ETSI is pleased to announce the third edition of the highly popular M2M workshop series.
This year's event will focus on the implementation of standardized the M2M service platform into real life operators networks.

The ETSI Technical Committee M2M is defining the end to end M2M service platform and the intermediate service layer that are key components of the horizontal M2M solution. This standards based platform is engineered to support multiple services, whilst remaining network agnostic.
The M2M platform is capable of working with any IP network, reusing the underlying functionality whilst being capable to leverage the capabilities of the underlying mobile, fixed and/or broadband IP networks.
On the access side, the M2M systems aim to integrate the access sensor network technology, ranging from general Wi-Fi to specific M2M capillary network technologies.

In this context, ETSI is pleased to invite you to our 3rd workshop on Machine to Machine Communications, which will be held in the Agora, Sophia Antipolis, France, on the 24 - 25 October 2012.

For more information please visit: www.etsi.org/M2MWorkshop

September 12-13th, Juniper Campus, Sunnyvale, CA

Telecom innovation takes the stage at TC3 by highlighting the relationship between the companies building communication networks, with the people and ideas that are creating it. Participants will review new innovations, award outstanding new startups, and hear directly from the carriers, how their innovation programs work and what's on their road maps for the coming year.

This is a 2-day conference with 300 senior professionals from across the global telecom ecosystem - from fixed and wireless to content, software, and infrastructure - where the speakers are responsible for telecom innovation.

Day 1 - Startup Pitches, Entrepreneur Discussions, 5th Annual SPIFFY Awards

Day 2 - Carriers in the Spotlight

Sponsors Include: Tata Consultancy Services and Juniper Networks

More on speaking, sponsoring, demonstrating or attending TC3 is available at
www.telecomcouncil.com/tc3.

About Small Cells World Summit

Small Cells World Summit 2012, in exclusive partnership with the Small Cell Forum, is the largest small cells event in the telecoms industry. With the largest gathering of small cell international delegates in attendance at the 2011 summit, then known as Femtocells World Summit, the conference and exhibition has been doubled in size to provide the only opportunity for the entire ecosystem to take the pulse of the small cells invasion, identify and take advantage of emerging opportunities.

Small Cells World Summit 2012 features:

• 40 exhibiting companies
• 50+ expert speakers from throughout the ecosystem
• The largest dedicated exhibition floor in the small cell industry
• Over 500+ key decision makers, influencers and innovation drivers attending from the most relevant and sought-after organisations
• Hundreds of qualified prospects under one roof looking for their next partner to drive forward indoor and outdoor small cell deployments
• Live technology demos and product presentations, deployment announcements and all the industry news
• Three day exhibition theatre programme, with presentations from the leading companies in the ecosystem

For more please visit www.smallcellsworldsummit.com

Building on the hugely successful NGMN Industry Conferences in 2006, 2008 and 2010, NGMN is proud to present the Industry Conference & Exhibition 2012 in San Francisco - a unique, global next generation mobile summit. The event will take place 13 - 15 June 2012 at Metreon City View, Yerba Buena Gardens right in the city centre.

For further information about the event, the sponsorship and the exhibition opportunities please click here.

Project MBMM is planning a joint IWPC/NGMN workshop for June 7-8, Washington DC, USA. The objective of the IWPC/NGMN workshop is to:

• Study the feasibility of a potential single UE platform supporting all feasible regional and global LTE/legacy bands that could be produced
• Ensure support of global roaming, multiband multimode requirements and the economy of scale
• Roadmap of technical feasibility within the next 2-3 years
• Relative cost curve changes when adding bands and/or addressing bandwidth aggregation
• Specific questions on singular items on generic device issues (e.g. Voice)

The Agenda for the Workshop can be found here:
www.iwpc.org/Workshop_Folders/12_06b_NGMN/12_06b_Agenda_NGMN.html

Over 450 delegates from different industry sectors will gather at the event to hear more than 60 execs discuss the mobile market and the importance of its connection to the internet, rich media, ads and commerce.

Some of the speakers in attendance include American Express, Visa Europe, Google, Disney, Foursquare and Deutsche Telekom, while guests from Apple, HTC, Nuance, Spotify, RIM and Zynga have already signed up.

This event will sell out, register now.

The Telecom Council of Silicon Valley is currently building its agenda for its upcoming meeting on Big Data on May 23rd in the Silicon Valley.

About the Topic:

Big Data refers to the growing data industry sector built around capturing, storing, processing, analytics, and extracting value from massive databases of mixed and often unstructured data. This is data that exceeds the ability of most existing database systems to handle. It is the science around the proverbial needle in the haystack. This meeting will address how service providers can, and can't, monetize their data.

• Draft Agenda online here.
• Meeting Host: TBD (feel free to reply to this email if you are interested in hosting this topic)
• Marketing: promotion of speakers in 50+ online newsletters, calendars, social networks, and directly to 15,000+ Telecom Council subscribers
• Participants: 100+ wireless executives including +10% carriers. Average attendance statistics here.

About the Meeting:

Join 80+ professionals from the telecom industry for a ½ day, executive-format, meeting to discuss some of the important issues around "Big Data." This new sector emerging from what we used to call "data mining" is a mix of capturing, storing, processing, analyzing, and extracting value from massive databases of mixed and often unstructured data - tasks that exceed the ability of most existing database systems to handle. This meeting will bring together the tools, devices, sensors, storage, processing, and visualization options for extracting money from massive amounts of data. Among presentations from major players, we will also introduce participants to many new startups working in the Big Data segment.

Agenda, Details and Registration here: telecomcouncil.cvent.com/BigData2012

The Forum is held in partnership with 3GPP and supported by the Ministry of Communications and Mass Media of the Russian Federation.

The program of the 4th International Business Forum "Evolution of Mobile Networks - LTE Russia & CIS 2012" is focused on the current state of the Russian market, its development prospects, effective business strategies, models and solutions.

The key topic of the Forum:

• LTE networks deployment in the Russian Federation
• Distribution of the frequency spectrum for LTE, tender results
• Technological neutrality issues
• National and federal operators' strategies to deploy LTE
• Migration strategies from CDMA2000 EV-DO to LTE
• Interaction with regional and international standardization associations - prospects for the Russian market
• Modernization and development of transport infrastructure of mobile operators for the 4G networks
• Migration from 2G/3G to LTE
• LTE networks convergence with fixed mobile networks
• Business models of rendering services in LTE

Who will you meet? representatives of the Russian regulatory institutions, global and local telecom providers, nonprofit associations of telecom and broadcasting community members, networking equipment manufacturers, system integrators, service providers, telecom analysts and consultants, management and investment companies, business and telecom media.

To learn more about the Forum and register your place please contact the Organizing Committee at conf(at)comnews.ru or tel. +7 495 933 54 83.

Source: ComNews Conferences

The functionality of the NGMN app is built specifically with the mobile audience in mind, updates automatically when connected and also allows for offline browsing and viewing: App users who are in a NGMN Conference like the upcoming Industry Conference and Exhibition will be able to get first-hand updates on agenda, speakers, topics, exhibitors and sponsors.

Features include:

• Users can see the latest agenda updates as soon as they are available
• Information on all public NGMN Events
• Easy sharing: Users can share news easily
• Offline viewing: The app is designed to support a mobile lifestyle, in which users move fluidly between online and offline use. The application is automatically updated with the latest details when the mobile device is opened and connected to the network

Find the NGMN app for Android in the Google Play store and on iTunes.

As announced by Telecompaper the Korean NGMN Partner KT...

As announced by Telecompaper the Korean NGMN Partner KT has completed its LTE rollout to 84 cities.

Follow this link to read more on this exciting news:
www.telecompaper.com/news/kt-completes-lte-rollout-to-84-cities

ETSI is pleased to announce the third edition of the highly popular M2M workshop series.
This year's event will focus on the implementation of standardized the M2M service platform into real life operators networks.

The ETSI Technical Committee M2M is defining the end to end M2M service platform and the intermediate service layer that are key components of the horizontal M2M solution. This standards based platform is engineered to support multiple services, whilst remaining network agnostic.
The M2M platform is capable of working with any IP network, reusing the underlying functionality whilst being capable to leverage the capabilities of the underlying mobile, fixed and/or broadband IP networks.
On the access side, the M2M systems aim to integrate the access sensor network technology, ranging from general Wi-Fi to specific M2M capillary network technologies.

In this context, ETSI is pleased to invite you to our 3rd workshop on Machine to Machine Communications, which will be held in the Agora, Sophia Antipolis, France, on the 24 - 25 October 2012.

For more information please visit: www.etsi.org/M2MWorkshop

TNMO is EMEA's leading specialist forum for mobile backhaul, RAN and core transport networking professionals. No other event has an exclusive focus on transport networks for the wireless industry, covering the issues raised by the increasing use of smartphones, such as migration to LTE, backhaul strategies, synchronisation challenges, the importance of microwave and more.

Source: Transport Networks for Mobile Operators

The NGMN Alliance today released the agenda for its Industry Conference & Exhibition 2012 which will take place on 13-15 June, in San Francisco, USA. As in the previous years the conference will feature an unrivalled line-up of top executives from NGMN partner companies and representatives from the entire mobile ecosystem.

The Industry Conference & Exhibition 2012 will be the key platform to explore the latest status of LTE network deployment and operation, to review the upcoming network and device trends and to embrace technology and service innovations.

The top management of NGMN Partners and key players of the industry will share insights while start-up companies and research organisations present innovations and visions.

Find additional information on the conference website.
www.ngmn.org/ice2012

In a news release on 23rd April 2012 ETSI announced the joint launch of the first ever RCS (Rich Communication Suite) VoLTE (Voice over LTE) interoperability test event. The event is supported by the MSF (MultiService Forum), ETSI and the GSMA.

For more information on this event and to read the whole news release visit
www.etsi.org/WebSite/NewsandEvents/2012_04_ETSI_MSF_GSMA_RCS_VoLTE_Plugtests.aspx

As small cells are becoming an integral part of cellular networks across the globe, more than 500 industry experts will gather for the Small Cells World Summit in London in June, run in exclusive partnership with the Small Cell Forum, to discuss progress in small cell network deployments and mobile technology convergence.

"Small cells are not only an opportunity for new revenue streams and large-scale network roll-outs and quick deployments, but a must-have for operators looking to deploy next generation networks", says Alejandro Pinero, Small Cells World Summit director. "Higher capacity, open-access settings, SON capabilities and more enhanced network planning techniques are driving small cell technology to become a universally applicable technology for networks worldwide."

He continues: "These are exciting times for small cells and wireless network planning. The focus has moved away from competing technologies and moved towards creating a converged wireless solution portfolio. Mobile technologies such as LTE also push for greater speed, and data-hungry users will demand more from operators. Small cells are therefore a tremendous opportunity for operators to cost-effectively expand their networks, whether in outdoor urban settings, or more remote, urban service areas and bringing the base station closer to the user."

Small cells deployed on global scale

The small cells industry came of age last year, femtocells in particular, says the Small Cells World Summit director: "there was a dramatic increase in deployments, nearly forty at the end of 2011, with operators such as Telecom Italia, Optus Australia and Mosaic Telecom announcing their deployments. Operators have also been working closely with the vendor community to develop LTE cells, capable of handling next generation traffic."

Outdoor small cells are regarded as an exciting prospect for the industry according to Alejandro Pinero, who says higher capacity picocells will be key for operators to bring the network closer to the user. He explains: "industry analysts ABI Research estimated that by as early as 2014, LTE small cells will outnumber macro cells, which is a testament to just how big this industry is becoming. Other areas such as rural deployments, and enhanced enterprise services are also creating headlines this year."

Small cells are being trialed and deployed on a global scale says Pinero, "whether in crowded urban centers in Asia, or more remote, rural settings in Africa or Latin America, operators are looking at small cells to fulfill their coverage obligations thus maintaining QoS and reducing customer churn, as well as deploying LTE and multistandard networks."

A testament to this global reach is the line-up of speakers at the 2012 Small Cells World Summit. During the event, delegates will hear from MNOs from countries such as New Zealand, UAE, Bosnia, Israel, Japan, China, Austria, Italy, Switzerland and more.

Headline speakers at the Small Cells World Summit include:

• Simon Saunders
  Chairman, Small Cell Forum
• Meredith Sharples
  Product Manager, Vodafone Group
• Khaled Saif
  In-Building Solutions Director, Du
• Emmanuel Adnot
  International Strategy Manager, Orange
• Carmillo Carlini
  Home Network & Handset Engineering, Telecom Italia
• Hyunsoo Cheon
  Manager, Access Network Lab, SK Telecom

Conference and exhibition

The Small Cells World Summit is produced by Avren Events in exclusive partnership with the Small Cell Forum. The event, formerly known as the Femtocells World Summit, will feature the largest exhibition space in the industry, bringing together more than forty exhibitors to showcase their products and solutions. New to the event is a seminar theatre programme, which will run concurrently with the main conference programme. Delegates will hear more than twenty two network operator deployment case studies and trial results, with topics ranging from interference mitigation and backhaul alternatives to marketing strategies for small cells.

Event dates: 26-28 June 2012
Location: Hilton London Metropole, London, UK
Event website: www.smallcellsworldsummit.com/

For more information or media accreditation:
Communications manager: Annemarie Roodbol
Tel. +27 21 700 3558
Fax. +27 21 700 3501
Mobile: +27 82 562 7844
Email: annemarie.roodbol(at)clarionevents.com

In particular, IPR policies, rules and practice implemented by standards developing organisations should not only reflect a proper balance between the interests of IPR owners and users/implementors of standards. They should also actively promote transparency and predictability in the marketplace. Moreover, standards developing organisations should be able to effectively implement such IPR policies while responding to the requirements set by competition law.

NGMN as well as other organisations are supporting the event which will be held in Brussels, Belgium on 18th April 2012. The workshop will help to identify advantages and disadvantages of patent pools in relation to ICT standardisation and to subsequently identify how patent pools could best function in order to avoid antitrust concerns. The event will focus on 4 main parts as follows: 1.Setting the scene, 2. Building and running a patent pool, 3. Users' experience, and 4. Enabling frameworks.

The event is free of charge.
Further information including the agenda and registration can be found at ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/ict/standards/extended/patent_pools_event_en.htm

Click here to read the complete article from Telesperience:
www.microsperience.com/index.php/why-ngmn-alliance-is-set-to-rock-the-bssoss-world-to-the-ngcor/

The OSB project resulted in the publication of three whitepapers:

• "Guidelines for LTE Backhaul Traffic Estimation", describes how to predict traffic levels in transport networks used to backhaul LTE eNode Bs
• "LTE Backhauling Deployment Scenarios", addresses LTE operators' need to look at how backhaul networks can adapt to the packet based environment of LTE without disrupting existing services.
• "Security in LTE Backhauling whitepaper", concentrates on the packet based architecture for the LTE backhaul from a security perspective. High-level scenarios and common terminology is introduced for implementations of security in LTE environments.

The OSB project has benefitted from the combined experience of operators as well as vendors cooperating in the NGMN Alliance with their early LTE deployments. The released papers are available at the NGMN public download page: www.ngmn.org/nc/downloads.html.

The deployment of LTE networks is a key step in fulfilling the promise of high speed broadband anytime, anywhere. The next iteration of the current Backhaul Evolution Project will have specific focus on how transport networks will need to transform to best serve new access networks, including strategies for the adoption of 'small cell' topologies, how to handle the increasing disparities between peak and average bitrates and how to support differentiated value added services at the backhaul level.

"LTE as a technology is continuously evolving and deployments are progressing rapidly in nearly all regions of the world. It is important for operators and vendors to be well prepared especially in the backhaul areas to cater for the challenges posed by the accelerating global demand for mobile broadband services," said Dr. Peter Meissner, NGMN Operating Officer. He continued, "A high performance LTE network is a key asset to ensure customer satisfaction which is essential for operator success, and I would like to thank all contributors for their efforts and valuable input."

The event run by the Telco 2.0 Initiative, with the support of the World Economic Forum and other leading organisations, and uses a unique interactive format.

We would like to invite you to participate, or send a delegation. We have secured a 50% discount for NGMN Partners. (Please use this code - VIP977 - when you/colleagues register online, to automate the discount. Registration page here: bit.ly/x0lu7h). More details about the event are below:

New Digital Economics 'Silicon Valley' Executive Brainstorm,
27-28 March 2012, San Francisco

Website: www.newdigitaleconomics.com/SiliconValley_2012/index.php

• Intro: The New Digital Economics 'Silicon Valley' executive brainstorm brings together leading international executives from the communications, media, retail, banking and technology sectors to look at 'New Business Models and Growth Opportunities in the 'Hyper-Connected World'.
• Participants: 250 senior execs from companies such as Amex, AT&T, Cisco, Deutsche Telekom, Fox, Google, Mastercard, Microsoft, MIT, Sony, T-Mobile, Visa, Warner Bros and others have already confirmed participation.
• Organisers: The event is facilitated by business model analyst firm STL Partners, which runs the Telco 2.0 Initiative. It is supported by the World Economic Forum, Bain & Co, Cisco, Ericsson, NGMN.org and other leading institutions.
• Venue & Date: Marriot Hotel, Union Square, San Francisco; 27-28 March 2012.
• Agenda: It is made up of 4 intensive but highly interactive events over 2 days:

• Day One (27th March): Digital Economy 2.0 (new profit pools, consumer behavior and device trends, broadband infrastructure, cloud services);
• Day Two (28th March): Digital Commerce 2.0 (personal data, location-based marketing, payments, new retail);
• Day Two (28th March): Digital Entertainment 2.0 (mobile video, content monetisation, Social TV);
• Day Two (28th March): Digital Things 2.0 (M2M, 'smart' industries).
• We also look in-depth at the latest strategies of the major online platform players (Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft).

• Format: The executive brainstorm uses STL Partners' acclaimed interactive format (called 'Mindshare'), and includes new research, case studies and use cases on the topics listed above - see video: bit.ly/tk2VbE

If you have any further questions, please contact the organisers:
Miriam.dennis(at)stlpartners.com

With a planned budget of € 80 billion, HORIZON2020 is one of the key frameworks to support achieving the Europe2020 strategic goals and securing Europe's global competitiveness.

What does it mean for Future Networks research? How will the needs and challenges in network communications research in Europe be addressed in HORIZON2020? These questions are still to be answered.

The aim of this consultation is to collect clear and convincing evidence to show that:

• EU research and industrial players are ready in HORIZON2020 to take further long-lasting commitments and be able to develop and deploy leading network infrastructure technologies here in Europe for the benefit of its citizens.
   
• EU industry will translate successful research and scientific breakthroughs into innovative products, services and systems, which will foster EU economic leadership worldwide.
   
• EU taxpayers will receive value-for-money from research and innovation: in terms of growth, high-quality jobs and a sustainable life and economy.
  How do we get there? Can we actually do it?

We are seeking advice, comments and input on stakeholders' specific areas of interest to address and help prioritise in a strategic manner the needs and challenges in network communications research in Europe in HORIZON2020.

We call on researchers from industry and academia, providers, manufacturers, current and future users of networks communications, to act together for a shared, convincing and trusted common EU goal!

Take this challenge with us and submit your contributions before 15 May 2012!

The results of this consultation will be presented at an Open Workshop organised on 29 June 2012 in Brussels, where key contributions will be invited to make a presentation of their ideas for HORIZON2020 Future Networks Research.

Source: European Commission 7th Framework Programme

These include:

• Global roaming: In a world of scarce spectrum and a variety of mobile access technologies, multi-band and multi-mode devices are a prerequisite. In its current work programme the NGMN addresses the key requirements.
   
• Convergence of network management: The large variety of technologies - even within a single operator's network - demand for an efficient management of fixed/mobile networks. This is a challenge for all major mobile network operators.

NGMN Board Directors gave their insight and opinion on these challenges and shared solutions developed by the NGMN partners.

Further updates and conclusions will be made public during the NGMN Industry Conference and Exhibition on June 13-15 in San Francisco, US, see

www.ngmn.org/ice2012

Global Roaming

Yuhong Huang, Deputy General Manager China Mobile Research Institute, on behalf of NGMN MBMM project, focused her presentation on the industry requirements with regards to global roaming and expressed the need for a single, cost effective global UE platform. In addition she explained the requirement for multi-band multi-mode devices and discussed the feasibility, as well as the technology roadmap for the next two to three years.

One major challenge Mrs Huang named is the scarcity of spectrum that leads to various LTE bands in different regions. Development of devices that are able to support these frequency bands and in addition multiple technologies is a prerequisite for global roaming, but it is a challenge to implement more than 10 LTE bands in current products.

The NGMN Alliance has launched the project "Multi-band multi-mode" together with all major international chipset and device manufactures to enable knowledge transfer across players and to work on a roadmap towards multi-band multi-mode devices. It is the goal of this project to reduce complexity through an effective UE platform. This will be a prerequisite for improved end-user experience and mandatory to allow for global LTE roaming.

Mrs Huang stated that: "The NGMN Alliance invites all device ecosystem vendors to join the MBMM activity to enable cost effective multi-band multi-mode global UE platform and ecosystem, significantly enhancing the economy of scale and seamless LTE global roaming".

Management of Converged Fixed and Mobile Networks

Klaus-Jürgen Krath, SVP Radio Networks, Deutsche Telekom AG, highlighted in his contribution, today's operator challenges of having to manage a variety of network and service production infrastructures, from mobile and fixed network environments up to converged networks and services across regions. This has an enormous impact on network operations, which NGMN targets with its project on "Next Generation Converged Operations Requirements" (NGCOR).

The objective of this NGMN project is to reduce complexity and integration costs in the area of network management by achieving standardised interfaces between the Telco infrastructure and the OSS (Operations Support Systems). NGCOR aims to obtain more flexibility and reduced time-to-market in the introduction of services through standardised network management functionalities for converged fixed and mobile networks.

"The detailed operations requirements, developed by the NGMN Alliance, have already been shared and reviewed with all leading Telco and IT vendors and involved industry organisations", said Klaus-Jürgen Krath. "The NGMN operators encourage all these industry stakeholders to support in a joint effort the further enhancement of the requirements and, in particular, the implementation of NGCOR results in order to achieve the targeted benefits and savings. The deployment will be driven by operators putting the requirements in upcoming tenders."

Friday, 16th March 2012

SEOUL, KOREA - SK Telecom (NYSE:SKM) announced today that it will hold meetings of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance from March 19to March 23 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel Seoul with the participation of 14 world-leading mobile network operators including AT&T, Deutsche Telekom, China Mobile, France Telecom, Orange and Vodafone.

The meetings - including the Operating Committee meeting and Partner Forum - will allow the attendees to hold in-depth discussions for successful development and commercialization of next generation technologies such as LTE and LTE-A.

The NGMN Alliance, an open forum founded by global mobile operators, works to ensure that standards for next generation network infrastructure, service platforms, and devices will meet the requirements of operators and be reflected by international standardization organizations including 3GPP(3rd Generation Partnership Project) as well as telecommunications equipment vendors and manufacturers.

SK Telecom will deliver a presentation on its Hybrid Network technology - which attracted much attention from global mobile operators at the Mobile World Congress held last month - to promote international standardization of the technology. Moreover, the company plans to lead discussions on operators' requirement for Cloud RAN(cloud-based next generation base station) as well as efficient ways to deliver high quality voice service over LTE networks.

Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to achieve mutual growth with SMEs, SK Telecom will provide a chance for companies like Contela, CS Corporation and Telcoware to introduce their technologies to the members of the NGMN Alliance.

Byun Jae-Woan, CTO and Head of Corporate R&D Group of SK Telecom said, "By hosting the NGMN meetings and presenting its latest independently developed technologies, SK Telecom expects to enhance Korea's national status as a leader in the international standardization of next generation mobile networks. At the same time, SK Telecom will continue to pursue mutual growth with SMEs by creating a chance for them to take part in this meaningful occasion, thus paving a way for these small but competent companies to enter overseas markets."

The NGMN Alliance was founded by major mobile operators in August 2006 as an open forum to lead development and commercialization of next generation mobile networks. It currently has 59 Partners: 18 mobile network operators, 34 vendors/manufacturers, and 7 universities or non-industrial research institutes.

SK Telecom has been serving as a Board Member (for two consecutive terms) since 2008 when it became the first company to hold NGMN meetings.

Source: Korea IT Times

BELLEVUE, Wash. – 4G Americas reports that HSPA mobile broadband technologies in North America passed 100 million connections by the end of 2011, based on data from Informa Telecoms & Media. In North America, the LTE market continued to race ahead in 4Q 2011, adding 2 million subscriptions to finish the quarter with 5.3 million subscriptions, making it by far the leading region in the world for LTE with 71 percent of global LTE subscriptions.

“To put the two million LTE net additions into context, the much larger U.S. HSPA market added 5.4 million subscriptions in fourth quarter 2011, and the U.S. CDMA market added 2.8 million. This shows that growth in the U.S. mobile market is rapidly shifting to LTE,” said Mike Roberts, principal analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.

Including Latin America, the Americas region is expected to have more than 250 million 3GPP mobile broadband subscriptions by the end of 2012; that number is expected to more than double by 2015, and is forecasted to reach more than 700 million subscriptions by 2016.

Latin America saw tremendous uptake of mobile broadband across the region. Of the 21 million new 3GPP technology connections added in the fourth quarter, 9.5 million were HSPA, meaning close to 50 percent of net new subscriptions were mobile broadband connections. At the end of 2011, Latin America had more than 74 million HSPA connections included in the 604 million subscriptions to GSM-HSPA to reach an incredible 95 percent market share of all mobile connections in the region.

“The Americas region truly is a success story for many reasons,” stated Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. “Before the end of this year, more than one billion total subscriptions will be achieved for wireless technologies and the 3GPP family of technologies will comprise 78 percent of the market. The shift has been gradual over the last ten years, when GSM represented a small ten percent of the market. With the growth of GSM, HSPA and LTE, the U.S. has become the global leader for advanced technologies and Latin America is quickly adopting these technologies as well.”

The Americas region had 768 million 3GPP technology connections at the end of 2011, nearly one quarter of which were HSPA and LTE mobile broadband subscriptions. More than 90 million new 3GPP subscriptions were added in 2011, with 25.5 million added in fourth quarter.

Mobile broadband deployments continue to progress in the Americas. To date:

• Latin America has 72 commercial deployments of HSPA in 31 countries, and of those, 32 have been upgraded to HSPA+ in 20 countries
• In addition, there are 5 commercial LTE networks in Latin America and 300,000 LTE connections are expected by the end of 2012
• There are 8 commercial LTE networks in North America

LTE technologies have skyrocketed in deployments and subscriptions on a worldwide basis. Today, LTE is commercial on 57 networks in 34 countries with more than 100 total commercial networks expected by the end of 2012. With 22 million connections forecasted for LTE worldwide by year-end 2012, that number will grow to an estimated 63 million by year-end 2013, and expand to 156 million at the end of 2014, according to Informa’s research.

Source: 4G Americas

Today, operators are challenged with having to manage a variety of network and service production infrastructures, from mobile and fixed network environments up to converged networks and services across regions. This has an enormous impact on network operations, which NGMN targets with its project on “Next Generation Converged Operations Requirements” (NGCOR). The primary objective of this project is to reduce complexity and integration costs in the area of network management by achieving standardized interfaces between the telecom infrastructure and the OSS (Operations Support Systems). NGCOR aims to obtain more flexibility and reduced time-to-market in the introduction of services through standardized network management functionalities for converged fixed and mobile networks.

The NGCOR project will be Comarch’s first involvement in the NGMN Alliance activities after joining the organization. Comarch will support such areas as defining requirements for Network Planning / RAN Optimization, Inventory Management and Configuration Management, as well as Service Assurance.

- It is a great pleasure to have Comarch as our new NGMN Partner contributing to projects that define requirements for future converged network management systems. We look forward to Comarch’s active participation in the project on “Next Generation Converged Operation Requirements” where they will showcase their thought leadership and share vast expertise in the area of smart and cost-efficient IT solutions for next generation networks. – says Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance.

- We believe that industry standards and an open architecture are the key to reduce cost of network integration processes. They enable operators to focus on delivering an excellent customer experience instead of addressing integration problems. Our priority is to help service providers deliver customer services that cross the traditional technological boundaries and concentrate on this area of innovation. Comarch aims to act in line with NGMN’s objective to drive innovation and standards, that will contribute to a single integrated network for the seamless introduction of mobile broadband services. We are positive, that our experiences from various projects for T1 operators worldwide will come useful in defining these standards. – says Piotr Machnik, Business Development Center Director of Telecommunications Business Unit at Comarch

About Comarch

Comarch is a global supplier of IT products and services for the telecommunication industry, that has been present on the BSS/OSS market for over 19 years. Comarch provides products in the areas of BSS, CRM, OSS as well as a range of comprehensive services, including end-to-end BSS/OSS transformations. Comarch’s differentiators lie not only in the compliance of its products with leading industry standards, but mainly in the flexibility of its solutions and approach and the high competences of its engineers. Through projects for almost 50 telecom operators, Comarch has gathered experience in the fields of designing, implementing, and integrating IT solutions. Customers include T-Mobile in Austria, KPN in the Netherlands, as well as E-Plus Gruppe, Telekom Deutschland, Vodafone and Telefónica O2 in Germany.

More information is available at: www.telecoms.comarch.com.

Comarch Telecommunications Press Office

E-mail: pr-telecom(at)comarch.com

Source: Comarch

There are just some days to go until the joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream "Technology Evolution" on 1st March at the Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona.

Do not miss the exciting line-up of top management speakers giving first-hand insight into the current status of early LTE network deployments and technology development, as well as the hot topics for the mobile industry in the coming years.

You will meet the following speakers and panellists at the "Technology Evolution" conference stream:

• Sandro Dionisi, Telecom Italia and Chairman of the NGMN Board
• Luis Jorge Romero, Director General, ETSI
• Michael Wennesheimer, Senior Manager Network & Service Quality, Vodafone
• Bill Huang, GM, China Mobile Research Centre
• Xiaodong Zhu, CTO Western Europe, ZTE
• Marcus Weldon, CTO, Alcatel Lucent
• Thierry Maupile, Head of Operations, Strategy & Business Development, Cisco
• Thierry Bonhomme, EVP, Orange-France Telecom
• Ibrahim Gedeon, CTO, Telus
• Philippe Leon, Director, OSS Transformation Domain, CMS, HP
• Zhu Haobing, CMO & CSO Wireless, Huawei
• Balazs Bertényi, Chair 3GPP SA, Nokia Siemens Networks
• James Haddock, TMF Executive Committee, Oracle

Please make sure to include this conference stream in your MWC agenda!

Download NGMN Hallmap

GSMA and NGMN Alliance announce the joint...

We are delighted to announce that GSMA and the NGMN Alliance will continue their very successful partnership and jointly develop a conference stream for the Mobile World Congress in the 4th consecutive year. This well-established conference stream will centre on "Technology Evolution" - while focusing on network architecture evolution and network operations evolution.

The full-day conference stream will take place on Thursday, 1st March 2012 at the MWC 2012 in Barcelona, Spain.

You can expect an exciting programme with top speakers from Partners of the NGMN Alliance and other leading companies of the mobile industry offering extensive networking opportunities throughout the day!

If you are interested in the NGMN Alliance and meeting NGMN Office representatives at the Mobile World Congress NGMN Hospitality Suite, please contact the NGMN Office office(at)ngmn.org to arrange a meeting throughout the MWC2012.

ETSI has published the first release of its Machine to Machine (M2M) service standards, providing a standardized platform to manage the complexity of multiple M2M services and technologies.

Machine to Machine (M2M) communication services are already showing strong revenue growth with the number of deployments steadily increasing. Large-scale managed M2M services will become a feature of this industry, but today the technology landscape is fragmented, which discourages investment.

Leading industry players participating in ETSI's Technical Committee for Machine to Machine communications (TC M2M) have now developed a set of standards which provides a complete horizontal service layer for M2M communications.

The ETSI M2M Release 1 standards enable integration of different M2M technology choices into one managed platform. ETSI M2M Release 1 is built upon proven and mature standards from ETSI and other bodies such as the IETF, 3GPP, the Open Mobile Alliance and the Broadband Forum. The business benefits are clear: reduced complexity of M2M deployments, reduced deployment time for new M2M services, and ultimately reduced CAPEX and OPEX. The ETSI M2M standards specify architectural components including M2M devices, gateways with associated interfaces, applications, access technologies as well as the M2M Service Capabilities Layer. They also offer security, traffic scheduling, device discovery and lifecycle management features. The ETSI M2M Release 1 standards are published as a set of three specifications which are available for download from the ETSI website:

• Requirements in ETSI TS 102 689
• Functional architecture in ETSI TS 102 690
• Interface descriptions in ETSI TS 102 921

Mr. Enrico Scarrone, Telecom Italia, Chairman of ETSI TC M2M, said: "The publication of the ETSI M2M Release 1 standards marks a new milestone for the M2M industry. They unlock the potential for wide-scale deployment of M2M services and technologies, and encourage investment in new applications, which one day will bring us to a true Internet of Things."

