BTRC won’t allow WiMax firms to give voice services

WiMax operators that have received the long-term evolution (LTE) licences will not be able to provide exclusive voice services like mobile operators, the telecom regulator said yesterday.
The WiMax operators working with broadband wireless access (BWA) are responsible for data services, not voice, said Sunil Kanti Bose, chairman of Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission.
“The BWA and cellular licences are meant for different services and have different courses of action,” he said.
The WiMax operators are allowed to offer their services through laptops or personal computers, not through mobiles, he said.
But if they set up LTE equipment, they will be able to offer internet protocol calls such as Skype or Viber with the mobility facility, he added.
Recently, the government amended the BWA licensing guideline offering LTE services for the WiMax operators.
The government also gave a new licence to Bangladesh Internet Exchange Ltd (BIEL) that operates as an internet service provider under the brand name of OLLO.
However, the mobile operators raised concerns about the amendment, as WiMax operators would get the opportunity to provide voice services as well.
The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh also wrote to the government and the regulator on the matter.
“It will be noted that OLLO won’t be able to provide cellular voice services,” Bose said.
BTRC has already asked OLLO to deposit its license and spectrum fee.
After paying 50 percent of the total spectrum charge of Tk 245 crore, OLLO will get its licence, Bose said.
Last month, BTRC permitted two existing BWA licensees—Banglalion and Qubee—to roll out their network with LTE technology.
BTRC allowed the BWA licensees to upgrade their network with LTE technology as the WiMax technology is going to become extinct in the next few years.

source: http://www.thedailystar.net/beta2/news/btrc-wont-allow-wimax-firms-to-give-voice-services/

WiMax licence for Ollo

The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (Amtob) on Sunday protested the spectrum allocation process and pricing for WiMax licensee Ollo, and demanded an immediate review of recent changes in the BWA (broadband wireless access) guideline. At a press conference in Dhaka on Sunday, the association also called for a thorough consultation with industry stakeholders on spectrum allocation policies and procedure. On November 4, the government decided to award a WiMax licence with LTE (long-term evolution) to the Ollo brand for only Tk2.45bn and allocate it the most valuable 20MHz spectrum on 2600 bands. LTE, a fourth generation telephone and mobile broadband communication standard, will enable Ollo to handle both voice and data services, making it the most influential operator in the country despite spending much less than other operators. Industry experts claimed that the deal with Ollo would cost the country nearly Tk32bn, as the present market price of 20MHz spectrum was more than Tk34bn. TIM Nurul Kabir, secretary general of Amtob, said the controversial government decision might disrupt the level-playing field in the telecommunications sector and create discrimination among operators. “In the 3G spectrum auction, we acquired per megahertz spectrum for Tk1.55bn. But now we find that the government is allocating spectrum for a certain operator for only Tk60m per MHz _ which will incur a huge loss for the country,” Nurul Kabir told journalists. He said the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) had arranged an auction in 2008 for awarding WiMax licences, but it did not do so this time. “As a regulator, BTRC has a duty to protect our interests,” a senior official from a mobile operator said. “BTRC should arrange an open auction as we also want to participate.” Amtob also noted that 2600 bands were specifically allocated for mobile spectrum from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). However, the association was yet to decide about challenging the government decision in court, Nurul Kabir said in reply to a question from the Dhaka Tribune. Another source said, “As the guideline is not finalised yet, we cannot challenge it. As the big player in the industry, we are seeking a spectrum road map from the regulator.” Mahmud Hossain, chief corporate affairs officer of Grameenphone, Ashraf H Chowdhury, head of corporate affairs of Airtel, Mahmudur Rahman, executive vice president of Robi, and Zakiul Islam, senior director of regulatory and legal affairs of Banglalink, also answered questions from journalists. Earlier, BTRC Chairman Sunil Kanti Bose said the telecom regulator was planning to formulate a spectrum road map. Ollo, a co-brand of Bangladesh Internet Exchange Ltd (BIEL) and New Generation Graphics Ltd (NGGL) applied for a WiMax licence in April this year. Both companies are now owned by the Russian company, Multinet. NGGL already got 20MHz spectrum worth more than Tk30bn free of cost on 800 bands in 2011. In 2008, BIEL had participated in an auction for WiMax licencing, but it came in fifth position and withdrew its earnest money. Legal experts said BIEL was not eligible for a WiMax licence, unless a new auction takes place. - See more at: http://www.dhakatribune.com/regulation/2013/nov/11/wimax-licence-ollo#sthash.uWUY6G4L.dpuf

source: http://www.dhakatribune.com/regulation/2013/nov/11/wimax-licence-ollo

Telrad Networks Introduces CPE7000 Family of WiMAX/TD-LTE, Dual-Mode CPEs

Unique Customer Premises Equipment Solution Designed to Help WiMAX Operators Make Smooth Transition to TD-LTE

CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA--(Marketwired - November 11, 2013) - AfricaCom 2013 and WiMAX Forum Africa Operators Summit --  Telrad Networks, a global provider of innovative 4G wireless and telecom solutions, today announced the launch of its new Dual Mode CPE7000 Series, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) that is designed to support operators and Internet Service Providers in the deployment of future-proof, 4G wireless broadband networks.

Telrad's new dual-mode CPEs continue a long-standing tradition of bringing high-quality, multi-platform CPEs to market. The CPE7000 family provides extended coverage to support a wide range of connectivity needs, for virtually any deployment scenario.  The high throughput and transmit power of the devices, combined with the small tower footprint and high capacity of Telrad's flagship BreezeCOMPACT base stations, present an effective and optimized solution for operators targeting LTE as a next step for their deployments.

