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To: 49thMIMOMander who wrote (15178)	9/18/2001 6:22:55 PM
From: JohnG	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 34857

GPRS further delayed?? --- shortage of handsets or shortage of standards? By Dennis Andrews, Senior Research Editor There continues to be uncertainty and lack of confidence amongst operators and handset vendors over the reliability and stability of the standards associated with GPRS. Of prime concern is the need to avoid the situation where handsets in the field become degraded or unusable due to implementation of advanced network features which are due to be rolled out during 2002. A prime example of these difficulties has been the subject of recent intense discussions involving leading manufacturers and the standards bodies represented by 3GPP GPRS. As with any GSM voice call, a network handling GPRS data needs to be able to manage its traffic channels in an efficient manner, and it does this by maintaining a number of control channels that, in effect, tell the handset what is going on. The requirements for a packet data service are more complex than those for a voice circuit as the resources need to be allocated in a dynamic manner if the full capacity of the network is to be realised. For GPRS, a number of new protocol elements are added to handle these controls - the Packet Common Control Channel (PCCCH) and the Packet Broadcast Control Channel (PBCCH). However, these are not due to be implemented until H2 2002 and, in the meantime, current GPRS operation relies on use of the equivalent control mechanisms in the basic GSM voice service. The advanced signalling provided by the packet channel control features will be essential to support the expected growth in GPRS usage. But the way in which networks will evolve to this new signalling without leaving users high and dry remains unclear. While handset manufacturers are in a position to implement support for the advanced signalling in current handsets, they are worried that there is no proper testing regime in place to ensure that the systems will function correctly when widely implemented. More worrying is the fact that the advanced signalling protocols do not include any facility for a fallback onto the old system in the event of failure. This could mean that handsets become inoperable - even for voice calls. A recent report from UBS Warburg suggests that Nokia is so concerned by this situation that it proposed an additional Dual Control Channel Mode (DCCM) which would allow a handset to operate using either control channel system. However, this proposal was rejected by a 3GPP GPRS Committee at the end of August in favour of a modified approach to the implementation of the basic specifications known as GPRS Release 97. Although no details of the changes have been published, it appears that the specifications will be split into sets of mandatory and optional features which, it is claimed, should alleviate the difficulties to be faced in implementing advanced signalling support. While this action may alleviate some immediate concerns, the implied change of direction is likely to further delay handset production schedules and impact the industry target of ten million GPRS handsets to be shipped during 2001. From the EMC Data site at: e-searchwireless.com