Source: ETSI

According to Cambridge Broadband Networks, this is down to the introduction of outdoor small cell networks that will require many new backhaul connections potentially exposing them to higher transport costs for mobile broadband traffic.

Small cells increase the number of base stations available to each subscriber, bringing the mobile broadband capacity closer to the customer which in turn means a better quality data connection per mobile device. Small cells will typically be deployed in close proximity across a given area, providing better reception at street level. This is opposed to larger areas covered by today's macrocellular networks, which may have many hundreds, even thousands of subscribers scrambling for the available data capacity.

For operators however, the number of small cells required to offer true 4G speeds and sustain those speeds across a large area, could see annual costs rise considerably. Necessity dictates that a significant investment is needed and certain aspects of the networks are beyond the control of the operators, such as equipment, installation, spectrum licensing and rental costs for the Radio Access Network (RAN).

Building a small cell RAN is also only half the challenge. Backhauling each of these small cells back to the "Point-of-Presence" (PoP) and to the Core Network will offer operators one of the biggest challenges, yet the greatest opportunity to reduce and manage costs.

"Backhaul still remains one of the most important elements of any mobile network, particularly when you're increasing the number of cell sites in the RAN," commented Lance Hiley, VP marketing at Cambridge Broadband Networks. "Which backhaul solution an operator chooses can have a significant impact on the total cost of running their small cell network. There are three fundamental requirements for small cell backhaul operators should take on board. Coverage - the backhaul must be able to reach the small cells in difficult locations. Capacity - backhauling ten small cells requires a system with significantly greater capacity than each small cell, and cost - small cell backhaul needs to have many more connections than a macrocell network. Cost per connection needs to be lower. The obvious selections may not yield the best return on investment and the cost to carry a Mbps of traffic is a crucial parameter if small cell networks are to quickly become profitable."

Lance also warns operators that it's not just "which technology to choose" that operators need to take into consideration. As outlined in Cambridge Broadband Networks' Easy Small Cell Backhaul whitepaper, implementation aspects such as form factor, quality of service and time to deployment are equally as important in the decision process.

The whitepaper, Easy Small Cell Backhaul, is available to download for free at cbnl.com/resources/white-papers.

Source: MARKETWIRE via COMTEX

Telecom Italia is launching public trials of new services based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology, offering data transmission speeds of up to 100 Mbit/s for downloads and 50 Mbit/s for uploads, providing services and high-definition multimedia content at the same time.

For the first time in Italy, between tomorrow and 22 February people in Turin will be able to experience the potential of next-generation ultra-broadband mobile networks at TIM’s point of sale on Via Lagrange 20, where special demo stations will be open to the public. The new LTE USB dongles are pre-configured and connected in ultra-broadband mode to show what high-speed mobile services are like for accessing HD video streaming, on demand content and freely surfing the web.

This venture is part of the next-generation mobile network national development plan in which Telecom Italia has invested €1.26 billion to acquire 800, 1800 and 2600 MHz frequencies, confirming the company’s desire to build increasingly modern networks capable of offering new, technologically-advanced services that cater to customer needs and the increasing quantities of traffic generated by cellphones, USB dongles, smart phones and tablets.

The launch of this trial phase prior to the commercial rollout of LTE technology-based services is the culmination of a path Telecom Italia has been following since late 2009 as it develops its new ultra-broadband network. Telecom Italia was a leading player in the world’s first ever field trial in Turin, where the Group’s TILab R&D centre is located. The LTE project continued in 2010 and 2011 with a series of tests to perfect technological solutions and interoperability between the various different network elements.

Source: TELECOM ITALIA

London, UK – The Femto Forum today announced it is to be renamed the Small Cell Forum in order to better reflect its work which embraces residential, enterprise, metro and rural small cells, as well as to prevent the perception that the small cell arena is fragmented. The Small Cell Forum will serve to develop consensus on common approaches, standards and agreed best practice for all small cells.

The Forum will address all small cells that operate in licensed spectrum, are operator-managed and feature edge-based intelligence – including what have been dubbed femtocells, picocells, microcells and metrocells. It will also support the crossover between small cells and other relevant technologies including: Wi-Fi, cloud RAN (which connects cellular radio to cloud-based intelligence over fibre), Distributed Antenna Systems, as well as macrocells as part of the new heterogeneous network (hetnet) environment.

The role of the Small Cell Forum will be to tackle the practical challenges facing deployment. This includes finding appropriate small cell sites; delivering power and backhaul; managing interactions between small cells, macrocells and other wireless technologies; and effective interoperability and network management. This continues the work of the Femto Forum which has been actively working on small cells outside the home for some time, as well as their interactions with other technologies. Examples of this work include integrated Femto/Wi-Fi devices and networks; enterprise multi-femto architectures; public access small cell interference management; standards and management processes which are generic across all small cell types; and LTE small cell standards for all environments.

“Femtocell technology was originally designed for the home but has since extended into enterprise picocells, urban metrocells and modern microcells for all manner of locations. The core technologies developed by members of the Femto Forum - including Systems on a Chip, provisioning systems, standardised gateways, and other related innovations - lower the cost of licensed band solutions and facilitate easy deployments for all small cell products. As such it is the ‘small cell’ banner that now best represents these technologies and it is one that mobile operators are strongly endorsing. In fact, surveys show operators regard small cells as playing a more important role than macrocells in future mobile networks*,” said Simon Saunders, Chairman of the Small Cell Forum.

According to ABI Research, 4.3 million small cells (including femtocells, picocells and microcells) will be shipped in 2012, rising to 36.8 million shipments in 2016, valued at $20.4 billion. They find that residential and enterprise models currently dominate small cell shipments with 62% and 30% respectively. ABI Research’s data suggests that by 2016, while indoor small cells will be 94% of total shipments, outdoor small cells will make up 64% of the revenue.

The success of the small cell market to date has focused on femtocells which have been deployed by 38 operators worldwide, including eight of the top ten (by revenue), with a 112% increase in deployments in 2011. These deployments have started to achieve scale with Sprint surpassing 500K units and Vodafone UK, Japan’s Softbank and France’s SFR, exceeding 100K – not to mention AT&T which is the world’s largest deployment.

The Small Cell Forum has also today published a free introductory whitepaper on small cells that is available here.

About The Small Cell Forum

The Small Cell Forum (www.smallcellforum.org), formerly known as the Femto Forum, supports the wide-scale adoption of small cells. Small cells are low-power wireless access points that operate in licensed spectrum, are operator-managed and feature edge-based intelligence. They provide improved cellular coverage, capacity and applications for homes and enterprises as well as metropolitan and rural public spaces. They include technologies variously described as femtocells, picocells, microcells and metrocells. The Forum has 137 members including 63 operators representing more than 1.71 billion mobile subscribers - 33% of the global total – as well as telecoms hardware and software vendors, content providers and innovative start-ups.

Contact Details:

Oliver Chapman
Oliver [a t] smallcellforum.org

Source: Small Cell Forum

Toronto, ON - TELUS today announced that its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless service will be available to Torontonians and GTA residents on Friday, February 10. TELUS plans to continue rolling out its 4G LTE coverage to more regions across Canada to reach more than 25 million Canadians by the end of 2012.

TELUS customers can experience the full capabilities of TELUS' 4G LTE network with the highly popular Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9 LTE tablet, the LG Optimus LTE smartphone or the Novatel Wireless Ovation MC679 4G LTE Mobile Internet Key, available in TELUS stores and online on February 10. The 4G LTE-capable Samsung Galaxy Note will also be available on February 14.

TELUS 4G LTE network supports manufacturers' rated peak download speeds of up to 75 megabits per second (Mbps), with an expected average of 12 to 25 Mbps. TELUS customers will experience dramatically faster downloads when surfing the web, reading emails or getting the latest chart topping music. Downloading a 600 megabyte album of songs with a 4G LTE-capable device will take just 3.5 to 7 minutes. Importantly, if TELUS customers travel outside of 4G LTE network coverage areas, they will move seamlessly from 4G LTE to 4G, with no disruption of service.

"We are committed to offering the best customer experience and we have followed through by launching our 4G LTE service in Toronto and the GTA and 13 other metropolitan centres across Canada. We also offer a solid and growing selection of LTE capable devices to ensure our customers can enjoy all the benefits of this blazing fast wireless service," said David Fuller, TELUS Chief Marketing Officer. "We're listening to our customers and striving to give them clear and simple service terms with no surprises. Consistent with this approach, we are pleased to announce our current rate plans will apply to our 4G LTE customers. We are not introducing a new rate plan or charging a premium to experience our new network."

Over the past few years, TELUS has introduced: rate plans without system access and 911 carrier fees, a device unlocking service, free SMS data notifications so customers know how much data they have used, and flexible data rate plans to avoid bill shock when customers go over their regular usage. TELUS also reduced international roaming rates by up to 60 per cent.

LTE is the latest evolution in TELUS' wireless network technology rollover plan made possible by the 2009 launch of Canada's fastest* coast-to-coast 4G wireless network. Today this service reaches more than 97 per cent of Canadians. Since 2000, TELUS has invested more than $30 billion to bring Canadians some of the most advanced wireless and wireline broadband networks in the world.

TELUS 4G LTE will be available in the following 14 metropolitan areas: Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener, Waterloo, Hamilton, Guelph, Belleville, Ottawa, Montreal, Québec City, Halifax and Yellowknife.

Starting February 10, please visit www.telusmobility.com/4GLTE for more information on TELUS 4G LTE and to sign up for network coverage updates.

*Based on TELUS' tests of data throughput speeds in large Canadian urban centres available from national HSPA+ service providers.

Source: TELUS

Major Standards Development Organizations (the "SDOs") -- ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TIA, TTA, and TTC -- recognize that M2M services often rely upon communications networks for connectivity between the myriad of devices in the field and the M2M application servers, and have identified the need for a common cost-efficient, easily and widely available M2M Service Layer, which can be readily embedded within various hardware and software. As a result, the SDOs, meeting over the course of the past several months, have also identified the need for a cooperative M2M community standards activity, and have agreed to jointly address the challenge of common standardized solutions. The SDOs have taken initial steps to form a global initiative for M2M Standardization.

This global initiative will seek to develop globally agreed M2M end to end specifications and reports with initial focus on the Service Layer using common use cases and architecture principles across multiple M2M applications. The initiative will develop specifications that will help drive multiple industries towards the goals of lowering operating and capital expenses, shortening time-to-market, creating mass-market economies of scale, simplifying the development of applications, leveraging the worldwide network for enhanced potential of services, expanding and accelerating global business opportunities, and avoiding standardization overlap. In addition, the initiative will focus on cooperative efforts with other standards organizations and fora, including those representing specific aspects of M2M applications.

The SDOs agree that participation in the global initiative will be open to interested organizations and parties to provide opportunities for various levels of participation and provide flexibility for inputs from all market segments. The SDOs will establish a simple and effective operational structure which is responsive to the needs of the various stakeholders. The initiative will seek to balance regional requirements and differences, and to address their respective timeframes, with the primary goal to support global harmonization and consolidation.

The SDOs have agreed that the global initiative will be established early in 2012 and will then initiate the technical work to meet the challenges of rapidly evolving industries.

Current Participating SDOs

The global initiative has currently gathered representatives from: the Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB) and the Telecommunication Technology Committee (TTC) of Japan; the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) and the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) of the USA; the China Communications Standards Association (CCSA); the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI); and the Telecommunications Technology Association (TTA) of Korea.

Source: ETSI

285 operators, over 30% higher than 6 months ago, have committed to commercial LTE network deployments or are engaged in trials, technology testing or studies. The GSA report covers LTE FDD and LTE TDD system modes.

The GSA report confirms 226 firm commercial LTE network deployments, 36% higher than 6 months ago, are in progress or planned in 76 countries, including 49 networks which are now launched, and another 59 operators in 17 additional countries are engaged in LTE technology trials, tests or studies.

49 LTE networks, which is more than double the number 6 months ago, have launched commercial services in 29 countries: Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, UAE, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan.

Alan Hadden, President of the GSA, said: “Operators around the world in both mature and emerging economies strengthened their commitments and investments in LTE technology in 2011. The number of commercial networks more than doubled as operators obtained new spectrum, and many were also able to re-farm existing spectrum (particularly in the 1800 MHz band) for LTE deployments”

LTE commercial network launches per year:

     2009 = 2 networks launched

     2010 = 15 networks launched

     2011 = 29 networks launched

     2012 = 3 networks launched (to January 3)

     GSA forecast for end 2012 = 119 commercial LTE networks in over 50 countries

[Continues after image]

The Evolution to LTE report is researched and published by GSA and provides a concise update of the business drivers, objectives and targets for LTE – Long Term Evolution and the evolved packet system, including network operator commitments, deployments, launches, trials, the growing eco-system including device availability, spectrum requirements and developments, Voice over LTE developments, standardization activities including LTE-Advanced, and more.

The Evolution to LTE report is available as a free download to registered site users at
www.gsacom.com/gsm_3g/info_papers

Registration page to download reports, papers, charts, etc. www.gsacom.com/php/register_form.php4

Numerous charts and maps depicting the mobile broadband market, growth and trends including LTE are available at www.gsacom.com/news/statistics.php4

Source: GSA

South Korea's national operator, KT Corp., has launched its Long Term Evolution (LTE) service and unveiled a timetable for the simultaneous national rollout of the next-generation mobile service and termination of its 2G CDMA services.

For the complete Light Reading article please click the following link
www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=215948&f_src=lightreading_gnews

ZTE Corporation, a publicly-listed global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, German carrier E-Plus and China Mobile, all members of the Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance (NGMN), have publicly demonstrated the industry’s first TD-LTE Compact Smart Antenna which is approximately half the size of traditional TD-LTE solutions on the market.

Mr. Wang Shouchen, VP of ZTE says: “At present, spectral resources are very scarce all over the world. More and more European operators are showing interest in TD-LTE. However, the size of traditional TDD smart antennas can make installation a real challenge and push CAPEX up significantly. The TD-LTE Compact Smart Antenna is half the size of traditional TD-LTE antenna and reduces the cost and time taken for installation.”

The TD-LTE Compact Smart Antenna was showcased at NGMN’s Multi-Antenna Technology Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany. The demo showed a peak rate of 8Mbps at the cell edge with beam forming technology on 10MHz bandwidth.

The TD-LTE Compact Smart Antenna showcase follows successful field trials between ZTE, E-Plus and China Mobile, in 2011, that consisted of several streams investigating the capabilities of ZTE’s commercial SDR equipment and best use of the spectrum holdings of E-Plus in 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz, both TD-LTE and LTE FDD.

Source: ZTE

Continuing at the forefront of the wireless industry with its market-leading base station System-on-Chip (SoC) solutions, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) (NYSE: TXN) today unveiled an expansion of its KeyStone multicore architecture for emerging cloud radio access network (C-RAN) applications and network server developers.

Specifically, TI is scaling its KeyStone architecture for the emerging paradigm of C-RAN base stations, enabling the creation of device pools with immense capacity for manufacturers to develop extremely high performance and power efficient C-RAN base station clusters. Clustering base station functions allow processing capacity to be concentrated, which offers an innovative alternative to operators looking to lower operating expenses by reducing the amount of equipment in the field. By extending its KeyStone architecture, TI provides a powerful and cost effective path to C-RAN for developers using KeyStone devices for small cell or macro cell base stations while protecting their software investment.

"TI is unveiling a critical enabler for powerful and cost effective cloud RAN solutions," said Ken Rehbehn, principal analyst, mobile infrastructure, Yankee Group. "Expanding TI's flexible KeyStone architecture to meet C-RAN network topology requirements means that radio system innovators gain a unified architecture that scales from small cells to massive C-RAN processing pools. These enhancements offer vital design flexibility and time-to-market advantage without adding significant development cost."

Texas Instruments Inc. (NYSE: TXN)

Source: Lightreading

The NGMN Alliance is supporting the "LTE/EPC & Converged Mobile Backhaul" as a co-host.

A speech will be given by Miguel Ángel Alvarez Bernardo, lead of the NGMN project "Backhaul Evolution", on "Optimised backhaul solutions for LTE, challenges of Small Cell deployment and Co-ordinated QoS".

With its unique focus on the complementary evolution of mobile core and backhaul networks for the rollout and optimisation of mobile broadband and advanced LTE services, this event has rapidly gained the support of the main players in the European 4G/LTE networking industry.

If you are planning your core and / or backhaul network implementation of LTE, or developing solutions to meet some of the significant challenges faced by service providers, this is where you will find the people, debate and networking tools to advance your business interests and boost your innovation.

A 20% delegate discount will be granted for NGMN Alliance partners by using the following code: NGMN2011.

All NGMN Board Member will receive a free pass with the code NGMNF2011.

For further information visit www.layer123.com/lte-converged.

ETSI Members have appointed Mr. Jonas Sundborg of Ericsson as the chairman of the new ETSI Board, elected at the 58th ETSI General Assembly in Cannes.

Meeting at their 58th General Assembly in Cannes on the 29th and 30th of November 2011, ETSI members have elected a new 28 person ETSI Board and have appointed Mr. Jonas Sundborg of Ericsson to the position of Board Chairman.

The ETSI Board is elected for a three-year term of office and has overall responsibility for ETSI's Technical Committees and the work programme of standards under development. Members of the Board are directly elected by the ETSI General Assembly, and the chairman of the Board is chosen by the GA from among the elected Board members.

Mr. Sundborg will be assisted by three vice-chairmen, Mr. Emmanuel Darmois of Alcatel-Lucent, Mr. Simon Hicks of the United Kingdom Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Mr. Philippe Lucas of Orange.

The General Assembly also appointed Mr. Klaus Yongden Tillmann of NORMAPME, the European Office of Crafts, Trades and Small and Medium sized Enterprises for Standardisation, as a Vice-Chairman of the General Assembly representing user interests.

About ETSI

ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose more than 700 member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work.

For more information please visit: www.etsi.org

For general ETSI press enquiries:

Ultan Mulligan, Events & Communications, ETSI
Tel: +33 4 92944388, Email: ultan.mulligan(at)etsi.org

Source: ETSI

Australian LTE pioneer Telstra is aiming to launch smartphones supporting its new LTE network within the next quarter period. In an exclusive video interview with Mobile World Live, CEO David Thodey revealed that "the current plan is first quarter next year," a timeframe which would be at the top end of a previously announced ambition to bring smartphones to its LTE product portfolio in the first half of 2012.

"Obviously we're dealing with Samsung and HTC, and it's all about the spectrum support, but we think that's a good opportunity," Thodey noted. "And we think that'll change the whole take-up."

Launched last September in state capital city centres and more than 30 regional and metropolitan centres, users can currently only access the service via USB dongles. However, Thodey said the operator is also eager to get its hands on LTE tablets in the near future: "The tablet is so rich, if you can get that on LTE it would be like a device on steroids. We like the sound of that."

Thodey described the performance of the data-only LTE network as "outstanding" and said that plans are afoot to add voice capability in February 2012.

On the subject of voice services, Thodey was honest in his assessment of the commercial potential from his company's launch of HD Voice over its older mobile network (Telstra claims its HD Voice service is the world's largest offering): "I wish it was going to be something that would completely transform our offering. The truth is, it is a wonderful experience… Can I charge more for it, or can I have it as a differentiator to other operators? The truth is, we don't know yet."

Elsewhere in the interview, Thodey commented on Telstra's decision to opt for a 'throttling' approach as a strategy to deal with excessive data consumption, a move that contrasts with many other operators which have decided to enforce 'overage charges.' He also touched on the company's efforts to deal with the data explosion, reiterating senior executive belief that consumer femtocells may not be the answer, but that "it's inevitable that we will have to offload."

View the full interview here.

Source: Mobile Business Briefing

We speak to Paul Innis, senior manager of wireless solutions for Anritsu Company, following the announcement of the company winning the Best Network/Device Testing Product for LTE category at the LTE North America Awards 2011, held earlier this month in Dallas, Texas, USA, with its ME7834 mobile device test platform.

Can you tell us a little more about your entry?

Our ME7834 is a mobile device test platform utilised for LTE protocol conformance (GCF Signalling 36.523-1) and LTE Carrier Acceptance Testing (specific to key operator signalling acceptance test plans). The ME7834 is based on the highly proven, market-leading MD8430 (LTE) and MD8480 (UTRAN/GERAN) signaling testers.
Anritsu now has the most validated protocol test cases in Bands 1, 4, 5, 13 and 20. These bands are deployed by major operators in North America, Europe, Japan, and Korea. The ME7834L is also widely accepted by key LTE operators globally (with a specific strength in LTE Data Throughput) and Anritsu is experiencing a strong increase in market share growth within key operator eco-systems, including chipset and UE/device manufacturers, as well as third-party test services organizations.

Why do you think the judges chose your entry for this award?

The ME7834L system is based on the Anritsu MD8430 Base Station Signalling Simulator. This has received awards in the past as a leading platform for signalling simulation and its predecessor, the MD8480, was the market leader in 3G signalling simulation and paved a leadership path for the MD8430. The ME7834L also has grown in reputation in the last year as a uniquely scalable platform with market-leading performance for both protocol conformance and signalling acceptance testing. Additionally, the ME7834L and Anritsu currently hold the number one position in GCF Signalling Conformance, as verified by GCF in October 2011.

What recent industry developments does it specifically address?

The ME7834L (and Anritsu) achieved a number-one position in the most validated protocol conformance test cases at the recent GCF CAG #29 meeting in Windsor, UK. Additionally, Operator Carrier Acceptance Tests dynamically change monthly based on emerging requirements. The ME7834L has a flexible and scalable platform that addresses and/or will address all recently released carrier-specific acceptance protocol tests and/or supplementary signalling requirements.

What plans do you have to improve it in the coming months?

The ME7834L will have seven additional carrier-specific protocol carrier acceptance test plans (over 250 specific test sequences) added to its portfolio over the next 45 days. It will also support VoLTE in the coming months.

What changes do you believe are ahead for the LTE industry as a whole?

The competition of LTE deployment strategies coupled with specific carrier legacy network integration strategies will drive a higher level of complexity in carrier-specific testing. Further, devices will be undergoing more stringent carrier acceptance testing to emulate potential end user usage models. Complex test plans will be integrated to address multiple variants of stress and application testing for a variety of specific network architecture modifications.

How does being named in the awards shortlist benefit your business?

Being listed in the shortlist certainly adds to Anritsu's growing industry reputation as a leader in protocol and carrier acceptance testing, and we are extremely appreciative of this honour. Anritsu is innately dedicated to being the most trusted and reliable test and measurement vendor to our customers with a number one position in customer satisfaction. This award nomination continues to "fuel" our momentum in achieving that goal.

Source: Telecoms.com

5 years ago, NGMN was founded by leading international Operators to support and complement the work within the standardisation bodies and industry forums for successful deployment and delivery of mobile broadband technology. Today, NGMN is established as the primary telecom industry organization dealing with next generation mobile network related matters.

"On behalf of the Board I would like to take the opportunity of the 5th Anniversary of the NGMN Alliance, to thank all NGMN partners - operators, vendors and universities - for supporting our efforts in these essential years for the organization.", said Sandro Dionisi, Chairman of the NGMN Board and Head of Telecom Italia lab. "I would also like to thank the initiators, and the initial working group leaders for their personal commitment and important contributions. Building on the alliance's key strengths and based on the new working scope and processes, I am sure that we are now best positioned to implement and further develop the NGMN requirements, to share experiences and to assess new technology trends."

Hong Kong, 16 November 2011 — CSL Limited will unveil the world’s first public demonstration of LTE roaming’s new ‘Local Breakout’ (LBO) capabilities for visitors to the Mobile Asia Congress in Hong Kong on 16 and 17 November 2011. The demonstration showcases the breakthroughs achieved with CSL’s innovative LTE technology, as well as the results of CSL’s LTE roaming trial, conducted during the congress using the commercial LTE networks of Telstra in Australia and CSL in Hong Kong.

During the testing period, conducted in cooperation with Telstra Corporation, various data services including high definition multi-party video conferencing, bandwidth-intensive video streaming and data speed benchmarking against legacy GSM/3G roaming were trialed with impressive results.

During the trial, CSL saw that the LTE roaming experience has the potential to be up to five times the speed of existing 3G roaming, and a reduction of more than 90% latency, as in the case of using LTE locally. This represents a significantly improved service quality and an enhanced experience for LTE roamers.

The improved experience is achieved by new technologies at the radio and core network like eNode B and Evolved Packet Core EPC, and in coordination with our device vendor partner ZTE.

Users who marvel at the blistering data speeds and seamless mobile internet experience of a 4G LTE network service would naturally like to be able to take that same level of service with them anywhere in the world. Yet until now, even though other operators have adopted LTE technologies, a lack of interoperability between differing networks and spectrum bands has made 4G roaming, or the lack of it, a technical headache for operators.

Joseph O’Konek, CEO of CSL Limited, said, “CSL is the only 4G LTE provider in Hong Kong, so naturally one of our top priorities is to linkup our LTE service with our many roaming partners worldwide. CSL is leading the way in making unfettered LTE roaming a reality and is aiming to have this technology commercially available in 2012. This latest development in CSL’s roaming technology means we will be putting full quality LTE service in the hands of customers wherever they go.”

Under existing roaming systems, any and all data the customer wants to transmit or receive has to go via their home network instead of using the facilities of the territory they are actually in. LBO is able to offload data traffic to the local network, effectively making the local system their home network, which raises data speeds, reduces latency, and overall provides better service quality.

LTE will provide operators the choice of home routing or LBO for roaming customers. Home routing will be suitable for data applications such as services exclusive to the home operator provided services and corporate VPNs, while LBO is a better solution for bandwidth-intensive uses such as internet browsing and file sharing.

The GSM Associations Next Generation Roaming and Interoperability (NGRAI) project team have been working since November 2008 to ensure all specifications for LTE roaming are included in the existing permanent reference document. This process was completed in November 2009.

About CSL

CSL is Hong Kong’s first and leading mobile network operator. It is the only mobile company in the world to operate with a distinctive multi-brand strategy providing customer-centric services through the brands: 1O1O, one2free,
New World Mobility and a number of Pre-paid service brands.

It operates a world-class GSM / WCDMA and unique UMTS 900 network in Hong Kong and launched the world’s first 4G LTE/DC-HSPA+ network in November 2010, through which it offers comprehensive mobile and broadband services to both local and international customers. CSL also supports customers across the world, as the leading roaming operator in Hong Kong providing unmatched global multi-media connectivity through over 540 mobile operator partners around the world. For more information, please visit www.hkcsl.com.

CSL is a subsidiary of Telstra Corporation Limited, Australia’s leading telecommunications and information services company (www.telstra.com).

For media enquiry, please contact:

CSL Limited
Erin Godfrey
Tel: +852 2883 4883
Email: erin.godfrey(at)hkcsl.com

Source: CSL

Cambridge, UK, 15 November 2011: Cambridge Broadband Networks, the British company leading the world in the development of next generation mobile backhaul technologies, today announced that its VectaStar multipoint microwave equipment will be backhauling LTE data as a key element of O2’s trial 4G network. The superfast network, operating over 40 square kilometres in high traffic areas of Central London is designed to deliver mobile data speeds equivalent to the fastest fixed line connection.

The Vectastar multipoint microwave backhaul technology, a significant advance on traditional microwave technologies, mirrors the network configuration found in the radio access network (the interface between cell tower and mobile handset), and allows O2 to backhaul mobile traffic from multiple cell towers to a single aggregation point. This fundamental change in backhaul network architecture delivers significant advantages in terms of cost and efficiency, particularly for next generation mobile.

Graham Peel, CEO of Cambridge Broadband Networks said: “LTE networks offer enormous promise for mobile operators and the consumers they serve but the huge volumes of data traffic they are capable of generating, demand a new approach to backhaul. It is a challenge we designed our VectaStar solutions to meet – in addition to delivering the raw capacity requirement for LTE, the efficiency gains inherent in multipoint microwave can significantly reduce the cost per megabyte.”

Cambridge Broadband Networks is one of the fastest growing microwave companies in the world, evidenced by the company’s inclusion in the Sunday Times Tech Track 100 in each of the last three years. Its VectaStar equipment is being used to backhaul most of the sites involved in the London 4G trial. O2’s 4G trial will use the 2.6 GHz spectrum band. VectaStar will use the available 28 GHz band.

During the trial O2 will provide participants with Samsung B3730 mobile broadband dongles, supporting speeds of up to 100Mbps, and well as personal Wi-Fi hotspot devices and handsets from a number of other vendors.

About Cambridge Broadband Network

Cambridge Broadband Networks provides telecommunications operators with carrier-class wireless point-to-multipoint transmission equipment. The company’s unique approach to backhaul means that its technology provides operators with a highly compelling business case, reducing backhaul costs by up to 60%.

To date, Cambridge Broadband Networks products have been commercially deployed and technically proven in more than 30 countries, and the company continues to expand into new geographical markets as wireless networks become more widespread throughout the world. Privately-held, Cambridge Broadband Networks has headquarters in Cambridge, UK, with offices in Nigeria and South Africa and manufacturing facilities in China.

Media contacts

For more information about any of the issues in this press release, please contact:
SamTring, Babel PR
cbn(at)babelpr.com
+44 (0)20 7434 5550
www.babelpr.com

Source: Cambridge Broadband Networks

NTT DOCOMO representatives at the NGMN Operating Committee (OC) meeting in Frankfurt on 15...

NTT DOCOMO representatives at the NGMN Operating Committee (OC) meeting in Frankfurt on 15 November presented DOCOMO's LTE rollout status and achievements. DOCOMO launched LTE service 'Xi' on 24 December 2010, first in Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas and initially with data terminals. A maximum download speed of 75 Mbps on a network with large capacity and low latency are the major differentiators to the legacy 3G network. NTT DOCOMO is on plan to achieve network coverage on all prefectural capitals and similar sized cities in Japan within 2011 and is even increasing the rollout speed.

For the network deployment with remote radio heads DOCOMO is making use of the ETSI ORI based interface, thereby allowing DOCOMO to use different vendor combinations throughout the network. Furthermore, the architecture allows for highly flexible and efficient deployment scenarios.
This was only made possible by the work undertaken by the NGMN Alliance in their OBRI (Open BBU RRH Interface) project and by the standardisation work afterwards initiated within the ETSI ISG ORI.

In a major next step, NTT DOCOMO started rollout of LTE tablets in October 2011 followed by LTE enabled smartphones from November 2011.
CS fallback will be used as the initial method for implementation of voice services. However, it is planned to move to VoLTE soon, which will provide simultaneous voice and data services on LTE as well as improved spectrum usage.

LTE North America, the region’s meeting place for LTE, is taking place from the 8 - 9 November 2011 in Dallas, presenting you with a unique opportunity to learn from 150+ speakers at THE LTE event of the year!

LTE North America looks set to be a sell out! With an incredible conference agenda, 150+ expert speakers, 1000+ high level attendees and 100+ exhibitors, meeting rooms and hospitality suites.

Ensure you claim your FREE carrier pass! For more information please visit americas.lteconference.com.

Don’t forget to quote your exclusive VIP Code when booking LTENA/NGMN01 to receive a 15% discount!

Wireless Communications is at the centre of a new and passionate era characterised by smart and flexible transceiver concepts, the convergence of systems and technologies, a transition towards all-IP networks, and the development of technologies with a user-centric focus. In this context, the International Symposium on Wireless Communication Systems (ISWCS) is positioning itself as a recognised and dynamic forum for researchers and technologists to pre-sent and discuss original ideas and contributions in all fields related to mobile wireless com-munication systems.

General Chair:

Rudolf Mathar, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, RWTH Aachen University

Technical Program Chairs:

Gerhard Kramer, Technische Universität München

Kwang-Cheng Chen, National Taiwan University

For more information visit
www.ti.rwth-aachen.de/iswcs2011/home.html

An EU funded project which has developed a long-term solution to Internet traffic congestion has just received a prize at Future Internet Week in Poznan, Poland. The TRILOGY project received the Future Internet Award for its outstanding contribution to the Internet architecture and protocols, which could help provide Europeans with faster, more reliable Internet connections.

The three year €9.2 million project, completed in March 2011, brought together researchers and companies from Belgium, Finland, Germany, Greece, Spain, UK and the US to find methods of managing traffic so that congestion at choke points of the network is minimised, thus resulting in better quality connections for Internet users. The EU contributed €5.9 million in ICT research funding.

Specifically, TRILOGY has developed the Multi-Path Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP), an extension to standard Internet TCP that enables data to be transmitted from one network node to another via multiple network paths at the same time, an algorithm for multipath routing to take advantage of multi-homing at endpoints and “congestion exposure” extensions to the Internet Protocol (IP) to monitor Internet congestion. In combination, they will enable a more resilient, more flexible and more cost effective Internet.