The new family addresses service providers' need to manage an ever-increasing demand for broadband data, while facilitating a network evolution path across multiple 4G technologies. The new Dual Mode CPE, in conjunction with Telrad's BreezeCOMPACT and TelCORE solution, is aligned with the latest WiMAX Advanced roadmap, which defines the coexistence of WiMAX and LTE in a broad ecosystem of devices and radio access technologies.

By deploying Telrad's LTE Advanced ready infrastructure, operators have the convenience of evolving to a fully mature LTE network, at their own pace, ensuring an affordable and practical path. Offering Quality of Service (QoS) management, flexible voice, data and WiFi configurations, and high-power transmission, the CPE7000 family is ideal for achieving the best investment protection for the operator, avoiding extra expenses and ensuring service continuity when moving to LTE technology.

"As the wireless industry evolves, operators are seeking ways to become relevant players in future converged LTE mobile and fixed markets," said Mark Altshuller, Telrad's Chief Technology Officer.  "Leveraging Telrad's dual-mode devices, operators can upgrade their whole WiMAX network to TD-LTE, with a simple software installation -- eliminating service interruption required with hardware swapping."

source: http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/telrad-networks-introduces-cpe7000-family-of-wimax-td-lte-dual-mode-cpes-1850451.htm

WiMAX Market Expected to Reach $33.65 Billion by 2016

The operators have wide flexibility in terms of operable bandwidth (spectrum), duplexing techniques (FDD and TDD), and portability options

The report “WiMAX-TDD/FDD Spectrum Analysis and Global Forecast (2011-2016)” analyzes the global WiMAX market by types-TDD/FDD and highlights the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and market trends in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East Africa.

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report.

This report studies the global WiMAX market, and is segmented into equipment, services, and end-user devices market for the period 2011-2016.

The global WiMAX equipment market is expected to grow from $1.92 billion in 2011 to $9.21 billion in 2016, representing a CAGR of 36.83%, while the service market is estimated to grow from $4.65 billion in 2011 to $33.65 billion in 2016, registering a CAGR of 48.56%, thereby indicating positive growth.

There is an urgent need for raising standards of living of the rural areas worldwide. This need for broadband connectivity has long been prevailing in these untapped regions; but off late, has stirred up even more due to the growing needs of businesses and individuals. Apart from this, government bodies, along with the other organizations, have identified the need to facilitate these regions with basic services such as education and healthcare through e- Learning, e-Governance, and e-Medicine.

WiMAX has gained immense support from vendors such as Alvarion and Samsung, who are seeing enormous opportunity in this market, owing to its operational flexibility. This has, in turn, increased its popularity, thereby driving this market towards lower prices, promising gradual ease in economies of scale. The operators have wide flexibility in terms of operable bandwidth (spectrum), duplexing techniques (FDD and TDD), and portability options.

In terms of unit shipments, the 3.5 GHz band is the most preferred one globally, as it is suitable for fixed broadband. As WiMAX was initially deployed for fixed broadband, most of the deployments and equipment were made in the 3.5 GHz band; as such higher frequency bands are preferred for fixed broadband. With the rising need for enhanced portability and mobility, WiMAX is now revolutionizing its way through the mobile space, hence enforcing regulators worldwide to make lower bands such as 2.3 GHz available for auctions.

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source: http://www.international.to/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=16757:wimax-market-expected-to-reach-$33-65-billion-by-2016&catid=309:pitchengine&Itemid=446

Ollo buys LTE/mobile WiMAX licence for USD31m

The Bangladeshi government has decided to award Russian-backed Ollo the country’s third Broadband Wireless Access (BWA) licence – which under recent regulatory amendments allows 4G TD-LTE mobile broadband service as well as mobile WiMAX. No auction was held for the 2500MHz band licence, which had gone unsold in the BWA auction of 2008. According to the report, Ollo – which currently operates fixed-wireless WiMAX services in the capital – will have to pay BDT2.46 billion (USD31.1 million) for the 2500MHz BWA licence, after telecoms minister Shahara Khatun approved the award on Monday evening. The approval is likely to be sent to the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) by today (Tuesday 5 November), a ministry official confirmed to the Tribune. An official of the BTRC said the regulator had sent a letter signed by its Senior Assistant Director Shazeda Parvin to Bangladesh Internet Exchange Limited (BIEL, a joint venture partner in Ollo) on 15 September, informing it about the licence award.

The Tribune quotes legal experts as saying that the government might face a legal challenge to the decision, as there had been no reappraisal of the price for BWA spectrum leftover from the 2008 auction, while the telecoms minister told the paper simply: ‘Journalists need not know what we are going to do. The government will decide what is best for the people.’ The Association of Mobile Telecom Operators of Bangladesh (AMTOB) previously said it disagreed with the licence award to Ollo and requested the government assign spectrum through ‘proper valuation.’

