up to $150 million to enable the wireless carrier to build and operate a Personal Communication Services (PCS) network throughout North and South Carolina as an affiliate of Sprint PCS.
AirGate PCS' all-digital wireless network will be compatible with Sprint PCS' nationwide 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS network built on the Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) standard.
The AirGate PCS service area encompasses 20 Basic Trading Areas (BTAs) throughout the Carolinas and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. BTA is the designation used by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission in its spectrum licensing to PCS providers. The AirGate PCS service area reaches more than 6.8 million potential subscribers.
"With the help of Lucent Technologies, we will offer exceptional wireless service to local subscribers and those Sprint PCS customers who travel onto our network," said Tom Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of AirGate PCS. "Lucent is the premier supplier of wireless networks in the U.S. and its experience in rapid deployment will help us meet our very aggressive launch plans."
"Our affiliates benefit from the strength of the Sprint brand while extending the reach of our network," said Tom Mateer, vice-president, affiliates, Sprint PCS. "We look forward to AirGate PCS offering the same high degree of value, call clarity, connectivity and nationwide coverage that Sprint PCS provides to its customer base."
The initial build-out for AirGate PCS includes the cities of Anderson, Spartanburg, and Greenville in S.C.,and Asheville and Hickory in N.C., with service launch expected in the first quarter of 2000. AirGate PCS will deploy over 525 sites throughout its territory during the year 2000 covering in excess of 75% of its population.
Under the contract, Lucent will provide the switching hardware and software as well as radio hardware and software and related financing needed to build the CDMA-based wireless network. The equipment includes the Lucent 5ESSÒ Switch, the industry's most reliable switching system according to independent data.
"We are delighted that AirGate PCS has selected Lucent to help build its wireless network," Charlie Vogt, Lucent Technologies senior vice president-Sprint Customer Team. "With Lucent's experience and expertise in building CDMA PCS networks, we look forward to helping AirGate PCS offer its customers the superior voice quality, coverage, and advanced features customers have come to expect from Sprint PCS."
AirGate PCS, Inc. is the exclusive manager and operator of Sprint PCS products and services throughout the state of South Carolina, markets in parts of North Carolina and Augusta and Savannah, Georgia. The territory includes more than 6.8 million POPs covering 62,000 contiguous square miles and is one of the largest territories announced by Sprint PCS for operation by an affiliate. AirGate PCS is traded on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol PCSA.
Sprint and QUALCOMM Introduce New pdQ "Palm Pilot" Smart Phone; First CDMA Wireless Phone That Integrates a Palm Computing Organizer to Offer a Single, Powerful Solution to Your Organizational and Communication Needs
Kansas City, MO, October 11, 1999 -- QUALCOMM Incorporated, pioneer and world leader of Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) digital wireless technology, and Sprint PCS announced today the availability of the Sprint PCS Phone-QUALCOMM pdQ™, the industry's first integrated CDMA digital phone and Palm Computing® platform-based organizer. This PDA-centric phone is a highly functional productivity tool that provides clear wireless service on Sprint PCS'100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide network currently serving more than 290 major metropolitan markets. Additionally, with Sprint PCS Wireless Web services, consumers can use the pdQ smartphone to access email and Internet/intranet-based information services via a built-in minibrowser.
The powerful Sprint PCS Phone-QUALCOMM pdQ provides access to more than 1,000 applications available for the Palm Computing platform, including a variety of productivity tools such as a personal calendar, date book, address book and to-do list. Users can input data three ways: through Palm Computing's Graffiti® power writing software, the on-line keyboard, or through a personal computer's keyboard when connected to the Sprint PCS Phone-QUALCOMM pdQ with the included HotSync technology, which allows synchronization of information between the two machines.
This pdQ smartphone features a large, easy-to-read graphic display with touch-screen capabilities and stylus-based navigation. It is also loaded with many other feature-rich functions including the ability to store thousands of names, addresses, appointments and memo items and provides 13 unique ringing tones. The pdQ is packaged with a standard lithium ion battery, a Hot Sync cradle (charger with data cable), software, and a headset that enables users to talk on the phone while simultaneously using the PDA portion of the unit. The Sprint PCS Phone-QUALCOMM pdQ has a suggested retail price of $799.99.