The award acknowledges European research efforts in developing the future Internet, in the context of ever-increasing traffic that is seeing broadband networks overloaded by new applications and video streaming demands.

The results of the TRILOGY project are already being taken up by the ICT industry and integrated into open source and other commercially available operating systems to ensure that Internet connections become more resilient and flexible for all users.

Using funding from the 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development (FP7) to support innovative ICT solutions which will help EU citizens and businesses is a priority of the Digital Agenda for Europe (see IP/10/581, MEMO/10/199 and MEMO/10/200).

Background

Internet traffic has reached unprecedented levels. For example, YouTube alone reaches 3 billion views per day and 2 days' worth of uploaded videos every minute in 2011. Demand has led to a decrease in bandwidth availability and has at times cast doubt over the strength of the Internet design altogether.

The TRILOGY Project has developed three new architecture blocks to help manage Internet traffic congestion.

The Multi-Path Transmission Control Protocol (MPTCP) transmits data between two network nodes along multiple paths at the same time, in order to pool the capacity and reliability of multiple network paths and to benefit from multihoming at endpoints – for example a mobile device with several wireless interfaces. An open source version of this protocol is available for the Linux operating system, which has been tested and ported to Android and Nokia devices. In addition, the ICT company Oracle is implementing MPTCP for its Solaris operating system.

Multipath routing: TRILOGY developed an algorithm for multipath routing that allows Internet routers to select multiple paths to a given destination, compared to a single route under the current approach. Traffic is thus spread out over multiple paths, leading to more resilient network connections in case one path fails or becomes overloaded, and an overall improved use of the network.

Congestion Exposure (CONEX) enables IP devices to monitor and share fine-grained congestion information in the network. Until now, this was only possible for the network endpoints. As a result, a user or a network can be held responsible for their impact on other users. This also encourages investment in new capacity.

The award was announced in the closing session of the Future Internet Assembly (FIA), part of the overall Future Internet Week (24-28 October) held in Poznan, Poland. Organised biannually by the country holding the EU Presidency, the Assembly brings together European projects working in the Future Internet field and provides a discussion platform for the latest research results and developments.

The Future Internet Awards promote the best European national and regional future Internet initiatives. Funded under the European Commission's 7th Framework Programme for Research and Development, TRILOGY is a leading example of European future networks research.

Project partners:

BT Plc

Deutsche Telekom AG

NEC Europe Ltd.

Nokia Oyj

Roke Manor Research Limited

Athens University of Economics and Business – Research Center

Universidad Carlos III de Madrid

University College London

Université catholique de Louvain

EURESCOM - European Institute for Research and Strategic Studies in Telecommunications GmbH

Stanford University

Useful links:

www.trilogy-project.org/

Future Internet Award: www.cefims.eu/fiaward/

Future Internet Assembly:
www.event.fi-poznan.eu/fia/page/1377/Agenda_details.html?view=program&conference=36

Digital Agenda website: ec.europa.eu/digital-agenda

Neelie Kroes' website: ec.europa.eu/commission_2010-2014/kroes/

Follow Neelie Kroes on Twitter: twitter.com/#!/neeliekroeseu

Contacts:

Dennis Abbott (+32 2 295 92 58)

Linda Cain (+32 2 299 90 19)

Source: European Commission

ETSI's 2nd workshop on Machine to Machine (M2M) communications, held in Sophia Antipolis, France on the 26th and 27th of October, gathered leading experts from all over the world to hear how ETSI M2M technology standards are being deployed.

Machine to Machine (M2M) communications may appear to be simply another hyped topic, but for the experts who gathered at the ETSI Machine to Machine communications workshop, the subject is very real and developing rapidly. Meeting in Sophia Antipolis, France, on the 26th and 27th of October, participants to ETSI's 2nd M2M workshop looked beyond the M2M standards produced by ETSI Technical Committee M2M to how these standards can be applied to real life applications. This year the focus of the workshop is on implementation and deployment of standards-based solutions, because M2M technology promises to integrate many aspects of our daily lives and numerous applications of M2M are already available.

Participants heard how ETSI's M2M service capabilities based architecture helps federate current and emerging M2M communication technologies into a single harmonized service platform. Numerous major network operators presented their requirements, equipment vendors offered commitments and technology roadmaps, and results from pilot implementations gave clarity and confidence to those who are still wondering how and when to invest. For those who could not participate in the workshop, the workshop programme and copies of the presentations are available to the public from the ETSI website, at www.etsi.org/M2MWORKSHOP.

With over 270 registered delegates from four continents, 25 speakers, five live demonstrations of ETSI M2M-based applications and two days of intense discussion, this year's event is even more successful than last year's. Planning for the 2012 event, which will take place again in October, has already started, making ETSI's M2M workshop the primary technical conference on the subject and a 'must-attend' event for anyone developing or deploying standards-based M2M solutions.

About ETSI

ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communications Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, converged, aeronautical, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose more than 700 member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work.
For more information please visit: www.etsi.org

For more information about ETSI Technical Committee M2M, please contact:

David Boswarthick
Technical Officer for M2M
Tel: +33 4 92944278
Email: david.boswarthick(at)etsi.org

For general ETSI press enquiries:

Ultan Mulligan
Events & Communications, ETSI
Tel: +33 4 92944388
Email: ultan.mulligan(at)etsi.org

Source: ETSI

SELF-ORGANISING NETWORKS CONFERENCE 2011- mimoOn, a pioneer in LTE software licensing for Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms, and Eden Rock Communications, LLC ("Eden Rock"), the leading innovator of dynamic resource optimization solutions for mobile networks, announced today a partnership to accelerate the deployment of Self-Organizing Networks (SON) for heterogeneous networks. SON features are an integral component of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks with standards bodies such as 3G Partnership Program (3GPP) and Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) actively working on the definition of SON.

Eden Rock's SON solution, Eden-NET(tm), provides substantial gains in network performance via Eden Rock's novel multi-site dynamic radio resource optimization algorithms and intelligent SON triggers. The Eden-NET Embedded Agent is a component of the system that is embedded directly into mobile base stations (also called eNodeB) in order to define performance metrics and collect and pre-process automatic updates to a localized LTE base station scheduler.

mimoOn is currently integrating the Eden-NET(tm) Embedded Agent with its 3GPP LTE eNodeB PHY and its LTE eNodeB Protocol STACK for availability in Q1 2012. "By integrating the Eden-NET Embedded Agent with our eNodeB STACK, mimoOn and Eden Rock offer a winning combination to both network operators and their equipment vendors," explains Willem Mulder, mimoOn VP of Standards and IP. "Small cell eNodeB vendors will have access to an integrated LTE eNodeB PHY, STACK + SON agent solution that reduces their product development efforts and time."

"Eden Rock has been actively establishing strategic partnerships with domain leaders within the wireless ecosystem in order to enhance the value of our SON solution," commented Chaz Immendorf, President and CEO of Eden Rock Communications. "mimoOn is the industry leader in software solutions for small footprint LTE base stations making them the ideal partner for the extension of our SON solution into the small cell space."

About mimoOn

mimoOn GmbH, headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, is a leading licensor of LTE Software IP for mobile devices & wireless infrastructure. mimoOn's portfolio of products includes Physical Layer (PHY) and Protocol Stack (L2/L3) for mobile terminals, small cells (Pico/Femto) and IP development in the areas of advanced PHY algorithms on multi-core SDR platforms, SON, schedulers and radio resource management. mimoOn provides a complete porting, optimization and verification service, as well as a roadmap to future 3GPP releases. For more information, please visit www.mimoon.de.

About Eden Rock Communications

Eden Rock Communications is the leading innovator of dynamic resource optimization solutions that improve the capacity and performance of mobile networks. Eden-NET(tm) performs real-time coordination of radio resource allocations among eNodeBs, dynamically coordinates antenna parameters, and incorporates novel techniques for RF interference management, load balancing, and cell cluster definition. Eden Rock's innovative approach to next generation network optimization enables mobile network operators to deploy high performance networks that benefit subscribers and their bottom line. Founded in 2007, the company is headquartered in Bothell, WA and has more than 70 patents pending on the dynamic coordination of radio resource utilization. For more information, please visit www.edenrockcomm.com.

Eden Rock Communications Contact:
Cara Mormino
Rocket Creative
+1 425 686 2909
cara(at)rocketcreative.com

mimoOn Contact:
Brian Meads
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
info(at)mimoon.de

+49 (0)203 306 4500

Source: mimoOn

With the ever increasing traffic on MNO's networks, the need for more network intelligence and effective planning tools, the pressure to reduce operation and maintenance costs and the focus upon lowering the cost of data delivery especially has never been greater. This conference discusses how various SON features are available for networks today.

Attending this conference will ensure that you will leave with a comprehensive understanding of the wide range of research projects, solutions, features, use cases and deployment options for SON.

Members of the NGMN Alliance will receive a 15% discount when registering with this code: I3C4M/NGMN/15

For further information please go to www.son-conference.com

TOKYO, JAPAN, October 18, 2011 --- NTT DOCOMO, INC. announced today its 2011 winter — 2012 spring product lineup of 24 models for launch in or after November, including 14 smartphones, the largest and most diverse collection ever released by DOCOMO.

DOCOMO’s new smartphone lineup meets a broad range of needs for users in Japan:

• Smartphones for DOCOMO’s extra-high-speed next-generation LTE service, Xi (read “Crossy”), for mobile data communication at up to 75 Mbps (4 models).
   
• Smartphones equipped for mobile-wallet (Osaifu-Keitai™), infrared-based data exchange, one-seg mobile TV and tethering (9 models).
   
• Enhanced features for smartphones, such as dual-core CPUs (7 models), large HD-quality liquid crystal screens and high-spec cameras.
   
• Wide range of smartphone designs and colors, including two collaboration models.
   
• All smartphones equipped for Area Mail™ transmissions of Earthquake Early Warnings from the Japan Meteorological Agency.

DOCOMO also announced today the mid-November launches of two all-new services for smartphones, “dmenu™” and “dmarket™.” The dmenu portal site will provide a wide range of apps and other content from diverse providers, as well as enriched versions of DOCOMO’s popular i-mode™ content, optimized for easy-to-use smartphone interfaces. The new dmarket content store will offer a wealth of other content, including movies, music, e-books and Android™ applications. DOCOMO’s new smartphones also will have access to a variety of other DOCOMO services, such as i-concier™ for push-based concierge-like personal assistance.

The new models include 8 sophisticated feature phones, all compatible with the i-mode mobile Internet platform. The lineup boasts a distinctive collaboration model and several models equipped for convenient wireless charging. All models are compatible with “docomo Palette UI” for easy sorting, searching and managing of stored content.

In conjunction with the unprecedented scale of this launch, DOCOMO has reorganized its lineup into five categories: docomo with series and docomo NEXT series for smartphones, docomo Tablet category for tablets, and docomo STYLE series and Raku-Raku PHONE series for feature phones.

• docomo with series (smartphones)
  Friendly smartphones with fashionable designs and loaded with handy features to make mobile life easier and more fun
   
• docomo NEXT series (smartphones)
  Sophisticated, high-spec smartphones, including for LTE, that empower users to maximize the potential of mobile digital life
   
• docomo Tablet
  World-class tablets featuring excellent operability and customized for DOCOMO’s many unique mobile services
   
• docomo STYLE series (feature phones)
  Advanced feature phones with chic designs and fully equipped for video, games and other rich mobile entertainment
   
• docomo Raku-Raku PHONE series (feature phones)
  Highly user-friendly mobile phones with great basic features suitable for all ages

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO is a world-leading mobile operator and growing provider of comprehensive services centered on mobility. The company serves over 58 million customers in Japan via advanced wireless networks, including a nationwide 3G network and one of the world’s first commercial LTE networks. Leveraging its unique capabilities as a mobile operator, DOCOMO is a leading developer of cutting-edge technologies for NFC mobile payments, mobile GPS, mobile TV, intuitive mobile assistance, environmental monitoring, smart grids and much more. Overseas, the company provides technical and operational expertise to eight mobile operators and other partner companies. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. Please visit www.nttdocomo.com for more information.

The handsets are under development, and the specifications are subject to change.
Xi, Osaifu-Keitai, Area Mail, dmenu, dmarket, i-mode,and i-concier are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DOCOMO, INC. in Japan and/or other countries.
Xi, Osaifu-Keitai, Area Mail, dmenu, dmarket, i-mode, i-concier, are only available to subscribers in Japan.
Osaifu-Keitai refers to mobile phones equipped with contactless IC card, as well as its useful functions/services enabled by the IC card. With this function, mobile phones can be utilized as electronic money, credit card, electronic ticket, membership card, airline ticket, and more.
Otayori Photo Panel requires subscription to Otayori Photo Service billing plan. Photos and videos (up to 5 MB) can be emailed from a maximum of 23 preregistered users.
Android is a trademark of Google Inc.
IPS is a registered trademark of Hitachi Displays, Ltd. in Japan.
ARROWS is a trademark or registered trademark of Fujitsu Toshiba Mobile Communications Limited.
MEDIAS is a trademark of NEC CASIO Mobile Communications, Ltd.
Bluetooth is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG Inc.
Gorilla Glass is a trademark of Corning, Inc.
BlackBerry, related trademarks and names are the property of Research In Motion Limited and are registered and/or used in the U.S. and countries around the world. Used under license from Research In Motion Limited.
Q-pot. is a trademark of Gramme Co.
LUMIX Phone is a trademark of Panasonic Corporation.
AQUOS PHONE and AQUOS SHOT are registered trademarks or trademarks of Sharp Corporation.
REGZA Phone is a trademark of TOSHIBA CORPORATION.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Source: NTT Docomo

GCF, the Global Certification Forum, announced the extension of GCF Certification to TD-LTE for devices operating in Band 38 in July 2011. Certification for FD-LTE devices operating at 700 MHz (Band 13) and 800 MHz (Band 20) was introduced in December 2010 and extended to 2100 MHz (Band 1) and 2600 MHz (Band 7) in April of this year. Further bands will be brought within the scheme to reflect the variety of spectrum allocations that have been released for LTE in different parts of the world.

GCF Certification provides confidence that new devices are compliant with relevant standards and interoperable with other devices and network infrastructure systems irrespective of the vendors.

The availability of certified devices is an important milestone in the development of new mobile technologies such as TD-LTE. The first GCF-Certified FD-LTE devices, for the 800 MHz ‘European Digital Dividend' band, were announced in April.

Led by China Mobile, GCF's work on TD-LTE has involved a broad coalition of GCF members including handset manufacturers, test equipment vendors, test labs and operators from around the world.

"The first certification for a TD-LTE device is a positive sign of the speed with which this important technology is maturing," said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manager of GCF.

"The certification of the E398s-81 is a testament to Huawei's support for TD-LTE," said Mr. Shimin Wu, President of MBB Product Line, Huawei Device. "The availability of a GCF-Certified device demonstrates that TD-LTE is rapidly approaching the point at which trials can give way to mass-market deployments."

Email: press(at)globalcertificationforum.org

Source:
www.globalcertificationforum.org/WebSite/public/first_TD-LTE_mobile_device_certified.aspx

After 22 days and 469 bids, the auction to acquire the 800, 1800 and 2600 frequency bands ended at 16.45. Winning bids by Telecom, Vodafone, Wind and H3G amounted to 3,945,295,100 euros.

In particular, the following frequencies were allocated:

• 800 frequency bands: 2 blocks were awarded each to Vodafone, Telecom Italia and Wind.
• 1,800 frequency bands: 1 block was awarded each to Vodafone, Telecom, H3G.
• 2,600 frequency bands: 4 blocks were awarded to H3G, 4 to Wind, 3 to Telecom, 3 to Vodafone.

All operators taking part in the 4G tender can still submit bids by 12.00 noon on Monday, October 3, for the 2000 band, which remains unallocated. Bids will be opened in a public session at 14.00 on the same day at the offices of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Economic Development.

"It is an extraordinary result - said Minister Romani - one which places Italy in a leading position in Europe. In a difficult market situation, we managed to attract a large amount of investment. The proceeds go beyond expectations: I remember that in the budget the auction was expected to raise 2.4 billion euros."

Source: Italian Ministry of Economic Development

Broadband World Forum 2011 is the world’s largest Broadband event attracting 10,000+ decision-makers from across the globe. Now celebrating its 11th anniversary year, the event is the only place to meet the entire broadband industry in one place at one time.

The 3 day comprehensive conference programme brings together over 300 visionary speakers along with 150 service provider case studies to address the commercial and technical opportunities, developments and issues currently surrounding Broadband.
Click here to register now. Don’t forget to enter in your unique VIP Code: BBWF11/NG01 to claim your 15% discount to attend the conference!

The conference structure includes analyst breakfast briefings, keynote sessions, a choice of 4 tracks covering Transport, Intelligence, Access and Services and various special focus seminars.

Don’t forget the FREE to attend exhibition featuring over 200 exhibitors from across the globe showing the industry’s finest services and products.
Click here to register now quoting VIP Code BBWF11/NG01!

www.broadbandworldforum.com

4G Plans and Pricing
The BigPond USB 4G can be purchased by consumer customers for $0 (after rebate) on a range of new 24 month plans – including on a $59.95 per month plan with 8GB of data included each month over 24 months (min cost $1,438.80).

The Telstra USB 4G can be purchased by business customers on a range of plans including $0 upfront on the $39 Telstra Mobile Broadband Standard Plan over 24 months (min total cost $936) with 4GB included data.

For more information on Telstra 4G visit www.telstra.com/4gfun. Business customers can visit: www.telstra.com/business/4G.

*Speeds vary due to factors such as distance from base station, local conditions, user numbers, hardware and software configuration.

Dallas, Texas, September 19, 2011
AT&T* today announced that customers in Dallas will have access to the latest generation of wireless network technology from AT&T, 4G LTE, which is capable of delivering mobile broadband speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G. 4G LTE is also more efficient than other mobile broadband technologies, providing responsive performance for customers when they need it most.

“We continue to see demand for mobile broadband skyrocket, and now our customers in Dallas have access to the latest in mobile broadband with 4G LTE,” said Adam Vital, AT&T’s general manager for North Texas. “Customers can now get everything from e-mail to apps to streaming video even faster.”

AT&T currently offers four 4G LTE-compatible devices: the HTC Jetstream tablet, the AT&T USBConnect Momentum 4G, the AT&T Mobile Hotspot Elevate 4G, and the AT&T USBConnect Adrenaline.

AT&T will continue to expand its 4G LTE footprint in Dallas over the coming months. AT&T has also launched 4G LTE in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and San Antonio and plans to offer 4G LTE in at least 15 markets and to 70 million Americans by the end of the year.

AT&T is positioned to deliver a great mobile broadband experience to its customers, now and in the future. Not only is AT&T deploying 4G LTE, it has also deployed fast HSPA+ technology throughout its mobile broadband network. HSPA+, when combined with enhanced backhaul, provides customers with 4G speeds. The two complementary technologies mean that customers will have more consistent mobile broadband speeds as they move in and out of 4G LTE areas. Customers of competitors who have transitioned to 4G LTE without further speed upgrades to their existing networks are likely to see a steep drop-off in speeds when they move out of 4G LTE areas.

For information about 4G LTE coverage, devices, and features, please visit the AT&T wireless network page.

For updates on the AT&T wireless network, please visit the AT&T network news page.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. Deployment ongoing. 4G LTE device and data plan required. Up to 10x claim compares 4G LTE download speeds to industry average 3G download speeds. LTE is a trademark of ETSI. Learn more about 4G LTE at att.com/network.

About AT&T

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) is a premier communications holding company and one of the most honored companies in the world. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet, voice and cloud-based services. A leader in mobile broadband and emerging 4G capabilities, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide of any U.S. carrier, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse® and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.

Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT.

The NGMN Alliance held its 1st Innovation Day on 15 September 2011 in Stockholm, Sweden, on “Challenges of dynamic use of spectrum and how to overcome spectrum fragmentation”.

Presentations on Reconfigurable Radio/SDR, Cognitive Radio (CR) and various approaches for efficient and flexible use of Spectrum for mobile broadband services were given by high-level speakers coming from Universities, Research Institutes and NGMN industry partners (Beijing University of Post and Telecommunication, Duke University, Heinrich-Hertz-Institute Fraunhofer, IMEC International, Royal Institute of Technology KTH, Linköping University, RWTH Aachen, UMIC Research Centre, Technical University Eindhoven, Bauhaus University Weimar, FT/Orange, NTT DOCOMO, Telecom Italia, Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, mimoOn, NSN, Sequans).

With representatives from Europe, Asia and North America the conference proved to be a unique platform for all stakeholders – industry, academia, regulators - to present and discuss the latest research findings and technology approaches. Additionally, telecom operators and manufacturers provided their view on the commercial viability of such new technologies.

The session on Reconfigurable Radio/SDR provided insights into recent advances in flexible RF front end technology and programmable baseband chips as well as its evolution towards mass market introduction of SDR based mobile broadband devices. Commercial availability is expected for the middle of this decade.

Research experts in the cognitive radio session highlighted standardisation issues in order to ensure inter-operability of proposed solutions. In addition, contributions focused on algorithms related to spectrum sensing and decision making (cognitive engine). Challenges such as implementation complexity and energy efficiency are currently assessed and may become a new item in the NGMN work programme.

Speakers in the session on flexible use of spectrum introduced innovations such as carrier aggregation, opportunistic secondary spectrum access and inter operator spectrum sharing. Representatives from network operators, manufacturers, and academia agreed in the concluding panel session that joint development effort amongst all stakeholders is required to transfer promising ideas into commercially viable solutions.

In his closing remarks Peter Meissner, Operating Officer NGMN Alliance, highlighted: “The advent of LTE networks with inherently higher data-rates and lower latency will enable the innovation of new consumer services. This will enforce the trend of rising data traffic and the need for an increase in network capacity as well as the increase in demand for even more spectrum.” He continued: „The NGMN Innovation Day has triggered joint initiatives of relevant stakeholders to address the issue of spectrum shortage and spectrum fragmentation. However, it is obvious that the allocation of additional spectrum by regulators cannot be compensated by technology enhancements.”

About the NGMN Alliance
The NGMN Alliance was founded by leading international mobile network operators in 2006. Its goal is to ensure that the standards for next generation network infrastructure, service platforms and devices will meet the requirements of operators and, ultimately, will satisfy end user demand and expectations. The objective of the initial phase of NGMN with working groups on Technology, Spectrum, IPR, Ecosystem, and Trials was to enable the launch of commercial services in 2010. After having successfully reached this milestone, the NGMN Alliance now addresses the challenges of network deployment, operations, and interworking. Furthermore, the NGMN Alliance will drive and guide the development of all future mobile broadband technology enhancements focusing on LTE & EPC and its evolution. The targets of this work programme are supported by the strong and well-established partnership of worldwide leading operators, vendors, universities, and successful co-operations with other industry organisations.

For further information visit www.ngmn.org
For further information regarding the NGMN, please contact:
Natacha Schubert
natacha.schubert(at)ngmn.org
Phone +49 69 / 9 07 49 98 0

MONTREAL, Sept., 13, 2011 2011 -- Bell Mobility today announced the launch of its next generation 4G LTE wireless network service in areas of Toronto, Mississauga, Hamilton, Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph tomorrow. This state-of the-art network will offer the fastest mobile Internet speeds available to some of Canada's most populous urban areas, including the Waterloo region innovation hub and the country's largest wireless market in the Toronto area. "LTE is the next step in ensuring Bell continues to deliver the best networks in the world to Canadian consumers and businesses, backed up by the newest data devices and the leading mobile services and content available. LTE will deliver amazing data access speeds - at least three times faster than the Bell HSPA+ network originally launched less than three years ago," said Wade Oosterman, President of Bell Mobility. With super-fast Internet and data access speeds for both business users and consumers, 4G LTE from Bell offers HD quality online TV and video; wireless video conferencing and chat with quality previously available only on wireline or high-speed Wi-Fi connections; unprecedented mobile download times for apps, large attachments, presentations and apps (with VPN compatibility for secure file access); and mobile gaming on a whole new level, with stand-out graphics and video quality. Bell's 4G LTE roll-out will bring coverage to additional Canadian markets this year and through 2012. Bell is focused on an urban rollout first, with the timing of broader rural and remote coverage deployments contingent on the outcome of Industry Canada's 700 MHz spectrum auction. Bringing next generation 4G LTE first to Canada's top wireless markets and technology innovation centres also underscores Bell's commitment to the continued growth of the country's national wireless ecosystem. "We partner with mobile technology start-ups, developer communities and established innovators across Waterloo and the GTA - they're a big part of the more than $800 million in R&D spending that Bell invests in Canada each year," said Stephen Howe, Bell's Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO). "We're happy to help accelerate innovation with the fastest wireless network technology commercially available." Customers can buy next generation Bell LTE/HSPA+ Turbo Sticks now, which allow users to connect their laptops to the 4G LTE network, and will be able to purchase LTE/HSPA+-capable smartphones and tablets later this year.

LTE offers fastest mobile Internet access
LTE (short for the 4th Generation "Long Term Evolution" mobile standard) offers data speeds as fast as 75 megabits per second (Mbps) and typical speeds ranging between 12 and 25 Mbps. As the standard and products evolve, speeds are expected to increase to as fast as 150 Mbps.

Bell's 4G LTE network is also the first and only Canadian 4G network to switch to the next fastest speed available when outside LTE areas, either Bell's Dual Carrier HSPA+ providing peak speeds up to 42 Mbps (typical between 7 and 14 Mbps) or HSPA+ offering speeds up to 21 Mbps (typical between 3.5 and 8 Mbps). Bell introduced Dual Carrier HSPA+ to North America and now offers the high-speed service to approximately 70% of the Canadian population. Bell offers total HSPA+ coverage to more than 96% of Canadians.

Bell network innovation and investment
Developed in partnership with leading network infrastructure suppliers Cisco, Huawei and Nokia Siemens Networks, Bell's 4G LTE network provides a world-class wireless platform that will stimulate innovation and foster strong economic growth in Canada's mobile hubs and centres of wireless excellence.

Bell is committed to investing in Canada's network infrastructure, driving more new capital investment - $3 billion per year - than any other communications company in the country. Bell's total Research & Development investments increased in 2010 (the latest period for which figures are available), surpassing $800 million.

Bell has rolled out internationally renowned wireless networks, supporting the rapid growth of smartphone usage and mobile Internet, Mobile TV and other data services, and new fibre network services such as Bell Fibe TV and Fibe Internet. Bell is also launching a new Fibre to the Home network across the Québec City region - Canada's largest urban FTTH build - and to new condominium buildings, apartments and housing developments across Québec and Ontario.

LTE products and pricing
The 4G LTE Sierra Wireless U313 Turbo Stick is available in select Bell stores tomorrow, September 14; for online purchase for $79.95 on a three-year term ($219.95 with no term contract); and in Bell stores across LTE service areas on September 15. In coming weeks, Bell will add the 4G LTE Novatel Wireless U679 Turbo Stick. 4G LTE flex-rate data plans start at $45 a month for 1.5 gigabytes (GB) which automatically adjusts based on data usage. For more details, please visit Bell.ca/LTE.

About Bell
Bell is Canada's largest communications company, providing consumers and business with solutions to all their communications needs: Bell Mobility wireless, high-speed Bell Internet, Bell Satellite TV and Bell Fibe TV, Bell Home Phone local and long distance, and Bell Business Markets IP-broadband and information and communications technology (ICT) services. Bell Media is Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio and digital media, including CTV, Canada's #1 television network, and the country's most-watched specialty channels.

The Bell Mental Health Initiative is a multi-year charitable program that promotes mental health across Canada via the Bell Let's Talk anti-stigma campaign and support for community care, research and workplace best practices. To learn more, please visit www.bell.ca/letstalk.

Bell is wholly owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE). For Bell product and service information, please visit www.bell.ca. For Bell Media, please visit www.bellmedia.ca. For BCE corporate information, please visit www.bce.ca.

For further information:

Jason Laszlo
Bell Media Relations
1-855-614-6602
jason.laszlo(at)bell.ca
@Bell_News

The 6th LTE Asia, the region’s meeting place for LTE, is taking place on 6 - 7 September 2011 in Suntec, Singapore, presenting you with a unique opportunity to learn from 40+ Operator Case Studies at THE LTE event of the year!

LTE Asia looks set to be a sell out! With an incredible conference agenda, 100+ expert speakers, 40+ operator case studies, 100+ countries represented, 50+ exhibitors, a FREE to attend exhibition and 750 attendees.

Operators... Ensure you Claim your FREE pass – limited numbers available so claim yours now! For more information please visit www.lteconference.com/asia.

Don’t forget to quote your exclusive VIP Code when booking LTEA/NGMN01 to claim you exclusive 15% discount!

The NGMN Board has followed the activities on creating patent pools on LTE with high interest since 2010 when NGMN conducted a Request for Information on LTE patent pool administrators. In its recent Board meeting in China, the Board reviewed the on-going activities to launch an LTE patent pool.

The NGMN Board underlined again that patents are an important part of standardised technologies like GSM, UMTS and LTE. Patent pools are the best way to speed up the successful implementation of LTE by giving licensees a safe and efficient way to secure the necessary licenses and have reasonable, as well as predictable, IPR costs. In addition to bilateral licensing, the NGMN Board is convinced that a well-balanced LTE patent pool will be able to embrace the complexity of LTE technology and LTE patents, which will therefore constitute an opportunity for many companies to license their essential patents. Manufacturers would also benefit from a patent pool by gaining the necessary licenses quickly for a reasonable royalty rate, enabling them to develop new and innovative products.

As several licence administrators are still preparing to establish collective licensing arrangements for LTE and trying to match the requests from patent owners, there is an urgent need to act now and progress the decisions as fast as possible in order to prevent fragmentation of LTE collective licensing.

The NGMN Board therefore recommends that all stakeholders in the mobile industry with an interest in developing an effective LTE patent pool accelerate its creation to avoid further delays within LTE licensing. In order to reach the best possible transparency and predictability, the Board of the NGMN Alliance is encouraging all interested parties to agree on one single patent pool that promotes reasonable royalties, offers certainty on the availability of the patents' license and creates a framework for diligent evaluation of their essentiality. Setting royalty rates is not within the mission of the Board of NGMN Alliance.

The patents deemed essential in an LTE patent pool should have their value established by the industry and not solely by any one company. Also, the participants involved in developing the pricing for the LTE patent pool should be sensitive and set a reasonable rate and not seek a premium rate.

“LTE as a technology is progressing fast and the deployment of this technology is rapidly taking place in many regions of the world. Therefore it is in the best interest of many companies in our industry to establish an LTE patent pool as soon as possible,” said Sandro Dionisi, Chairman of the NGMN Board. He continued, “A well-balanced patent pool on LTE will support transparency and predictability on royalty rates for essential patents in LTE technology.”

About the NGMN Alliance
The NGMN Alliance was founded by leading international mobile network operators in 2006. Its goal is to ensure that the standards for next generation network infrastructure, service platforms and devices will meet the requirements of operators and, ultimately, will satisfy end user demand and expectations. The objective of the initial phase of NGMN with working groups on Technology, Spectrum, IPR, Ecosystem, and Trials was to enable the launch of commercial services in 2010. After having successfully reached this milestone, the NGMN Alliance now addresses the challenges of network deployment, operations, and interworking. Furthermore, the NGMN Alliance will drive and guide the development of all future mobile broadband technology enhancements focusing on LTE & EPC and its evolution. The targets of this work programme are supported by the strong and well-established partnership of worldwide leading operators, vendors, universities, and successful co-operations with other industry organisations.

For further information visit www.ngmn.org
For further information regarding the NGMN, please contact:
Natacha Schubert
natacha.schubert(at)ngmn.org
Phone +49 69 / 9 07 49 98 0

The operators and vendors of the NGMN Alliance's Project on Optimised Solutions for Backhaul...

The operators and vendors of the NGMN Alliance's Project on Optimised Solutions for Backhaul (Project OSB) have now finalized two essential work items. Based on the project's deliverables, the mobile broadband industry will get guidance on two of their high-priority issues: Modeling of LTE backhaul traffic and reference architectures for operators migrating to packet-based backhaul networks. The documents are available for download on the NGMN website:

Guidelines for LTE Backhaul Traffic Estimation

The document describes how a model is developed to predict traffic levels in transport networks used to backhaul LTE eNodeBs. Backhaul traffic is made up of a number of different components of which user plane data is the largest, comprising around 80-90% of overall traffic, slightly less when IPsec encryption is added. These results reveal that the cell throughput characteristics for data carrying networks are quite different to those of voice carrying networks.