TeleGeography notes that Ollo is a joint venture between two Bangladeshi ISPs – New Generation Graphics Limited (NGGL) and BIEL – and the latter’s Russian-based parent company Multinet, which bought BIEL in 2011 and injected investment into the newly formed Ollo joint brand, with additional investment from the Russian ICT Group. Ollo applied for a vacant mobile WiMAX (BWA) 2.5GHz licence left over from the 2008 auction, and in July 2013 the regulator sent a recommendation for licence approval to the telecoms ministry. Ollo currently operates fixed-wireless 3.5GHz WiMAX services in Dhaka, where its USB (dongle) modems can be used ‘within 200 metres from an Ollo base station’, whereas the two current BWA operators Banglalion and Qubee operate 2.5GHz mobile WiMAX and are both in the process of upgrading to LTE technology, with tests expected to be launched shortly.

source: http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2013/11/05/ollo-buys-ltemobile-wimax-licence-for-usd31m/

The best public broadband network: BT, O2 or The Cloud

We took to the streets to find out just how useful is public Wi-Fi. We paired up with our friends at Broadband Genie and signed up to the three major public Wi-Fi networks: BT Wi-fi, O2 and The Cloud. Armed only with a laptop, we sent five testers on to the streets of London, setting them a series of timed web-based challenges, each to be completed at the same time in the same place. For the full story read: How good is public Wi-Fi? We test The Cloud, BT and O2 to find out if you really need 3G or 4G connectivity.

The five contenders included three testers who were allowed only to use their chosen public Wi-Fi network, BT Wi-fi, O2 or The Cloud. We also had a wildcard tester who was signed up to no accounts, but able to use any public Wi-Fi network that didn’t require direct payment. As a control we had one tester using 3G, with a dongle from Three.

This was not a scientific test. To an extent it required ingenuity and flexibility on the part of the individual tester. Consider this more of an anecdotal piece: in part we wanted to test just how much thought was required to find a usable connection. The user experience is an important part of all consumer tech, after all.

Our nine tests took us all over London, and involved tasks as varied as streaming video, finding turn-by-turn navigation and download image files. So how did we get on?

How good is BT public Wi-Fi

In general our BT tester thought connectivity was okay, but the user experience wasn't great.

We weren’t impressed with the apps – the hotspot map wasn’t very good, for instance. And, on a laptop, it seemed as though you couldn’t go back to BT page if you’d already been there but failed to login. It would open the first time you opened the browser, but if you didn’t sign in and restarted the browser it disappeared.

Our BT tester found he had to log in too many times, and there were too many different networks to choose from. He thought it should be much simpler. But crucially he could get online almost every time.

How good it O2 public Wi-Fi

O2 Wi-Fi was generally good. Setup online was easy, but adding a laptop as a second device proved a pain. From then on, when in range both our tester's smartphone and laptop connected to networks and the performance was great, just like being at home.

Coverage was consistently good in London, although when you’re not near a hotspot the smartphone app and mobile data is required to find one.

How good  is The Cloud public Wi-Fi

Since The Cloud boasts of thousands of hotspots around the country. Frequently, though, it seemed that major areas were bereft of connectivity, even when other networks were available.

The Cloud generally was nearby, but this almost always involved walking to a café or restaurant. That’s fine if it’s not raining and you can stand outside, or get away with sitting in there while checking your email, but not many restaurants will let you take up a seat without paying for something.

The Cloud smartphone app proved useful for quickly locating hotspots and seemed generally accurate. One oddity of The Cloud network highlighted by the app is the clustering of the connections – you can walk for ages and not find anything, then there will be three or four in a very small area, often in adjoining coffee shops. It would be more useful if they were spread out, although it does mean that if the place you’re in is very busy you can try next door’s connection.

All devices should be registered with The Cloud ahead of time as this part of the process can be painful on a busy connection. The device-management screen can take a little while to load up and behaved strangely when the link was slow. Once that was done, though, both smartphone and laptop instantly latched on to the hotspots instantly without any further fuss. See also: The UK's best mobile networks revealed: mobile broadband group test.

source: http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/videos/3490222/whats-the-best-public-broadband-network-bt-o2-or-the-cloud/

Taiwan market: Vee TIME, Vmax enlarging WiMAX coverage

Vee TIME and Vmax Telecom, two WiMAX mobile Internet-access operators in southern and northern Taiwan, respectively, are expanding their WiMAX networks to a target covering 70% of the population in service areas, according to Vee TIME which holds a 72.43% stake in Vmax.

In addition to Vmax, Vee TIME has acquired a 100% stake in Tatung InfoComm, a WiMAX operator in southern Taiwan, to operate WiMAX around the whole island of Taiwan, Vee TIME indicated. Tatung InfoComm has attained 70% coverage, a minimum ratio required by the National Communications Commission (NCC), Vee TIME noted.

Tatung InfoComm, Vee TIME and Vmax together have set up more than 2,000 WiMAX base stations around Taiwan, with about 50% that can be upgraded to WiMAX 2.1 through a software upgrade, Vee TIME pointed out. In order to reach a coverage of 70%, Vee TIME and Vmax have to add about 500 base stations in total by the end of 2013.

Vee TIME, Tatung InfoComm and Vmax as well as Global Mobile, another WiMAX operator in northern Taiwan, plan to apply to the NCC for an upgrade to WiMAX 2.1 after attaining 70% coverage, paving the way for a shift to TD-LTE (Time Division-Long Term Evolution) in view of China Mobile's active promotion of the standard, according to industry sources.

source: http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20131125PD219.html

China Telecom’s LTE spending to pass USD7bn in 2014

China Telecom’s spending on Long Term Evolution (LTE) network construction will rise to CNY45.7 billion (USD7.45 billion) in 2014 from approximately CNY10 billion this year, Marbridge Daily cites an industry insider as saying. Telecom’s total CAPEX was CNY53.73 billion in 2012, and is expected to reach CNY75 billion for 2013 and CNY85 billion in 2014.