"Sprint PCS is excited to be offering the first CDMA wireless phone that doubles as a Palm Pilot," said Charles Levine, chief sales and marketing officer for Sprint PCS. "The pdQ smartphone is an innovative organizational device that combines all of the necessary productivity tools with amazingly clear voice and information service on Sprint PCS' all digital, all-PCS nationwide network."
"The pdQ smartphone provides consumers with the versatility of a digital wireless phone, a pager and a PDA in a single device," said David J. McDowell, senior vice president of sales and marketing, QUALCOMM Consumer Products. "It offers users the ability to tap into the Internet or business intranets while on the go, furnishing access to vital information, applications and personnel day or night."
The pdQ provides approximately 2.5 hours of continuous talk time or 40 hours of continuous stand-by time with its standard lithium ion battery. This single-band phone weighs 9.8 ounces (with LiIon battery) and has dimensions of 6.2"H x 2.6"W x 1.4"D.
Sprint Begins Interoperability Field Trials Among Different Wireless Equipment Vendors; Deployment to Determine Performance Quality of Multi-Vendor Network Configurations in One Geographic Area
Kansas City, MO, October 11, 1999 -- In a move to increase wireless network equipment options and lower overall network costs, Sprint today announced it has begun field trials to evaluate the performance quality of a multi-vendor wireless network environment within the same geographic coverage area.
"These tests are the next logical step for Sprint PCS to determine how well the diverse equipment from our wireless vendors will work together in a single market," said Oliver Valente, Sprint PCS vice president of Technology and Advanced Systems Development. "Sprint PCS engineers have already proven that it works in the laboratory and now it's time to measure how well a multi-vendor configuration can work under intense field conditions. By creating an environment with an open architecture between switch and radio equipment suppliers, wireless carriers will gain more flexibility in designing their networks and more competitive pricing from their vendors."
Early test calls have already been successfully completed in this field environment between radio base stations from Motorola and switches from both Lucent Technologies and Nortel Networks. These trials are being performed in key coverage areas served by the Sprint PCS all-digital, all-PCS network in Portland, Ore., and Oklahoma City. These markets were selected to confirm the seamless integration and performance of the IOS (Interoperability Specifications) hardware.
Earlier this year, Sprint PCS announced it had developed a breakthrough in the interoperability of wireless network equipment. Sprint PCS and its major network infrastructure vendors developed standard specifications that enabled interoperability between two major components of wireless networks -- mobile switching centers and base station subsystems -- from different vendors of CDMA (code division multiple access) equipment. At that time, Sprint PCS completed calls using this technology in its Lenexa, Kan. laboratory. All laboratory testing was recently competed, including billing, provisioning and total integration to all Sprint PCS services.
"Sprint PCS and Lucent have had a long relationship of advancing the boundaries of what wireless networks are capable of offering customers," said Roger Heinz, vice president of Sales at Lucent Technologies. "Lucent Technologies is excited about our joint accomplishments with Sprint PCS and the additional opportunities created for companies with leading-edge products and services."
"IOS will eventually open up every market to more competition, and thus will expand the potential markets that all network vendors can enter," said John Vice, vice president of Wireless Carrier Solutions at Nortel Networks. "It's a win-win situation. That's why Nortel Networks is leading the industry in the development and deployment of IOS networks. It especially rewards those vendors that are willing to go the extra mile to build top-quality equipment. We're pleased to join Sprint PCS in these groundbreaking trials."
"As a long-standing proponent of open wireless systems, Motorola's involvement in these trials is consistent with our network design philosophy," said Fred Wright, senior vice president and general manager for North America at Motorola, Inc.'s Network Solutions Sector. "Sprint's foresight in pursuing interoperability standards represents a vital step in furthering the growth and success of our industry, and we see it as a huge opportunity for Motorola."
