Interesting Piece On TDMA>
UWCC Reports Stellar Year for TDMA; ITU Accepts UWC-136
Wideband TDMA 3G Proposal
BUSINESS WIRE
BELLEVUE, Wash.--(BUSINESS
WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1998--Growth, gained
recognition, and submission of a Third
Generation (3G) RTT proposal were among the
many highlights of 1998 for the Universal
Wireless Communications Consortium (UWCC).
"Subscriber numbers for TDMA have been growing steadily and reached
13.9 million worldwide mid-year," said Gregory G. Williams, vice president
- wireless systems with [ SBC Communications, Inc. ] and Chairman of the
UWCC. "Companies worldwide are demonstrating the value and quality of
TDMA technologies, and have shown their support for TDMA's evolution
to 3G, including their positive response to the Alliance between UWCC and
GSM for 3G."
Williams adds, "The US Government also continues to voice its support for
multiple standards that began with the submission of multiple proposals for
3G wireless standards to the International Telecommunications Union
(ITU)."
As TDMA has gained momentum, so has UWCC. "UWCC has held
numerous successful conferences," said Chris Pearson, director of marketing
for UWCC. "The Global Summit in Vancouver, BC, and as well as
conferences in Sao Paolo, Brazil, and Hong Kong were all great successes,
and membership in UWCC has grown to over 100 companies."
UWCC will carry the momentum gained this year into 1999. Look for
UWCC at CTIA Wireless '99, the 1999 Global Summit in Miami in April,
and PCS '99, as well as other conferences.
ITU Accepts UWC-136 Wideband TDMA 3G Proposal for Next Phase of
Evaluation
The ITU Study Group 8/1 recently agreed that all 16 proposals for the
development of key characteristics of the IMT-2000 radio interfaces (10
terrestrial and 6 satellite) qualified for the next phase. The next phase will
consist of a dual-track approach. First, for terrestrial radio technologies,
harmonization of the proposals that conform to the ITU Patent Policy will
ultimately result in the terrestrial radio interface for IMT-2000. Second, for
the satellite radio technologies, discussions clearly showed that there was
little to be gained by attempting to harmonize the various satellite RTT
proposals at this time, since they were all global and aimed at different
market segments.
The satellite experts that take part in the terrestrial harmonization efforts will
ensure maximum commonality between both components of IMT-2000 and
will submit their views of the key characteristics from a satellite perspective.
It is also understood that these proposals are based on systems currently
being deployed (GMPCS and others) and will move gradually to the full set
of IMT-2000 capabilities as a second step.
"The approval by this ITU task force is an important milestone for
recognizing the UWC-136 standard as a global solution for 3G acceptance,"
said Leo Nikkari, vice president of Strategy and Programs at the UWCC.
DSP Communications to Acquire Isotel Research; Canadian Software
Company Enables DSPC to Offer Integrated Wireless Software
Solutions
[ DSP Communications, Inc. ] has signed a definitive agreement to acquire
privately held, Calgary, Canada-based Isotel Research Ltd. Isotel
specializes in the development of call processing software and Java-based
products and services for various wireless standards including TDMA and
3G standards.
DSPC said the acquisition is consistent with its strategy to expand its
position as a leading supplier of chip sets, reference design and software for
cellular phone manufacturers worldwide. Isotel's software technology
controls the cellular phone's call processing and user interface functions. By
bundling DSPC's chip sets and reference design with Isotel's software
technology, DSPC should be able to provide cellular phone manufacturers
with a one-stop, integrated solution for wireless technology.
"The importance of a complete handset solution that includes high level
software protocols is growing," said Joseph Perl, President and CEO of
DSPC. "Until now, cellular phone manufacturers often had to deal with
multiple vendors for silicon and software. DSPC now will be able to offer a
complete solution that allows cellular phone manufacturers to reduce
time-to-market for production."
"Software applications are becoming critical for handset design, and Isotel's
Java development will provide a good platform for integration with
higher-layer software applications," said Duane Sharman, President and
CEO of Isotel. "Third generation technologies are much more data-intensive,
which will place a higher priority on software components in wireless
products. To support the higher data rates of 3G, system architectures must
integrate functions that have traditionally been incorporated in separate
microcontroller and DSP processors."
The acquisition will be accounted for as a purchase. Management expects
that the purchase price allocation will result in both a non-recurring charge
for in-process technology in the fourth fiscal quarter of 1998 and
amortization of capitalized intangible assets over the next several years.
Nortel Networks Wins US$154 Million Contract to Expand Brazil's
Telemig Celular Network
Brazilian operator Telemig Celular S.A. (Telemig) has selected Nortel
Networks to expand its statewide cellular network over the next three years.
The US$154 million contract calls for manufacturing, deployment and
integration of Nortel Networks DualMode(tm) Radios, DMS(tm)-MTX(tm)
SuperNode(tm) digital switching systems, and other equipment and services.
"Over the past five years, Telemig customers have enjoyed the benefits of
Nortel Networks state-of-the-art wireless technology," said Marcio Kaiser,
president, Telemig Celular. "We look forward to expanding our network
and continuing to capitalize on Nortel Networks technology to provide our
customer base with the latest digital features available."