Guidelines for LTE Backhaul Traffic Estimation

NGMN Whitepaper LTE Backhauling Deployment Scenarios

With the introduction of LTE operators need to look at how the backhauling network, the network domain that connects evolved NodeBs (eNBs) to MME and S/P-GW, is capable of adapting to the new requirements, namely the adoption of a packet infrastructure, without disrupting the existing services. This paper introduces some reference architectures, moving from a pure layer 2 topology to a full layer 3 one, discussing some elements to be considered in the design process of a network. The purpose of this is to support operators in their migration from current architectures to new, packet-based backhaul networks.

LTE backhauling deployment scenarios

Shanghai, China, August 25, 2011 - Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and China Mobile have today reached another major milestone in the creation of next generation wireless services by staging the first mobile broadband video call over a next-generation 4G LTE mobile network, to connect a fixed location and a car in Shanghai with Alcatel-Lucent offices in New Jersey.

Using lightRadio™ - Alcatel-Lucent’s breakthrough technology providing wireless network operators with the flexibility to adapt to rising demand for mobile video and other high-bandwidth services – the video call linked Alcatel-Lucent’s Bell Labs headquarters in Murray Hill, New Jersey, the Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell demonstration center in Shanghai, and the ‘LTE Connected Car’ demonstrator* roaming in Shanghai and utilizing China Mobile’s fourth-generation TD-LTE trial network.

As well as highlighting the advances Alcatel-Lucent is making with lightRadio, by connecting to the TD-LTE trial network the call also demonstrated the progress being made by China Mobile in trialing the network in Shanghai, where Alcatel-Lucent has deployed its complete End-to-End 4G LTE solution to advance the delivery of high-speed services to customers in China. The rising ownership of smartphones and the adoption of social networking have increased the need for fast transfer of videos over the internet on the move. Nowhere is this need more evident than in China, where just under half of the world’s new mobile broadband connections were made in 2010.

lightRadio is designed to address the increasing global demand for faster speeds and high quality voice and data services by reducing the size, power consumption and carbon footprint of mobile base stations. Growing demand for high-bandwidth services, such as video and social networking applications, are leading to mobile operators needing to extend their wireless coverage and capacity. At the same time, operators are looking to cut their energy consumption – lightRadio will help reduce both cost of ownership and carbon footprint by dramatically reducing the energy usage of mobile base stations.

Mr. Li Zhengmao, Vice President of China Mobile said: "We are very pleased to see that using Alcatel-Lucent's lightRadio, the demo call is successfully linking to the TD-LTE network. Congratulations!"

Wim Sweldens, President of Alcatel-Lucent’s Wireless Division said: “This call brings the global commercial reality of lightRadio even closer – and the ability to provide the increased performance and savings that can be made by implementing the technology within an operators’ network.”

Today’s demonstration follows the first transatlantic video call made by Alcatel-Lucent on June 8 this year, when it linked locations in the US and France by lightRadio.

More information about Alcatel-Lucent’s lightRadio portfolio can found online at
www.alcatel-lucent.com/lightradio.

For photo requests, please contact press(at)alcatel-lucent.com

To implement the trial, DNA needs a test group, for which a 4G subscription and a wireless modem will be provided for a three-week period starting on 15 August.

– The network is operational in Helsinki city centre and certain nearby areas. In Hämeenlinna, 4G coverage extends over most parts of the city, says Antti Jokinen, production director at DNA.

Persons who spend a lot of time within the network coverage area and who are interested in 4G speeds are invited to participate in the test group. To apply, see the website www.dna.fi/4G, which opened today.

– We are looking forward to receiving as much user feedback as possible. For this purpose, we have designed a special website for discussion and sharing experiences. Because our aim is to make 4G as user-friendly as possible before we begin offering it on a commercial basis, we have decided to offer it for trial use to enthusiasts, comments Antti Jokinen.

DNA’s network already has extensive capacity for introducing 4G. DNA has been conducting internal testing of 4G technology since last winter. Transfer speeds of over 90 Mbit/s from the Internet to the terminal device, and over 40 Mbit/s from the terminal to the Internet, have been measured in field tests performed in Hämeenlinna during the early summer.

A 4G connection facilitates the use of services demanding higher network performance, such as corporate network remote connections, HD films and video and game services.

DNA’s partner in 4G network provision is Oy L M Ericsson AB. The network will become commercially available this year.

Further information:

Antti Jokinen, Production Director, DNA Ltd, tel. +358 44 721 2544, antti.jokinen(a)dna.fi

DNA corporate communications: tel. +358 44 044 8000, viestinta(a)dna.fi

Duisburg, GERMANY, August 1, 2011 - mimoOn, a pioneer in LTE software licensing for Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms, today announced its collaboration with Texas Instruments Incorporated (TI) for 3GPP compliant LTE PHY software. TI will offer complete PHY software for LTE Release 8 and 9 for its’ KeyStone multicore architecture, with a specific focus on its newest TMS320TCI6612 and TMS320TCI6614 System-on-Chips (SoCs). These SoCs are especially designed for small cell base stations in the enterprise, pico and metro markets.

According to Thomas Kaiser, CEO of mimoOn, “We expect the LTE small cell market to grow substantially in the coming years. With a first design-in already confirmed, together we are already enabling OEMs to take delivery of a pre-integrated, fully optimized and production ready small cell solution.”

“Our new KeyStone-based small cell SoCs work very well with mimoOn’s LTE PHY software,” said Kathy Brown, General Manager, Wireless Base Station Infrastructure, TI. “mimoOn is an excellent partner for us to collaborate with to extend our market leading LTE performance into the small cell arena.”

For further details, contact

Europe/APAC : Brian Robertson, VP Sales & Marketing, mimoOn GmbH

North America : Peter Walther, VP Business Development, mimoOn GmbH

According to the AlwaysOn editorial staff, “Violin Memory is pioneering the future of flash memory in the enterprise data center with memory arrays that accelerate business critical applications and let enterprises virtualize and optimize their IT infrastructures. In June, using Violin’s 3200 flash memory arrays,
IBM Research scanned 10 billion files 37 times faster than the previous record of 1 billion files in three hours that has stood since 2007. Breaking records is nothing new for Violin.”
In May, Violin set multiple world-record TPC-E and TPC-C benchmarks with HP.

“Being recognized as the Company of the Year is a great milestone for us and illustrates Violin’s impact in the Silicon Valley,” said Don Basile, CEO of Violin Memory. “We graciously thank AlwaysOn for acknowledging our company’s accomplishments. We are truly honored to be selected from this group of 250 well-recognized and successful companies.”

Violin Memory and the AlwaysOn Global 250 companies will be honored at AlwaysOn’s ninth annual Innovation Summit at Santa Clara University on July 28th, 2011, at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre at Santa Clara University in Santa Clara, Calif. This two-day executive gathering highlights the significant economic, political and commercial trends affecting the global technology industries. The goal of the Innovation Summit is to identify the most promising entrepreneurial opportunities and investments in the global tech industry.

Violin’s Memory Arrays are changing the data center for companies like AOL, Revlon & Microsoft through its patent-pending flash vRAID technology. This advanced technology was used by HP to set new TPC-E and TPC-C industry leading server benchmarks. Violin was recently named a Gartner “Cool Vendor” and one of Silicon Valley’s hottest companies by Lead411.
Furthermore, Violin won two SPIFFY awards and was recognized as one of Storage Newsletter’s “15 Most Promising Startups.”

RELATED LINKS AND CONVERSATIONS

• Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
• View our “Flash Forward” video.

About Violin Memory, Inc.

Violin Memory is pioneering the future of Flash memory in the enterprise data center with Memory Arrays that accelerate business critical applications and enable enterprises to virtualize and optimize their IT infrastructures. Specifically designed for sustained performance with high reliability, Violin’s Memory Arrays scale to hundreds of terabytes and millions of IOPS with low, spike-free latency. Founded in 2005, Violin Memory is headquartered in Mountain View, California. For more information about Violin Memory products, visit www.vmem.com.

About AlwaysOn

AlwaysOn is the leading business media brand networking the Global Silicon Valley. AlwaysOn helped ignite the social media revolution in early 2003 when it launched the AlwaysOn network. In 2004, it became the first media brand to socially network its online readers and event attendees. AlwaysOn’s preeminent executive event series includes the Innovation Summit, OnMedia, OnHollywood, Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic / IMPACT 2011, OnDemand, Venture Summit Silicon Valley, Venture Summit East, GoingGreen Silicon Valley, and GoingGreen East. The AlwaysOn network and live event series continue to lead the industry by empowering its readers, event participants, sponsors, and advertisers like no other media brand.

Contact:

Eastwick Communications
Suzanne Chan
650-480-4018
violin(at)eastwick.com

BELLEVUE, Wash. - July 19, 2011 - 4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today announced that it has published a new white paper, titled, Self-Optimizing Networks - The Benefits of SON in LTE, which describes the motivation behind SON and the potential benefits it brings to network operations.

"Recent deployments of HSPA+ and LTE have highlighted the need and opportunity for self-organizing capabilities within the network that enhance network performance and permit potential reductions in operational expenses," said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. "Self-optimizing features in the network are part of the network solutions toolkit for operators to continue to attempt to meet the extraordinary demands on the network. Yet, SON is just part of the answer and the industry continues to need much more spectrum."

Self-Optimizing and Self-Organizing Networks (SON) can significantly improve network performance and user experience. SON is a key component of LTE and is being standardized by 3GPP with key SON features contained in 3GPP LTE Release 8, Release 9 and Release 10.

The white paper describes key features from the 3GPP standardization and how these capabilities will positively impact network operations in HSPA+ and LTE networks. In addition, the paper explains the newer features of LTE SON in Release 10 and how they will address self-optimization and self-healing that will allow the networks to operate more efficiently while providing overall improved user performance. The application of SON techniques to address deployment and operational challenges with Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), and picocells, femtocells and relays also are described to address the impact of SON on a variety of radio systems.

Some conclusions of the white paper are:

• LTE SON leverages network intelligence, automation and network management features in order to automate the configuration and optimization of wireless networks, thereby lowering costs and improving network performance and flexibility
• A key goal of LTE SON standardization is the support for multi-vendor network environments, which has resulted in the definition of standard messaging formats to convey information between entities that can be used to implement a given SON algorithm
• Strong operator interest in LTE SON is evident from the significant SON contributions coming from organizations such as the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN), and examples of the deployment of various SON use cases by LTE operators in their respective networks
• Results from SON trials in a live HSPA network demonstrate the benefits for operators and provide further validation of the potential benefits of SON in LTE networks

Pearson added, "The scope of LTE SON functionality will clearly continue to expand and evolve with upcoming releases of the LTE standard, thereby ensuring LTE's continued success in tomorrow's wireless marketplace."

Self-Optimizing Networks - The Benefits of SON in LTE was written collaboratively by members of 4G Americas and is available for free download at: www.4gamericas.org.

About 4G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Mobile Broadband Technology

4G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 4G Americas contributes to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 4G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.4gamericas.org.

4G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, CommScope, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Powerwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, Shaw Communications, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

Contact:
Vicki Livingston
4G Americas
+1 262 242 3458
vicki.livingston(at)4gamericas.org

Based on the objective to provide differentiated service quality in the initial stages of transfer to an LTE service, SK Telecom adopted Samsung’s latest Smart LTE solution to the commercial LTE network. Samsung Smart LTE solution enables SK Telecom to effectively handle variable mobile data traffic, through separate allocation and operation of LTE network elements as occasion demands.

Through introducing 4G LTE services, SK Telecom can fully meet subscribers’ desires to enjoy an LTE service five to seven times faster than existing 3G networks, in the most cost-effective way.

For the complete lightreading article please click the following link
www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=209596

11:25 AM -- South Korea, one of the most advanced telecom services markets in the world, has entered the next-generation mobile world with a bang, with two of the country's three mobile rivals launching their Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD) services on July 1.
(See LG U+ Launches Samsung LTE and
SK Telecom Deploys Samsung LTE Network.)

For the complete lightreading article please click the following link
www.lightreading.com/blog.asp?blog_sectionid=752&doc_id=209608

The agreement between NGMN and TDIA will strengthen the cooperation between both organisations to promote mobile broadband technologies focusing on LTE & EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and its evolution. Furthermore, to promote integrated solutions on LTE-TDD and LTE-FDD, to raise public awareness on LTE’s technology performance, device availability and customer benefits, to raise governmental awareness for spectrum demand to support global roaming, and to support LTE marketing activities. As next step both organisations will identify workshops and seminars on LTE.

Yang Hua, President of TDIA, and Stefan Engel-Flechsig, Legal Counsel NGMN, at the signing Ceremony, 28th June 2011 in presence of the Federal Economics Minister Dr. Philipp Rösler, Germany and Mr. Zhang Ping, Chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission

In the context of convergence, the 20th Future Network and Mobile Summit will address the challenges of building the Future Internet, based on mobile, wireless and fixed broadband communications infrastructures.

Programme

The Scientific Programme will incorporate all the key constituents of Future Networks including

• Radio Access and Spectrum
• Converged and Optical Networks
• Future Internet Technologies

Supported by the European Commission and eMobility, the reputation of the Future Network and MobileSummit (previously known as ICT-MobileSummit) is based on high quality networking, plenary sessions that discuss strategic issues in core thematic
areas and paper sessions that showcase original results in all areas of mobile, wireless and fixed broadband communications systems and networks.

Dedicated Plenary Sessions will feature keynote presentations on strategic issues related to the three core thematic priorities: Radio Access and Spectrum, Converged and Optical Networks, and Future Internet Technologies. These Plenary Sessions will
be complemented by a strong Scientific Programme with thematically focused parallel sessions featuring industrial and research papers.

Future Network & MobileSummit 2011 is Technically Co-Sponsored by IEEE Poland Communications Chapter Krakow, IEEE Poland Computer Chapter and IEEE UK/RI Computer Chapter.

The Call for Papers for Future Network and MobileSummit 2011 is published with a deadline of 10 December 2010 for paper submissions. Online submission will open on 08 November.

While European funded research results are of particular interest, innovative research funded commercially or at national level is equally interesting from a community perspective. The participation of representatives of leading commercial, research and regulatory organizations in the Conference Community ensures a stimulating and high quality networking environment.

The Call for Pre-Conference Workshops is published with a deadline of 30 November 2010.

The Call for Exhibitors will be published in November with a closing date of 31 January 2011.

Download of Call for Papers: Future Networks Summit 2011 - Call for Papers

www.futurenetworksummit.eu

• Deutsche Telekom launches first LTE network in major city
• Customers will be able to surf at rates of up to 100 Mbit/s starting July 1
• Group invests EUR 5 million for residents of Cologne

Effective immediately, Cologne will be pleased not only about the 763 km of the best developed public transport system in Germany. In addition, the city will receive the fastest mobile surfing connections in the country: only 12 months after the public auction, Deutsche Telekom will launch the first LTE high-speed network (Long Term Evolution) in a major German city. After Cologne, more than 100 other cities in the entire federal territory will be provided with next generation mobile communications. Further expansion will occur in the weeks ahead.

"I am especially delighted to be able to provide the starting signal for the fastest mobile Internet here in Cologne only 12 months after the LTE public auction," said René Obermann on the occasion of the launch of the new network in Cologne with the North Rhine-Westphalia Minister for Economic Affairs Harry K. Voigtsberger and Cologne mayor Jürgen Roters. "The speed of expansion demonstrates just how important the performance of our networks is for us."

"With Cologne, we are very pleased that Deutsche Telekom has chosen to implement the new technology in a city in the most populated state. In doing so, we strengthen the Cologne business metropolis and the technology location of North Rhine-Westphalia," said Harry K. Voigtsberger, minister for business, energy, construction, housing, and transportation of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

Jürgen Roters, mayor of Cologne, was just as delighted: "Fast data connections are just as important today as freeway connections or an airport. Cologne is well-equipped for the future with the fast data network of Deutsche Telekom."

LTE available in the entire municipal area

The 11 lines of the Cologne city railway provide optimal networking for the individual station stops. The 100 LTE base stations serve the same function, which makes surfing with up to 100 Mbit/s possible. The 576 vehicles of the public transportation services accomplish what is also made possible by an LTE wireless USB surf stick: also utilizing the benefits of the most up-to-date technology while traveling.

"With the new LTE offering, we are expanding our product portfolio and open up interesting new applications for the population of Cologne through wireless. The opportunity thus exists to also experience surfing speed that one is accustomed to from a fixed line network on one’s mobile device," said Niek Jan van Damme, Board member and the person responsible for Deutsche Telekom business in Germany. "This opportunity will also exist in the future for many other customers in other cities."

Experience pays off

About 80 employees of Deutsche Telekom installed the technology in about 5000 working hours. Besides the 100 LTE stations, the company laid approximately 120 km of fiber optic cable in the Cologne municipal area in the past few months in order to connect the base stations with state-of-the-art transmission technology. An investment volume of about EUR 5 million now makes Cologne the fastest city in Germany when it comes to mobile surfing.

Benefits at a glance for Cologne residents

• Speed record: mobile surfing up to 100 Mbit/s
• Utilization of 1.8 Ghz technology for surfing at the fiber optic level
• 100 LTE base stations serve the entire city center region.
• About 150 km² will be developed.
• Speed stick LTE: first LTE end device especially for mobile use. The LTE speed stick supports - in addition to LTE technology - existing networks and can thus also be used in GSM/EDGE (2G) and UMTS/HSPA (3G) nationwide.
• Starting July 1, a special rate offer for Cologne: For the launch phase of LTE in Cologne, the maximum speed of the current rate web'n'walk Connect XXL will be increased to up to 100 Mbit/s for downloads for three months. In addition, the base rate in the amount of EUR 74.95 will be dropped for the first three months.
• With the availability of LTE in other major cities, the introduction of another high-speed rate will occur in the fall of 2011. This will enable use of LTE with full bandwidth of up to 100 Mbit/s for downloading. With an inclusive volume of 50 gigabytes, the rate will cost EUR 89.95 per month. This rate will also be exempt from the basic charge for the first three months of the launch phase.

Start of a test phase with selected business customers also outside of Cologne

At the same time as the expansion in Cologne, a comprehensive LTE test phase with selected business customers will already begin in June, with a focus on Munich, Frankfurt, and Münster. With the availability of speed stick LTE, the customers can be the first to experience the benefits of LTE.

Networks are the key to rapid growth

• The data volume of German mobile communications is perpetually increasing. Still 0.2 million gigabytes in 2005, it is about 70 million gigabytes in 2011, according to an estimate by the trade association Bitkom. This corresponds to a data volume of approximately 45 million motion pictures.
• Mobile data revenues are also developing favorably: according to the trade association, the 7-billion euro threshold will be reached this year.
• Smart phone distribution will exceed the 10-million unit threshold this year still and realize more than EUR 2.2 billion in revenue. One out of every three new cell phones will be a smart phone. The demand for 5.4 million units in 2009 will thus increase to over 10 million in 2011, according to Bitkom.
• The app market will also develop just as favorably. About 900 million applications were loaded in 2010. In doing so, the number of app downloads more than doubled in comparison to 2009. According to an estimate from Bitkom, the end of this development is nowhere in sight.

LTE: the technology of the future

• In May 2010, Deutsche Telekom successfully participated in Germany’s largest frequency auction to date and in doing so secured a total spectrum of 95 MHz. The company paid a total of about EUR 1.3 billion for the new frequency ranges.
• Deutsche Telekom purchased 20 MHz (two times 10 MHz) in the 790 to 862 MHz frequency range, the so-called "digital dividend." This spectrum is initially to be used to supply rural areas with broadband lines and to make a rapid start on filling in some of the “blank spots.” The digital dividend is particularly suitable for this purpose, as relatively few stations are required for broadband coverage.
• Deutsche Telekom will use the acquired spectrum in the other, higher frequency ranges (1.8 GHz and 2.6 GHz) to enlarge capacities and speed for growing data traffic in metropolitan areas.

Fast Internet for rural areas

An essential economical basis of network expansion in rural areas is DSL cooperation with communities. Since 2008, Deutsche Telekom has entered into cooperation with over 2500 communities and equipped more than 300,000 households with broadband. Since that time, the company has provided rural areas with broadband up to 50 Mbit/s.

As background: the Group offers cooperation where network expansion by itself is not economically justifiable due to low customer potential and high costs for Deutsche Telekom. The municipalities can then participate in the expansion in various ways, for example, by making cable duct systems available, taking over underground construction, or compensating the financial funding gap. The primary cost driver is underground engineering work, which can cost up to EUR 60,000 per kilometer. The communities usually get back the majority of their investment through the federal states’ loan program.

Network expansion in the technology mix

In order to make broadband connections available to as many rural communities as possible, the Group is increasingly focused on the so-called technology mix. Where expansion of the fixed network is too expensive, Deutsche Telekom will review wireless and microwave radio system solutions to offer residents fast Internet access via alternative technologies. By the end of 2010, Deutsche Telekom provided about 95 percent of households with broadband of at least one megabit per second in the technology mix. LTE makes efficient broadband access possible and in doing so plays an important role in rural areas with comparably few wireless base stations.

About Deutsche Telekom

Deutsche Telekom is one of the world’s leading integrated telecommunications companies with around 128 million mobile customers, 36 million fixed-network lines and almost 17 million broadband lines (as of March 31, 2011). The Group provides fixed-network, mobile communications, Internet and IPTV products and services for consumers, and ICT solutions for business and corporate customers. Deutsche Telekom is present in around 50 countries and has approximately 244,000 employees worldwide. The Group generated revenues of EUR 62.4 billion in the 2010 financial year - more than half of it outside Germany (as of December 31, 2010).

Next-generation mobile communications are a major step closer, with...

Mike Wright, executive director Telstra Networks & Access Technologies said the first 4G base stations, using Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, have been switched on in Sydney, Perth, Melbourne and Brisbane and 4G data has been sent over the network for the first time outside of field trials.

“The integration of 4G technology into our existing wireless network demonstrates Telstra’s intention to continue to deliver high quality services and meet ever-growing customer demand,” Mr Wright said.

Telstra announced in February this year it would upgrade its existing Next G® network with LTE technology in the central business districts of all capital cities and selected regional centres by the end of 2011.

Eighty per cent of Telstra’s mobile customers have migrated to the Next G® network enabling the reuse of the 1800MHz spectrum previously used to deliver 2G mobile services.

“With more than a million mobile and wireless broadband customers joining Telstra in the past 12 months, and data usage on the Next G® network doubling every year, the increased network capacity LTE will provide is vital,” Mr Wright said.

“Ultimately, LTE will also provide faster data speeds, high quality video conferencing and faster response times for customers using mobile applications and the internet on this network. However, the biggest benefit it will bring is additional capacity, meaning more customers can do more things on the network at the same time.”

By the end of 2011 when the initial 4G LTE network has been deployed, Telstra will sell dual mode LTE/HSPA+ mobile broadband devices that will operate seamlessly across the 1800MHz and 850MHz spectrum bands, giving Telstra customers the benefits of 4G where it is available and seamless switchover to 3G HSPA technology across the expansive Next G® footprint.

Telstra is partnering with Ericsson to roll-out the LTE network, with Sierra Wireless developing the dual mode mobile broadband devices.

Ericsson chief executive officer Australia and New Zealand, Mr Sam Saba, said “This is an exciting development that demonstrates Telstra and Ericsson are on track to deliver Australia a 4G network by the end of 2011. Telstra’s Next G® network is already recognised globally as a world-class mobile broadband network. Adding LTE capability into this network will allow Telstra to continue to deliver a superior end-user experience for Telstra Next G® customers.”

President and chief executive officer Sierra Wireless, Jason Cohenour, said “This upgrade further demonstrates Telstra is a world-leader in high-speed, high-quality mobile broadband connectivity. Sierra Wireless is delighted our long-term collaboration with Telstra, Ericsson and Qualcomm continues as we advance mobile broadband technology forward and bring market leading mobile broadband devices to Telstra’s customers.”

“Telstra is proud to remain the technology leader, providing Australian’s with leading edge mobile broadband services on the world’s largest national mobile network,” said Mr Wright.

“Our customers benefit through having access to more than 2.1m square kilometres of coverage across Australia, and the fastest upload and download speeds with our HSPA+ network. We are maintaining this benefit by moving to deploy the first mobile 4G network in Australia.”

Online version of release

Media contact:
Karina Keisler
Mobile: 0419 523 776
Email: media(at)team.telstra.com

The 7th LTE World Summit, a major meeting place for LTE, is taking place on 17-18 May 2011 in Amsterdam. It will present a unique opportunity to learn from more than 100 Operator Case Studies at THE LTE event of the year.
The conference agenda comprises more than 150 expert speakers, 100+ operator case studies, more than 100 countries represented, 120+ exhibitors, a free to attend exhibition, a free seminar theatre and expected 2,500 attendees.

NGMN members benefit from a 10% discount on this event.
Please specify the discount code I2PVI/NGMN/10 when registering.

For more information please visit www.lteconference.com/world

TNMO is EMEA's leading specialist forum for mobile backhaul, RAN and core transport networking professionals. Over its 13 year history, the event has provided a showcase for key operator investments, new technology and standards advances and offered senior level networking opportunities to over 2000 individuals. It's long established as the industry standard forum, attended by professionals from all of the main EMEA based service providers. TNMO is returning to London for 2011, and we are looking forward to this being our best year yet!

By attending TNMO, you can:

• Meet and share expertise with senior professionals from mobile operators’ transport departments
• Find out how operators are adapting transport infrastructures to meet changing commercial and customer requirements
• Identify best practice and optimise your transport network design for HSPA / HSPA+ rollout and coverage extension
• Learn about the transport requirements for the future launch of LTE
• Compare the different evolution options offered by full solution and specialist vendors in microwave, synchronisation, optical, Ethernet...
• Benchmark your evolution plans with those of your peers

On Monday 9th May, Miguel Alvarez, Orange/FT will present the “NGMN Alliance Mobile Backhaul workshop” with support from the NGMN vendor partners Alcatel-Lucent, Cambridge Broadband Networks, Nokia-Siemens Networks, and Tellabs.

The “NGMN Alliance Mobile Backhaul workshop” is a half day technical workshop that explains how to face LTE’s backhaul challenges in an efficient way.

tnmo.optical-transmission.com

The Next Generation Mobile Network (NGMN) Alliance has joined 3GPP as a Market Representation Partner. With its high level representation from the world's leading operators and manufacturers, NGMN will support 3GPP to ensure that mobile broadband services continue to meet the expectations of end users.

The Partnership Agreement was signed in a ceremony at the recent 3GPP Project Coordination Group meeting in San Diego with Standards Organisations (ARIB, ATIS, CCSA, ETSI, TTA, TTC) and other 3GPP Market Representation Partners. In its role as Market Representation Partner, the NGMN Alliance will give advice to 3GPP and will contribute to 3GPP standardisation activities in the future.

Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance, stated: "The NGMN Alliance is happy to support 3GPP as a Market Representation Partner. Our contributions to 3GPP have always been based on NGMN's strong experience in mobile broadband. As a Market Representation Partner, NGMN will add its support to the common objective of all 3GPP partners - to achieve a consensus view on the market requirements for services in the scope of 3GPP."

As Head of the 3GPP Mobile Competence Centre of 3GPP, Adrian Scrase welcomed the NGMN Alliance as a powerful addition to the Partnership, he said: "The membership of the NGMN Alliance matches well the 3GPP constituency, adding a level of strategic vision that will surely help our specifications to fully meet the needs of the next generation of mobile networks."

About 3GPP

Created in 1998, The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) unites telecommunications standards bodies from Asia, Europe and North America.

The scope of 3GPP is to produce Specifications for a Mobile System based on evolved GSM core networks and the radio access technologies that they support. To ensure backward compatibility, the 3GPP scope also includes the maintenance and development of the base GSM Specifications to ensure that they are optimised to give the best possible user experience on legacy mobile networks.

Recent success with the creation of LTE and Systems Architecture Evolution (SAE) Specifications has made 3GPP the focal point for Mobile Broadband systems and a genuine contender as 'the' point of convergence for future Specifications for mobile networks.

www.3gpp.org

NGMN Press Release – NGMN Alliance Joins 3GPP as Partner

At the 57th General Assembly of ETSI, the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, held at the Hotel Martinez in Cannes on 19th and 20th of April 2011, the members of ETSI have elected Mr. Luis Jorge Romero Saro as Director General of the institute for a 5-year term. The term of office of the current Director General, Dr. Walter Weigel, will expire at the end of June 2011.

With more than 20-years experience in the telecommunications sector, Mr. Romero held diverse Director positions in Spain, Morocco and Mexico, predominantly with Telefonica. As Global Director for International Roaming and Standards, and Director of Innovation and Standards, he oversaw Telefonica's participation in global standardization activities, and participated directly in the work of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance and in the GSM Association (GSMA). Currently holding the position of Director General of Innosoft, Mr. Romero is also a partner and board member of Madrid-based Innology Ventures.

Following his appointment which will take effect as of 1 July 2011, Mr. Romero said: 'I would very much like to thank the members of ETSI for their confidence, at a time when there are many important topics in the world of standards in which ETSI plays a key role. I am excited to have the opportunity of leading the ETSI team and being at the forefront of ICT technology, whilst spearheading new developments to come.'

Mr Dirk Weiler, Chairman of the ETSI General Assembly, thanked Dr. Weigel for his diligent leadership of ETSI, and welcomed the appointment of Mr Romero: 'Since 2006 Dr Weigel has worked tirelessly to develop ETSI in the interests of its members. We now welcome Mr Romero to continue in this influential role at the heart of the European information and communication technology industry.'

Press Release

About ETSI

ETSI produces globally-applicable standards for Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), including fixed, mobile, radio, transport, broadcast and internet technologies and is officially recognized by the European Union as a European Standards Organization. ETSI is an independent, not-for-profit association whose 700+ member companies and organizations, drawn from 62 countries across 5 continents worldwide, determine its work programme and participate directly in its work. For more information: www.etsi.org.

The ETSI logo is a trademark of ETSI registered for the benefit of its Members.

GSM™, the Global System for Mobile communication, is a registered Trade Mark of the GSM Association.

For ETSI press enquiries:
Ultan Mulligan
Events & Communications, ETSI
Tel: +33 4 92944388
Email: ultan.mulligan(at)etsi.org

The 2100 MHz band (Band 1) is used for LTE in Japan whilst the 2600 MHz band (Band 7) is already in use for LTE services in Scandinavia and is being allocated in other European countries as well as in Australia.

This latest extension to GCF’s certification programme has come swiflty after the scheme was activated for LTE in the upper 700 MHz† North American band (Band 13) and 800 MHz European Digital Dividend band (Band 20) in December 2010. The first LTE device was GCF-certified on 31 March 2011.

Developed and maintained by an active partnership of operators, device manufacturers, the test industry and other interested parties, GCF certification provides confidence that new devices are compliant with relevant standards and interoperable with network systems irrespective of infrastructure vendor. Incorporating conformance, interoperability and field testing, GCF certification provides a rigorous but pragmatic assessment of a new device based on standardised test methodologies. Some 400 different 3GPP mobile phones, wireless modems and connected devices from more than 35 manufacturers achieved GCF certification in 2010.

Work continues to bring additional FDD bands2 and TDD bands3 within the scheme in support of operators’ LTE deployments in different regions of the world. In addition, GCF members are now actively defining the suites of tests required to certify multi-band LTE and mulit-mode LTE/3G/GSM devices.

“We are proud of the progress we are making towards an LTE certification scheme that meets the needs of operators and manufacturers worldwide,” said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manager, GCF. “GCF members are already focussed on ensuring certification continues to evolve in line with the expanding capabilities of devices as the technology matures.”

Online version of release:
www.globalcertificationforum.org/WebSite/public/
LTE_CERTIFICATION_2100_AND_2600_MHz.aspx

Global Certification Forum – GCF – is an active partnership between network operators, device manufacturers and the test industry. Since its inception in 1999, GCF has created an independent certification programme to help ensure global interoperability between mobile devices and networks. By providing the focal point for the world’s most experienced practitioners in conformance testing, field trials and certification, GCF establishes best practice for the certification of mobile phones and the ever-expanding range of devices that incorporate wireless broadband connectivity.

For more information please contact:

E: press(at)globalcertifcationforum.org

W: www.globalcertificationforum.org

LTE MENA is the first and only event focusing specifically on LTE for the MENA region.

NGMN members benefit from a 15% discount on this event.
Please specify the discount code I37V9/NGMN/15 when registering.

www.lteconference.com/mena

LTE Latin America 2011 is the region's only LTE focused event. The conference will address the roadmap towards LTE, and the role of HSPA and HSPA+ in providing broadband to the mass market.

NGMN members benefit from a 15% discount on this event.
Please specify the discount code I37QC/NGMN15 when registering.

www.lteconference.com/latam

Developed and maintained by an active partnership of operators, device manufacturers, the test industry and other interested parties, GCF Certification is designed to provide confidence that new devices are compliant with relevant standards and interoperable with network systems irrespective of infrastructure vendor. Incorporating conformance, interoperability and field testing, GCF Certification provides a rigorous but pragmatic assessment of a new device based on standardised test methodologies. Some 400 different 3GPP mobile phones, wireless modems and connected devices achieved GCF Certification in 2010.

