KT WiBro Marketing Campaign Targets College User-Created Content

by Jeff Orr
Editor, Mobile Broadband News

Korea’s No. 1 broadband operator will use college students and user-created videos to market mobile Internet services says a recent story in the Korea Herald. About 200 college students will be selected as WiBro promotion ambassadors who will carry out their activities from June to August. Out of them, 100 will conduct live broadcasts of WiBro services as college reporters, and the other 100 will deliver real-time traffic and cultural events information via WiBro, the company told the Herald.

The young promoters will upload user-created content (videos) about the various uses of the high-tech service, especially on campuses, onto websites of KT WiBro (event.mseeu.com) and TBS DMB traffic broadcasting. Devices compatible with the WiBro (Mobile WiMAX) service will be provided free of charge to participants.

Read the full Korea Herald story online.

Agilent Technologies Announces 3GPP LTE Signal-Creation Software

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the availability of its Signal Studio for 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) software. Designed to work with Agilent’s N5182A MXG and E4438C ESG vector signal generators, Signal Studio software helps wireless R&D and manufacturing engineers create Agilent-validated and performance-optimized signals to design and test evolving 3GPP LTE products for the next generation of mobile communications. The 3GPP LTE standard is intended to provide a framework for the evolution of 3G toward a high-data-rate, low-latency and packet-optimized radio-access technology, thereby enabling significant new opportunities in mobile TV and video.

Agilent’s Signal Studio is powerful, PC-based software for creating standards-based LTE signals. An easy-to-use user interface simplifies signal creation via familiar tree-style navigation of the signal structure. Before releasing its software, Agilent validates the signals generated by the software with industry experts to ensure they are correct, even in situations where the standards are not yet clearly defined. Used with Agilent’s vector signal generators, these signals help engineers better characterize, evaluate and fine-tune their designs under parametric and functional test conditions. Read more

Portable WiBro Computer with 3D Display due in August

Korea Times reports that Seoul start-up KDC Corp. announced plans Monday to market their M100 portable computer. Equipped with a 3D display panel, the 480-gram handheld is expected to reach the Korean market in August 2007. A WiBro (Mobile WiMAX) radio is included for wireless WAN access along with a DMB-T tuner for terrestrial broadcast TV.

“Our products are designed to feature a pair of 2D images on the 4.3-inch liquid crystal display to make viewers feel as if they are watching 3D videos,” KDC Corp. head Kim Tae-sub said. “Thus far, 3D technologies have failed due to the dark display but we have addressed that problem — our 3D images are almost as bright as 2D video clips.” Read more

In-Stat Report Finds WiMAX Pioneers Still Hold Dominant Market Share Position in 2006

According to In-Stat, while better known equipment vendors like Samsung, Nokia Siemens, and Motorola received extensive press coverage in 2006 due to their high-profile service provider wins, it was still the original market entrants - Alvarion, Aperto, Redline, and Airspan that held the dominant market positions. The high-tech market research firm does expect that will change as Sprint starts its network deployment. The company has not selected any of those early market pioneers as an infrastructure partner.

“While the early pioneers of WiMAX should lose their market share dominance over the next couple of years, they should continue to grow their revenues, benefiting from the overall growth of the market. These vendors continue to win larger contracts with higher profile service providers,” says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. Read more

OmniGlobe Networks Introduces Satellite and WiMAX Management Software

OmniGlobe Networks announces OmniCenter-a comprehensive, end-to-end network management software solution that combines satellite and WiMAX network management, operations monitoring and bandwidth optimization into a single, cost-effective package. This solution is designed for Internet service providers and network operators that require a comprehensive dashboard view of their entire network, ensuring round-the-clock reliability and performance of their satellite and/or WiMAX networks, while reducing operational costs.

OmniCenter is the latest offering from OmniGlobe Networks - a global telecommunications company that provides affordable, satellite and WiMAX broadband Internet and VoIP services to geographic regions around the world where terrestrial telecommunications are unavailable, unreliable, or just too expensive. Read more

Rogers Wireless and HTC introduce TyTN Windows Mobile Pocket PC with HSDPA

Rogers Wireless and High Tech Computer Corp. (”HTC”) today announced the availability of the HTC TyTN, a Windows Mobile 5 Pocket PC that features Tri-Band HSDPA, Quad Band Edge, and a slide-out QWERTY keypad.

