Comstar to Build First Mobile WiMAX Network in Armenia
January 31, 2008
COMSTAR - United TeleSystems, a telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS, announced that it has started building a wireless broadband network based on the 802.16e standard WiMAX technology in the Republic of Armenia. The project is expected to be completed in the second part of 2008.
The creation of the wireless broadband network will be implemented on the basis of Cornet, an Internet services provider in the Republic of Armenia and a part of Comstar Group. Cornet has a license to use 3.6-3.8 GHz frequency range throughout the territory of Armenia.
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Intuitive Menu and On Screen Guide Essential for Mobile TV, Says Strategy Analytics
January 31, 2008
The Strategy Analytics Wireless Media Lab report on buyer behavior, “Strategy Analytics: Intuitive Menu and On-Screen Guide Essential for Mobile TV,†evaluates the perceived importance of key features for current and prospective mobile TV users.
Excellent audiovisual quality and reliable coverage are, of course, “table stakes†items and are the two most important features in both the US and Western Europe. Over half of respondents rated these features as ‘must have’ for a mobile TV service.
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NextWave Wireless Prepares Mobile TV and TD-CDMA Base Station Demos for Mobile World Congress 2008
January 31, 2008
NextWave Wireless Inc. will showcase a range of products and services at the upcoming 2008 GSMA Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain (February 11-14, 2008). During the event, NextWave plans to make a number of important announcements that will further the company’s leadership in providing the products and technologies needed to enable next-generation mobile multimedia services for customers around the world. These announcements will include news related to mobile TV, LTE, advances in NextWave’s WiMAX technology and ecosystem, and mobile media content solutions.
“Major operators and handset manufacturers around the world today depend on NextWave for a wide range of essential mobile multimedia and wireless broadband technologies,” said Allen Salmasi, CEO of NextWave Wireless. “At this year’s Mobile World Congress we will be showcasing an exciting lineup of innovative products and services that will take mobile multimedia into a new realm for our customers.”
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NXP to Demo Programmable Multi-Mode LTE Modem at the Mobile World Congress 2008
January 31, 2008
NXP Semiconductors announced it will demonstrate an LTE/HSPA/UMTS/EDGE/GPRS/GSM multi-mode baseband platform which forms the basis of a next-generation Software Defined Radio (SDR) system solution at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Powered by NXP’s Embedded Vector Processor (EVP), a powerful new Digital Signal Processing core, the solution is capable of achieving data transfer rates of 150 Mbits downlink and 50 Mbits uplink and supports multi-mode capability to cope with evolving mobile standards, particularly challenging for the next generation of mobile terminal manufacturers.
The differentiating value of the EVP-based modem architecture is the ability to support multi-standard baseband processing with negligible area and power penalties – a significant breakthrough from previous generations of baseband architectures.
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802.16e-2005 Chipset Revenues Undergo 198% CAGR Between 2008 and 2012, Says WTRS Report
January 31, 2008
A new market study, WTRS Telecom Application Report 2008, analyzes and forecasts the overall Telecom client-side RF chipset market. It is written primarily for component-level companies who are in the process of evaluating the Telecom market, the “Wireless Broadband” sector, and the participation of WiMAX (802.16-2004 and 802.16e-2005). This report is designed to support development of business and product planning activities and includes an assessment of the market, regulatory, and governmental drivers on a global scale. The 45-page report analyzes potential market opportunities for component OEMs, describes initial versus long-range drivers in the market, and analyzes partnership opportunities and existing alliances.
“Shipments of IEEE 802.16.e chipsets will undergo strong growth over the next five years. However, WiMAX will also see strong competition from LTE and HSPA by 2011,” says Kirsten West, principal analyst of WTRS. “Established cellular broadband technologies in this space are growing rapidly and it will be challenging for IEEE 802.16.e technology to displace much of the existing technology infrastructure. With a 198% Compound Annual Growth rate WTRS foresees a substantial advantage for WiMAX in the developing world as it provides an ideal solution for Greenfield deployments of basic voice and data services.”
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Korean Air and Asiana Airlines to Offer Mobile Check-In for SK Telecom Customers
January 30, 2008
by Jeff Orr, Editor
Mobile Broadband News
According to a recent report from Korea’s Digital Chosunilbo, mobile-enabled air travelers in Korea will be able to check-in for international flights using their SK Telecom mobile phone.
While limited initially to the one mobile operator and two airline carriers, consumers will be able to make seat selection and complete electronic check-in to avoid long lines and delays. Upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, passengers who have used the online mobile service will be able to produce boarding passes at special kiosks.
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Sprint Sees 5 Mbps Xohm Performance in First Markets
January 30, 2008
by Jeff Orr, Editor
Mobile Broadband News
Sprint’s Barry West told investors at a Clearwire demonstration today that the company’s Xohm network, based on 802.16e-2005 (Mobile WiMAX), is averaging 3-5 Mbps performance in the downlink and 1-2 Mbps in the uplink. He further reiterated that the company expects to offer commercial services of Xohm in three initial US markets — Baltimore, Washington DC, and Chicago — during the second quarter of 2008.