“The first device certifications for LTE, as for any new mobile technology, are a significant milestone,“ said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manager of GCF. “Reducing acceptance testing overheads for manufacturers and operators alike, the extension of GCF’s trusted scheme to LTE bands will accelerate the development of LTE devices for the mass-market.”

"Samsung has been a committed advocate of GCF Certification and is delighted that the GT-B3740 has become the first LTE device to be GCF-certified,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung's Mobile Communications Business. “Building confidence in the interoperability of devices among operators and end-users is paramount to Samsung; GCF Certification will further promote the take-up of the enhanced speeds and capabilities offered by new technologies such as LTE”.

GCF expects to extend certification to several additional bands over the comingmonths. To date, operator members have identified a further eight bands – including FDD and TDD allocations – which are actively being brought within the scheme.

Online version of release:
www.globalcertificationforum.org/WebSite/public/
FIRST_LTE_MOBILE_DEVICES_ACHIEVE_GCF_CERTIFICATION.aspx

Global Certification Forum – GCF – is an active partnership between network operators, device manufacturers and the test industry. Since its inception in 1999, GCF has created an independent certification programme to help ensure global interoperability between mobile devices and networks. By providing the focal point for the world’s most experienced practitioners in conformance testing, field trials and certification, GCF establishes best practice for the certification of mobile phones and the ever-expanding range of devices thatincorporate wireless broadband connectivity.

For more information please contact:

E: press(at)globalcertifcationforum.org

W: www.globalcertificationforum.org

In March 2011 the FP7 research project SAPHYRE successfully passed its first review. Together with representatives of the European Commission and independent external experts from industry and academia, the consortium discussed recent findings of the project.

SAPHYRE Newsletter

Further information about Saphyre can be found at www.saphyre.eu/

ORLANDO, FL, INTERNATIONAL CTIA 2011, BOOTH 2459 - March 24, 2011 - The new 4G MIMO Active Array...

ORLANDO, FL, INTERNATIONAL CTIA 2011, BOOTH 2459 - March 24, 2011 - The new 4G MIMO Active Array Antenna from Powerwave Technologies Inc. (NASDAQ:PWAV) has won the 2011 CTIA Emerging Technology (E-Tech) Award in the Infrastructure: In-Building/WiFi/LAN category.
The company's new Powerwave LTE Picocell took home the second prize in the same category.

The CTIA E-Tech Awards program celebrates and promotes the most innovative wireless products and services in the consumer, enterprise, application and network technology segments. Powerwave's products bested 10 other finalists in the enterprise infrastructure category, including products from Ericsson, Nokia Siemens, Huawei, Ruckus Wireless, Mindspeed and ZTE, among others. Winners were announced at a ceremony on March 23, hosted by CNBC technology correspondent Jon Fortt.

The 4G MIMO Active Array Antenna combines Powerwave's award-winning remote radio head and antenna technologies into a single integrated design with a 3dB - 5dB link budget that increases a basestation's coverage radius by 100 percent over non-integrated antennas. The antenna supports a wide variety of protocols, including CDMA, WCDMA, HSPA+, WiMAX™ and LTE.

The LTE Picocell combines broadband LTE and Wi-Fi® in a single compact basestation that supports up to 100 active outdoor users and 32 active indoor users, and up to 1,000 registered users. It supports all 4G frequency bands in the 700MHz to 2.7 GHz range and features a 2x2 MIMO antenna for additional capacity.

Both products are key components of Powerwave's Advanced Wireless Solutions that enable wireless operators to inject broadband capacity closer to where their customers need it most. This gives each user a better signal and reduces network congestion, resulting in a faster experience and longer battery life.

"We are very excited that both of our key new 4G products have been chosen by the esteemed CTIA panel of media, industry analysts and executives as the winner and runner-up from among the industry's most innovative new enterprise infrastructure products," said Ronald J. Buschur, chief executive officer of Powerwave. "Powerwave is taking the lead in providing carriers with the technologically advanced network infrastructure needed to quickly and economically roll out new services that enable users to take full advantage of new data-intensive mobile devices and applications."

About Powerwave Technologies

A global leader in advanced wireless solutions, Powerwave Technologies, Inc. offers cutting edge wireless infrastructure to address the demands of enterprise and commercial customers. Powerwave offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, including antennas, base station solutions and coverage solutions. Powerwave's product line supports all wireless network protocols and frequencies including next generation networks in 4G technologies such as WiMAX™ and LTE®. Powerwave solutions, products and services also help wireless operators and OEMs reduce capital and operating expenses, speed rollout of services, improve coverage and capacity, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit us at
www.powerwave.com.

Powerwave, Powerwave Technologies and the Powerwave logo are registered trademarks of Powerwave Technologies, Inc. LTE is a registered trademark of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.

BELLEVUE, Wash. – March 17, 2011 – 4G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the 3GPP family of technologies, today announced that it has published a new white paper regarding strategies and policies addressing the vital need for additional spectrum for mobile broadband services. The white paper, Sustaining the Mobile Miracle: A 4G Americas Blueprint for Securing Mobile Broadband Spectrum in this Decade, provides a guide for securing a bright mobile broadband future to serve society’s wireless and technology needs.

In a May 2010 report, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), remarked that the astounding developments in the growth of mobile broadband are “nothing short of a mobile miracle.” The ITU added that: “Promising developments are currently taking place in the mobile broadband sector. The introduction of high-speed mobile Internet access in an increasing number of countries will further boost the number of Internet users, particularly in the developing world. Indeed, the number of mobile broadband subscriptions has grown steadily and in 2008 surpassed those for fixed broadband. At the end of 2009, there were an estimated 640 million mobile and 490 million fixed broadband subscriptions.”

Informa Telecoms & Media forecasts 1.3 billion mobile broadband subscriptions worldwide by year-end 2011 and 4.2 billion by year-end 2012. The 4G Americas white paper explores the growing demand for wireless services and the consequences of satisfying this demand for capacity in today’s mobile broadband networks. Additionally, the white paper highlights the need for countries in the region to act soon to ensure that a key resource, spectrum, is available in short order to meet society’s demand for mobile broadband services in the region.

The major points contained in the blueprint are as follows:

• Well-considered spectrum allocation policies are imperative
  - Configure licenses with wider bandwidths
  - Group like services together
  - Be mindful of global technology standards
  - Pursue harmonized/contiguous spectrum allocations
  - Exhaust exclusive use options before pursuing shared use
  - Not all spectrum is fungible – align allocation with demand
   
• Market-oriented spectrum assignment approaches work – spectrum caps should be disfavored
   
• There is no time to lose – spectrum allocations can take years to effectuate

“The white paper is an easy-to-read, accessible reference document about the upcoming spectrum scarcity and the opportunity for regulators in the region to take action today to preserve the progress of mobile broadband for their citizens,” said Chris Pearson, President of 4G Americas. “The mobile broadband demand forecasts in the paper are irrefutable in their showcasing of the challenge. Wireless investment in technology innovation will continue, but another indispensible ingredient to sustainable progress is spectrum.”

Sustaining the Mobile Miracle: A 4G Americas Blueprint for Securing Mobile Broadband Spectrum in this Decade cites numerous studies as well as country-specific illustrations of progressive spectrum regulatory actions. Pearson added, “One particularly promising development consists of efforts recently initiated in both Mexico and the United States to free up additional, regionally harmonized spectrum in the 1755/2175 MHz spectrum band and above, in alignment with 3GPP band class 10.”

Key to the conclusions provided in the white paper is an analysis of traffic demand, a review of global and regional spectrum forecasts and reasonable inferences that can be drawn from the available data. Specifically, the white paper cites a 2010 U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) technical paper, Mobile Broadband: the Benefits of Additional Spectrum, which concluded it is likely that mobile data demand will exhaust spectrum resources in the next five years. The 4G Americas white paper supports the premise that more spectrum is needed for mobile services throughout the hemisphere in this same time period.

In Latin America, wireless has had tremendous growth in both voice and data services with data contributing an average of 20 percent of ARPU. Additionally, HSPA mobile broadband is providing a strong alternative to fixed broadband in the region. Yet, the white paper highlights the downsides of restrictive spectrum caps in many countries throughout Latin America.

Erasmo Rojas, Director of Latin America and the Caribbean for 4G Americas, stated, “Mobile broadband has the opportunity to further lift economies throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, but advanced technologies like HSPA and LTE are not enough. It will be up to the telecommunications regulators and policy makers to ensure the technological advancements are enabled by administering modern spectrum policies for mobile broadband and data centric services, not legacy voice centric spectrum regulations of the past.”

“As the paper summarizes, we are at a perilous time for the mobile broadband industry,” Pearson added. “Everyone needs to work together to provide the raw material -- spectrum -- to continue the tremendous technological progress that is serving our societies so well. Operators and investors are spending billions of dollars to enhance mobile broadband infrastructure; regulators in the region need to invest in progressive telecom policies to ensure there are not spectrum shortages in the near future.”

The white paper, Sustaining the Mobile Miracle: A 4G Americas Blueprint for Securing Mobile Broadband Spectrum in this Decade, was written collaboratively by members of 4G Americas and is available for free download at: www.4gamericas.org

About 4G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Mobile Broadband Technology

4G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of leading telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 4G Americas contributes to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 4G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at
www.4gamericas.org.

4G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, CommScope, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Powerwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, Shaw Communications, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

Contact:

Vicki Livingston
4G Americas
+1 262 242 3458
vicki.livingston(at)4gamericas.org

The compelling programme and top-level speakers from Partners of the NGMN Alliance as well as other key players of the mobile industry attracted more than 350 delegates to the opening session- the highest number of attendees since the first joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream in 2009! And even at the closing session of the conference stream, 200 attendees were present and were still having lively discussions with the speakers and panellists.

The audience highly appreciated the exciting programme with an impressive line-up of speakers providing a comprehensive coverage of the major industry topics in excellent presentations and panel discussions.

In the full-day session, keynote addresses from leading international operators and vendors provided first-hand insight into the current status of recent LTE deployments and network launches. Top-management speakers discussed the challenges and necessary technology developments on the way to mass-market services as well as the industry roadmap to voice over LTE. In the closing session of the conference stream, thought-leaders provided an outlook on future mobile broadband development covering high-priority matters like IPv6, cloud-based RAN, chipset evolution and many others.

The programme and most of the presentations held at the GSMA/NGMN conference stream "Network Technology Evolution" are now available for download:

Presentation Package of Joint GSMA-NGMN Conference Stream - MWC 2011

ITU Telecom World 2011 to be held on October 24-27, 2011, in Geneva, Switzerland, is pleased to report that its technical symposium has been approved by the IEEE Communications Society for technical co-sponsorship. The ITU Telecom World 2011 Technical Symposium conference proceedings will be published within the IEEE Conference Publications Program and individual papers will be indexed within the IEEE Xplore digital library.

Prospective authors have until 7 March 2011 to submit their review manuscripts for the Technical Symposium through the EDAS (edas.info/doc/authors.html) manuscript registration and submission system. Review manuscripts should be submitted electronically through EDAS at edas.info/N9911.

The Technical Symposium at ITU Telecom World 2011 invites the global ICT community to share information on technological developments that will define and influence the future of networks and services. Original contributions reflecting current technological advances and capabilities within R&D communities as well as forthcoming commercial deployments are welcomed from players across the entire ICT ecosystem.

The intent is to provide an overview of current and forthcoming technologies that is truly inclusive, encompassing developments across all world regions and standards.

The Technical Symposium programme is created by an independent committee of industry experts through a rigorous peer review process guaranteeing a cutting edge conference programme free of hype. The intent is to provide an overview of current and forthcoming technologies that is truly inclusive, encompassing developments across all world regions and standards.

Submission deadline: 7 March 2011

Technical co-sponsor

Click here for further details and information on how to submit your paper.

Target audience

The workshop addresses both academic researchers and engineers. It mainly aims at research responsibles, R&D engineers and technical developers involved in planning, deployment or operations & maintenance of beyond 3G networks, within telecom operators, telecom vendors and SMEs and large companies active in the telecom sector.

Workshop program

Preliminary version of the workshop program:
FP7 SOCRATES final workshop on Self-Organisation in Mobile Networks-Announcement

Date and location

The workshop will take place on February 22, 2011, the day before the
5th International Workshop on Self-Organizing Systems (IWSOS 2011), at the same location: Karlsruhe Palace in Karlsruhe, Germany. For more information on this location, travelling, etc., please check the IWSOS 2011 website.

For further information please refer to www.fp7-socrates.eu/?q=node/35

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2011 - Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) today announced it has acquired...

SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 18, 2011 - Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR) today announced it has acquired certain assets, including all the intellectual property, of Brilliant Telecommunications, Inc., a supplier of next-generation packet-based, network synchronization equipment and monitoring solutions, for approximately $4.5 million in cash.

The exponential increase in mobile data traffic is placing significant pressure on wireless providers to seek more efficient solutions that enable real-time services delivered across the network. Brilliant Telecommunications’ intellectual property addresses the complex timing and synchronization requirements of today’s networks. It will enable Juniper to extend its market-leading position by delivering solutions that offer greater flexibility for service providers as they continue to deploy 3G and 4G networks.

The transaction closed on February 18, 2011.

GSMA and NGMN Alliance announce the co-operation for...

We are delighted to announce that GSMA and the NGMN Alliance will continue their very successful partnership and jointly develop a conference stream for the Mobile World Congress in the 3rd consecutive year. This well-established conference stream will focus on "Technology Evolution" - with the current status of early network deployments and technology development, as well as the hot topics for the mobile industry in the coming years.

The full-day conference stream will take place on Thursday, 17th February 2011 at the MWC 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. Information on the Mobile World Congress 2011 and an overview of the conference agenda are available at www.mobileworldcongress.com and Joint GSMA-NGMN Conference Stream.

You can expect an exciting programme with top speakers from Partners of the NGMN Alliance and other leading companies of the mobile industry offering extensive networking opportunities throughout the day!

Keynote speeches will be held by:

• Sandro Dionisi, Head of TI Lab (Innovation and Engineering dpt), Telecom Italia & Chairman of the NGMN Board
   
• Hossein Moiin, Chief Technology Officer, Nokia Siemens Networks
   
• Lindsay Notwell, Executive Director, LTE Strategy & Planning, Verizon Wireless
   
• Jinsung Choi, Senior Vice President, Head of Mobile Core Technology Lab.,
  LG Electronics

The further lineup of high-level speakers includes:

• Diethard Buehler, Managing Director Central Europe, Arthur D. Little
   
• Christian Daigneault, Chief Technology Officer, CSL
   
• Prof. Hermann Eul, President Intel Mobile Communications, Intel
   
• Marcus Foster, Product Manager for Google Voice in EMEA, Google
   
• Magnus Furustam, Vice President Core and IMS, Ericsson
   
• Bill Huang, General Manager of China Mobile Research, China Mobile
   
• JI Yungha, Vice President, Head of Mobile Network Development Department Mobile R&D Laboratory, KT
   
• Klaus-Juergen Krath, Senior Vice President for Radio Networks, Deutsche Telekom
   
• Reinhard Kreft, Head of Standardisation, Industry Alliances & Academia, Vodafone
   
• Thierry Maupilé, Head of Operations, Strategy & Business Development, Mobile Internet Technology Group, Cisco
   
• Peter Meissner, Operating Officer, NGMN
   
• Seizo Onoe, Senior Vice President Managing Director of R&D Strategy Department, NTT DOCOMO
   
• Joonho Park, Vice President, Standards & Industry Initiatives Digital Media & Communications R&D Center, Samsung
   
• Vijay Perumbeti, Executive Director, Strategic Standards, AT&T
   
• Enrico Salvatori, Senior Vice President and President, QCT Europe, Qualcomm
   
• Rémi Thomas, Director of the LTE/EPC Programme, FT/Orange & Member of the LSTI Board
   
• Dan Warren, Senior Director of Technology, GSMA

Based on our partnership with the GSMA, we are pleased to extend a 15% discount to NGMN Partners.

Information on GSMA member discounts: MWC2011 GSMA member discounts

If you are interested in the NGMN Alliance and meeting NGMN Office representatives at the Mobile World Congress NGMN Hospitality Suite, please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org to arrange a meeting throughout the MWC2011.

At the occasion, Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN welcomed the following new Partners to the NGMN Alliance: Andrew, DAX Technologies, Symena, Tekelec, and Violin Memory.

Pictured from left to right:

Rajiv Chandrasekaran, VP of Engineering Remote Radio Head Business, Andrew; Frank Galuppo, CEO, DAX Technologies; Thomas Neubauer, Managing Director, Symena; Peter Meissner, Operating Officer, NGMN; Susie Kim Riley, Chief Marketing Officer, Tekelec; Donald Basile, CEO, Violin Memory

February 14th, 2011. The E-Plus Group will launch a TD-LTE field trial in Germany in Q1 2011. The trial is based on 2.6 GHz spectrum that E-Plus acquired in the German spectrum auction. China Mobile, with its leading position and rich experience in the operation and maintenance of TDD networks, will provide technical support to this trial. ZTE will provide base stations developed on the advanced SDR platform and co-siting solution of LTE FDD/TD-LTE, which is a breakthrough in the industry.

The E-Plus Group is the third largest mobile network operator in Germany. The E-Plus Group has been one of the most innovative mobile operators during years. After revolutionizing the mobile voice market for larger user groups E-Plus is now opening the mobile data market for the masses with low-priced data tariff schemes and the roll-out of a HSPA+ network with speeds up to 21.6 Mbps. On top of the high speed mobile data network roll out, E-Plus will now test TD-LTE in the field. The E-Plus Group is one of the founding members of the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance.

The E-Plus Group and ZTE agreed and scheduled a field trial program for 2011 consisting of several streams to investigate the capabilities of ZTE’s commercial SDR equipment and best utilisation of the spectrum holdings of E-Plus in 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz and 2.6 GHz, both TD-LTE and LTE FDD.

China Mobile claims the largest number of mobile subscribers in the world. From TD-SCDMA to TD-LTE, China Mobile is devoted to promoting TDD industry being equipped with rich experience in TDD network deployment. Furthermore, China Mobile is pro-active in TDD technology globalization and convergence of TD-LTE and LTE FDD industry by seeking cooperation with overseas operators in Europe, Asia, America and Australia.

With joint effort of the E-Plus Group, China Mobile and ZTE, this trial will not only demonstrate the latest progress of TD-LTE/LTE FDD convergence in standards and industry development, but also lay an excellent ground for the full commercialization of TD-LTE.

PR contact E-Plus Gruppe
Klaus Schulze-Löwenberg
E-Plus Straße 1
40472 Düsseldorf
E-Mail: Klaus.Schulze.Loewenberg(at)eplus-gruppe.de
Tel. +49 – 211 – 448 3402
Fax +49 – 211 – 448 4777
www.eplus-gruppe.de/presse

About the E-Plus Group

The E-Plus Group is the challenger on the German mobile communications market. Simple services tailored to customer needs and a major reduction in call and data charges can be traced back to the initiative of the third-largest mobile network operator in Germany. After revolutionizing the voice market for larger user groups now the company opens the mobile data market for the masses by its massive network roll-out and highly attractive low-priced data tariff schemes. As a result of innovative business models, modern structures and strong partnerships the E-Plus Group was able to significantly strengthen its market position and show a more dynamic and profitable development than the market. More than 20 million customers are using the network of the E-Plus Group to make calls and send text messages or data. The Group generates an annual revenue of €3.2 billion (2010) and employs more than 2,500 people (FTE) in Germany.

SK Telecom, Korea’s number one mobile operator in terms of subscribers, will triple its broadband capacity and provide five times faster data download and seven times faster upload speeds from July 2011. The operator has selected Nokia Siemens Networks to provide Long Term Evolution (LTE) infrastructure, using its Flexi Multiradio Base Stations and NetAct network management system as well as implementation and care services. LTE stands for Long Term Evolution, a radio technology that is an evolution from existing 3G services, bringing higher mobile broadband data speeds and faster response times.

The operator will introduce LTE services in Seoul in July 2011 and expand its LTE network to other metropolitan areas by the end of 2012. Nationwide coverage is expected by the end of 2013.

Under the contract, Nokia Siemens Networks will provide its award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station, a perfect fit for SK Telecom’s advanced Smart Cloud Access Network (SCAN)* concept due to its unique modular and distributed design.

“SK Telecom has aggressive plans to deploy LTE in Korea. We will draw on our expertise in LTE as well as the experience gained from several LTE trials and implementations to help the operator put these into action,” said Ricky Corker, head, APAC region at Nokia Siemens Networks. “With our portfolio of world-class products, software and services, we aim to ensure a smooth and timely launch of LTE services in the country.

Nokia Siemens Networks will also provide its NetAct system to help the operator efficiently monitor, manage and optimize its network. Moreover, it will also provide a full set of hardware and software maintenance services along with strong local support to help ensure the best network availability.

Customers, press and analysts are welcome to view industry-leading LTE solutions at the Mobile World Congress in the Nokia Siemens Networks’ Experience Center in Hall 8, C01.

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland.
www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Talk about Nokia Siemens Networks’ news at blogs.nokiasiemensnetworks.com and find out if your country is exploiting the full potential of connectivity at www.connectivityscorecard.org

Media Enquiries

Nokia Siemens Networks
Johanna Harjula
Media Relations
Phone: +358 7180 31399
E-mail: johanna.harjula(at)nsn.com

Media Relations

Phone: +358 7180 31451
e-mail: mediarelations(at)nsn.com

Notes to editors:

* SCAN

According to SK Telecom, SCAN is a highly effective cloud-based network deployment method especially optimized for wireless communication as multiple RRUs (Remote Radio Units) can be installed according to varying network capacity needs of each area.

LTE

Nokia Siemens Networks is leading the commercialization of Long Term Evolution (LTE) in terms of commercial references and live network performance according to a third party consultancy firm. LTE is the next-generation mobile broadband technology and the evolutionary step from GSM, WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, CDMA and WiMAX networks. It delivers the best broadband user experience and smart device services in an efficient way due to increased data rates, reduced latency and scalable flat all-IP network architecture. Nokia Siemens Networks has shipped its LTE ready Flexi Multiradio Base Station to over 200 operators. In addition, it was the first to make an LTE call using commercial hardware and standards-compliant software in 2009.

Nokia Siemens Networks is leading the commercialization of LTE in terms of commercial references and live network performance verified by an independent company*. Among the company’s 31 commercial LTE deals are Agri-Valley Communications in USA; Deutsche Telekom in Germany; Elisa Finland and Elisa Estonia; LG U+ in South Korea; LightSquared in USA; Mobily (Etisalat) in Saudi Arabia; Mosaic Telecom in USA; NTT DOCOMO in Japan; Tele2 in Sweden; Telecom Italia; Telenor Denmark; Telia in Sweden, TeliaSonera in Denmark and EMT (TeliaSonera) in Estonia; Verizon in USA and Zain Bahrain.

* The LTE performance in a live network in Sweden was measured by Signals Research Group, an independent consultancy company. The part supplied by Nokia Siemens Networks achieved the highest performance ratings.

Nokia Siemens Networks is running LTE trials with over 25 operators across the globe including KPN in the Netherlands; Telecom Italia; Telstra and Optus in Australia; O2 in Germany; MegaFon in Russia; SFR in France and Vodacom in South Africa.

An LTE performance drive test by Signals Research Group on a Swedish commercial live LTE network confirmed that the overall results achieved in the Gothenburg network (supplied by Nokia Siemens Networks) were better than those achieved in the Stockholm network (supplied by another vendor). For more information about the performance of Nokia Siemens Networks’ LTE offering, please refer to an independent report from Signals Research called ’Signals Ahead LTE Drive Test Revisited - Part 1’, which is available here or on the Nokia Siemens Networks internet page.

Nokia Siemens Networks’ Single RAN including the Flexi Multiradio Base Station provides a future-proof, easy and cost-efficient path to LTE in both FDD and TDD spectrum bands via a simple software upgrade. Besides the Single RAN that supports GSM, 3G, FDD-LTE and TD-LTE, the company’s LTE telecom infrastructure offering also features the Evolved Packet Core, including Flexi NS (Network Server) and Flexi NG (Network Gateway), transport solutions, network management system, Self Organizing Networks (SON), the award-winning Voice over LTE (VoLTE), provisioning and charging solutions and a range of professional services to plan, install, maintain and operate networks. Click here for more information.

* GSA.com in its latest report on the global status of LTE operator commitments (dated January 12, 2011), states that 17 commercial LTE Networks have already been launched so far.

9 February 2011: Global Certification Forum (GCF) and Continua Health Alliance are co-operating to develop an effective certification process for wirelessly-connected personal health devices. In the mobile and many other industries, standards-based certification schemes have been proven to promote market development and growth.

Access to necessary healthcare can be hindered by factors such as distance, time and money. Continua Health Alliance’s personal connected healthcare solutions can overcome these barriers by offering individuals with chronic conditions, the elderly, those with transportation issues and even the healthy well, more affordable access to care.

“One of Continua’s key goals is to enable end-to-end interoperability for connected health solutions. By providing a framework of standards-based interfaces, Continua is spurring innovation while removing barriers to global implementation and adoption,” said Chuck Parker, executive director,Continua Health Alliance. “By developing an effective process for testing these systems we’re expanding the ability of our members to deliver compelling products to consumers and healthcare providers that essentially become plug and play.”

GCF’s proven ‘test once, use anywhere’ certification scheme assures mobile operators of a wireless device’s interoperability across different networks, minmises duplication of testing and reduces time-to-market for new categories of connected devices. Since 1999, GCF Certification has made an important contribution to the global success of 3GPP wireless technologies, from GSM to 3G/UMTS and their extensions. A membership of more than 220 comprises the world’s leading operators, mobile device manufacturers, test labs and test equipment manufacturers.

In October 2010 GCF introduced an optimised process for the certification of connected devices that incorporate GCF-certified embedded wireless modules. This process, described in guidelines that can be downloaded from the GCF website, provides insights that are highly relevant to the certification of mobile health devices.

“3GPP wireless connectivity has the potential to add significant value to personal health devices,” said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manager of GCF. “As a certification scheme trusted by mobile operators serving billions of people worldwide, GCF can help expand the market for this potentially life-enhancing new product category.”

Continua Health Alliance is exhibiting at Mobile World Congress on Stand 7MH12 in the App Planet.

Global Certification Forum – GCF – is an active partnership between network operators, device manufacturers and the test industry. In the ten years since its inception in 1999, GCF has created an independent certification programme to help ensure global interoperability between mobile devices and networks. By providing the focal point for the world’s most experienced practitioners in conformance testing, field trials and certification, GCF establishes global best practice for the certification of mobile phones and the ever-expanding range of devices that incorporate wireless broadband connectivity. LTE was brought within GCF Certification in December 2010.

Continua Health Alliance is a non-profit, open industry organization of healthcare and technology companies joining together in collaboration to improve the quality of personal healthcare. With more than 230 member companies around the world, Continua is dedicated to establishing a system of interoperable personal connected health solutions with the knowledge that extending those solutions into the home fosters independence, empowers individuals and provides the opportunity for truly personalized health and wellness management.

For more information please contact:

GCF (www.globalcertificationforum.org)
E: press(at)globalcertifcationforum.org
Or Ian Volans on +44 7956 505 690

Continua Health Alliance (www.continuaalliance.org)
Karen Riley Sawyer
T: +1 503-619-0860
E: krileysawyer(at)nereus-worldwide.com

Duisburg, Germany - February 9th, 2011 - mimoOn, a pioneer in LTE software licensing for Software...

Duisburg, Germany - February 9th, 2011 - mimoOn, a pioneer in LTE software licensing for Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms, today announced a collaboration with Texas Instruments for the new C66x DSP family especially suited for emerging small cell base stations. mimoOn and Texas Instruments will work together to provide a complete PHY reference design for LTE Release 8 with extensions to release 10. Customers will benefit in fast time-to-market where the process of integrating, optimizing & supporting LTE software has been taken care, allowing them to spend their efforts building differentiation above the PHY. In addition, mimoOn's extensive background in LTE combined with TI's latest 4G SoC will enable the highest-performing LTE solutions for small cell base stations.

According to Thomas Kaiser, CEO of mimoOn, "2011 will see LTE deployment increasing and the market is demanding a fully integrated SoC with LTE software that enables faster time to market, in combination with efficient reuse of SW. mimoOn and Texas Instruments collaboration enables potential customers to take delivery of a complete SW & HW solution, delivering a competitive advantage for them and their end customers since all the pre-integration work is taken care of."

"By utilizing mimoOn's LTE software on TI's new C66x DSP generation, the collaboration with mimoOn empowers customers with a complete solution. We are also able to ensure that the full capabilities of our platform are utilized, delivering significant advantages to our customers" said Kathy Brown, BU Manager, TI.

At MWC Barcelona February 14-17, 2011, mimoOn will showcase their advanced LTE PHY implementation running on TI's DSP on their pavilion AV99.

About mimoOn

mimoOn GmbH, headquartered in Duisburg, Germany, is a leading licensor of LTE Software IP for mobile devices & wireless infrastructure. mimoOn's portfolio of products includes Physical Layer (PHY) and Protocol Stack (L2/L3) for mobile phones and devices, small cell basestations (Pico/Femto) and IP development in the areas of advanced algorithms, SON, schedulers and radio resource management.

mimoOn partners with leading silicon & DSP IP vendors including CEVA, Tensilica & Texas Instruments providing a complete HW & SW platform for OEM's to develop and commercialise their products.

We provide a complete porting, optimisation and verification service, as well as a roadmap to future 3GPP releases.

For press enquiries, please contact brian.robertson(at)mimoOn.de

0900, Friday, 21 January 2011, VIENNA, Austria

Symena, a leader automatic cell planning and optimization technologies across the network life cycle from planning to SON, announced today that it has joined the Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN), a global initiative founded by the world's top mobile operators and dedicated to the ongoing development of innovative technology and standardization guidelines for next generation of mobile networks.

The NGMN Alliance is a forum to share, assess, and drive aspects of mobile broadband technologies focusing on LTE and its evolution. The vision of the NGMN Alliance is to provide a platform for innovation by moving towards one integrated network for the seamless introduction of mobile broadband services. In addition, this network will coexist with other networks while it facilitates smooth migration from, and is capable of replacing, existing networks.

"We are pleased to announce our participation in the NGMN Alliance. We look forward to making innovative contributions to the next generation of mobile wireless networks," said Dr Thomas Neubauer, Managing Director of Symena. "In many respects NGMN is setting the pace of innovation particularly where it comes to SON for LTE and other standards. Our participation in the Alliance will assist us in understanding the needs of the world's leading operators."

"We are delighted to welcome Symena as partner of NGMN. Symena is one of a growing number of sponsors in the category of 'small and entrepreneurial enterprises.' We look forward to their active participation in the Alliance's programs," said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN Ltd.

Symena will exhibit at the Mobile World Congress, Barcelona, Spain, 14/17 February 2011. To see the latest enterprise scale optimization solutions arrange a meeting with us in Barcelona at MWC today (meeting(at)symena.com) or drop in on our stand at Hall 2, Stand 2C103.

ABOUT SYMENA

SYMENA is a leading supplier of automatic cell planning and optimization technologies across the network life cycle from planning through to SON. Symena's technologies are proven in extensive, daily operational use by Tier 1 operators and OEMs. They are used by all major OEM vendors planning LTE networks. Symena's workstation and server tools are available for all major radio standards including LTE, UMTS, CDMA and GSM.

SYMENA. Smart Up Your Network!

CONTACTS

Mr Christopher Millhouse, christopher.millhouse(at)symena.com
[+43-1] 585 51 01-0

SYMENA Software & Consulting GmbH
Wiedner Hauptstrasse 24/15, A-1040 Vienna, AUSTRIA

www.symena.com

ABOUT NGMN ALLIANCE

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) was founded by leading international mobile network operators in 2006. Its goal is to ensure that the standards for next generation network infrastructure, service platforms and devices will meet the requirements of operators and, ultimately, will satisfy end user demand and expectations.

The objective of the initial phase of NGMN with working groups on Technology, Spectrum, IPR, Ecosystem, and Trials was to enable the launch of commercial services in 2010.

After having successfully reached this milestone, the NGMN Alliance now addresses the challenges of network deployment, operations, and interworking. Furthermore, the NGMN Alliance will drive and guide the development of all future mobile broadband technology enhancements focusing on LTE & EPC and its evolution. The targets of this work programme are supported by the strong and well-established partnership of worldwide leading operators, vendors, and successful co-operations with other industry organisations.

Achievements and the roadmap beyond 2010 will be presented at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in the joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream "Technology Evolution" on 17th February 2011.