The telco has also reportedly issued a notice to 4G device manufactures saying that it will concentrate its product procurement on handset, data card and MiFi devices, alongside customer premises equipment (CPE). MiFi and data card devices must support both Time Division Duplex (TDD) and Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) LTE platforms as well as CDMA2000, whilst handsets must be compatible with FDD-LTE, CDMA2000and GSM technologies.

source: http://www.telegeography.com/products/commsupdate/articles/2013/11/26/china-telecoms-lte-spending-to-pass-usd7bn-in-2014/

China Mobile demonstrates world’s first international TDD/FDD VoLTE Call

Chinese operator China Mobile has teamed up with infrastructure vendor Huawei to demonstrate the world’s first international VoLTE HD voice and video calls between a TDD LTE network and a FDD LTE network, the vendor said.

The demonstration was conducted over China Mobile’s VoLTE trial networks in Chengdu and Hangzhou, and a VoLTE network in South Korea.

Li Zhengmao, China Mobile’s vice president, held a meeting to demonstrate the call, as China Mobile steps up its efforts to accelerate VoLTE commercialisation and TD-LTE internationalisation.

The video call demonstration between China Mobile’s trial network in Hangzhou and a network in South Korea was made by Li Zhengmao through the Huawei’s multimedia conference system in Chengdu.

“China Mobile attaches great importance to VoLTE development,” said Li over the video call. “In June of this year, China Mobile’s president, Li Yue, released a VoLTE white paper stating that China Mobile will achieve VoLTE commercialisation by the end of 2014. This VoLTE voice and video interaction has great strategic significance and will help further promote support of the VoLTE solution in the global LTE industry.”

Although China Mobile’s TD-LTE deployment is gaining momentum in China, issues relating to global interoperability of TD-LTE services, such as the international roaming capability of LTE voice and data, as well as VoLTE interworking across different countries, must be resolved before TD-LTE services can achieve full internationalisation.

The VoLTE demonstration shows that China Mobile’s TDD VoLTE network has the capability to cross international boundaries and interwork with networks that use different communication systems, said Huawei.

In July this year, Huawei and China Mobile jointly conducted what they claim was the world’s first TD-LTE based eSRVCC handover test. Then in September, China Mobile made what it claims to be the world’s first national VoLTE voice call in a TD-LTE network environment by partnering with Huawei.

source: http://www.telecoms.com/201081/china-mobile-demonstrates-worlds-first-international-tddfdd-volte-call/

Ericsson continues strategic partnership with China Mobile for LTE

 Ericsson will deploy LTE TDD (TD-LTE) in 15 provinces in mainland China -

these cover some 63 percent of China's population
* Ericsson selected to provide radio access network, Evolved Packet Core and
to upgrade and expand the installed base of core networks
* In the absence of a 3G installed base with China Mobile, this deal
represents recognition of Ericsson's technology leadership in LTE
Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) today announces that it has been selected by China Mobile
(CMCC) to deploy LTE TDD in 15 key provinces in China. These provinces are home
to 63 percent of China's population and include the top three provinces in terms
of GDP.
This is the first phase of the world's largest LTE TDD network deployment.
Ericsson will deploy radio access networks based on its multi-standard RBS
6000. For the core network - which will be used for China Mobile's nationwide
mobile network covering 2G, 3G and 4G - Ericsson has been selected to upgrade
its installed base, equal to a market share of 40 percent in User Data
Management (HLR/HSS). In addition, Ericsson has been awarded 20 percent market
share in Evolved Packet Core. This makes Ericsson China Mobile's main supplier
in Core.
The scope of the contract also includes network design and optimization
services.
Ericsson had no 3G footprint with China Mobile, and this technology shift has
strengthened Ericsson's market position.
Jan Signell, Head of Ericsson Region North East Asia says: "We are pleased that
our LTE TDD technology and services leadership are recognized by China Mobile.
Our leading LTE TDD networks will bring unparalleled network performance to
users and create new opportunities for innovations with connected devices and
applications. We have been a trusted partner to China Mobile since its
introduction of 2G and are committed to supporting the world's largest LTE
deployment."
The deal is aligned with the 11 percent market share in radio access networks
awarded earlier in the China Mobile central purchasing process in September. The
deployment has begun.
Ericsson has been present in mainland China since 1892 and is strongly committed
to this market with one of the largest R&D bases and supply and manufacturing
sites in the world. In addition, Ericsson was a pioneering developer of the TDD
mode of the LTE standard and has made many significant contributions to the
advancement of LTE TDD. Ericsson's LTE TDD and FDD solutions share the same
hardware platform, with commonly applicable software and features, ensuring that
LTE TDD will deliver the same high performance and reliability
Ericsson is the market leader in LTE. Today, 50 percent of the world's LTE
smartphone traffic is served by Ericsson networks, which is more than double the
traffic of our closest competitor. More than 180 LTE RAN and Evolved Packet Core
networks have been delivered worldwide, of which more than 110 have gone live
commercially. Ericsson is present today in all high-traffic LTE markets
including the US, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Canada, and has been
selected by nine of the top 10 LTE operators as ranked by LTE subscriptions
worldwide. We expect to hold 25 percent of all essential patents in LTE, both
for TDD and FDD mode, and we support common hardware and software for FDD and
TDD systems, giving operators maximum flexibility in their FDD and TDD
deployment.

source: http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20131119-907023.html

Optus has begun a trial of a 4G based home wireless broadband product. It takes advantage of the company’s key technological differentiator – 4G TDD.

Optus is leveraging its new TDD (time division duplex) 4G network to provide a new wireless broadband products for home and small business customers.