Scheduled to begin before year-end, the Telemig network expansion will
extend the benefits of TDMA IS-136 digital technology-including Mobile
Sleep Mode for long battery life and Short Message Service for
alphanumeric paging without a pager-to new customers throughout the state
of Minas Gerais. Minas Gerais is the second most populous state in Brazil
with more than 17 million residents.
Named by Network World magazine as the "Best Cellular Operator in
Brazil" in 1997, Telemig was recently acquired by a consortium formed by
Telesystems International Wireless (TIW), Opportunity Bank and a group of
major Brazilian pension funds as part of the privatization of the Telebras
system. "Telemig has a well-deserved reputation as one of Brazil's premier
cellular operators," said Dan Hunt, president, Caribbean and Latin America
(CALA), Nortel Networks. In addition to Telemig, Nortel Networks is
deploying TDMA IS-136 digital wireless networks for operators in the city
of Sao Paulo, in the capital city of Brasilia, and in the western and
northeastern regions of Brazil.
Nokia Manufactures Its 100 Millionth Mobile Phone
Nokia announced that it has produced its 100 millionth mobile phone, the
Nokia 9110 Communicator, manufactured at Nokia's site in Salo, Finland.
The milestone phone will be put on display at the Nokia House in Espoo,
Finland. Volume deliveries of the Nokia 9110 Communicator will
commence in the beginning of next year.
For several weeks this autumn, Nokia's global production of mobile phones
has surpassed one million phones a week. "Rising mobile phone
penetrations, new technology and lifestyle features of products, and the
evolution of value added services are the three main drivers which have
resulted in the fast growth of the mobile phone industry", says Matti
Alahuhta, President, Nokia Mobile Phones.
"The 100 millionth Nokia phone is an important milestone on the road to
Wireless Information Society. An increasing part of all personal
communications, be it voice, images, data or video, will be mobile in the
future. We have estimated that in the developed wireless markets mobile
phone penetration will soon reach 60-70 percent, and in the year 2005 there
will be one billion mobile phone users in the world."
Nokia's largest mobile phone manufacturing site in Fort Worth, USA,
produced the 100,000,001st phone, the Nokia 6160. Nokia has
manufactured mobile phones in high volumes since the beginning of the
1990s, when the first digital networks were introduced. Today Nokia's
mobile phones are made by eight factories in seven countries around the
world.
Nortel Networks Addresses Key Issues at UWCC Microconference in
Sao Paulo
Wireless subscribers are savvy, knowledgeable and won't settle for anything
less than high-quality voice service and advanced features and functionality.
In order to meet those challenges and avoid losing customers to their
competitors, the operators of wireless networks must be able to deliver an
affordable, reliable, first-rate service that is easy to use. That was the
message Nortel Networks delivered recently to attendees at the UWCC
Microconference in Sao Paulo.
"The wireless market is more competitive than ever," said Hilario Kleiman,
vice president, Wireless, Brazil, Nortel Networks. "For that reason we
continually work with our customers, the operators, to understand and
deliver the features and capabilities that will help make them more successful
in their endeavors."
"In Sao Paulo, for instance, Nortel Networks helped BCP launch a TDMA
IS-136 wireless network earlier this year that already supports more than a
half million customers," said Kleiman. "BCP, in that short timeframe, is
already among the largest operators of an all-digital TDMA IS-136
network."
Nortel Networks is helping TDMA IS-136 wireless operators meet many of
the demands of today's highly competitive wireless market with a full
portfolio of products, as well as a proven track record in working with some
of the world's largest operators. Nortel Networks sponsored the UWCC
Microconference to provide operators an opportunity to share their
TDMA/Wireless Intelligent Network (WIN) experiences and success
stories. "The UWCC Microconference, sponsored by Nortel Networks,
allows us to provide the industry with information on the latest TDMA
advantages while at the same time keep up with the new challenges that
operators face each day," said Kleiman.
Nokia Supports Open Discussions to Further 3G Standardization
Nokia announced support for open discussions aimed at furthering 3G
technologies and the relevant standards. Nokia also welcomes an approach
to further harmonize those standards, without sacrificing the benefits 3G will
bring to end-users.
"We firmly believe the harmonization process should be taken as far as
possible without conclusions that compromise the performance and quality
of future networks," said Professor Yrjo Neuvo, senior vice president,
product creation, Nokia Mobile Phones.
"We believe the harmonization process will result in three major third
generation standards - WCDMA, CDMA 2000 and UWC 136 - bringing a
smooth evolution from various existing standards as well as providing
enough compatibility. This will ensure a favorable outcome for end-users,
meeting expectations both in terms of service portability and handset costs,"
said Professor Neuvo. "Multiple modes in a single handset will then provide
global service where required by users."
Earlier this autumn, together with other leading companies in the industry,
Nokia submitted a number of third generation harmonization proposals to
standardization bodies. Importantly, one of these covers radio frequency
parameters. These have been identified to have central importance in future
dual mode developments without compromising service quality or terminal
cost.
Nokia also views positively the efforts of the industry in the drive towards an
open and pragmatic approach and looks forward to closely reviewing recent
proposals for the adoption of the common chip rate of 3.84 Mcps for both
WCDMA and CDMA 2000.
Nokia believes these proposals provide an excellent basis for furthering
discussions, with the final decision on harmonization resting with the
International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and other standardization
organizations as planned and agreed earlier.
(Copyright 1998)
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