Sprint PCS developed IOS in 1995 to provide precise specifications when linking vendors' base station subsystems and mobile switching centers. The IOS guidelines have enabled Sprint PCS to narrow the options under the TIA (Telecommunications Industry Association) standard for interoperability, known as IS-634 (Revision A). While IS-634 Rev. A is an industry interoperability standard, detailed specifications to this standard once contained so many options that interoperability wasn't viable until Sprint PCS developed IOS. Sprint PCS also has been instrumental in driving these specifications to support third-generation (3G) wireless technology. In fact, the 3GPP2 international standards organization adopted IOS as their baseline interoperability standard earlier this year.
Sprint Launches Advances Wireless Service in Albuquerque, NM; Residents and Businesses Invited to "Make A Call On Us" and Experience Dramatic Improvements Over Cellular and Other Wireless Services
Lubbock, TX, October 8, 1999 -- Sprint ushered in a new era of wireless communication today, announcing the launch of Sprint PCS, or Personal Communication Services, for consumers and businesses in Albuquerque, NM. Sprint PCS is the nation's fastest growing wireless provider, offering the largest all-digital, all-PCS nationwide network with service in more than 280 markets.
Sprint PCS will host a grand opening event at the newest Sprint PCS Center, located in Albuquerque at 5601 Office Blvd., Suite 500, on Saturday, October 16 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and October 17 from 1 to 5 p.m. Sprint PCS will give away several prizes, including five pairs of tickets on Southwest Airlines. Registration for the tickets will take place inside the store and drawings will be held approximately every 1-1/2 hours. Participants need not be present to win.
The Sprint PCS grand opening will also feature live radio broadcasts, entertainment for children, drinks and snacks. For more information on the grand opening of the Sprint PCS Center, please contact Pam Porter at (505) 938-5800.
"The clear alternative to cellular is here," said Pam Porter, General Manager for Alamosa PCS, Sprint PCS Network Partner managing service in Albuquerque. "We're not just providing consumers with a better phone, we're providing them with a connection that's more clear, more affordable and more secure than conventional cellular services. We want people to experience that quality for themselves, so we're inviting them to make a free call on us at any of our Sprint PCS Centers in the area."
To celebrate the launch of Sprint PCS service in Albuquerque, Sprint PCS is offering a special promotion to new customers in the area. Until the year 2000, new customers will receive 500 anytime minutes per month for just $50 a month. The special plan includes free long distance calling from anywhere on the Sprint PCS nationwide network to anywhere in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Sprint PCS is feature-rich - most plans include free voicemail, Caller ID and first incoming minute free - with no annual contracts required or hidden charges.
Under the management of Christine J. Salazar, the Sprint PCS Center is expected to bring many new jobs to the Albuquerque area. Additionally, the new retail center will offer Sprint PCS all-digital wireless service, phones and accessories.
"Sprint uses the most up-to-date technology to offer the best communications products and services available," said Salazar. "We're excited to assist the community of Albuquerque with its communication needs."
The grand opening event in Albuquerque marks the kick-off of Sprint PCS' expansion into several new markets in the West and Southwest regions, including Las Cruces, NM; El Paso, TX; Lubbock, TX; Midland, TX; Odessa, TX; Laredo, TX and Amarillo, TX. It also gives citizens of Albuquerque and the surrounding communities the opportunity to become acquainted with Sprint PCS products and services.
Breakthrough Lets E-mail Users Break-Free Bell Mobility Customers Now Get Mobile Access to Sympatico
Toronto, ON, October 6, 1999 -- Staying 'in the loop' no longer means staying chained to your desktop. Effective this month, Bell Mobility customers get 'anytime, anywhere' access to their e-mail when they use the Mobile Browser service on their Digital PCS phone. "This is a breakthrough in terms of true portability," said Charlotte Burke, Bell Mobility, Vice President - Services, Marketing and E-Commerce. "Together with Sympatico, we have given Canadians mobile access to their e-mail from their PCS phones for the first time."
"Now industry-standard POP3 e-mail users will be able to access their e-mail in-box from a digital phone to read, reply, forward, delete and send messages," added Burke. "They can be at the park or on the golf course; they no longer have to stay inside to stay in touch."
