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Nokia, Alcatel, Ericsson and Siemens Agree on Core Network for Third-Generation Wideband Wireless Multimedia
August 14, 1997
Nokia, Alcatel, Ericsson and Siemens today announced their commitment to the timely standardization of wideband wireless multimedia technology based on GSM. The four companies have agreed to urge that the network structure for a future European third-generation mobile system - referred to as Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) - should be based on an evolved core-GSM network.
Third-generation UMTS technology will be standardized by the European telecommunications standardization body, ETSI. Commercial services based on UMTS are expected to be launched in the year 2002 in the 2 GHz frequency range.
According to Nokia, Alcatel, Ericsson and Siemens, wideband wireless multimedia applications would use a Generic Radio Access Network (GRAN) interfaced to GSM core networks. This third-generation interface would fully draw upon and connect to evolved second-generation GSM mobile telephone systems. The technology will be capable of delivering very high data rates for high-speed Internet/Intranet applications, electronic multimedia mail, full-motion video, etc.
Moreover, the 2 GHz frequency already allocated for UMTS is the same that has been designated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for global, next-generation mobile services - IMT-2000. Because of this similarity, Alcatel, Ericsson, Nokia and Siemens also support an alignment of the international standardization of the UMTS and IMT-2000 network interfaces.
Due to the fact that GSM can deliver a worldwide footprint for third-generation services from the start, wireless operators will have the option to introduce a whole new range of wideband multimedia services based on demand.
In a joint statement, the companies said, “We strongly back a global and timely standardization of third-generation technology that meets with the real needs of today’s operators and hundreds of millions of end-users in cellular networks all over the world. Today, there is an opportunity to base the next-generation technology on open standards that will drive the development of new breakthrough applications and the introduction of affordable multimedia services.”
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Arja Suominen, Vice President, Communications
Nokia Telecommunications
Tel. (int.) +358 9 5113 8193
Fax (int.) +358 9 5113 8199
E-mail: arja.suominen@ntc.nokia.com
Mr. Olivier Le Friec, Press Officer
Alcatel Mobile Communication Division
Tel. +33 1 30778260
Fax. +33 1 30774987
E-mail: oliver.le-friec@vz.cit.alcatel.fr
Mr. Per Bengtsson, Communications Director
Ericsson Business Area Mobile Systems
Tel. +46 8 757 2159
Mr. Guenter Gaugler, Press Officer
Siemens Public Communication Networks
Tel. +49 89 72236789
Fax. +49 89 722 28365
e-mail: guenter.gaugler@oen.siemens.de
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