UMA Technology Is (almost) Here ...
It is here if one lives in Seattle.
Lhn5,
<< T-Mobile USA, the fourth-largest mobile phone company in the United States, is preparing to launch a service this month that will allow people talking on their cell phones to seamlessly switch between T-mobile's cellular network and their home Wi-Fi networks. T-Mobile's new service, which will be the first of its kind in the United States, will be a test case for other operators also looking to deploy similar services. Sprint Nextel, through its joint venture with four major cable companies, is also looking into developing a similar service. And Cingular is testing a service in its labs. >>
T-Mobile USA has launched its version of UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) as HotSpot @Home service in Seattle using the S40 Nokia 6136 (above) and the Samsung T709 and D-Link router (below). Both handsets are EDGE enabled quad-band worldphones but both are also (unfortunately) Bluetoothless.
Check out the HotSpot @Home' flash demo here ...
theonlyphoneyouneed.com
It's pretty cool 3GPP standardized technology that has come to early market in a very reasonable time frame.
Rates may change but in the Seattle implementation T-Mobile USA is charging customers an extra $20 per month for UMA access if they have an eligible $40+ per month rate plan) and that $20 extra covers T-Mobile HotSpot access. Pretty reasonable, IMO.
As noted Cingular, is reportedly testing its own flavor of dual mode cellular/WiFi wireless in its labs, and presumably we'll see more sophisticated UMA enabled models available in the future from both T-Mobile USA and Cingular once the kinks are worked out and customer support can be brought up to speed.
Specs for the Nokia 6136 are here ...
gsmarena.com
>> T-Mobile Intros New Dual Mode Wireless Service in Seattle
Patrick Barnard
TMCnet: IP Communications
October 25, 2006
tinyurl.com
T-Mobile USA officially rolled out its new T-Mobile HotSpot@Home dual mode cellular/WiFi service in Seattle on Monday – however, it can be argued that the service is still very much in the “beta” stage.
The new wireless service - which has been undergoing trials in Seattle for about the past two months with a group of about 300 users - lets T-Mobile’s subscribers make free phone calls using their at-home WiFi network or from any number of public WiFi hot spots which have been set up throughout the city. For now, only subscribers using the Nokia 6136 and the Samsung T709 dual mode phones can place free calls over WiFi.
The service provides “seamless handover” between cellular and WiFi networks via UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) technology. T-Mobile claims the hand-off is so smooth that users can’t tell when they’ve been switched to a different network.
The advantage of the service for subscribers is that it lets them conserve their cell phone minutes and make free mobile calls anywhere in the U.S. (In its publicity on the rollout, T-Mobile hasn’t divulged how many hot spots it has deployed - nor is there any news, as of yet, as to how many customers are actually using those hot spots.) Another advantage for users is that once they are in a hot spot, they gain access to a higher speed network which allows them to download mobile content including Web pages, music files, video files and games - much faster than they can from a 2G, or even 3G wireless network.
T-Mobile’s UMA network enables a dual mode phone to automatically detect a hot spot and switch over to WiFi mode as soon as it comes in range (i.e. as soon as the signal is strong enough). Conversely, it automatically switches back to cellular when the user exits the hot spot. Although other carriers have offered services which allow subscribers to make free calls using their home WiFi networks, T-Mobile will be the first US carrier to roll out a nationwide network providing “seamless handoff” capabilities, with public hot spots that can be used by any of its subscribers. Other US carriers are planning to build similar networks, including Sprint Nextel, which is partnering with four cable companies to launch a similar service, and Cingular, which is reportedly testing its own flavor of dual-mode wireless in its labs.