It has not released the product as yet, but has given a clear indication that it intends to do so with the announcement of a major trial in the homes of its employees.

Optus says its Home Wireless Broadband product is designed to provide an “easy, hassle free and flexible option for customers who may not want, or who are unable to receive, a fixed broadband service.”

There is no need for an existing phone line, installation technician or complicated set-up procedure, says Optus. “Customers will simply need an Optus Home Wireless Broadband device to start receiving quality broadband.” It will use the Optus 4G Plus network, initially only in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane. If successful, it will be released across all Optus 4G Plus areas.

The trial will involve up to 200 Optus staff, who need to volunteer and register with the company. Martin Mercer of Optus said the trial will be used to test and learn how wireless broadband technology can “deliver a more consistent day-to-day experience and expand the home broadband options available to its customers.”

Telstra has a much larger 4G network than Optus, but does not offer a similar product – its 4G broadband is limited to mobile dongles, and it does not offer TDD.

source: http://www.itwire.com/your-it-news/home-it/62343-optus-to-trial-wireless-broadband-on-4g

Wireless Infrastructure: Market Shares, Strategies, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2013 to 2019

WinterGreen Research announces that it has published a new study Wireless Infrastructure: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2013 to 2019. Next generation mission critical systems are leveraging new technology. The 2013 study has 554 pages, 245 tables and figures. Worldwide Wireless Infrastructure markets are poised to achieve significant growth as Building out core networks and backhaul for smart phones.

A smart phone is not very smart if the infrastructure can't support its applications. In response to the high growth smart phone markets, wireless infrastructure promises to grow dramatically in the near term. Wireless Infrastructure technologies include WiMax, LTE, 4G and HSPA. These technologies are driving much higher capacity from the base station back to the fiber core. Fiber core is putting extreme pressure on provider's infrastructure and backhaul networks.

WinterGreen Research predicts that the dramatic growth of wireless infrastructure is based on the growth of smart phones to a one trillion market by 2019, serving an installed base of 8.5 billion, many people having more than one smart phone. Wireless infrastructure markets at $58 billion in 2012 will be $163 billion by 2019, new markets evolved because of the value that apps provide to smart phones, mobile devices, tablets, and the Internet of things.

According to Susan Eustis, lead author of the study, “Wireless Infrastructure is being installed to upgrade core networks and upgrade backhaul and base stations to make systems more modern. Infrastructure for the Internet and for smart mobile devices creates demand for more sophisticated web development and web applications that in turn depend on more sophisticated infrastructure. Everything is going mobile. This evolution is driven by mobile smart phones and tablets that provide universal connectivity. Modern systems represent a significant aspect of Internet market evolution.”

The proportions of wireless infrastructure market industry segments are expected to remain much as they are, with the small cells and femtocells achieving strong growth on the access side, the core infrastructure must be upgraded to support the added backhaul backbone infrastructure. Wireless apps are expected to achieve $37 trillion revenue by 2019. This unbelievable growth occurs as the Internet is expanded to implement the interconnection of everything.

Digital devices proliferate, machine to machine capabilities vastly expand instrumentation. The digital devices become the engine of a world economy, with apps collecting pennies a day for millions of apps from 8.5 billion people with smart phones by 2019.

source: http://www.newsday.com/business/press-releases/wireless-infrastructure-market-shares-strategies-and-forecasts-worldwide-2013-to-2019-1.6494509

Telstra tests Voice over LTE

Telstra has confirmed it is conducting lab tests of technology that would allow voice calls to be carried over its 4G LTE network.

Australia's largest mobile telecommunications provider Telstra is testing out technology that would allow voice calls to be delivered over its 4G long-term evolution (LTE) network, instead of falling back to the 2G or 3G networks as currently happens today.

When LTE was first launched in Australia by Telstra in 2011, it was solely a data network that was backed up by Telstra's existing 2G and 3G networks to deliver voice calls. Given Telstra has not yet indicated that it is planning on decommissioning its 3G network any time soon, there has been no rush to get Voice over LTE (VoLTE) working in Australia.

The company is already planning ahead, however, and confirmed to ZDNet that it was testing out the technology to deliver voice calls over its 4G network.

"Telstra is currently trailing VoLTE (Voice over LTE) in our lab environment but have no immediate rollout plans," a spokesperson told ZDNet. "However our customers already experience the benefits of a High Definition voice service on compatible devices across our entire network."

ZDNet understands that the company is looking to deploy VoLTE in 2014.

The company deployed HD voice services on its network in 2011.

Telstra was the first to market with 4G in Australia, and currently dominates the mobile market, with more than 15.1 million active services on its network, and 2.8 million 4G devices. The 4G network reached out to 66 percent of the Australian population at the end of June, and the company is currently aiming to reach 85 percent of the population by Christmas.

The first commercial deployments of Voice over LTE came through SK Telecom and LG U+ in South Korea, and MetroPCS in the US in August 2012. Other international telcos such as Softbank in Japan and Verizon in the US are looking to deploy VoLTE in the near future.

A Vodafone spokesperson said the company had not yet commenced any trials of VoLTE.

source: http://www.zdnet.com/au/telstra-tests-voice-over-lte-7000023464/

The world’s largest mobile carrier, China Mobile, may finally be preparing to sell Apple’s iPhone

China Mobile, the world’s largest wireless carrier, plans to introduce a new brand for mobile services on 18 December, the Wall Street Journal reported on 21 November. The brand is widely expected to be Apple.

