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Leading Wireless Suppliers Back New WCDMA; Urge Rapid 3rd Generation System Deployment
June 09, 1997
Nokia and Ericsson today jointly announced their support of a new Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology for 3rd generation wideband cellular systems.
The companies are submitting a statement to the Japanese standardization body ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Businesses), backing the proposal of NTT DoCoMo in support of the WCDMA air interface at 5 MHz bandwidth. NTT DoCoMo is the leading wireless operator in Japan.
The two companies, that pioneered development of wideband systems, are also lending their support to joint efforts by Asian and European authorities to standardize third-generation technology.
“Together, our companies will cooperate with NTT DoCoMo to lay the foundations for rapid commercialization of 3rd generation cellular technology,” said Kurt Hellström, President of Ericsson Radio Systems. “In addition to the joint standardization efforts, advanced WCDMA tests will take place in Japan next year, and the required frequency spectrum has been allocated in the 2 GHz band in both Asia and Europe.”
The new state-of-the-art WCDMA technology, the companies say, is truly optimized for packet-switched data such as high-speed Internet applications and electronic multimedia mail. It also offers high-capacity circuit-switched capabilities for delivery of full-motion video services and high quality voice communications.
Using advanced WCDMA systems, users will be able to simultaneously access several different services over a single terminal. For example, a user could conduct a video conference while at the same time accessing graphics-intensive Internet/ intranet applications, exchanging multimedia mails, or transfering large data files.
“A 3rd generation air interface technology is only as good as its underlying network infrastructure,” said Matti Alahuhta, President of Nokia Telecommunications. “Well standardized, open WCDMA radio access technology will be closely linked with the GSM core network, which is widely regarded as the most open and robust wireless system in the world.”
For hundreds of operators worldwide who have adopted GSM technology, WCDMA offers another smooth migration path for 3rd generation wireless that continues to support roaming and service portability. The companies estimate that there will be GSM networks on all continents serving 300 million subscribers by the end of the year 2001 when the first networks employing WCDMA radio access technology will be commercially deployed.
The viability of WCDMA for sophisticated, data intensive applications was first recognized by European research in the early 1990s and confirmed by Ericsson and Nokia in their fully operational test beds in 1995. The test beds demonstrated the successful performance of WCDMA technology, which will offer up to 384 kbps in wide area and 2 Mbps in indoor applications.
NTT DoCoMo, which is developing an experimental WCDMA system for field tests, has been an additional catalyst in the development of 3rd generation technology. In an effort to support a speedy specification and development process, the company will establish a test environment by the end of this year and will conduct testing in 1998. Commercial launch is scheduled for 2001.
Ericsson´s 90,000 employees are active in more than 130 countries. Their combined expertise in fixed and mobile networks, mobile phones and infocom systems makes Ericsson the world-leading supplier in telecommunications.
Nokia is the world’s largest manufacturer of digital mobile phones and one of the two largest suppliers of GSM networks with sales in approximately 130 countries. Nokia is also a global leader in wireless data.
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