Designed by HTC, the TyTN is the complete “office-in-your-pocket” solution combining functionality and connectivity with a stylish slide-out QWERTY keypad and 2.8-inch touch screen LCD display. As a powerful Windows Mobile 5.0 device, the TyTN provides a wealth of voice and data capabilities that enable people to easily stay connected, organized and entertained.

“As the only wireless carrier with the advanced broadband HSDPA-based network in Canada, Rogers Wireless is committed to bringing the most powerful HSDPA-enabled devices to market,” said John Boynton, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Rogers Wireless. “Rogers is committed to investing in innovative new services such as TyTN. This new device brings together the combination of power, design and connectivity into one amazing device so our customers can save time and have access to the latest in mobile innovation while on the go.” Read more

4.4m mobile broadcast TV subscribers, Datamonitor reports

Research and Markets has announced the addition of “The Mobile TV Market: Global Subscriber Numbers, 2006-2012 (Databook)” to their offering.

This databook provides forecasts of subscriber growth for the mobile broadcast TV market across the globe. It addresses the adoption of all types of mobile broadcast TV technologies including DVB-H, MediaFLO, DAB-IP, ISDB-T and DMB-S/T. Read more

picoChip Announces WiMAX Wave 2 and MIMO Basestation Reference Design

picoChip announced today the next version of its industry-standard WiMAX basestation reference design, with a software upgrade to support Mobile WiMAX Wave 2 and MIMO. The new PC8532 WiMAX platform has its first public display at WiMAX World Europe this week (Booth Number 204). It is the only basestation reference design to support WiMAX Wave 2 and IO-MIMO, and scales from access point (femtocell) to sophisticated multi-sector carrier macrocells. The PC8532 is used for WiMAX certification and has already demonstrated the widest range of interoperability with third-party terminals.

“The ability to upgrade our WiMAX basestations by software is fundamental to our strategic market advantage,” said Paul Senior, VP Marketing of Airspan Networks and WiMAX Forum Board member. “picoChip’s programmable PHY has been demonstrated to support IOT between systems running WiMAX Forum Certified 16d, 16e SISO, and 16e Wave 2 MIMO, all from a common hardware platform. This capability allows our customers to deploy WiMAX services today, confident in their ability to migrate to the latest features and performance enhancements as WiMAX evolves.” Read more

Leadtek licenses Flash-OFDM and other patents from Qualcomm

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) and Leadtek Research, Inc., based in Taipei, Taiwan, today announced the companies have signed a OFDM/OFDMA patent license agreement. Under the terms of the worldwide, royalty-bearing agreement, QUALCOMM has granted Leadtek a patent license to develop, manufacture and sell OFDM/OFDMA subscriber unit and modem card products for high-speed broadband wireless OFDMA technologies, including, among others, QUALCOMM’s FLASH-OFDM(R) technology.

“QUALCOMM welcomes Leadtek as the newest licensee of its OFDM/OFDMA patent portfolio,” said Marvin Blecker, president of QUALCOMM Technology Licensing. “Leadtek’s international presence combined with their access to QUALCOMM’s OFDM/OFDMA patented technologies will enable their participation in providing end user products for use in OFDM-based services around the world.” Read more

“Advanced Wireless Communications” Continues to Provide a Comparative Study of Enabling Technologies for 4G

Research and Markets has announced the addition of “Advanced Wireless Communications: 4G Cognitive and Cooperative Broadband Technologies, 2nd Edition” to their offering.

Wireless communications continue to attract the attention of both research community and industry. Since the first edition was published significant research and industry activities have brought the fourth generation (4G) of wireless communications systems closer to implementation and standardization.