On a global scale, however, T-Mobile is not the first carrier to introduce such a service. That credit goes to British Telecom (BT), which introduced its Fusion VoIP service, featuring dual-mode, seamless handover between cellular and WiFi, in the fall of 2005. The service is based on the pre-3GPP GAN standard. Today, the Fusion service uses Bluetooth in phones supplied byMotorola ( News - Alert). Also, in August of this year, TeliaSonera launched a similar WiFi based UMA service called “Home Free.” Then, in September of this year, Orange announced its “unik” service - the largest network of this type to date - which covers more than 60 million of Orange’s mobile subscribers in the UK, France, Poland, Spain and the Netherlands. Also launching a UMA-based service in September was Telecom Italia.
People who live in the Seattle area who want to try out the new T-Mobile service can sign up for it - and buy the required phones - on T-Mobile’s Web site at www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com. For a limited time, T-Mobile is offering either the Nokia 6136 or the Samsung T709 for $49.99 with a two-year contract, or $99 with a one-year contract. T-Mobile is also offering a D-Link WiFi router optimized for the service for free with a mail-in rebate (it should be noted, however, that any home WiFi router can be used). The WiFi functionality costs an additional $19.99 a month.
Still no word yet on when T-Mobile will be expanding the service to other areas of the US.
One thing which is yet to be explained in detail is how the technology works, and more precisely, how billing will take place. For example, if a user initiates a long distance call from a WiFi network but then roams to outdoors and switches over to a cellular network, does that mean they are billed only for the minutes they spend on the cellular network? If so, then how will T-Mobile accurately keep track of how many minutes are used on the WiFi network and how many are used on the cellular network? Similarly, what happens if a user initiates a call on a cellular network and then enters a hot spot? Are they charged “cellular rates” for all the minutes of that call – or does the call become “free” mid-way in the session? Will customers have to keep track of how many minutes they spent on either network in order to safeguard themselves from over-billing? The financial model for the new service seems to have been purposely left vague. Perhaps the most important question for users is: Will this new type of service open the door for wireless providers to either knowingly or unknowingly “cheat” their customers out of minutes which were actually spent on a WiFi network? Even if it is only a minute here or there, per user, multiply that times millions of users and it could add up to millions of dollars per year in additional revenue for the carriers. (For now, when it comes to advanced mobile services such as Web browsing, video downloads and music downloads, obviously the user will have to stay within the hot spot in order to stay connected to the higher speed network – but that will change as more wireless providers launch 3G and other advanced services.)
Another question which many people are asking is: How many of T-Mobile’s customers will actually make use of the new WiFi service – and if a majority of them do make use of it, what impact will this have on T-Mobile’s profits? Since the WiFi calls are “free” (not including the standard sign up fee and the flat fee for the WiFi service), what happens if users suddenly start making a majority of their calls using those networks? Perhaps this is part of the reason T-Mobile is rolling out the new service slowly – and only in selected markets.
T-Mobile, which is owned by Germany-based Deutsche Telekom (News - Alert) (News - Alert), made news on TMCnet in September when it announced that it had purchased $4.2 billion worth of spectrum licenses through the Federal Communications Commission’s spectrum auction, which will double its capacity in the top 100 markets in the US. As TMCnet’s Robert Liu wrote in his article, the company plans to spend another $2.66 billion in the next few years using that spectrum to upgrade its 2.5G cellular network to 3G technology so that it can compete with the other three major U.S. carriers: Cingular Wireless, Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless.