The two companies have been in talks about an iPhone for China Mobile for years, but China Mobile has been well behind US carriers in offering 4G, and its 3G network is incompatible with the iPhone’s technology. (Millions of consumers have still attached iPhones to the network, but they can only run at 2G speeds.)

4G licences

“China Mobile executives have said iPhone subscriptions likely would come only after the company introduces its 4G platform. Chinese media, including Nanfang Daily, recently reported that China may issue 4G licences next week,” said the report.

Ericsson announced on 19 November that it has been selected by China Mobile to deploy LTE TDD technology in “15 key provinces in China [that are] home to 63 percent of China’s population and include the top three provinces in terms of [gross domestic product].”

Ericsson said it will be the world’s largest LTE TDD network deployment, and that the deployment has already begun.In September, rumours of an imminent iPhone for China Mobile were furthered when China’s Telecom Equipment Certification Centre gave Apple the final licence it needed for the iPhone to operate on the China Mobile network, the Journal reported on 11 September.

The ability to sell the iPhone to China Mobile’s 759 million subscribers (as of October) would position Apple for significant growth. In smartphone sales, Apple has fallen well behind competitor Samsung, which is the top-selling smartphone maker globally as well as in China – now the largest smartphone market in the world.

China is currently Apple’s second-largest market, but it’s expected to become its first. “I strongly believe that,” Apple chief executive Tim Cook told reporters in January during a trip to China, during which Cook is said to have met with executives at China Mobile.

Market share battle

Apple’s market share during the third quarter dropped to 13 percent from 14 percent a year earlier, but the company’s newest iPhones, the 5S and 5C, weren’t available for the whole of the quarter, and all the major carriers reported receiving limited shipments of the more-popular iPhone 5S.

Supply constraints, and concerns over how quickly China Mobile’s 4G network will be iPhone-ready, have caused Forbes contributor Chuck Jones to caution that reports of an 18 December China Mobile iPhone introduction may be premature.

“One of the key questions is, if China Mobile and Apple were to announce their partnership, would the 200,000 TD-LTE base stations that it plans to have in place by the end of the year, which could handle 4 million active users, be enough for the initial iPhone demand,” Jones wrote in a 22 November post.

source: http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/report-china-mobile-announce-iphone-next-month-132579

PICO cell introduced in 4G-LTE, overcoming the COVERAGE ISSUES

With the advancement in mobile technology and introduction of wide spectrum modulation 4G has open door with high through-put (data rate) over air interface. The one flaws which was faced initially while implementation of LTE was the coverage issues, this is because of the higher frequency band used in LTE.

Although the higher frequency band used in LTE, has reduced the RF antenna size and are also less prone to environmental interference but are with one drawback of- less coverage because of lower wavelength. This issue can be resolved by increasing the power at the BS (base station) feed to the antenna but this will be helpful only at the DL (down Link) end of the receiver (the user equipment) UE. But at UE end it’s really hard for the hardware to increase the power UL (up link). This way air-interface is limited in coverage. Many solutions were made to get higher coverage like: repeaters and more BS. Repeaters are cost- effective solution but are again BS dependent, More BS will increase coverage problem but RF-planning will become more complex and this solution is even not cost-effective.

Afterwards PICO-CELL concept was introduced, according to this in a particular area with lot of MICRO-CELL and MACRO-CELL BS if the coverage problem arises then PICO-CELL will be placed to add coverage. This technique has reduced number of MICRO-CELL BS and eventually reduced the network planning cost.

4G LTE headed to wireless carriers in China next month

Wireless carriers in China will begin offering 4G LTE service beginning next month, a potential boon to Apple, which is hoping to gain ground on Samsung's lead in the country.

The speedier wireless network will debut in China on December 18, according to a report Monday in Xinhua, China's official state news agency. China Mobile, the world's largest wireless carrier with nearly 760 million customers, will launch high-speed Internet and data services with new mobile brand partner Hé, a Mandarin word that translates to "all" in English.

There was some speculation that China Mobile's new partner might be Apple, which has been courting wireless carrier for years. The iPhone is currently offered by China Unicom and China Telecom, but support from China Mobile would open up a vast number of new customers for Apple.

While nothing has yet been announced, Monday's Xinhua report goes on to note ongoing negotiations between the two companies and states that the iPhone will "officially" launch on China Mobile's network on December 18,

Apple was granted a government license to operate on China Mobile's network in August, and an Apple job posting In October sought an engineer with extensive knowledge of TD-SCDMA, the communications protocol used exclusively by China Mobile, leading many to believe an iPhone launch was imminent.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has visited China twice this year, meeting with China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua as recently as July. During a press conference in August, Xi said discussions with Apple were "ongoing," focusing on "commercial details and technology issues."

A deal with the world's largest mobile telcom provider could go a long way toward chipping away at the smartphone market lead enjoyed by Samsung in China. The South Korean electronics giant sold 30 million smartphones in the country last year for a 17.7 percent market share, according to Strategy Analytics figures, outpacing No. 2 Lenovo's 13 percent share and No. 3 Apple's 11 percent share.

source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57613740-94/4g-lte-headed-to-wireless-carriers-in-china-next-month/

SingTel announced has completed nationwide LTE (Long Term Evolution) coverage to support the high speed 4G mobile

SingTel announced on Tuesday that it has completed nationwide LTE (Long Term Evolution) coverage to support the high speed 4G mobile network.