PRESS CONTACT

NGMN Alliance, Press and Media Relations
Ms Monika Binder, monika.binder(at)ngmn.org
NGMN Ltd
Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 58, 60325 Frankfurt, GERMANY
www.ngmn.org

Marking a defined step forward in TD-LTE commercialization, Sequans, a leading chipset platform provider, and Nokia Siemens Networks have successfully conducted interoperability trials of the technology in the 2.3 GHz, 2.5 GHz and 2.6 GHz frequency bands. The demonstration tested the interoperability of Nokia Siemens Networks’ TD-LTE infrastructure equipment with Sequans’ SQN3010 platform*.

The TD-LTE interoperability trial was conducted at Nokia Siemens Networks’ R&D center in Hangzhou, China. The Open Lab in Hangzhou can be used by major TD-LTE smartphone and terminal manufacturers around the world to test the interoperability and functionality of their devices across TD-LTE networks. During the recent interoperability testing, Nokia Siemens Networks used its standard-compliant TD-LTE infrastructure solution comprising the award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station and its core network solution including the Flexi NS (Network Server) and the Flexi NG (Network Gateway).

“Sequans has leveraged its leadership in the WiMAX market to become one of the first to deliver a TD-LTE chip solution, enabling TDD operators worldwide,” said Craig Miller, vice president of marketing and business development, Sequans. “We are focused intently on the development of a robust TD-LTE ecosystem that includes global infrastructure vendors such as Nokia Siemens Networks.”

“These trials are extremely important for network operators with TDD spectrum assets, particularly in China, India and Japan as well as other regions including Europe, where TDD licenses in the 2.6 GHz spectrum have been awarded recently,” said Thorsten Robrecht, head of LTE product management, Nokia Siemens Networks. “Performing the test with Sequans’ chipset that is targeted for use in TD-LTE trials across China, India and Japan will thus speed up the commercialization of TD-LTE.”

Nokia Siemens Networks is at the forefront of TD-LTE development and commercialization, closely working with telecom operators and device manufacturers around the world. Fully prepared and committed to support LTE activities, it is actively participating in tests and trials for both Frequency Division Duplexing LTE (FDD-LTE) and Time Division Duplexing LTE (TD-LTE). Earlier this year, Nokia Siemens Networks successfully demonstrated TD-LTE trials during Shanghai World Expo, and TD-LTE data calls at the company’s R&D center in Hangzhou and at Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University.

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications is a 4G chipmaker, supplying LTE and WiMAX chips to equipment manufacturers and mobile operators worldwide. Founded in 2004 to address the WiMAX market where it is now a global leader, Sequans expanded in early 2009 to address the LTE market. Sequans chips are inside leading WiMAX networks worldwide and will soon be inside LTE networks. Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices throughout the world, including USA, United Kingdom, Israel, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, and China.
www.sequans.com

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland.www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Talk about Nokia Siemens Networks’ news at
http://blogs.nokiasiemensnetworks.com and find out if your country is exploiting the full potential of connectivity at
www.connectivityscorecard.org

Media Enquiries

Nokia Siemens Networks
Riitta Mard
Communications
Phone: +358505149718
E-mail: riitta.mard(at)nsn.com

Media Relations

Phone: +358 7180 31451
E-mail: mediarelations(at)nsn.com

Sequans Communications
Kimberly Tassin
Phone: +1 425.736.0569
E-mail: Kimberly(at)sequans.com

Notes to editors:

* Nokia Siemens Networks is leading the commercialization of LTE in terms of commercial references and live network performance according to a third party consultancy firm. LTE is the next-generation mobile broadband technology and the evolutionary step from GSM, WCDMA/HSPA/HSPA+, TD-SCDMA, CDMA and WiMAX networks. It promises the delivery of broadband and smart device services, thanks to increased data rates, reduced latency and scalable flat all-IP network architecture. Nokia Siemens Networks has shipped its LTE ready Flexi Multiradio Base Station to over 200 operators. In addition, it was the first to make an LTE call using commercial hardware and standards-compliant software in 2009.

The company has the highest number of commercial LTE references worldwide, 23 commercial LTE deals, and is conducting LTE trials with more than 25 customers around the world.

LTE can be offered in paired (FDD - Frequency Division Duplexing) or unpaired (TDD - Time Division Duplexing) spectrums. Nokia Siemens Networks Single RAN including the Flexi Multiradio Base Station provides a future-proof, easy and cost-efficient path to LTE in both FDD and TDD spectrum via a simple software upgrade. Besides the Single RAN that supports GSM, 3G, FDD-LTE and TD-LTE, the company’s LTE telecom infrastructure offering also features the Evolved Packet Core, including Flexi NS (Network Server) and Flexi NG (Network Gateway), transport solutions, network management system. It also features Self Organizing Networks (SON), the award-winning Voice over LTE (VoLTE), provisioning and charging solutions, and a range of professional services to plan, install, maintain and operate networks. For more information, please click here.

From today, the GCF Certification process can be applied to LTE devices designed to operate in either the 700 MHz† band or the 800 MHz European Digital Dividend band. The 700 MHz band is currently being rolled-out in the USA while deployment of the 800 MHz has started in Germany. Work to extend the scheme to other bands is already well advanced; further bands could be brought within the GCF Certification scheme as early as January 2011.

Incorporating conformance, interoperability and field testing, GCF Certification is designed to give operators confidence that new devices are compliant with relevant standards. Using certification criteria and standardised test methodologies agreed collectively by operators and manufacturers, GCF Certification provides a rigourous assessment of a device’s network and service interoperability. The scheme has been shown to reduce acceptance testing overheads for manufacturers and operators alike. In the last 12 months, more than 400 handsets, USB modems and other 3GPP devices from 34 manufacturers have been GCF-Certified.

“By establishing a trusted benchmark for interoperability and common acceptance testing procedures, GCF Certification represents an important milestone along the road to a mass-market for LTE devices,” said Adriana Nugter, Operations Manager, GCF. “The launch of Certification for LTE devices is a tribute to the concerted efforts of GCF members from around the world.”

Bringing a new technology within GCF Certification depends on contributions from many stakeholders: stable core specifications and their associated test specifications from standards bodies; reference devices to enable tests to be validated; and new test platforms which need to be independently validated. In addition, an understanding of operators’ launch plans is required to ensure that Certification matches the real needs of the marketplace. GCF provides the forum in which experts from operators, device manufacturers, the test industry and other interested parties bring the required building blocks together.

Whereas UMTS was initially deployed in a single band, different regions have allocated a variety of frequency bands in which operators are able to deploy LTE; this has created a significant additionalchallenge for GCF. Through a carefully designed and flexible work programme, GCF has been able to move quickly to accommodate new bands as they have been made available. The adopted project structure has also ensured that delivery of Certification in one band is not hindered by delayed availability of tests, test equipment or reference devices for other bands.

GCF formally launched the development of the LTE Certification programme in early 2008 with an initial focus on three FDD bands [700 MHz (USA), 2100 MHz (Japan) and 2600 MHz (Europe)] and two TDD bands [2570-2620 MHz and 2300-2400 MHz (China/USA)]. The need for a flexible approach was confirmed during 2010 when requests were received to extend LTE Certification to the 1800 MHz band widely used by operators in Europe and Asia and, more recently, the 800 MHz European Digital Dividend band.

GCF expects Certification to be available for other FDD and TDD LTE bands in the first half of 2011. Under GCF’s rules, some of these bands could be incorporated within the scheme as early as January 2011.

Notes to editors:
†The 700 MHz band (3GPP Band 13) is alsoknown in the US as upper SMH block C

About Global Certification Forum (GCF)

GCF is an active partnership between network operators, device manufacturers and the test industry. Since its inception in 1999, GCF has created an independent certification programme to help ensureglobal interoperability between mobile devices and networks. By providing the focal point for the world’s most experienced practitioners in conformance testing, field trials and certification, GCF establishes best practice for the certification of mobile phones and the ever-expanding range of devices that incorporate wireless broadband connectivity.

For more information please contact:

E: press(at)globalcertificationforum.org

W: www.globalcertificationforum.org

Dexter House, Royal Mint Court, London, 6-8 December 2010

www.layer123.com/lte-converged

Mobile service providers are planning the deployment of LTE radio and core networks. Many questions need to be addressed, not least how to evolve from today's infrastructure to one that offers cost-effective, reliable and high performance mobile broadband in the future.

This event offers mobile network planning professionals a unique opportunity to connect the key elements of the LTE network - from the advantages of LTE radio, to the challenges of backhaul and the evolution from SSGN/GGSN to MME gateways, plus the addition of IMS to support VoIP.

A 15% discount is available for NGMN Partners - register at www.layer123.com/book-now-lte using the discount code NGMNLTE10

Like many things, the choice of the "best" implementation approach for a particular service provider and network, will depend extensively on the history or the infrastructure. For example, the write-down value of the 3G network, as well as the overall LTE strategy - particularly the speed with which 4G services are to be rolled out.

This uniquely focused event brings together the most influential figures from service providers, vendors, analysts, standards organisations and regulators, for a highly interactive 3 days of learning, knowledge sharing and networking. At the end of which, you will better placed to make fully informed decisions about your network strategy, and have a strengthened network of the right people to consult.

Key areas covered in the agenda:

• Evolution from today's mobile core and backhaul architecture to the NGMN
• Key mobile core/EPC architecture choices and evolution design criteria
• Interpreting 3GPP LTE standards and implmentation guidelines
• Service performance, network visibility, QoS and policy management
• Backhaul considerations, evolution and integration challenges
• EPC performance test procedures and LTE test results
• Service and network level convergence
• EPC scalability considerations
• Network sharing and infrastructure convergence

Confirmed KEYNOTES from:

• Senior Representatives from Host Operator: Everything Everywhere
• Rémi Thomas
  Director of the NGMN Project, Orange Group & LSTI board member
• Walter Grethe
  Head of NGMN Program Management, Deutsche Telekom
• Steve Nurenberg
  Distinguished Member of Technical Staff, Mobile Core, AT&T Labs
• Andy Sutton
  Principal Design Consultant, Transport Networks, Everything Everywhere

Confirmed presentations from industry leaders including:

• Kevin Holley, Vice-Chair 3GPP TSG Service/System Aspects, Telefónica
• Lei Wang, Chief IP Network Architect, Telenor
• Philippe Herbelin, Senior Architect, IP/MPLS & Fixed Mobile Network, Orange
• Ray Allwood, Mobile Packet Design SGSN Prime, Telefónica O2 UK
• Tim Hubbard, Head of Wholesale Data Solutions, BT

And from the event Founding Sponsors:

• Humberto José La Roche, Director for Wireless Architecture, Juniper Networks
• Krister Boman, Product Manager, Ericsson
• Mohan Trikur, Director of Core Network Solutions, Ericsson

A 15% discount is available for NGMN Partners - register at www.layer123.com/book-now-lte using the discount code NGMNLTE10

Ahead of the imminent launch of its commercial Long Term Evolution (LTE) rural broadband service in Germany, Deutsche Telekom AG (NYSE: DT) already has plans for further deployments of the next-generation mobile broadband technology.

Beyond the rural rollout, Deutsche Telekom's next LTE move will be deployment in hotspots and high-usage areas using spectrum in the 1800MHz frequency band, according to a spokeswoman from the operator.

This is the first indication Deutsche Telekom has given about which spectrum it will use for future LTE deployments, though the operator didn't specify when the hotspot rollout at 1800MHz would begin.

The choice of 1800MHz is interesting because Deutsche Telekom will be one of the first operators to roll out LTE in this spectrum; Poland's Mobyland Sp. z o.o. is so far the only operator to deploy an LTE network at 1800MHz, using equipment from Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (See Poland Taps Huawei for First LTE.)

The move will also have implications for device makers as they will have to support yet another frequency for LTE terminals.

- Michelle Donegan, European Editor, Light Reading Mobile

For the full story, go to Light Reading Mobile

Frankfurt, November 18th, 2010 - Last week during the Annual General Meeting, the NGMN Alliance appointed its new Board Members, elected for the period from 2010 to 2012 are:

• Olivier Baujard
  Chief Technology Officer, Deutsche Telekom AG
• Thierry Bonhomme
  Executive Vice President Orange Labs, Networks and Carriers, France Telecom - Orange
• Sandro Dionisi
  Head of TI Lab (Innovation and Engineering dpt), Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Jong Tae Ihm
  Senior Vice President, Head of Institute of Network Technology (R&D Center), MNO Business, SK telecom Ltd.
• Mitsunobu Komori
  Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Officer, Member of Board of Directors, and Managing Director of R&D Center, NTT DOCOMO Inc.
• Li Zhengmao
  Executive Vice President, China Mobile Communications Corporation
• Andy MacLeod
  Director Group Networks, Vodafone Group Services
• Kristin S. Rinne
  Senior Vice President - Architecture & Planning, AT&T, Inc.
• Bruce Rodin
  Vice President Wireless Technology, Bell Canada Enterprises
• Vicente San Miguel Maza
  Global Chief Technology Officer, Telefónica S.A.

The first task of the new Board was to elect a Chairman, this honour went to Sandro Dionisi from Telecom Italia. In his first statement as Chairman, he expressed his appreciation for the outgoing Board's achievements and for the leadership of the former Chairman Vivek Badrinath.

Mr. Dionisi stated: "I am honoured to be appointed as the Board Chairman of this global alliance devoted to matters related to the next generation of mobile networks. The NGMN Alliance has shaped the industry and technology development in the last two years towards the successful launch of the first LTE networks. I am now looking forward to closely working with my colleagues strongly focusing on the future challenges of deployment, operations and technology evolution as defined in the Alliance's strategic plan for the phase beyond 2010."

About NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org)

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010 and 2011, the focus will be on challenges coming from system deployment, networks in operation multi-band/multi-mode devices, and future technology evolution. Achievements and the roadmap beyond 2010 will be presented at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in the joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream “Technology Evolution” on 17th February 2011.

Press Contact

NGMN Alliance, Press and Media Relations
Sneha.Malschok(at)ngmn.org
+49 69/9 07 49 98-23

NGMN Press Contact

Press Release - NGMN Alliance appoints New Board Members 2010 - 2012

This trial started in October 2010 from an urban area featuring high population density, a wide range of buildings and using a 1.5GHz band, the same band used in commercial services. The trial is being conducted in an environment that is similar to commercial service conditions, and includes handover performance testing in an urban area where a broad spectrum of radio frequency interference occurs during throughput verification of both uplink and downlink.

NEC also participated in a field trial conducted in the Nasu-Shiobara area in Tochigi Prefecture from March to August, 2010. In addition to handover testing, NEC conducted throughput verification during radio frequency interference between base stations when the network was congested.

KDDI is scheduled to begin commercial LTE services in December, 2012 using LTE systems at the 1.5GHz band and 800MHz band. Furthermore, the company is planning to expand its broadband mobile telephone area coverage to 96.5% by the end of the 2014 fiscal year (March 31, 2015).

NEC, as an official wireless base station vendor, will continue to develop systems based on know-how fostered from these trials and to work closely with KDDI for its LTE commercial services.

For more on NEC's LTE solution visit www.nec.com/lte/

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is a leader in the integration of IT and network technologies that benefit businesses and people around the world. By providing a combination of products and solutions that cross utilize the company's experience and global resources, NEC's advanced technologies meet the complex and ever-changing needs of its customers. NEC brings more than 100 years of expertise in technological innovation to empower people, businesses and society. For more information, visit NEC at www.nec.com.

Management World Americas 2010 is the leading communications management conference for the Americas that will enable you to gain the tools and knowledge to beat the 'revenue crunch' and to help your company invest wisely, cut costs and diversify your revenue portfolio. It's all about being Smart -- delivering Smart Pipes, Smart Services and a Smart Business.

The contact address for interested parties to register is register(at)tmforum.org
and also www.tmforum.org/ManagementWorldAmericas/RegistrationFees/8826/Home.html

Xi will enable mobile data communication at a maximum downlink speed of 75 Mbps, or about ten times as fast as DOCOMO’s current FOMA™ 3G service. DOCOMO initially will sell Xi data terminals for connection to mobile computers, beginning with the USB-type L-02C.

Voice calls using Xi will become possible sometime within the fiscal year starting in April 2011, when DOCOMO will begin launching LTE-compatible mobile phones.

Xi service initially will be available in the Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka areas, with other major cities and regions to be added thereafter.

At launch, two data-only billing plans will be offered: “Xi Data Plan Ninen” and “Xi Data Plan.” Xi Data Plan Ninen, which will require a two-year contract, is a highly affordable plan costing between 1,000 and 6,510 yen (including tax) for up to 5 gigabytes (GB) of data per month. Over 5 GB, 2,625 yen (including tax) will be charged for each 2 GB (details about both plans are attached).

As a special introductory offer, the maximum monthly charge for unlimited data using Xi Data Plan Ninen will be 4,935 yen (including tax) through April 2012.

Billing plans for Xi voice services will be announced later.

Outline of Xi™ Service at Launch

About NTT DOCOMO

NTT DOCOMO is the world’s leading mobile operator and provider of advanced mobile services. The company serves over 56 million customers in Japan, including 48 million using i-mode™, the world’s most popular mobile e-mail/Internet platform, and 54 million using FOMA™, the world’s original 3G mobile service based on W-CDMA. As a leader in the development of cutting-edge mobile technologies, DOCOMO is continually expanding the role of mobile phones as versatile and highly personalized “lifestyle tools” for everyday life, including with a wide range of innovative services for mobile payments, GPS, mobile TV, multimedia content and much more. NTT DOCOMO is listed on the Tokyo (9437), London (NDCM) and New York (DCM) stock exchanges. For more information, visit www.nttdocomo.com.

Xi, FOMA and i-mode are trademarks or registered trademarks of NTT DOCOMO, INC. in Japan and/or other countries.

FOMA and Xi services are only available in Japan.

NTT DOCOMO press release

Frankfurt, Germany - October 19, 2010

The NGMN Alliance has today publicly announced its Top 10 Operational Efficiency Recommendations. These recommendations are a major milestone for the NGMN Alliance and demonstrate how it provides guidance for the industry on the operational efficiency requirements for next generation mobile networks.

Several factors drive the need to improve the overall network operations: Rising complexity and increasing cost of network operations, heterogeneity of networks (supporting different technologies), number of network elements, the market need to gain flexibility in service management and to improve service quality – just to name a few. These aspects are even more important in times when operators put increasing focus on the overall operational cost base of the networks. NGMN has therefore defined “operational efficiency” as one of its key work items for 2010 and beyond.

In order to provide overall guidance for the implementation of solutions supporting Self-Optimising Networks (SONs) for the future, NGMN released in early 2009 the “NGMN Recommendation on SON and O&M Requirements” which outlines the requirements for Self-Optimising Networks. Now, in Autumn 2010, the NGMN Board has approved for publication the latest NGMN deliverable in the operations area, – the “NGMN TOP OPE Recommendations”. This document is the consolidated outcome of the NGMN project “Operational Efficiency” addressing SON and O&M aspects of next generation networks.

Top 10 Operational Efficiency Recommendations

The SON section of the “NGMN TOP P-OPE Recommendations” covers recommendations on high-priority areas like Automatic Neighbour Cell Recognition (ANR), Minimisation of Drive Tests and Interactions between Home and Macro BTS. The objective of the O&M section is to develop a future operational vision that achieves out-of-the-box interoperability, enhanced flexible integration, as well as the re-use of the interfaces between OSS/BSS and the Network or EMS.

Peter Meissner, NGMN Operating Officer, emphasised that “these NGMN Top 10 OPE Recommendations will have a fundamental impact on future standardisation. I would like to thank all NGMN Partners which contributed to this landmark document. The Top 10 OPE Recommendations will now serve as a basis for the further work on SON and O&M with partners of the industry as well as SDOs”.

NGMN Alliance will also present and discuss the Top 10 Operational Efficiency Recommendations at the Mobile World Congress 2011. Please refer to the joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream on "Technology Evolution" at the MWC 2011 on 17th February, 2011.

All cited documents as well as the complete “NGMN TOP OPE Recommendations” document are available for download at the NGMN website.

NGMN Press Release “Milestone Recommendations Document pushes forward LTE Networks for Beyond 2010“

Download chart "Top 10 Operational Efficiency Recommendations"

About NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org)

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies.

Press Contacts

NGMN Alliance
Natacha Schubert
Press and Media Relations
Natacha.Schubert(at)ngmn.org
+49 69/9 07 49 98-23

With over 200 exhibitors and sponsors, and 175+ speakers, 4G World delivers unprecedented opportunities for business and partnership development, education and exposure. Gain unique and valuable insights into the latest technology innovations and business trends. From infrastructure to devices, consumer to enterprise, vertical solutions to integrated solutions, impact of cloud computing, to certification and regulatory issues, you’ll get it all in one event.

NGMN Partners will be offered a 200 USD discount on the price of the conference ticket (use priority code "4GWMS57" when registering) as well as a 10% discount on the exhibit floor space. (Note: the discount on exhibit floor space only applies to "New" entrants and will not apply to any current exhibitor or sponsor)

www.4GWORLD.COM

Register today and as an NGMN member receive a 10% discount to attend.
Visit www.etsi-innovationsummit.com or call Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5506 quoting VIP code: I2A27/NGMN10

www.etsi-innovationsummit.com

Mobile Broadband (MBB) is now the biggest growth area in telecoms. Understanding how to capitalise on this growth and develop cost-effective strategies to deliver the bandwidth required, whilst creating the right pricing models will be at the heart of this three day intensive event.
Now the biggest conference and exhibition dedicated exclusively to Mobile Broadband (MBB), this event is an absolute must for all those involved in the MBB ecosystem, including Mobile Operators, Content Developers, Financial Investors, Press and Media, Consultants, Technology Partners, Handset Developers and more.

The brochure for IIR's Mobile Broadband World 2010 is now available to download from the website www.iir-telecoms.com/I2GS2NGMN.

You can also receive an exclusive 10% discount courtesy of NGMN – please use the code I2GS2NGMN to promote this.
Please contact office(at)ngmn.org for further details.

For more information on the conference, email registrations(at)iir-telecoms.com or call +44 (0)20 7017 7483.

Rysavy’s report, Transition to 4G: 3GPP Broadband Evolution to IMT-Advanced, explains and analyzes the evolution of EDGE, HSPA enhancements, 3GPP LTE, the capabilities of these technologies and their position relative to other primary competing technologies. It also highlights how these technologies fit into the ITU roadmap that leads to IMT-Advanced.

The following are some of the key observations and conclusions of the white paper:

• GSM-HSPA has an overwhelming global position in terms of subscribers, deployment, and services
• 3GPP has spearheaded enhancements to both the Radio Access Network and Core Network to enhance customer experience
• HSPA and LTE have significant economic advantages over other wireless technologies because of their vast economies of scale and scope
• The 3GPP OFDMA approach used in LTE matches or exceeds the capabilities of any other OFDMA system
• 3GPP has made significant progress on how to enhance LTE to meet the requirements of IMT-Advanced
• Specifications for LTE-Advanced, with peak theoretical speeds up to 1 Gbps, are expected to be completed by March 2011 making LTE-Advanced one of the first technologies defined to meet ITU IMT-Advanced requirements

With a customer base of 4.5 billion connections today, the 3GPP family of technologies is available on nearly 800 networks in 219 countries worldwide. Building on this base, UMTS-HSPA – the world’s dominant mobile broadband technology today – has proven to be the most widely deployed and adopted 3G technology of all time, with 358 commercial HSPA networks in 142 countries. 3G Americas expects that most HSPA operators will upgrade their networks to HSPA+ which is already commercially deployed by 69 operators in 37 countries with peak theoretical downlink speeds from 21 Mbps to 42 Mbps today.

“HSPA-LTE has significant economic advantages over other wireless technologies,” said Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. “We expect HSPA to be the dominant mobile-data technology for the next decade. Further, HSPA offers a smooth transition to LTE and the move to LTE will be an evolution as existing mobile networks will remain operational for years to come.”

LTE has become the technology platform of choice as GSM-UMTS and CDMA/EV-DO operators, as well as newly licensed and WiMAX operators, are making strategic, long-term decisions on their next-generation platforms. To date, there have been 5 commercial deployments of LTE in 4 countries with nearly 250 LTE commitments reported worldwide.

In a forthcoming release, LTE-Advanced will be one of the first technologies to meet the requirements of IMT-Advanced, a project of the ITU. Specifications are scheduled to be completed in March of 2011, with earliest availability for deployment in 2012.

“Worldwide, we are witnessing wireless technologies that are transformational to the way people live and communicate,” Rysavy said. “In the coming years, this new world of 4G connectivity will be enabled by applications, services and business models that may not even exist today.

The white paper, Transition to 4G: 3GPP Broadband Evolution to IMT-Advanced, and  its accompanying slide presentation, was created in collaboration with Rysavy Research by the member organizations of 3G Americas and is available for free download on 3G Americas' website at www.3gamericas.org.

Glossary of Terms
3G – Third Generation
3GPP – 3rd Generation Partnership Project
4G – Fourth Generation (meeting requirements set forth by the ITU IMT-Advanced project)
EV-DO – One Carrier Evolved, Data Optimized
Gbps – Gigabits per Second
GSM – Global System for Mobile Communications
HSPA – High Speed Packet Access (HSDPA with HSUPA)
HSPA+ – HSPA Evolution
IMT – International Mobile Telecommunications
ITU – International Telecommunications Union
LTE – Long Term Evolution
OFDMA – Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access
UMTS – Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
WiMAX – Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access

About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology

3G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 3G Americas has contributed to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.3gamericas.org.

3G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, Andrew Solutions, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

Contact:

Vicki Livingston

3G Americas

262 242 3458

vicki.livingston(at)3gamericas.org

4G/LTE Summit Overview -

At the upcoming...

4G/LTE Summit Overview -

At the upcoming China 4G/LTE Summit, you can learn how to plan and prepare your own network migration and mobile business around LTE, and be ready for a promising new era of 4G mobile communications.

Why Attend

• Discover the latest 4G/LTE developments, specifications, production, standardization and devices.
• Learn about the current developments of FDD and TDD, the efforts to unite them and which one is right for you.
• Should you migrate? What are the factors driving operators to evolve to 4G systems.
• Gain insight into spectrum bands for LTE, role of SDR and cognitive radio, and operational perspective of LTE network roll-out and management.
• Discover the state of readiness of LTE modules for terminals, handsets, mobile devices, notebooks, consumer electronics and industrial devices.
• Understand the options for enabling voice and revenue generating services in the new world of high speed mobile broadband.
• Explore backhaul solutions for handling large volumes of data traffic and reducing your costs.
• Find out the best strategies for LTE operations and maintenance. Understand how "Self Organizing Networks" can help.
• Hear experts discuss the role of subscriber, service and policy control in enriching the user experience.
• And much more!

For more information, please contact:

Infoex-World Services Ltd.

Tel: +852-2865 1118

Email: peter.lee(at)infoexws.com

www.china4gworld.com

The "NGMN Approved Trial" program was launched in 2008; it is aimed to encourage interested parties, such as operators or industry initiatives worldwide, to conduct their trials on next generation mobile technologies, by following a series of trial requirements defined by the NGMN Alliance. If the trial carried out is compliant to NGMN Field Trial Requirements and all of the trial results are provided to NGMN for technology evaluation, including an open visit to NGMN operator members, then, the trial will be qualified as "NGMN Approved Trial".

The TD-LTE showcase network in Shanghai World Expo is setup and optimized by China Mobile, the world's largest mobile operator based on number of subscribers and network scale. Since the showcase network was built in 2009, China Mobile has run a comprehensive list of test cases to verify various performance criteria of TD-LTE technology. The tests include indoor/outdoor performance test, terminal IOT test, co-existence test with Wi-Fi, and service specific test. To further push the technology development and build industry confidence, China Mobile adopted NGMN's Field Trial Requirements into its set-up, shared its trial results/experiences with NGMN operators and applied for the NGMN Approved Trial compliance status. During the NGMN Shanghai meeting in June 2010, NGMN members, visited the TD-LTE showcase network in World Expo, and granted the first "NGMN Approved Trial" compliance status to China Mobile's Shanghai TD-LTE network, and appreciated its dedication to the next generation wireless technology.

Besides, taking NGMN Field Trial Requirements as trial reference and conducting a number of test cases, China Mobile also explored the possibility of new services on TD-LTE showcase network. Then they provided new services, such as HD- video conference, web-browsing, and HD- surveillance to the World Expo visitors. Furthermore, together with the major vendors' announcement to launch the commercial TD-LTE equipment, the Shanghai World Expo TD-LTE showcase network has become a convenient test environment for new technology features or services. This has thus brought significant value to NGMN's mission and to the fast-growing mobile broadband ecosystem.

About China Mobile

Officially established on April 20th, 2000, China Mobile Communications Corporation ("China Mobile" for short) has a registered capital of RMB 51.8 billion and assets of over RMB 700 billion. China Mobile has been playing a leading role in the development of the mobile communications industry in China and holds an important position in the international arena as well. Listed among the Top Fortune 500 companies for 8 consecutive years, China Mobile's latest ranking is No.77. China Mobile was also a partner of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

About NGMN (www.ngmn.org)

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus of NGMN activities is on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability and identifying technical requirements for roaming.

Press Contacts

China Mobile
Lou Feifei
loufeifei(at)chinamobile.com

NGMN Alliance
Sneha Malschok
Press and Media Relations
sneha.malschok(at)ngmn.org
+49 69/9 07 49 98-23

NGMN Press Release "Shanghai TD-LTE showcase first 'NGMN Approved Trial'"

The report, Traffic Management Techniques for Mobile Broadband, focuses on 3GPP networks and concerns itself specifically with traffic management, including the handling of traffic flows on 3GPP networks in contrast with other network management techniques that operators may deploy (such as offloading, compression, network optimization and other important mechanisms).

Mobile broadband networks are confronted by a number of challenges. In particular, the physical layer in mobile networks is subject to a unique confluence of unpredictable and unrelated, or "orthogonal," influences. Moreover, mobile broadband networks have some important differences from their fixed brothers and sisters, which lead to different traffic management requirements. Among the most significant differences for purposes of traffic management is the need for more granular visibility to circumstances on the ground. Optimally, traffic management for mobile broadband networks requires visibility to what is occurring (by device or application) at the cell site level and in a timeframe that enables as far as feasible near-time reactions to resolve issues.

With the consumer in mind, an End-to-End (E2E) view of mobile service is critical for traffic management. For example, a consumer using a mobile phone to look up movie listings and purchase tickets considers the E2E service as the ability to see what movie is playing and execute a transaction to purchase tickets. 3GPP has endeavored to standardize increasingly more robust traffic management (Quality of Service, or QoS) techniques for mobile broadband networks with a consumer's E2E view of QoS. It must be considered, however, that mobile operators typically do not have full control over E2E provisioning of services that depend on mobile broadband Internet access.

Global standards organizations like 3GPP play an important role in the development of traffic management through provisions for addressing QoS, particularly regarding interworking with non-3GPP access mechanisms. These are important new innovations, and the 3G Americas white paper notes that the efforts of standards development organizations should be intensified.

In addition, the configuration of end-user devices and content and applications not provisioned by the network operator not only impacts the experience of the particular user, but potentially other users in a particular cell as well. Efforts to drive further QoS innovations should be mindful of potentially adverse impacts from these sources and support and foster interoperability of third party applications with existing network platforms.

More innovations are needed throughout the mobile broadband ecosystem, in particular by application developers, in order to realize E2E quality of service. Furthermore, transparency in network management practices is important in fostering innovation, but requires a careful balancing to ensure consumer comprehension while safeguarding network reliability. Organizations with technical expertise such as 3G Americas are prepared to help to illuminate and progress the development of these new technologies.

"3G Americas stands ready to assist interested parties in the ongoing development and understanding of traffic management techniques," said Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. "We are mindful that in this hemisphere and elsewhere, the industry has accepted an increasingly active role in addressing questions about service levels and innovation on mobile broadband networks."

The white paper, Traffic Management Techniques for Mobile Broadband, was written collaboratively by members of 3G Americas and is available for free download on the 3G Americas website at www.3gamericas.org.

About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology

3G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment and adoption of the 3GPP family of technologies throughout the Americas. 3G Americas has contributed to the successful commercial rollout of 3GPP mobile broadband technologies across the Americas and their place as the No. 1 technology family in the region. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Wash., with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas. More information is available at www.3gamericas.org.

3G Americas' Board of Governors members include: Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, Andrew Solutions, AT&T, Cable & Wireless, Ericsson, Gemalto, HP, Huawei, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Openwave, Qualcomm, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

Contact:

Vicki Livingston

3G Americas

262 242 3458

vicki.livingston(at)3gamericas.org

Morristown, NJ - July 16, 2010

The NGMN Alliance and the TM Forum today announced that they have signed a co-operation agreement to work together on optimized management systems and operations of the next generation of mobile networks.