The first three markets are powered by equipment from Samsung Electronics and Motorola. Baltimore and Washington DC are using Samsung infrastructure while Chicago is headed by Illinois local, Motorola. Mobile Broadband News has learned from industry sources that Samsung has already started delivering radio infrastructure for its next Xohm market, Boston. Upon completion of the Boston market, New York City will be next for the Korean manufacturer though no timeframe for delivery of radios has been communicated. The delivery of base stations to Sprint’s Boston market in advance of seeing results from commercial services suggests that capital expenditures for the Xohm service continue to occur while the company determines how aggressive the market launches should occur.
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North American Mobile Gaming Revenues to Reach $3bn by 2012, According to Juniper Research
January 30, 2008
The North American market for mobile games is expected to rise from less than US$800 million in 2007 to more than US$3 billion by 2012, according to a new report from Juniper Research.
At present, around 18 million Americans download or rent mobile games at least once per year, but these numbers are expected to increase sharply over the next five years due to factors such as improvements in the user interface, all-you-can-eat data packages and the introduction of free trial periods for subscription-based games.
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Motorola Accepts 198,000 Unit Device Order from Wateen Telecom-Pakistan for Mobile WiMAX
January 30, 2008
Motorola, Inc. announced a contract with Wateen Telecom-Pakistan for the supply of 198,000 end-user WiMAX customer premises equipment (CPE) devices for both indoor and outdoor use.
Complementing Wateen Telecom’s nationwide WiMAX network which is built using Motorola’s 802.16e WiMAX and IMS solutions, the CPE units will provide subscribers in Pakistan with unprecedented wireless access to agile and affordable data and Voice over IP (VoIP) services in one of the world’s most rapidly-growing telecoms markets. The CPEs will provide consumers, small businesses and Pakistan’s largest enterprises access to wireless services, from basic telephony and fast internet access to high-end data services such as virtual private networks (VPN) for banks and other organizations.
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SkyCross Unveils Isolated Mode Antenna Technology For Wireless Devices
January 30, 2008
SkyCross unveiled Isolated Mode Antenna Technology (iMAT), a single-antenna approach providing significant benefits for device designers and manufacturers, network operators, and end users.
Antenna technology is crucial because the antenna is the only part of a mobile device that communicates directly with the wireless network. iMAT, a patented, counterintuitive solution, significantly improves antenna gain and receiver sensitivity, delivering the following benefits:
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ROK Entertainment Group Launches Mobile TV Service with Vodafone-Turkey
January 30, 2008
ROK Entertainment Group has announced the launch in Turkey, through its regional representative Mobilturk, of a Mobile TV service with Vodafone.
Vodafone-Turkey’s subscribers will be able to watch a range of live and on-demand content via the company’s mobile streaming service, ROK TV, which includes technology that maximizes deployment across 2.5G networks to provide a high frame-rate mobile TV service. The weekly fee of approximately US$4.00 is payable via SMS, with the first week’s viewing free of charge. Mobilturk are forecasting several thousand paid-for subscribers per month.
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Free Live Mobile Cellular Drive Performance Tests Offered at CTIA 2008
January 29, 2008
ZK Celltest, a manufacturer of wireless network drive test solutions, announced that it will be offering free drive tests during CTIA 2008 in the US. Participants will ride in a high-tech van equipped with the latest wireless drive test measurement systems and view, first hand, the simultaneous monitoring of all Las Vegas wireless carriers.
“This is an opportunity for Executives and Engineers to see the power of our latest technology in a real world environment. Our live test drive is more informative than seeing a hyped up demo in a typical trade show exhibit booth. We will be driving around Las Vegas showing people the real thing. They can see for themselves, for example, how EVDO A performs against HSDPA,†says Rich Miletic, CEO of ZK Celltest, Inc.
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Briefly Noted: WSJ Reports that Sprint Nextel in renewed WiMAX joint venture talks with Clearwire
January 29, 2008
By Jeffry Bartash, MarketWatch
Last update: 1:46 p.m. EST Jan. 29, 2008
Sprint Nextel Corp. and Clearwire Corp. reportedly have entered fresh talks to revive a joint venture to build a mobile network with the fastest Internet connections in the U.S.
The two companies, whose original deal collapsed in November, are looking for “nontraditional” partners — such as Intel Corp., Google Inc. and Best Buy Co. — to help finance their proposed venture, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday on its Web site.
Both Sprint and Clearwire have chosen a new technology known as WiMAX as the underpinning of a national wireless network that would offer Internet access at speeds much faster than are available currently.
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KT by the Numbers
January 29, 2008
by Jeff Orr, Editor
Mobile Broadband News
South Korea telecom operator, Korea Telecom (KT), ended a market-defending 2007 while quietly gearing up new service capabilities. KT has its sights set on significant growth for 2008.
2007 highlights:
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Mobile Broadband News Podcast: Episode 001
January 28, 2008
Announcing Mobile Broadband News Podcast: Episode 001 for 26 January 2008.
The MBN Podcast is a recap of the top stories from the previous week. Click on the link above to download the MP3 file, or add Mobile Broadband News to your iTunes Podcast list. Read more