In a statement to media, it said it had spent S$150 million to provide nationwide 4G coverage. LTE is the next evolution of mobile networks which is expected to offer higher speeds and lower latencies. Commonly referred as the fourth generation (4G) mobile network, the LTE network delivers theoretical download speeds of up to 75Mbps.

SingTel subscribers can now access nationwide street-level coverage of about 95 per cent. This includes indoor coverage in over 550 buildings, including shopping malls, hotels and other commercial properties but does not yet cover national parks, reservoirs and MRT tunnels.

Singtel's 3G network has also been upgraded from 21Mbps to 42Mbps. The telco added that it is the first to offer dual-band street-level coverage nationwide in Singapore. This dual-band capability doubles the data-handling capacity of the network, and helps relieve the strain during peak periods for multimedia applications such as video and music streaming, web surfing, file downloads and online games.

The telco is also the first in the country to deploy Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output (MIMO) technology in commercial buildings to boost maximum user download speeds from 75Mbps to 150 Mbps. This has already been installed in shopping malls including Nex, Jurong Point, Tampines Mall and Changi Airport. 

But customers are unlikely to be able to fully leverage the faster LTE network until the introduction of the next generation of 4G LTE devices which is being rolled out from the second half of the year.

M1 was the first telco to announce nationwide coverage for its LTE network last year. Starhub is scheduled to complete nationwide LTE coverage for its network by the end of 2013.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/singtel-completes-nationwide-lte-coverage-134528477.html

Simultaneous Operation of LTE and WCDMA on a Single Base Station Processor demonstrated by Freescale

Demonstrating the multimode capabilities of Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge portfolio, Freescale Semiconductor announced today that integrated VortiQa Layer 1 (L1) software simultaneously supporting WCDMA and LTE is up and running on the QorIQ Qonverge BSC9132 SoC for small cell base station solutions.

According to analyst firm GSMA Intelligence, there are more than 1.5 billion WCDMA connections worldwide and LTE deployments are growing quickly, presenting challenges with frequency bands and getting infrastructure in place. Wireless network operators want multimode small cells that combine 3G, 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi into one small cell base station with the goal of increasing capacity in highly trafficked areas. Equipment manufacturers have struggled to provide solutions that meet those requirements.

Freescale is one of the first companies to bring both multimode-capable hardware and software to market. In production today, the QorIQ Qonverge BSC9132 SoC is a highly integrated device that targets evolving microcell/metrocell, outdoor picocell, enterprise picocell and femtocell base station applications. Availability of the BSC9132 multimode LTE and WCDMA L1 software enables small cell manufacturers to more quickly provide multimode solutions to wireless network operators, speeding industry small cell deployment.

The QorIQ Qonverge BSC9132 SoC integrates two e500 cores, built on Power Architecture® technology, and two StarCore SC3850 cores with the MAPLE-B2P baseband acceleration engine. The processor is a highly programmable device supporting a 20 MHz single sector LTE-FDD/TDD with 150 Mbps downlink and 75 Mbps uplink rates, and HSPA+ with 42 Mbps downlink and 11.5 Mbps uplink rates. The processor supports a range of air interfaces, including LTE (FDD/TDD), WCDMA (HSPA+ and UMTS) and WiMAX, and incorporates glueless RFIC communication and antennae interfaces, eliminating the need for additional chips and ultimately reducing board space and cost.

QorIQ Qonverge base station-on-chip products are based on a common architecture and integrate communications processing, digital signal processing and wireless acceleration technologies into a single system-on-chip in various configurations optimized for next-generation femtocell, picocell, metrocell and macrocell base stations. Advanced process technology and exceptional integration allow the convergence on a single device of multiple functions traditionally performed on separate FPGAs, ASICs, DSPs and processors. This integration reduces the part count, power consumption, cost and footprint for base stations. Having a common, scalable architecture spanning from femtocells to macrocells enables optimized R&D investments and software reuse.

MTN Awards Managed Services Contracts to Ericsson and Huawei

MTN Nigeria has announced that it has signed managed services agreement with both Ericsson and Huawei.

Under the terms of the contracts, Ericsson and Huawei will take over the management, optimisation and field maintenance of MTN's network infrastructure in all its operational regions in the country.

MTN will retain ownership and full control of its network assets and continue to have responsibility for strategic design and planning, as well as equipment purchasing decisions.

Financial terms, nor the duration of the contact were provided. 

source: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/62891.php

E-Band demand for future communication system

E-Band demand for future communication system

All bands and linked techniques become conventional when we talk about E-Band (ranging between 60 GHz to 64 GHz in US) systems. Frequencies between this bandwidth of E-Band have two very distinct characteristics:

Firstly, the high operational frequencies of e-band systems make antennas highly directional, meaning systems communicate via highly focused "pencil beam" transmissions.  Secondly, the 71-76 and 81-86 GHz frequency bands are configured as two single channels, meaning traditional frequency planning does not need to be considered.  Together, these two unique properties of e-band systems enable operators to realize networks with a high degree of frequency reuse, even configuring links close to one another without interference concerns.

The national wireless link regulators and administrators in the USA, UK and many countries have recognized that these characteristics vastly simplify the licensing process.  With no frequency coordination and much simplified interference analysis, the burdensome traditional link licensing schemes are not necessary.  Innovative streamlined processes have been introduced that enable links to be applied for in real time, and interference analysis and link approval to be realized in minutes.  Because administration is vastly reduced, the cost of such "light licenses" has been dramatically reduced, encouraging adoption of competitive high data rate services at the e-band frequencies.