The new service provides access to all the standard functions of desktop e-mail. It is also synchronized so that a message deleted from a digital phone is automatically deleted from the assigned in-box. In addition to fully functional e-mail, customers can also access personalized content from sympatico.ca -- including news, weather, sports, horoscopes, stock and lottery information -- from their PCS phones.
"The addition of personalized web content is a natural complement to wireless e-mail," said Peter Rowley, Director of ISP Technology at MediaLinx Interactive/Sympatico. "The web has evolved from an information resource into a personal tool that is enhancing everyone's lifestyle. Consumers can now take the best of sympatico.ca with them anywhere, anytime."
Bell Mobility customers can access sympatico.ca through a Mobile Browser-enabled Qualcomm QCP 2700 or QCP 2700F phone. They simply launch the browser on the phone and make their selection from the menu. New PCS phones, including the Nokia 6185 and the Neopoint will, in future, be Mobile Browser-enabled. All phones will be capable of accessing sympatico.ca among many other existing Internet sites already designed for wireless access.
Bell Mobility customers will be able to access Sympatico services in English using Mobile Browser-enabled phones beginning October 12. Sympatico service in French will be available on Mobile Browser-enabled phones by mid-November.
There is no monthly service fee for Bell Mobility's Mobile Browser. Customers are charged at $0.15 per minute, billed by the second. To access e-mail, customers must have an industry-standard POP3 e-mail account.
Bell Mobility was the first company in Canada to launch a service that puts an Internet browser into the PCS handset. The service, which is called Mobile Browser, was launched in May 1999. Mobile Browser users can access a number of Internet sites specifically adapted for small display screens. In addition to the Sympatico services announced today, Bell Mobility customers can also access a telephone directory for looking-up Ontario and Quebec phone numbers, a Charles Schwab Canada site that allows customers to access and trade stocks, real-time sports updates with ESPN and much more.
U S WEST Wireless Deploys Lucent Technologies' Flexent Network To Help Meet Fast-Growing Needs in Portland Market
Portland, OR, October 5, 1999 -- U S WEST Wireless is the first Personal Communications Services (PCS) carrier to begin commercial deployment of a new Lucent Technologies wireless system for cost-effectively increasing coverage, adding capacity and introducing new wireless services. The cost to deploy this technology in construction, real estate and zoning is roughly half that of a regular base station.
Part of Lucent's newest generation of wireless base stations, the Flexent® Microcell is being installed by U S WEST Wireless to meet the fast-growing need for capacity and coverage in Portland, Ore. It is specially suited for urban areas and places where radio frequency coverage needs to be cost-effectively added to improve coverage in building and small coverage holes created by building shadows in the downtown area.
"We selected the Flexent Microcell in our markets as a lower cost solution to areas that are difficult to build due to zoning restrictions, limited real estate options and in building applications. The downtown Portland area was an excellent location to apply this technology due to all three of these limitations," said Wayne Leuck, vice president wireless engineering and technology, U S WEST Wireless. "This base station is one third the size of Lucent's PCS Minicell, so we have greater flexibility in finding appropriate locations to ensure coverage - including mounting them on existing utility poles and buildings, giving us a wider range of options when building a site."
Lucent's Flexent CDMA Microcell is part of a new generation of base stations that depend more on software than electronic hardware, resulting in a smaller and less costly product. Patterned after the computer industry's client-server model, the system is built around a standard server that maintains computerized controls over a network of smaller base stations. The central Applications Processor Cluster located at the mobile switching center simplifies the task and reduces the interval of new service introduction.
"The Flexent network is our next-generation architecture that will protect U S WEST's investments into the next millennium," noted Ave Elliott, Lucent regional vice president. "As U S WEST's needs change, the underlying code division multiple access (CDMA) wireless network technology will support greater capacity and improved data rates. We will be able to supply these enhancements with only minor software and electronic circuit swaps."
Vendor News
3Com Unveils MIGRATION Plans for 3G Wireless Network System; Will Leverage Leadership in CDMA Wireless Data Market
Geneva, October 11, 1999 -- 3Com Corporation 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 |