“Advanced Wireless Communications” continues to provide a comparative study of enabling technologies for 4G. This second edition has been revised and updated and now includes additional information on the components of common air interface, including the area of space time coding, multi-carrier modulation especially OFDM, MIMO, cognitive radio and cooperative transmission. Read more

Wi-LAN Acquires OFDM Patents from Bristol University

Wi-LAN Inc. announced it has acquired six important OFDM patents relating to Wi-Fi and WiMAX from the University of Bristol in England for a total consideration of $300,000 (U.S.). The patents, which are related to radio receivers using OFDM technology, further extend Wi-LAN’s portfolio coverage in Europe and Japan. Currently no other parties are licensed to these patents.

“This acquisition broadens the geographic scope of our OFDM patent coverage,” said Jung Yee, CTO. “We believe many of today’s higher-performance Wi-Fi and WiMAX products will likely infringe these patents. It is also likely that many future OFDM-based products will implement inventions covered by these patents.” Read more

Uruguay to receive first UMTS/HSPA network services from ANTEL

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) today announced a contract with ANTEL, the leading provider of telecommunications services in Uruguay, to supply and install a wireless network based on UMTS/HSPA (Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service/High Speed Packet Access) technology to provide innovative 3G services.

This advanced mobile network project will enable ANCEL, the mobile phone division of ANTEL, to expand capacity while offering sophisticated next-generation services, including advanced multimedia, mobile broadband and converged services such as video call and streaming, Mobile TV and high-speed mobile Internet access on 3G mobile handsets. ANCEL also will introduce high-speed Internet and mobile data services to business and residential subscribers through USB modems and data cards. Read more

Primus Canada and Mipps to trial 3.5 GHz Mobile WiMAX on Alcatel-Lucent platform

Alcatel-Lucent announced today that Primus Telecommunications Canada Inc., the largest alternative communications carrier in Canada, and Mipps Inc., a Canadian wireless operator that acquired 3.5 GHz licensed spectrum in most major cities across Canada, have selected Alcatel-Lucent’s Evolium WiMAX solution to support market trials of IEEE 802.16e-2005 WiMAX broadband wireless access service.

Mipps will deploy the Alcatel-Lucent 9100 Evolium WiMAX end-to-end radio solution, including base stations, Wireless Access Controller and Operation and Maintenance Center. Upon successful completion of the field trial, Primus Canada, through its strategic relationship with Mipps, will provide its subscribers with broadband access to high speed Internet and data transmissions with a guaranteed level of quality. Read more

Qwest Wireless Offers Re-branded Sprint EV-DO Broadband Wireless Service

Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE: Q) announced that it is offering a new mobile broadband service through evolution data optimized (EV-DO) technology. With a Qwest Wireless Mobile Broadband access card inserted in a laptop computer, and a subscription to one of three Qwest Wireless Mobile Broadband plans, customers can now connect to the Internet at broadband-like speeds when on the Sprint Power Vision network.

Qwest Mobile Broadband complements Qwest’s existing high-speed Internet solutions by allowing customers the convenience to access the Internet, e-mail, and calendars, and stay connected to the office while on the road. This service will work in many places where a Wi-Fi network is not available. Read more

UMTS/HSDPA leads 3G deployments with 117 million customers

The GSM technology global coverage footprint has provided the foundation for UMTS/HSDPA to become the most widely deployed 3G technology and market leader, with 167 operators in 69 countries offering UMTS services, 115 of whom have enhanced service with HSDPA. 3G Americas reports today that according to Informa‘s World Cellular Information Service quarterly subscriber reports, UMTS/HSDPA, with 117 million subscribers, is commercially available through twice as many operators as other 3G technologies – 167 operators in 69 countries, compared to 71 operators in 44 countries with CDMA EV-DO. Of the 172 million true mobile broadband 3G subscribers worldwide as of 1Q 2007, 68% use UMTS/HSDPA.

The GSM family of technologies currently provides service to 2.4 billion users worldwide, and comprises 85% of the total global wireless mobile market. GSM is the most widely deployed technology in the Western Hemisphere and the only technology present in every country of the region, encompassing 58% of all mobile wireless customers in the Western Hemisphere. Worldwide, the greatest quarterly growth of UMTS/HSDPA took place in the US and Canada, where UMTS experienced an unprecedented 614% growth, rocketing from 350,000 subscribers to 2.5 million subscribers in three months ending March 2007. Read more

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