For a more detailed paper how e-band wireless systems can be quick, easily and cheaply licensed in the USA, UK and other countries around the world, please register for our white papers.

Investors Press AT&T and Verizon for Reports on Government Surveillance

Citing intense global concern over the impact of disclosures regarding surveillance programs directed by the U.S. government agencies, investors in AT&T and Verizon Communications have filed shareholder proposals calling on the companies to publish semi-annual reports detailing how often they have shared information with U.S. or foreign governments and what type of customer information has been shared.

The prime sponsor of the AT&T proposal is the $160.7 billion New York State Common Retirement Fund, which manages assets on behalf of more than one million State employees and retirees. Trillium Asset Management, a Boston-based investment management firm, is the lead proponent of the Verizon proposal. The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California and other organizations and investment firms including co-filed at one or both of the companies.

"As shareholders, customers, and citizens we deserve to know if phone companies like AT&T and Verizon are handing our personal information over to the government," said ACLU of Northern California Executive Director Abdi Soltani. "Secret, unchecked surveillance is antithetical to democracy, and the government is going too far."

New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli, trustee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund, said, "AT&T's failure to disclose what customer information it shares with U.S. and foreign governments presents significant risk to shareholder value. Transparency allows investors to make informed decisions about corporate behavior. Publishing regular reports on requests for information from governments would be an appropriate response to shareholder and customer concerns about trust and privacy in the digital world."

The shareholder proposals note that reports on government data requests are now published regularly by Internet companies such as Google, Microsoft, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yahoo!, and Apple. However, AT&T and Verizon have not publicly disclosed the extent and nature of information provided to the government. And while Google and Microsoft have sued seeking authorization to disclose further information to the public, neither AT&T nor Verizon has done so.

Jonas Kron, Trillium's senior vice president and director of shareholder advocacy, said, "Verizon and AT&T are not managing this crisis effectively. Now is the time for them to proactively demonstrate that they will protect user privacy, because it is in the interest of everyone - investors, citizens, our nation and the companies. The business case is compelling - opportunities for growth may be lost - but equally important are the civil liberties that must be protected."

The proposals at AT&T and Verizon, which are scheduled to be voted on at the companies' annual meetings in spring 2014, note that controversy over U.S. government surveillance programs has spurred massive global press coverage, hearings in the U.S. Congress and European legislature, and widespread calls for reform. Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has called the NSA surveillance program "a breach of international law." U.S. Senator Ron Wyden has said, "I have to believe the civil liberties of millions of American have been violated."

While AT&T and Verizon must comply with their legal obligations, the proposals state, "failure to persuade customers of a genuine and long-term commitment to privacy" could present the companies with serious financial, legal and reputational risks.

"Consumer trust is critical for business in the digital age," said Michael Connor, executive director of Open MIC, a non-profit organization that works with shareholders on media issues. "These proposals highlight the need for companies to take the lead and defend the privacy rights of their customers."

Filers of the AT&T proposal are The New York State Common Retirement Fund, Trillium Asset Management LLC, the ACLU of Northern California, and Arjuna Capital.

Filers of the Verizon proposal are Trillium Asset Management LLC, the ACLU of Northern California, Park Foundation, and CleanYield Asset Management.

source: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/63089.php

Huawei Wins Saudi Managed Services Contract

Saudi Arabia based Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has awarded contracts to both Huawei and Comptel today.

In an exceptionally short statement, Huawei simply noted that it has won a 4 year managed services contract.

NSN currently manages STC's GSM and 3G radio networks. It's not clear if the Huawei deal affects that agreement.

A very slightly longer comment from Comptel noted that it has been awarded a contract to support its fulfillment architecture -- the order workflow and management of assets.

Neither company offered any financial details.

source: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/63057.php

Cisco acquires Ubiquisys and transforms the small cells market

Industry analysts have been quick to describe Cisco’s acquisition of Ubiquisys as an important milestone in the emerging small cells market. That’s not surprising – Ubiquisys pioneered much of the intelligent technology that is making mass-scale deployments of small cells a commercial imperative. Autonomous, cognitive operation, automatic SON formation and cloud-based lifecycle management are just a few examples. When combined with Cisco’s comprehensive mobility portfolio and Wi-Fi expertise, they add-up to much more than the sum of their parts, forming a distinctive new small cell solution that complements macro networks and enables service providers to transition to next generation radio access networks.
Service providers around the world are multiplying data capacity to better serve the rapidly growing population of smartphone and tablet users. Small cells are the only solution that can combine massive capacity and maximum spectrum re-use with reduced operational costs. But realising these benefits demands a solution with intelligence – cells that can dynamically adapt to their environment to allow dense deployment; cells that work together without requiring expert planning and intensive operational management; cells which can operate autonomously from policies defined by central “hetnet” coordination systems. Most of the early small cells market has been focused on miniaturising base stations. Both Ubiquisys and Cisco have already taken it much further, building the intelligent systems that will simplify and densify small cell network deployments.

Many of the areas where small cells can make the biggest difference are indoor spaces, such as hotspots, enterprises, venues and concourses. These are environments where Wi-Fi already provides mobile internet services and where Cisco is a market and innovation leader. Multi-service small cells, intelligently combining 4G/3G and Wi-Fi, enable service providers to harmonise the capabilities of licensed and unlicensed technologies in a controlled manner, improving user experience. This is yet another example of the importance of intelligence in small cells and of the natural alignment between Cisco and Ubiquisys.

source: http://ubiquisys.com/small-cells-blog/cisco-acquires-ubiquisys-and-transforms-the-small-cells-market/