The introduction of the next generation, simplified All-IP network infrastructures requires matching advances in the operational processes and systems that create, deliver and monetize the services that run over these networks. The co-operation between the two organizations will facilitate the delivery of solutions that directly address the operator needs in managing these networks.

The NGMN Alliance is an initiative of a group of leading mobile operators, technology vendors and research institutes. This initiative complements and supports the work within standardization bodies by providing a coherent view of what the operator community is going to require in the decade beyond 2010.

The TM Forum is well positioned to address the requirements for managing end-to-end All-IP networks. The global industry association already has significant experience in addressing both business and technology challenges for operators, having developed a mature set of best practices and standards which are widely adopted across the industry. TM Forum Frameworx, which includes the Information Framework(SID), Business Process Framework (eTOM), Application Framework(TAM) and software interfaces, will be considered the foundation for meeting the operators' needs.

NGMN and the TM Forum agreed to work together on Operational Efficiency enhancements for next generation multi-technology networks in a joint project. This project aims to:

• Define deliverables and timelines within TM Forum to support the NGMN Operations Requirements for next generation mobile networks
• Address the wireless-wireline convergence aspects of the operational requirements
• Under the umbrella of NGMN, achieve collaboration with other standards forums, e.g. 3GPP, in the area of NGMN Operations Requirements for next generation multi-technology networks

Quotes:

"Self-optimising capabilities and standardized O&M systems are essential for the successful operations of next generation mobile networks," said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. "We will work together with TM Forum to ensure broad, industry-wide support and adoption of NGMN's requirements and use-cases in those areas for the benefit of the whole industry."

"With widespread broadband service all the way to the handset as next generation mobile networks will provide, scalability and customer satisfaction will be the keys to monetization of the network," said Keith Willetts, Chairman of the TM Forum. "Working with the NGMN Alliance will provide us with an invaluable set of requirements firsthand so that the standards that will enable cost effective and flexible operating environment are ready for the market, when the market needs them."

Resources:

• Subscribe to TM Forum's press releases RSS feed and newsletters.
• Press and analysts are invited to contact Geoff Devlin to apply for press access

About NGMN:

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies.

About TM Forum:

With more than 700 corporate members in 195 countries, TM Forum is the world's leading industry association focused on enabling best-in-class IT for service providers in the communications, media and cloud service markets. The Forum provides business-critical industry standards and expertise to enable the creation, delivery and monetization of digital services.

TM Forum brings together the world's largest communications, technology and media companies, providing an innovative, industry-leading approach to collaborative R&D, along with wide range of support services including benchmarking, training and certification. The Forum produces the renowned international Management World conference series, as well as thought-leading industry research and publications.

Press Contacts

NGMN alliance
Natacha Schubert
Press and Media Relations
Natacha.schubert(at)ngmn.org
+49 69/9 07 49 98-23

TM Forum
Geoff Devlin
PR Director
gdevlin(at)tmforum.org
+44 (0)7894 300 280

United States Media Contact
March Communications
Nate Hubbell
tmforum(at)marchpr.com
+1 617 960 9875

Press Release - NGMN - TM Forum Co-operation

Nokia Siemens Networks and Nokia have jointly conducted the world’s first end-to-end LTE data call with Nokia Siemens Networks’ commercial equipment on the 800 MHz frequency band. This spectrum is popularly known as the Digital Dividend, becoming available as terrestrial TV moves from analog to digital broadcasting.* The successful interoperability tests mark a decisive step forward in the commercialization of LTE on this band, particularly hastening deployment in rural areas.

Due to its inherently attractive propagation capabilities, the Digital Dividend spectrum is ideal to provide rapid and cost efficient mobile broadband services. With the frequency band being freed up by regulators and assigned for LTE usage, the timing of these tests is most opportune, as it helps Nokia and Nokia Siemens Networks deliver upon their commitment to bring commercial LTE 800 to operators’ networks as soon as possible.

The tests, conducted at Nokia Siemens Networks’ LTE Center of Competence in Espoo, Finland, follow the company’s commencement of production of LTE-ready Flexi Multiradio Base Stations for the 800 MHz band in April this year, and complement earlier tests with Nokia on the 2100 MHz and 2600 MHz bands.

The two companies demonstrated the end-to-end interoperability of Nokia Siemens Networks’ LTE network infrastructure with Nokia’s LTE-capable multi-mode multi-band Internet Modem RD-3. Infrastructure from Nokia Siemens Networks includes its Single RAN, featuring the Flexi Multiradio Base Station, the Evolved Packet Core comprising Flexi NS (Network Server) and Flexi NG (Network Gateway), and standard-compliant software.

“These tests are part of a larger campaign which includes various customer trials and demonstrations to make LTE on 800 MHz commercially viable by this summer,” added Reino Tammela, head of LTE business line, Nokia Siemens Networks. “Right after the first Digital Dividend spectrum was assigned to operators in the spectrum auction in Germany in May, it was important that standard compliant LTE network products and LTE user devices for this band become commercially available. This will enable successful rapid LTE network rollouts allowing end users to experience high speed and high quality mobile broadband services in rural areas with a large variety of terminals.”

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland.
www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Any organization considering offering devices on the upcoming Verizon Wireless LTE network will be able to work with CETECOM engineers. Additional details on when a device can be submitted for approval will be available at a later date.

Today’s announcement marks the first time the companies have worked together for device testing.
To learn more about CETECOM LTE testing services and test solutions, visit www.cetecom.com. Visit www.verizonwireless.com/lte for more information about Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE wireless network.

About Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable and largest wireless voice and 3G data network, serving nearly 93 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 81,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE, NASDAQ: VZ) and Vodafone (LSE, NASDAQ: VOD). For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

About CETECOM

CETECOM (www.cetecom.com) is renowned as a neutral, experienced partner for telecommunications and information technology industries. Headquartered in Essen, Germany, CETECOM offers a unique service portfolio covering the entire life cycle of mobile communications products. CETECOM’s portfolio includes consulting and training, development of test solutions, validation services, testing in accredited laboratories (LTE, 3G, GSM, Application Enabler, OTA Performance and EMC), field trials, certification and approval handling. As a member of numerous specialist bodies, CETECOM is actively involved in the development and standardization of global specifications for future technologies.

CONTACTS:

Jeffrey Nelson
Verizon Wireless
908.559.7519
jeffrey.nelson(at)verizonwireless.com

Thorsten Stabenau
CETECOM GmbH
+49 (0) 20 54 95 19 232
thorsten.stabenau(at)cetecom.com

The 3rd NGMN Industry Conference proved to be a tremendous success - established as a key event for the mobile industry, at this year's Industry Conference and Exhibition attendees enjoyed an outstanding line-up of speakers and panellists, gained first-hand insights into technology challenges and future strategies, and were treated to an exhibition floor with world-premier next generation solutions. More than 400 senior management attendees, press representatives and analysts were already present at the Grand NGMN Demo Night on the evening of 2nd June and throughout the conference.

Grand NGMN Demo Night

At the NGMN Demo Night, China Mobile and its vendor partners presented the launch of the commercial TD-LTE End-to-End Solution in a release ceremony. After an industry status overview by ZTE and a brief introduction to all vendor solutions showcased on the exhibition floor, the NGMN Exhibition was officially opened: Worldwide leading vendor partners of the NGMN Alliance showed live demonstrations of their latest next generation products at the NGMN Demo Night and throughout the conference.

NGMN Industry Conference 3 - 4 June

On 3rd June, the NGMN Industry Conference was inaugurated with welcome notes by Mr. Ku Wen, Director-General, MIIT and Mr. Jianzhou Wang, the chairman and CEO of China Mobile. Vivek Badrinath, the chairman of NGMN Alliance and EVP & CEO Business Services at FT/Orange welcomed the attendees to the 3rd NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition giving an overview of NGMN Alliance's achievements and the way forward.

NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2010 programme

The following keynote session was presented by executive representatives from China Mobile, Telecom Italia, Ericsson and Huawei. The top-level speakers not only showed the status and achievements of the LTE rollout but also highlighted the remaining challenges, key success factors and the main efficiency levers for the coming months.

Enablers for a Viable Ecosystem Development

Speakers presented and discussed the essential enablers for a successful, global introduction of next generation networks:

• Spectrum: NGMN requirements, current spectrum auctions, future needs and the long-term perspective towards ITU WRC-16
• Roaming: Voice/SMS over LTE roaming and roaming challenges in an All-IP world, GRX/IPX enhancements and GSMA VoLTE
• Royalty Rates: panel discussion with key stakeholders on the status and the desirable path to enhance transparency and predictability of royalty rates covering patent strategies, the role of patent pools, and licensing for new product categories / markets

Trials & Deployment, Network Migration & Operations

The introduction by the NGMN Alliance Trial Working Group Chair gave an overview on global LTE trials and deployment. NTT DOCOMO and Telia Sonera presented their deployment strategies and first experiences from commercial operations, and major infrastructure vendors provided insights on solutions and innovations tailored to specific network deployment scenarios, including TD/FDD LTE rollout and Femtocells.

In the session on "Network Migration and Operations", speakers discussed successful migration strategies for radio, core networks and backhaul and presented ways to enhance operational efficiency (SON, RAN and backhaul operations). One of the central topics in the discussions were the various potential issues that would come with prevailing heterogeneous networks, both reflected from an operator and vendor perspective.

Trends in Devices, Consumer Electronics and Applications

The second day of the NGMN Industry Conference focused on "Trends in Devices, Consumer Electronics and Applications". Keynote speakers from Nokia, Google, China Mobile, and Samsung provided insights into their vision on the development of the mobile web ecosystem, how LTE powers mobile internet devices and services, and the emerging role of consumer electronics for the mobile industry.

Mobile Broadband Devices, Applications & Service Enablement

Leading chipset and device manufacturers gave an update in the "Mobile Broadband Devices" session on features, performance, and latest technology trends for next generation mobile devices.

Furthermore, the speakers examined the increasingly important smartphone and CE sector with their specific challenges and rapidly changing business requirements.

In the era of mobile data explosion, different service approaches for operators and vendors were presented in the session on "Mobile Applications & Service Enablement". Following an introduction from the mobile developers' point of view, speakers discussed the evolution of mobile applications and platforms, and how an application enablement strategy could foster the creation and delivery of Web 2.0 services in the mobile ecosystem.

Industry Outlook & Innovations

The "Industry Outlook & Innovations" session was opened with a speech on the opportunities of future M2M services and the current technology and standardisation challenges and gaps. In the following presentations, participants gained insights into chipset innovations and research trends, business impact and implementation aspects of cognitive radio. An outlook on the research portfolio of leading telecom vendors touched upon smart grids, intelligent applications, SON innovations and green technology.

Driving Industry and Technology Development through SDOs and Associations

The concluding panel session featured the co-operation partners of the NGMN Alliance discussing the role of SDOs and Associations in driving further technology development and innovation, and driving the mobile industry as such.

Attendees greatly appreciated the 3rd NGMN Industry Conference and Exhibition

At the NGMN Demo Night and throughout the two-day conference, more than 400 senior management attendees, press representatives and analysts from the wider mobile ecosystem appreciated world-premier next generation solutions and excellent presentations given by top-level speakers. The attendees enjoyed extensive networking opportunities during the conference and on the NGMN evening event, cruising the Huangpu river cruise with stunning views of Shanghai, the venue of the 3rd NGMN Industry Conference and Exhibition.

All pictures: © Copyright NGMN Ltd.

The 3rd NGMN Industry Conference 2010, 2-4 June, in Shanghai, China is...

An unrivalled line-up of top management speakers from NGMN member companies and representatives from the entire mobile ecosystem will present the commercial and technological achievements and challenges ahead and will give an outlook on upcoming technology developments, device and service innovations.

At the NGMN Exhibition and Demo Night you will see world premier demonstrations of next generation mobile network solutions from world-leading vendors:

• Live FDD-LTE & TD-LTE end-to-end systems featuring the latest devices and services
• Leading edge FDD-LTE and TD-LTE test and measurement solutions
• Backhaul solutions with spectrum and energy efficient architectures
• Innovative antenna and radio solutions

Highlights of the two conference days with keynotes, panels, presentations from decision makers and industry thought-leaders include:

• Initial deployment and performance results, operators' technology strategies
• Key enablers: IPR royalty rates, spectrum needs, certification, roaming
• Migration scenarios towards next generation networks and solutions to optimise operations
• Trends in devices, service platforms and mobile broadband for Consumer Electronics
• Future mobile service offerings, innovations and the development of the ecosystem

The complete programme of the NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2010 is available for download: NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2010

Welcome Note and keynote speakers include:

• Ku Wen, Director-General, MIIT Science and Technology Dept., MIIT
• Jianzhou Wang, Chairman and CEO, China Mobile
• Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice President, Chief Executive Officer Orange Business Services, FT/Orange
• Yueija Sha, Vice President, China Mobile
• Sandro Dionisi, Head of TI Lab, Telecom Italia
• Erik Ekudden, Vice President, Head of Technology and Industry, Ericsson
• Biao Wan, President of Huawei Wireless Product Line, Huawei
• David Tang, Vice President, Nokia China, Nokia
• Doug Raymond, Head of Search Monetization, Google Asia Pacific, Google
• Bill Huang, General Manager, China Mobile Research Institute, China Mobile
• Joonho Park, Vice President, Head of Standards & Industry Initiatives, Samsung

For the full list of speakers, refer to NGMN IC & Exhibition 2010 - Conference

NGMN Exhibition and Demo Night

The following Partners of the NGMN Alliance will demonstrate their next generation solutions at the NGMN Demo Night on 2nd June and throughout the conference:

For the complete list of demonstrations, see NGMN IC & Exhibition 2010 - Exhibition

In addition to the exhibition and the conference, you will enjoy an excellent networking platform with a Gala Dinner Event, networking breaks and you will have the opportunity for a visit of the Shanghai World Expo.

Register now to secure your seat at this outstanding event!

Note:
The Grand NGMN Demo Night opening on June 2nd, the Gala Dinner Event on June 3rd, and a one-day ticket to Shanghai World Expo are included in the ticket price per participant.

Further information on the venue, press & media of this global next generation mobile networks summit in 2010 is available at
NGMN Industry Conference & Exhibition 2010.

17-20 May 2010, London, Radisson Blu Portman Hotel -

• Meet with and hear how one of the world’s largest operators – Orange – are adapting their transport infrastructure to meet changing business requirements
• Reinforce your understanding of key developments in transport technologies, standards and architecture options to support the launch and growth of LTE, HSPA, HSPA+ and WiMAX broadband
• Hear from industry leading vendors and compare the different evolution options offered by full solution and specialist vendors in microwave, synchronisation, optical and Ethernet
• Understand and assess the key technologies and new architectures that operators are deploying to radically reduce Opex and Capex
• Discover recent developments in the marketplace for point to multipoint solutions
• Take advantage of extensive opportunities to put forward your own thoughts and questions in the interactive roundtable sessions and panel discussions

On Monday 17th May, Andy Sutton and Arnaud Cauvin (both FT / Orange) will present the “NGMN Alliance Mobile Backhaul workshop” with support from the NGMN vendor partners.

The “NGMN Alliance Mobile Backhaul workshop” is a half day technical workshop that explains the development of mobile backhaul from GSM/EDGE through UMTS/HSPA and onwards towards LTE.

www.iir-events.com/IIR-Conf/page.aspx?id=25310

Dr. Zhang Xianming, Senior Vice President of ZTE, said, "This is the industry's first attempt to complete outdoor IOT with multiple data cards. Its success will accelerate the deployment of TD-LTE by the industry. ZTE has taken a solid step forward towards the full commercialization of the TD-LTE technology."

"We are delighted to see that ASTRI's long term cooperation with Innofidei and ZTE has made another important breakthrough," said Dr. Cheung Nim-kwan, CEO of ASTRI. "We will continue to partner with industry's leading companies to develop LTE TDD and FDD core technologies, to serve the high-tech industries in Hong Kong and Greater China and to promote the development of LTE in the global market.

"TD-LTE is a major technology initiative selected by Innofidei following our success in CMMB baseband chip business," said Dr. Tom Zhang, CEO of Innofidei. "Our collaboration with ASTRI in the past two years has resulted in a number of important achievements. The TD-LTE data card jointly developed by us has been selected by China Mobile for deployment at the Shanghai Expo."

ZTE, with strong innovation and product development capabilities, has been the front runner in TD-SCDMA industry. With its profound experience and continual investment in TD-SCDMA, ZTE has sustained its leadership position in TD-LTE. ZTE is among the first to pass TD-LTE indoor basic set testing, outdoor field testing and the full set testing jointly put forward by Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) of China and China Mobile with excellent testing results. ZTE is also actively involved in the Shanghai World Expo TD-LTE trial network. It has equipped the News Centre with TD-LTE network to provide reporters from all over the world user experience of high-speed wireless data transmission. ZTE, together with other global operators have so far deployed five commercial LTE networks and 40+ trial networks across Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and the Middle-East.

ASTRI was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to conduct applied R&D for industry transfers. Since its inception, ASTRI has been delivering world-class technologies and customer-focused R&D which cater to the needs of the industry. ASTRI's R&D efforts traverse five technological areas: Communications Technologies, IC Design, Enterprise & Consumer Electronics, Material & Packaging Technologies and Biomedical Electronics. Through close collaboration with industry and universities in China and around the world, ASTRI has produced many fruitful results.

As a supplier of CMMB baseband chips, Innofidei is keen to promote and develop the TD-LTE industry. In 2007, Innofidei initiated the TD-LTE project and started the partnership with ASTRI to develop TD-LTE terminal baseband chip. In 2009, Innofidei collaborated with ASTRI, China Mobile and TD Alliance to demonstrate high-definition video applications using TD-LTE technology at the Mobile World Congress (MWC). In 2010, Innofidei was chosen by China Mobile to supply TD-LTE baseband chipsets for data card and CPE terminals in support of the Shanghai World Expo TD-LTE trial deployment. In April the same year, Innofidei and ASTRI jointly released the world's first 20 MHz TD-LTE terminal baseband chip.

NGMN Alliance, Frankfurt am Main,...

NGMN Alliance, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

ETSI and NGMN are pleased to announce the creation of a new Industry Specification Group (ISG) to develop an interface specification enabling interoperability between elements of base stations of cellular mobile network equipment.

The ETSI ISG on Open Radio equipment Interface (ISG ORI) will specify an open interoperable interface for Radio Equipment in distributed mobile cellular base stations – GSM™, UMTS™ and LTE™.

In general, mobile radio base stations consist of a Base Band Unit (BBU) and a Radio Equipment (RE), which, in a distributed base station architecture, is a Remote Radio Head (RRH) or Integrated Active Antenna. Use of distributed Radio Equipment can lead to significant cost savings for a mobile operator, as well as offering a greater level of flexibility in network design and deployment. The interface which will be defined by the ISG ORI is an important step towards realising these benefits through widespread deployment of distributed Radio Equipment.

ISG ORI is a direct result of requirements work undertaken by the NGMN Alliance, in their OBRI (Open BBU RRH Interface) project. The ISG is strongly supported by the NGMN Alliance. Leading mobile network operators and telecom equipment vendors have agreed to become founding members of the ISG. The current members and participants of the ISG are: Alcatel-Lucent, AT&T Global Network Services, Deutsche Telekom, DoCoMo Communications Labs Europe, Ericsson, Freescale Semiconductors, Fujitsu Laboratories of Europe, Huawei Technologies, Kathrein-Werke, Motorola, NGMN, Nokia Siemens Networks, NTT DoCoMo, Radiocomp, Reverb Networks, Rohde & Schwarz, Telecom Italia, Ubidyne, Vodafone and ZTE. Other companies are welcome to join the ISG, whose first meeting will take place from 25 to 27 May in Turin, Italy, hosted by Telecom Italia.

ETSI's Director-General, Dr Walter Weigel, said, "This ISG marks a new form of co-operation between ETSI and the NGMN Alliance. The fact that the Alliance has chosen ETSI for performing this work should be considered as a strong vote of confidence in ETSI's ISG concept, and in the quality of service we offer."

Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance, said, "The Board of the NGMN Alliance highly appreciates the broad vendor commitment and support for the activities to drive open interface specifications. The NGMN Alliance will follow the future specification work closely and will actively participate in the ISG to enable the early implementation of this essential specification in future mobile radio access networks.”

Marking an important milestone in TD-LTE commercialization, Samsung and Nokia Siemens Networks have successfully conducted the world’s first TD-LTE data call using a prototype end-user device. The demonstration proved the interoperability of Nokia Siemens Networks’ end to end TD-LTE network solution with Samsung’s TD-LTE USB dongle.

The trialing of TD-LTE data calls, which can be used for high-definition video services, was conducted at Nokia Siemens Networks’ R&D Center in Hangzhou, China. The call employed the company’s TD-LTE infrastructure, comprising both the award-winning Flexi Multiradio Base Station and the company’s core network solution, including the Flexi NS (Network Server) and the Flexi NG (Network Gateway) – all using LTE software compliant with the 3GPP March 09 baseline specifications. TD-LTE devices from Samsung were used proving the interoperability between them and the network. TD-LTE is the variant of LTE for unpaired spectrum expected to be deployed by operators such as China Mobile.

“As the evolutionary path for China Mobile’s 3G TD-SCDMA networks, as well as an option for other operators around the world who have available unpaired spectrum, TD-LTE is one of the important global standards. As a leader in next-generation mobile technology, we see it as a great growth opportunity,” said Byung-Duck Cho, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics’ R&D Center. “This demonstration ensures the cohesive development of our devices for the roll-out of TD-LTE technology at a quicker pace.”

“This is an important milestone in building the TD-LTE ecosystem,” said Marc Rouanne, head of Nokia Siemens Networks’ Network Systems business unit. “This successful data call demonstrates the end-to-end interoperability of TD-LTE network and device equipment. It also shows our global commercial readiness for deployments of TD-LTE, expected in the second half of 2010.”

In October 2009, Nokia Siemens Networks achieved the first TD-LTE data call on its Flexi Multiradio Base Station with fully standards-compliant software. Moreover, in April of this year, the company inaugurated the industry’s first TD-LTE open lab in its Hangzhou Development Center, providing an end-to-end testing environment to verify the compatibility of terminals and devices with the company's TD-LTE network products and solutions.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2009 consolidated sales of US$116.8 billion. Employing approximately 188,000 people in 185 offices across 65 countries, the company consists of eight independently operated business units: Visual Display, Mobile Communications, Telecommunication Systems, Digital Appliances, IT Solutions, Digital Imaging, Semiconductor and LCD. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com

About Nokia Siemens Networks

Nokia Siemens Networks is a leading global enabler of telecommunications services. With its focus on innovation and sustainability, the company provides a complete portfolio of mobile, fixed and converged network technology, as well as professional services including consultancy and systems integration, deployment, maintenance and managed services. It is one of the largest telecommunications hardware, software and professional services companies in the world. Operating in 150 countries, its headquarters are in Espoo, Finland. www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com

Media Enquiries

Nokia Siemens Networks

Yuhong Chen / Irene Nie
Communications, Greater China Region
Phone: +86 10 84055016/84055013
E-mail: yuhong.chen(at)nsn.com / irene.nie(at)nsn.com

Johanna Harjula
Media Relations
Phone: +358407507989
E-mail: johanna.harjula(at)nsn.com

Media Relations
Phone: +358 7180 31451
E-mail: mediarelations(at)nsn.com

Samsung Electronics

Sophia Kim, Senior PR Manager
Phone: + 82 31 277 1074
E-mail: sophia.kim(at)samsung.com

LTE (Long Term Evolution) is the next-generation wireless communications service supporting 100-Mbps downlink and 50-Mbps uplink data communications, which is 5 to 10 times faster than current 3G services. Leading carriers such as Verizon Wireless and NTT Docomo will roll-out LTE services later this year.

Mobile terminal manufacturers must gain GCF approval to prove that their LTE terminals satisfy the 3GPP standards, meaning that there is increasing demand for an approved conformance test environment.

At the GCF CAG#22 meeting this month Anritsu successfully gained GCF approval for the industry-leading 12 number of RF test cases for its ME7873L RF Conformance Test System together with additional test cases for its ME7832L Protocol Conformance Test System. Following this key GCF test case milestone, Anritsu Measurement Group President Mr. Kenji Tanaka said, "In the last year, there has been a rapidly growing trend towards actual applications and services using the key new technology called LTE. Anritsu is pleased to be able to play a major role in LTE conformance testing and helping to build a richer and more comfortable society."

Anritsu has been the market-leading supplier of GCF-approved test cases for W-CDMA conformance tests since the start of 3G services. With the targeted October 2010 roll-out of LTE services, Anritsu is on track to deliver the required 80% of approved Priority 1 and 2 test cases, and is expecting to accelerate its number of both GCF and PTCRB approved test cases to assure the early success of high-quality LTE services.

GCF: Global Certification Forum

Organization determining basic validation test standards for network operations and mobile terminals to assure global interoperability between mobile systems
GCF-approved measurement systems and measurement items guarantee that the test procedure and measurement accuracy match the conditions required for mobile terminal validation tests.

CAG: Conformance and Interoperability Agreement Group

Industry group affiliated with GCF, working to determine mobile terminal and network interoperability specifications and validation processes; meets in March each year to verify latest test case approvals

PTCRB: PCS Type Certification Review Board

Like GCF, organization determining basic validation test standards for network operations and mobile terminals to assure global interoperability between mobile systems, but-unlike GCF-also decides frequency bands used in N. America

About Anritsu

Anritsu Corporation (www.anritsu.com) has been a provider of innovative communications solutions for more than 110 years. The company's test and measurement solutions include wireless, optical, microwave/RF and digital instruments, operations support systems and solutions that can be used during R&D, manufacturing, installation, and maintenance. Anritsu also provides precision microwave/RF components, optical devices, and high-speed devices for design into communication products and systems. Following its acquisition of NetTest in 2005, it has expanded its offering to provide complete solutions for existing and next-generation wireline and wireless communication systems and service providers. Anritsu sell in over 90 countries worldwide with approximately 4,000 employees.

Rohde & Schwarz is now the first test equipment supplier to offer validated RF and signaling LTE test cases. Three months ago Rohde & Schwarz set a milestone in the commercial roll-out of LTE mobile terminals by having the first LTE signaling test cases validated on the R&S®CMW500 wideband radio communication tester. This instrument is not only the first test platform ever for LTE test cases but also the signaling unit of the R&S®TS8980 conformance test system.

The R&S®TS8980 is a fully scalable test system simulating a mobile network in line with the WCDMA/HSPA+ and LTE test specifications. The test platform is registered with the GCF and designed for the development, optimization and, last but not least, certification of a wide range of terminals such as mobile phones, smart phones and data cards. As market leader, Rohde & Schwarz has already sold more than 180 test systems of the predecessor model R&S®TS895x for 2G and 3G technologies.

LTE represents nothing less than the introduction of the next generation of radio networks. Featuring peak data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s in the downlink and 50 Mbit/s in the uplink, reduced latency and other performance improvements, LTE is the answer to the growing demand for mobile network capacity. Nearly all GSM/WCDMA network operators have committed themselves to launching LTE worldwide, starting with the first commercial networks as early as 2010.

The Global Certification Forum (GCF) certification scheme is recognized globally as the de facto standard for certifying all kinds of mobile terminals designed for operation in 3GPP standards such as GSM/EDGE, WCDMA/HSPA and LTE. With more than 220 terminal and chipset manufacturers, network operators, test facilities and test equipment suppliers all over the world, the GCF ensures the interoperability and high-quality service of mobile devices according to the motto “Test once – works anywhere”.

The NGMN Alliance and the European...

The NGMN Alliance and the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the ETSI General Assembly in Cannes, France, with the objectives of strengthening their successful relationship and fostering a closer co-operation. Both organisations will work together to benefit from adopting a complementary approach to the standardisation process in domains of mutual interest.

The Memorandum of Understanding will bring benefits to both organisations:

• ETSI and the NGMN Alliance set the framework to exchange information in areas of mutual interest.
   
• The organisations agree on guidelines for promoting issues of mutual interest and their partnership by joint meetings, conferences and workshops.
   
• Nominated Observers may be permitted from the NGMN Working Groups to the relevant ETSI Technical Bodies and vice-versa related to items of mutual interest, e.g. in the Industry Specification Group Open Radio Equipment Interface (ISG ORI).

The Memorandum echoes the strong support from NGMN in launching the ISG ORI - objective of the ISG ORI will be to develop and to maintain the specifications based on the implementation requirements developed within the NGMN Alliance.

NGMN Alliance Achieves Major Milestone to Open Radio Equipment Interface

The full text of the Memorandum of Understanding is available for NGMN Partners at the NGMN Partner Portal.

LAS VEGAS, Mar 23, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CTIA WIRELESS 2010, Booth #2415 - Powerwave Technologies, Inc. (PWAV 1.27, -0.01, -0.78%), a global leader in end-to-end wireless coverage and capacity solutions, today from International CTIA Wireless 2010, announced the expansion of the company's award-winning remote radio head family to include two new products optimized for use in 700 MHz and 2.1 GHz bands -- the two most dominant frequency bands in the U.S. being targeted near-term by major carriers for 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) network deployments.

Featuring a small, lightweight form factor weighing less than 13kg, Powerwave's LTE digital remote radio heads can be physically mated to base-band subassemblies to form tower-mounted macro base stations that support up to three LTE carriers, and can be tower or rooftop mounted.

The digital remote radio head is highly configurable via firmware, providing ease of customization and time-to-market advantage. The product supports two transmit and two receive channels (2x2 MIMO), with 40 watts per transmit branch. Power efficiency is delivered via Powerwave's proprietary Digital Pre-Distortion (DPD) and Crest Factor Reduction (CFR), resulting in final stage efficiency of up to 46%. This efficiency translates into lower operational costs over the life of the network versus competing offerings. The products support CPRI and OBSAI standards, and are firmware upgradable to OBRI upon ratification by NGMN.

Offering superior flexibility and investment protection, Powerwave's LTE digital remote radio head enables operators to support their current operations as well as future expansion to deliver new LTE services.

"The latest additions to Powerwave's award-winning remote radio head family, these LTE digital remote radio heads offer operators reliability, power efficiency and an overall winning value proposition," said Khurram P. Sheikh, chief product and development officer, Powerwave Technologies, Inc. "Our advanced platform enables the solution to be custom tailored to meet specific OEM and network operator requirements, offering significant speed to market advantages and reduced risk."

Provides an Ideal Architecture for LTE Deployments

The build out of 4G LTE base stations using a distributed remote radio head approach allows the radio to be located alongside the antennas, eliminating energy/power losses associated with long cable runs by replacing them with optical fibre data interfaces. This architecture, in combination with Powerwave's highly efficient digital-to-RF conversion and amplification, reduces CAPEX and OPEX of the overall system, as well as maintenance costs.

The unique design and higher power efficiency of Powerwave's remote radio heads results in lower power consumption; use of a multi-carrier remote radio head also improves energy efficiency. All combined, the overall effect is less environmental impact via reduction in both the carbon and physical footprint of the base station. The remote radio heads can also be used in conjunction with Powerwave's digital repeater family to support indoor 4G networks.

Powerwave has fielded more than 80,000 radio heads around the globe, supporting all manner of air interfaces and technologies. Built upon Powerwave's industry-leading power amplifiers and filter solutions, Powerwave radio heads boast greater than 200,000 hours Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF).

For more information about Powerwave's digital radio head offerings, please visit:
www.powerwave.com/digitalradio.asp

About Powerwave Technologies

A global leader in end-to-end wireless coverage and capacity solutions, Powerwave Technologies, Inc. offers cutting edge wireless infrastructure to address the demands of enterprise and commercial customers. Powerwave offers a comprehensive suite of solutions, including Antennas, Base Station Solutions and Coverage Solutions. Powerwave's product line supports all wireless network protocols and frequencies including Next Generation Networks in 4G technology such as WiMAX and LTE. Powerwave solutions, products and services also help wireless operators and OEMs reduce capital and operating expenses, speed rollout of services, improve coverage and capacity, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit us at www.powerwave.com. Powerwave, Powerwave Technologies and the Powerwave logo are registered trademarks of Powerwave Technologies, Inc.

SOURCE: Powerwave Technologies, Inc.

Held at the Amara Sanctuary in Singapore from the 22nd to the 24th of March 2010, the summit will see key figures in the telecom industry gathering to discuss topics ranging from investing and financing for 4G to deciding the best technologies telecom operators should adopt for their network.

Panel discussions such as the boxing ring debate will have top executives from Hong Kong CSL, Starhub, Tata Communications, and CSM pit the technologies of long term evolution (LTE) and WiMAX against each other in an outcome to determine which satisfies operators needs best.