(Editor’s note: TMCnet contacted T-Mobile to get responses to some of the questions raised in this article. The company gave us the following response: "Consumers in greater Seattle are currently able to purchase T-Mobile HotSpot @Home products and service through a pilot program at 24 Seattle-area T-Mobile retail stores. The service, along with the supporting handsets and routers, are not currently available for purchase beyond the Seattle market. T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service is based on Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology and makes use of available Wi-Fi networks for voice calls and data services, in addition to T-Mobile’s robust GSM/GPRS/EDGE network. The service provides great coverage in the home, and offers unlimited nationwide calling for one low price for calls placed over Wi-Fi connections at home or at any T-Mobile HotSpot location nationwide. T-Mobile is not commenting on future plans for the service. However, consumers can learn more about T-Mobile HotSpot @Home, find participating store locations, and register to be informed when T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service will be available in their area at www.theonlyphoneyouneed.com.") ###
>> Mobile HotSpot @Home finally launches... in Seattle
Ryan Block
Engadget
October 24, 2006
tinyurl.com
Right well, they did say they had a certain affinity for Seattle then, didn't they? It looks like the first round of T-Mobile's long awaited UMA service is now kicking around Seattle way, with open trial customers able to purchase two WiFi-capable UMA phones, as well as the D-Link router which enables home access. Right out of the gate we already have our qualms with the service -- namely in that they're charging customers an extra $20 per month for UMA access (and only if they have an eligible $40+ per month rate plan), which is kind of a bummer since in most cases UMA is cost-saving to the carrier in that consumers needn't consume as much cellular air time. But that $20 extra also covers T-Mobile HotSpot access too, so if you're not just planning on using HotSpot @Home, um, at home, then you'll be good to go when roaming elsewhere. (It's worth noting, however, that UMA does not require anything special to get going, and will work on any WiFi connection.) The D-Link router is probably a skipper -- it'll set you back $50 (and goes free with mail-in rebate), but isn't necessary to use the service, and will probably leave you in pain as D-Link WiFi gear so often does. Oh, and hows about a word on the two phones you'll be using with @Home: you've got the Nokia 6136, which, of course, features a 1.3 megapixel camera, FM radio, and GSM / GPRS / EDGE; then you've got the far more feeble Samsung t709, with GPRS, 176 x 220 display, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Both will go for $50 with a two year, $100 with a one year. ###
About 3GPP UMA Technology
The UMA effort was initiated by a number of leading operators and vendors in January 2004. The goal of this work was to develop and publish an open set of technical specifications for extending mobile voice and data GSM GPRS/EGPRS services over unlicensed spectrum technologies (including both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi), and subsequently encourage the specifications to be adopted by a formal global standards organization.
The Participating Companies published the initial UMA Technology specifications on 2nd September 2004. The companies then contributed the specifications to the 3GPP organization as part of 3GPP work item "Generic Access to A/Gb interfaces". On 8th April 2005, the 3GPP approved specifications for Generic Access to A/Gb interfaces for 3GPP Release 6. Having achieved their two goals, the UMA participating companies have agreed to discontinue operating as an independent group and continue their efforts to further develop the technology within the 3GPP organization. In June, 2005 UMA Technology was fully transitioned to 3GPP.
Original UMA Participating Companies included: Alcatel, British Telecom, Cingular, Ericsson, Kineto Wireless, Motorola, Nokia, Nortel Networks, O2, Research in Motion, Rogers Wireless, Siemens, Sony Ericsson, T-Mobile USA.
1. A mobile subscriber with a UMA-enabled, dual-mode handset moves within range of an unlicensed wireless network to which the handset is allowed to connect.
2. Upon connecting, the handset contacts the UMA Network Controller (UNC) over the broadband IP access network to be authenticated and authorized to access GSM voice and GPRS/EGPRS data services via the unlicensed wireless network.
3. If approved, the subscriber’s current location information stored in the core network is updated, and from that point on all mobile voice and data traffic is routed to the handset via the Unlicensed Mobile Access Network (UMAN) rather than the cellular radio access network (RAN).
4. ROAMING: When a UMA-enabled subscriber moves outside the range of an unlicensed wireless network to which they are connected, the UNC and handset facilitate roaming back to the licensed outdoor network. This roaming process is completely transparent to the subscriber.
5. HANDOVER: If a subscriber is on an active GSM voice call or GPRS/EGPRS data session when they come within range (or out of range) of an unlicensed wireless network, that voice call or data session can automatically handover between access networks with no discernable service interruption. Handovers are completely transparent to the subscriber.
The UMA Today website is here ...
umatoday.com
- Eric - |
