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To: straight life who wrote (23583)	3/1/1999 1:28:00 PM
From: Ruffian	Respond to of 152472

Sprint PCS News> PCS Develops Interoperability ..." --- Big CDMA news? by: unibitri 15382 of 15383 SOURCE: Sprint PCS [March 1] ------ Sprint Develops Interoperability Between Different Equipment Vendor Products for its Wireless Network Development Likely to Lead to Lower Costs, More Options for COMA Service Providers biz.yahoo.com KANSAS CITY, Mo., March 1 /PRNewswire/ -- After more than three years of intensive research and testing, Sprint today announced a breakthrough in the interoperability of key wireless network equipment. PCS engineers have developed standard specifications that enable interoperability between two major components of wireless networks -- switches, known as Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs), and Base Station (BS) subsystems -- from two different vendors of CDMA (code division multiple access) equipment. "This significant development will lead to increased competition among network vendors for CDMA service provider business," said Keith Paglusch, senior vice president of Operations, Sprint PCS. "Because providers may be able to choose among more vendors in every market, this will likely lower costs for Sprint PCS and other CDMA wireless service providers when they buy new switches and Base Station subsystems." A Base Station subsystem comprises a BTS (Base Transceiver Station) and a BSC (Base Station Controller). The BTS transmits radio frequencies ever the air interface to wireless handsets, while the BSC manages the radio frequency resources. PCS developed IOS, or Interoperability Specifications, in 1995 to provide precise specifications when linking vendors' Base Station subsystems and MSCs. 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, there have not been detailed specifications available within this standard to ensure interoperability between vendors -- until now. "Sprint PCS and its infrastructure vendors have taken the necessary steps to make the great wireless technology of CDMA even better," said Paglusch. "We intend to bring these specifications to the entire CDMA community to raise the bar on the number of benefits that CDMA offers service providers and their customers around the world." During the testing in the Sprint PCS Service Integration Lab in Lenexa, Kan., wireless calls were completed using a Nortel Networks MSC and a Motorola Base Station subsystem. Similarly, calls were completed using a Lucent Technologies MSC and a Motorola Base Station subsystem. Sprint PCS expects to deploy the interoperability software an its network in a field trial before the end of this year. Sprint PCS has taken a leadership role in the development of interoperability standards in the wireless industry. For example, Sprint PCS' IOS will be the basis for a new international standard to be defined by a newly formed international collaborative group called Third Generation Partnership Project 2, or 3GPP2, whose mission is to propose next-generation standards for CDMA. This organization is comprised of CDMA service providers and equipment vendors from around the world who are interested in further defining Technical Specifications for third-generation (3G) mobile systems based on cdma2000, the evolved ANSI-41 core network and the relevant radio access technologies. Sprint PCS operates the largest 100 percent digital, 100 percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the United States, already serving the majority of the nation's metropolitan areas including more than 4,000 cities and communities across the country. Sprint PCs has licensed PCs coverage of nearly 270 million people in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. For more information, visit the Sprint PCs web site at sprintpcs.com. Sprint PCS is a wholly-owned tracking group of Sprint Corporation trading on the NYSE under the symbol PCS.