Heru Sutadi, the Commissioner for the Indonesian Telecom Regulatory Authority will be on the panel to evaluate the future of network evolution and why regulators and financiers need to be involved in the evolutionary process. Joining Mr. Sutadi on the panel will be telecom regulatory and finance experts from DBS Bank, the WiMAX Forum and Grameenphone.

Past attendee P.S. Sandhu, the Senior Vice president and Chief Technology Officer for Bharti Airtel, believes that the conference is an excellent occasion to share and learn from others in the industry. “It gave me an excellent opportunity to share and learn from experts in the field and gain from the experience of other operators in the launch and post launch optimization of 3G networks,” he said.

For more information on the 5th Annual Mobile Network Evolution organized by IQPC, please contact enquiry(at)iqpc.com.sg or visit the event website www.mobilenetworksasia.com.

For media enquiries, interview requests or further information contact:

Bryan Camoens

IQPC Singapore

Ph: +65 6722 9406

Email: bryan.camoens(at)iqpc.com.sg

The conference will be the key platform to gain an update on the progress of the mobile broadband industry on a global scale, to assess the commercial and technological challenges ahead and to give an outlook on upcoming technology developments as well as device and service innovations.

The Industry Conference attracts high attention from the mobile industry as the NGMN Alliance is established as the world-wide premier telecom industry organization for all next generation mobile network related matters and is supported by a membership base of 60 leading operators and vendors.

Throughout two days of keynotes, interactive panels and presentations, an outstanding line-up of industry executives and thought-leaders will explore essential trends and insights including:

• initial deployment and performance results
• migration strategies and how to deal with heterogeneous networks
• operational efficiency and the future of O&M
• key enablers: IPR royalty rates and patent pools, spectrum needs, certification, roaming
• devices, service platforms and mobile broadband for Consumer Electronics

Top level speakers are already confirmed by key operators and vendors including China Mobile, Deutsche Telekom, Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia Siemens Networks, NTT DOCOMO, SK Telecom, Vodafone, ZTE, and many others.

After the first commercial next generation mobile network deployments have emerged in 2010, the NGMN Exhibition with leading international NGMN partners will complement the conference with live demonstrations and product showcases of the latest next generation mobile network solutions. Exhibitors include:
Alcatel-Lucent, Anritsu, Cambridge Broadband Networks, China Mobile, Datang Mobile, Ericsson, Huawei, Motorola, NSN, Potevio, Rhode & Schwarz, RWTH Aachen University, Telcordia, Ubidyne, and ZTE.

Beyond the conference programme and the exhibition, participants will enjoy at the Industry Conference an excellent networking platform with evening events, networking breaks and the opportunity for a visit of the Shanghai World Expo.

"The NGMN IC 2010 will bring together international executives across the entire mobile broadband ecosystem" said Yuejia Sha, NGMN Board Member and VP for Business Support, Technology and R&D, China Mobile. "China Mobile is proud to contribute to this milestone event with live-network presentations showing the performance of TD-LTE technology and the achieved synchronization and synergies of FDD/TDD development."

"The NGMN Board is delighted to announce the NGMN IC 2010 & Exhibition in June in Shanghai," commented Vivek Badrinath, Chairman of the Board of the NGMN Alliance and EVP Networks, Carriers, Platforms and Infrastructure, France Telecom SA. "After the success in 2006 and 2008, the event is widely regarded as the unique opportunity to network, to receive a first-hand update on the mobile broadband technology status and to discuss critical industry challenges ahead."

For further information on NGMN IC 2010, visit www.ngmn-ic2010.com or contact Natacha.Schubert(at)ngmn.org or +49 69/9074998-20

About NGMN Alliance

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies. Achievements and future roadmap will be presented at NGMN's Industry Conference in Shanghai, June 2010.

Media Relations Contact NGMN

Natacha Schubert

NGMN Ltd. · Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 58

60325 Frankfurt am Main · Germany

Phone: +49 69/9074998-20

E-mail: press(at)ngmn.org

An NGMN project team of leading operators and vendors has worked towards the successful development of the open interface implementation recommendations. This ensures a smooth transition towards the ETSI ISG and a successful future maintenance within this group.

A scope document for the ISG is being developed by the NGMN project team with the objective to develop an interface specification. This specification will cover those layers of the OSI stack required to enable interoperability, and may refer to appropriate public available specifications.

Already seven international mobile network operators and nine leading telecom vendors have indicated to support the ISG as initial founding members.
“The Board of the NGMN Alliance highly appreciates the broad vendor commitment and support for the activities to drive the open interface specifications,” said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. “We do expect from the open interface implementation significant improvements in terms of efficiency and cost savings that will benefit the whole industry. The agreement to establish the ETSI ISG is a major step towards the successful interface specification, and demonstrates the alignment of key industry players.”

“ETSI welcomes the decision by the NGMN Alliance to use the ISG-model and is excited by the opportunity to work together on a subject of very high future importance for the mobile industry. The ETSI Industry Specification Group is an innovative and flexible type of standards group, and the NGMN Alliance decision clearly demonstrates that it is adapted to meet evolving industry needs.”, said Dr. Walter Weigel, ETSI Director General.

____________________________

^(1*) Also known as BaseBandUnits (BBUs)

^(2*) Also known as RemoteRadioHeads (RRHs)

About NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org)

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies. Achievements and future roadmap will be presented at MWC 2010 and NGMN’s Industry Conference in Shanghai, June 2010.

Media Relations Contact NGMN

Natacha Schubert

NGMN Ltd. · Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 58

60325 Frankfurt am Main · Germany

Phone: +49 69/9074998-20

E-mail: press(at)ngmn.org

NGMN Press Release Open Radio Equipment Interface

As part of the MWC main conference programme, GSMA and NGMN are presenting a specific stream on Thursday, February 18th, 2010, with top speakers from Partners of the NGMN Alliance as well as other leading companies of the mobile industry.

With the initial launch of next generation mobile networks based on LTE/SAE standard announced by many operators for 2010, the mobile industry demonstrates its successful efforts to move true mobile broadband from promise to reality. Major technology challenges have been overcome, and with launch imminent, the focus of the industry is shifting to the key milestones in deployment and operations, and to the availability of new services and devices. They will take advantage of the bandwidth expansion and advanced functionalities which the new standard provides.

The in-depth session on "Technology Evolution – True Mobile Broadband Ahead", developed jointly by GSMA and NGMN, will cover key deployment and operations issues like roaming and operational efficiency; major industry players in the device area will discuss the evolution in mobile broadband devices; and industry thought-leaders will examine the remaining challenges on the way to successful next generation mobile broadband with a focus on standardisation, network transition, backhaul, and certification.

At the NGMN Hospitality Suite, the NGMN Office representatives welcome company representatives interested in the NGMN Alliance. To arrange meetings, please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org.

The NGMN Hospitality Suite 125 is located in hall 3.1 (Gallery Level), entrance via Hall 2, Level1. For directions click here.

Information on Mobile World Congress 2010 and overview of MWC2010 conference
Mobile World Congress 2010

Download of joint GSMA/NGMN conference stream programme:
Programme "Technology Evolution - True Mobile Broadband Ahead"

The agreement was reached based on an outcome of the NGMN Task-Force on Voice over LTE.

NGMN stated that the Alliance and its members are firmly committed to IMS Voice as the target solution for Voice over LTE. Furthermore, NGMN recognises the benefits of recommending a migratory non IMS voice solution that guarantees voice roaming with LTE handsets whilst allowing use of LTE data roaming in the same device. Thus NGMN recommends that:

• In all LTE devices that support GSM or UMTS and that provide the voice service, Circuit Switched Fall Back (CSFB) shall be implemented as a minimum requirement for supporting voice ^(1*). The CSFB implementation shall be compliant to the 3GPP specifications.
• If a Mobile Network Operator operates a network comprising LTE plus GSM or UMTS and if this MNO aims to provide a non-IMS voice service as well as an LTE data service to visiting subscribers utilising an LTE device, then it shall, as a minimum, support CSFB for voice. The implementation shall be compliant to 3GPP specifications.

The agreement on voice roaming is already the second major achievement of the NGMN Alliance in the area of voice and SMS roaming for LTE. NGMN announced in its 3rd Executive Workshop on Devices in Geneva, October 2009, the recommendation to implement "SMS only over SGs" as a minimal requirement to enable roaming from day one.

"Roaming for voice from day one of the next generation mobile networks operations was a key requirement stated by the NGMN Alliance from the beginning. It is one of the major challenges to be addressed on the way to successful next generation services launch." said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. "The proposal agreed is an excellent achievement and avoids fragmentation of solutions on our way towards the ultimate IMS-based Voice over LTE solution."

"Roaming is an essential part of the customer experience and needs to be maintained with every new generation of technology," said Alex Sinclair, CTO of the GSMA. "The agreement on migratory solutions achieved by the NGMN Alliance will ensure a smooth transition for those operators deploying LTE in a non-IMS environment, and complements the work of the GSMA VoLTE initiative on the IMS-based voice implementation."

____________________________

^(1*) This does not prevent the implementation of additional ways to provide the voice service.

About NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org)

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have committed to this objective and are developing requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. In 2010, the focus will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies. Achievements and future roadmap will be presented at MWC 2010 and NGMN's Industry Conference in Shanghai, June 2010.

Media Relations Contact NGMN

Natacha Schubert

NGMN Ltd. · Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 58

60325 Frankfurt am Main · Germany

Phone: +49 69/9074998-20

E-mail: press(at)ngmn.org

NGMN Press Release NGMN Agreement on Voice over LTE roaming

Designed to give operators confidence in the interoperability of LTE devices across different networks, GCF's Certification scheme will embrace both FDD and TDD versions of LTE.

Bringing the sophisticated new technology of LTE within the scope of GCF Certification is a complex undertaking involving the selection, prioritisation and validation of more than 280 conformance tests in the first instance.

Once selected by GCF, test cases are developed and verified by a relevant standards body to ensure that they correctly contribute to the objective assessment of the operation of a device. Validation is the final stage in assuring the robustness of a GCF test case. This entails the test case implementation on a specific commercial test platform being validated by an independent test house against the core specifications. This process gives the assurance that GCF test cases running on GCF- recognised test platforms will correctly test a device for GCF certification.

Ten test cases relating to the air interface between an LTE device and the network base station, and running on the R&S®CMW500 wideband radio communication tester from Rohde & Schwarz were approved at the meeting of the GCF Conformance and Interoperability Agreement Group (GCF CAG) in Sophia Antipolis on January 26-27, 2010. The validation was undertaken by 7 layers AG. Immediately following the meeting, the same ten tests have also made available from Anite on its "Conformance Toolset" test solution which was validated by CETECOM.

"The validation of the first ten LTE test cases is an important step towards our target of delivering an LTE Certification scheme in time for the wave of network launches anticipated towards the end of 2010," said Adriana Nugter, GCF Operations Manager. "The fact that two test systems have now validated test cases is evidence of the significant commitment and investment from the test industry towards the successful introduction of LTE."

Established in 1999, GCF has a total membership of more than 200, including many of the world's most influential telecommunications companies from the operator, device manufacturer and test industry communities. (Rohde & Schwarz, 7layers, Anite and CETECOM are all members of GCF.) With its "test once, use anywhere" ethos, GCF certification accelerates time to market for new devices based on 3GPP standards while reducing costs for manufacturers, operators and, ultimately, end-users. For both GSM and 3G, GCF certification has underpinned international roaming.

GCF will provide an update on the progress of LTE device certification to "Final Building Blocks for Successful Mobile Broadband Deployment" – at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Thursday 18 February 2010 at 15:20.

For more info see: Press Release

Dallas, Texas, February 10, 2010 -

AT&T Inc.* today announced the selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson as equipment suppliers for the planned deployment of its higher-speed LTE mobile broadband network.

The selection of the two suppliers paves the way for AT&T’s planned field trials of LTE technology later this year, with commercial deployment scheduled to begin in 2011. AT&T’s LTE rollout schedule aligns with industry expectations for development of LTE technology and widespread availability of equipment and compatible LTE mobile devices. The supplier agreements also complement AT&T’s plans to make the nation’s fastest 3G network even faster in advance of LTE networks and devices scaling, allowing the company to continue delivering the most advanced mobile broadband experience in the nation.

After testing equipment from multiple suppliers in the field and in a lab environment, AT&T chose to extend existing relationships with Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson, which provide equipment for the AT&T 3G network today. Continued work with these two suppliers will enable AT&T not only to incorporate high-performance LTE equipment, but also to take full advantage of compatibility between the suppliers’ existing 3G equipment and forthcoming LTE upgrades. As part of the supplier agreements, 3G equipment delivered to AT&T by the suppliers starting this year will be easily convertible to LTE, enabling AT&T to upgrade existing equipment and software rather than install entirely new equipment in many cases as it deploys the next-generation technology.

LTE, or Long-Term Evolution, is the next generation of the existing GSM/UMTS mobile broadband technology platform that powers the AT&T 3G network today. LTE technology could eventually deliver higher mobile broadband throughput and lower latency than today’s 3G networks, helping to drive continued growth of powerful mobile applications and advanced devices. AT&T customers will also benefit from compatibility, with devices expected to interoperate between 3G and LTE networks.

“The selection of Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson is an important step forward in our ongoing mobile broadband strategy, which is focused on delivering the best possible combination of speed, performance and available devices for customers at every level of technology deployment,” said John Stankey, president and CEO, AT&T Operations. “AT&T has a key advantage in that LTE is an evolution of the existing GSM family of technologies that powers our network and the vast majority of the world’s global wireless infrastructure today. As some competitors move away from their existing investment in niche 3G platforms, we are able to efficiently and quickly move toward LTE while enhancing our existing 3G performance and providing access to a strong ecosystem of customer devices.”

“With this important step, AT&T is sending a clear and strong signal about its commitment to the evolution of the broadband wireless networks and to supporting the next generation of mobile applications. We look forward to joining AT&T on this journey and see this as a starting point for further collaboration with AT&T to deliver an end-to-end IP solution for mobile broadband,” said Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen. “This announcement expands on our long-standing relationship with AT&T – one that covers everything from 3G HSPA infrastructure to network monitoring and management – and speaks volumes about the confidence and trust they have in our leadership in LTE technology and our ability to deliver a smooth end-to-end migration path to LTE.”

“Our ability to work together to meet the demands of a rapidly changing market has been a crucial element in gaining AT&T’s continued confidence,” said Hans Vestberg, president and CEO, Ericsson. “We will work just as hard to secure a smooth rollout of LTE and support AT&T in introducing new consumer and business services moving forward."

As part of the agreements, AT&T has designated Alcatel-Lucent and Ericsson as the domain suppliers for its Radio Access Network Domain. The multi-year agreement covers radio access network equipment needed to deliver LTE service. This equipment will be deployed at cell sites across AT&T’s network to enable LTE speeds and functionality. Financial terms of the supplier agreements were not disclosed.

AT&T’s Domain Supplier program, launched last September, facilitates a more collaborative relationship with its equipment and software suppliers, enabling AT&T to have best technologies in place to serve its customers. The program is also designed to ensure that the company’s network technology investment accelerates AT&T’s move toward a network that is well-equipped for the future.

The evolution to LTE is part of AT&T’s ongoing efforts to innovate and invest in mobile broadband. AT&T today serves twice the number of smartphone customers as its nearest competitor, and this smartphone leadership has resulted in mobile broadband traffic that has grown more than 5,000 percent over the past three years. Smartphones are just one example of innovation made possible by investment in mobile broadband.

AT&T in January announced total 2010 capital expenditures are expected to be between $18 billion and $19 billion. These plans include an increase of approximately $2 billion in wireless network and backhaul investment, which will help ensure continued strong results in 3G network performance as well as preparation for planned deployment of LTE.

Earlier this year, AT&T upgraded 3G cell sites to HSPA 7.2 technology. Over the course of 2010 and 2011, AT&T plans to combine this upgrade with enhanced fiber-optic backhaul connectivity, which will support a considerable boost in 3G speeds as well as future LTE service. AT&T offers a total of 10 HSPA 7.2-compatible devices today, enabling millions of customers to immediately take advantage of faster 3G speeds as backhaul is deployed. In contrast, LTE devices are still in development today and are not expected to be widely available until 2011.

This upgrade strategy will enable customers to experience a significant boost in 3G speed well ahead of the time when an LTE ecosystem with handsets is available. As LTE is deployed, HSPA 7.2 and supporting backhaul will provide a much more robust 3G network experience when users move outside of locations covered by next-generation networks. In contrast, competitors who are not upgrading their 3G networks will be unable to provide faster mobile broadband speeds for smartphones until next-generation devices are available.

AT&T wireless network investment plans for 2010 also include construction of about 2,000 new cell sites and adding new radio controllers and carriers at a pace that doubles deployment in 2009.

*AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

AT&T Press Release

London & Tokyo, 2 February 2010 - Actix, a leader in radio network status management and optimization, has announced that it has signed a major contract to provide centralized Self-Organizing Network (SON) technology for next generation LTE mobile networks to NEC Corporation (NEC), a world leading vendor of LTE systems. The agreement covers the delivery of an operational centralized SON solution for global operators deploying NEC LTE networks.

Centralized SON (C-SON) functionality is part of the 3GPP standard for 4th Generation mobile networks and enables the planning, rollout and operation of networks at greatly reduced operational cost whilst also improving customer network experience. The joint Actix / NEC solution will provide a full suite of SON use cases to support LTE self-planning, self-optimization, and self-healing of the LTE radio access network.

Actix' contract to provide C-SON systems to NEC is a multi-year commitment, and is the largest contract placed to date in the LTE SON space.

"Actix SON fits perfectly into our vision of an efficient LTE system and this agreement will help us drive the deployment of many new LTE networks," said Kazuya Hashimoto, General Manager, Mobile Radio Access Division for NEC Corporation. "With a remarkable history as leaders in RAN engineering and optimization, advanced expertise in LTE technologies and considerable investment in building SON systems to date, Actix is uniquely positioned to provide C-SON capabilities very rapidly."

NEC has selected Actix to help plan, deploy and manage 4G networks using centralized SON systems in accordance with the recently defined 3GPP and NGMN SON recommendations. The combined NEC / Actix solution will address challenges such as wide area performance optimization, reactions to network disruption and energy saving.

"Self-optimizing networks are central to Actix' long term vision of allowing operators to maximize customer experience at reduced operational cost, and many of the capabilities we have built and acquired have been targeted at creating an exceptional SON system," said Bill McHale, Actix CEO. "SON is essential to efficiently manage LTE networks and it's exciting to see our long term investment in the right capabilities come to fruition through this partnership with NEC. Actix is leading the SON market and by partnering with companies such as NEC we are enabling operators globally to benefit from centralized SON systems for LTE."

"NEC is one of the largest technology and systems integration companies worldwide, always at the forefront of innovative technologies and advancements in the RAN and it is great to see such a long term, high value commitment to centralized SON solutions as part of its LTE offering. NEC is seeking to drive the deployment of LTE-based next generation mobile networks and everyone at Actix is delighted to be a key part of that movement," McHale continued.

Based on the widely deployed ActixOne RAN status management platform, and leveraging Actix' twenty years of experience in radio network optimization, the solution will be deployed in Tier 1 LTE networks from early 2010.

By selecting Actix' C-SON solution, NEC is able to deliver a full end-to-end self-optimizing solution for LTE and accelerate the rollout of new, low operating cost mobile broadband networks, systems and services for mobile operators.

For more information on Actix SON, please email: son(at)actix.com.

- - -

About Actix

Actix helps numerous wireless carriers around the globe enhance revenue growth and improve operating margins by delivering intelligent, automated Network Performance Engineering (NPE) and Network Status Management (NSM) systems. Actix solutions, which include a full suite of Self Optimizing Network (SON) capabilities, feature embedded wireless expertise, automating key processes and enabling very significant efficiencies in the deployment and operation of carriers' networks, delivering measurably higher performance at lower cost. Over 10,000 engineers from 227 operators - including all ten of the world's largest mobile networks - in 106 countries globally depend upon Actix software every day to help improve coverage for more than 1,100,000,000 subscribers. For more information, please see www.actix.com.

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of a diversified global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000 people worldwide. For additional information, please visit the NEC website at: www.nec.com.

Tokyo, February 1, 2010 - NEC Corporation (NEC) today announced the demonstration of its LTE (*1) concept terminal at Mobile World Congress 2010 (MWC), 15 - 18 February in Barcelona, Spain.

The concept terminal demonstrates the transmission of high resolution video through its "LTE-PF" equipped communications platform (*2) and showcases the advantage of high-speed LTE communications.

The exhibition features dynamic live-action demonstrations at NTT DOCOMO, INC.'s (NTT DOCOMO) booth(#8B117, Hall 8), while its mock-up is displayed at the NEC booth (#8A125, Hall 8). The dynamic exhibit features high-speed streaming of high-definition video and a mobile thin client.

LTE is a next generation high-speed wireless communications standard that evolved from HSDPA (*3)/HSUPA (*4) expansion technologies for W-CDMA. LTE, which achieves data transmission speeds of 100Mbps or more in downlink and 50Mbps or more in uplink access, is designed to reduce delays in data transmission and improve frequency usage efficiency. NTT DOCOMO selected NEC as its LTE terminal vendor in 2006.

In October 2009, NEC, NTT DOCOMO, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. and Fujitsu Limited announced the completion of joint development of an LTE-PF chipset engineering sample. Performance assessment results and development updates on these technologies will be on display at MWC.

Looking forward, NEC will continue contributing to the development and expansion of LTE terminals and next generation high-speed wireless communications.

- - -

About NEC Corporation

NEC Corporation is one of the world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized needs of a diversified global base of customers. NEC delivers tailored solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks, and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000 people worldwide. For additional information, please visit the NEC website at: www.nec.com.

NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned herein are the trademarks of their respective owners. (C)2010 NEC Corporation.

- - -

(*1)

Long Term Evolution (LTE)

(*2) Communications Platform

A mobile phone communications system that consists of baseband processing software that carries out necessary mobile phone transmission functions.

(*3) High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA)

A high speed communications technology that may achieve downlink speeds of up to 14Mbps.

(*4) High-Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)

A high speed communications technology that may achieve high uplink speeds of up to 5.7Mbps.

- - -

NEC Press Contact (Japan):

Chris Shimizu

NEC Corporation

+81-3-3798-6511

E-Mail: yc-shimizu(at)cb.jp.nec.com

The mobile industry is currently undergoing a rapid evolution with major changes at every level of the value chain. With a number of key decisions from the European and National Regulators on the horizon and spectrum tenders in the pipeline, 2010 could prove to be a crucial year for shaping the future of mobile communications in Europe.

C5's conference on Regulations and Competition Law in Mobile Telecommunications will offer up-to-date information on market trends and the role of the regulator in shaping tomorrow's market. Attendees will learn about the implementation of EU law in key jurisdictions and hear from the Commission, National Policy Makers, Regulators, Mobile Network Operators, together with the leading consultants and legal advisors about best practice in dealing with the challenges created by EU law and the transformation of the industry into the 'multimedia' mobile industry.

NGMN members will be offered a 10% discount on the price of attending if they quote the discount code 'NGMN-TEN' when they register at
www.C5-Online.com/MobileRegulations

This event will take place the day before the 5th ETSI...

This event will take place the day before the 5th ETSI Security Workshop - we want to take full advantage of the number of mobile phone security experts in the area at the time, so the theme of the barcamp will be 'Mobile Security'. To register for the barcamp, please scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the link which will take you to ETSI's registration page for this event. Registration is necessary so we have an idea of numbers and so you can get into the buildings and use wireless etc.

When:

Tuesday 19th January 2010

10:00-16:00

(registration starts at 09:30)

Where:

ETSI

650, route des Lucioles

06921 Sophia-Antipolis Cedex

FRANCE

www.etsi.org/WebSite/AboutETSI/VisitingETSI/VisitingETSI.aspx

“The use of mobile broadband in the Nordic countries is exploding and customers need higher speeds and capacity. Both Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks have been able to provide high quality technology and competitive offers,” says Lars Klasson, Senior Vice President and CTO, Mobility Services, TeliaSonera.

As the first operator in the world, TeliaSonera launched 4G services to customers in Stockholm, Sweden and Oslo, Norway at the end of 2009. TeliaSonera was also the first operator to make a live 4G connection in Finland. 4G is the fastest mobile technology available on the market, with speeds up to ten times higher than today’s turbo 3G.

TeliaSonera’s current 4G networks cover the central city areas of Stockholm and Oslo. The 4G network roll-out will continue to Sweden’s 25 largest municipalities and recreation areas and to Norway’s four largest municipalities to offer communication services for the future.

Facts:

TeliaSonera has three nation wide 4G/LTE licenses in the 2.6 GHz frequency band; in Sweden, Norway and Finland. The agreement with Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks cover network roll out during 2010 and 2011.

Huawei continues to finalize the 4G city network in Oslo.

The 4G/LTE system is based on 3GPP standards for Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology and System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core technology.

8 January 2010 - GCF, the Global Certification Forum, is on schedule to release an LTE device certification scheme before the end of 2010 – in time for a wave of commercial LTE network launches expected towards the end of the year.

Designed to give operators confidence in the interoperability of LTE devices across different networks, GCF’s unified scheme will embrace both FDD and TDD versions of LTE.

Established in 1999, GCF has a total membership of more than 200, including many of the world’s most influential telecommunications companies from the operator, device manufacturer and test industry communities. With its “test once, use anywhere” ethos, GCF certification accelerates time to market for new devices based on 3GPP standards while reducing costs for manufacturers, operators and, ultimately, end-users. For both GSM and 3G, GCF certification has underpinned international roaming.

Bringing sophisticated new technologies such as LTE within the scope of GCF Certification is a massive undertaking involving the selection, prioritisation and validation of more than 280 conformance tests in the first instance. In addition a comprehensive field trial regime is being developed. The test industry plays a vital role through the timely investment in the required new test platforms and test facilities.

To meet the needs of the US, Japanese and European markets, LTE Certification will initially encompass the FDD frequency bands at 700 MHz, 2100 MHz and 2500 MHz respectively. For TDD, certification is currently being developed for the 2300-2400 MHz and 2570-2620 MHz bands that have been allocated for LTE in China. GCF is structuring LTE certification so that, as the need arises, it can be extended quickly and efficiently to other frequency bands.

The development of conformance testing has been divided into three distinct areas: RF; the E-UTRA protocol; and the Evolved Packet Core protocol. A total of six teams have been established to develop the conformance criteria for each of the three areas across the FDD and TDD variants.

The prioritisation and definition of conformance testing are now virtually complete for both FDD and TDD and the validation of agreed conformance tests is beginning to gather momentum†. GCF is working very closely with RAN5, the 3GPP group responsible for developing mobile device conformance test standards, to ensure that the scheme remains aligned with the very latest developments in 3GPP.

The development of LTE certification enjoys the active support of GCF members from around the world. Operators from Japan and China are providing overall leadership for the conformance testing efforts for FDD and TDD respectively while six leading manufacturers have stepped forward to lead the work items that make up each of the FDD and TDD strands of the project.

Requirements for field trials – a unique feature of GCF Certification – are being prioritised into two phases by GCF’s Field Trial Agreement Group (FTAG). With a target completion date of June 2010, phase 1 requirements will include between 80 and 90 new field test scenarios consistent with the functionality anticipated in the first commercial LTE devices. Around 40% of the test cases have already been written.

Several major operators, manufacturers, test companies and the GSMA Devices Group are working together on the development of LTE field trial procedures. “Certification will play a critical role in the long-term commercial success of LTE,” said Adriana Nugter, GCF Operations Manager. ”GCF has been formally working on LTE Certification since March 2008 and by focusing the efforts of experts from across the operator, manufacturer and test communities, we are confident that certification will be in place in time for a wave of operator launches anticipated towards the end of the year.”

GCF will provide an update on the progress of LTE device certification to “Readying for the Launch of Next Gen Networks” – at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on Thursday 18 February 2010.

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, January 7, 2010 -

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and...

Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, January 7, 2010 -

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) and LG Electronics (LGE) today announced that the two companies have completed a successful handoff of an end-to-end data call between Long Term Evolution (LTE) and CDMA mobile networks, compliant with the standards established by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), which defines requirements for mobile broadband networks. The live, over-the-air handover involved an uninterrupted streaming video session conducted during test drives in the New York metropolitan area over Alcatel-Lucent’s end-to-end commercial LTE and CDMA/EV-DO infrastructure using an LG Electronics CDMA/LTE dual mode device.

Alcatel-Lucent is an early leader in the commercial introduction of LTE technology and is the world’s top supplier of CDMA/EV-DO mobile network infrastructure. LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, unveiled the world’s first modem chipset for 4G LTE devices in December 2008. The technology behind LG’s M13 CDMA/LTE terminal employed in the test with Alcatel-Lucent is key to enabling LTE networksto operate transparently with existing CDMA networks.

“This is a key milestone that demonstrates Alcatel-Lucent’s readiness to deliver LTE to CDMA operators,” said Ken Wirth, president, 4G/LTE Networks, Alcatel-Lucent. “Existing networks were designed primarily with voice in mind and the current explosion in data traffic is creating a challenge for service providers. With LTE, operators have opportunity to deploy a system designed specifically to support data. Alcatel-Lucent is helping operators introduce LTE capabilities into the CDMA environment in a way that is transparent to subscribers.”

These successful tests are part of Alcatel-Lucent's ongoing effort to ensure that the LTE networks of service providers such as Verizon Wireless interact smoothly and seamlessly with existing 2G and 3G CDMA networks in order for the user to experience uninterrupted service. Seamless active handover is critical function of a wireless network as it allows online activities such as video downloads, web surfing and VoIP calls to be maintained as a mobile data user moves between LTE and CDMA coverage zones. Alcatel-Lucent is one of the key vendors of CDMA and LTE infrastructure for Verizon Wireless, which was the first to announce LTE deployment in the United States and plans to launch its 4G LTE network in 25 to 30 markets in 2010.

For the tests, Alcatel-Lucent employed its end-to-end LTE solution, which is comprised of base stations (eNodeBs), Evolved Packet Core (EPC), IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), IP backhaul solutions and associated management systems. The tests also demonstrated a feature on CDMA/EV-DO networks called Evolved High Rate Packet Data (eHRPD), which serves as an interface to manage the seamless handover of data services between the two network types. In 2009, Alcatel-Lucent’s eHRPD offering received the CDMA Development Group (CDG) Network Technology Innovation award for its leadership role in the development of the eHRPD standard and its successful introduction into service provider networks.

This test initiative also leveraged professional services expertise including project management and planning, as well as installation, commissioning, integration and test plan execution services.

LG’s M13 CDMA/LTE device incorporated for testing was created with commercial grade components and will form the basis for a consumer device which is expected to be available in 2010. The M13 also achieved recognition from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and fully supports both CDMA EV-DO and LTE.

“LG is committed to advancing the commercialization of 4G and was excited to be involved in the successful interoperability test between CDMA and LTE,” said In-kyung Kim, vice president of 4G development at LG Electronics Mobile Communications Company R&D Center. “LG’s M13 terminal will be a key device to enable CDMA network operators to deploy a LTE network incrementally over a national CDMA network.”

About Alcatel-Lucent’s End-to-End LTE Solution

Alcatel-Lucent is an emerging leader in LTE and is actively engaged in the majority of LTE projects being pursued by tier 1 operators worldwide, including ongoing trials with 19 customers to date. To help operators realize their potential, Alcatel-Lucent is offering a unique end-to-end LTE pre-integrated network solution and a full set of associated professional services.
The company also is the founder of The ng Connect Program, a global organization focused on the development of an open LTE ecosystem of device manufacturers, content providers and application partners. For more information about Alcatel-Lucent’s end-to-end LTE solution, please visit: www.alcatel-lucent.com/lte.

About Alcatel-Lucent

Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) is the trusted partner of service providers, enterprises and governments worldwide, providing solutions to deliver voice, data and video communication services to end-users. A leader in fixed, mobile and converged broadband networking, IP technologies, applications and services, Alcatel-Lucent leverages the unrivalled technical and scientific expertise of Bell Labs, one of the largest innovation powerhouses in the communications industry. With operations in more than 130 countries and the most experienced global services organization in the industry, Alcatel-Lucent is a local partner with a global reach. Alcatel-Lucent achieved revenues of Euro 16.98 billion in 2008 and is incorporated in France, with executive offices located in Paris. For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on the Internet: www.alcatel-lucent.com.

Contact the Alcatel-Lucent Press Office: press(at)alcatel-lucent.com

3G Americas, a wireless industry trade association...

3G Americas, a wireless industry trade association representing the GSM family of technologies including LTE, today announced that it has published an educational report titled, The Benefits of SON in LTE, to increase understanding of the improvements in network management that have been developed through 3GPP standards – Release 8, Release 9 and beyond.

Self-Optimizing and Self-Organizing Networks, called SON, can significantly improve network management performance, helping operators and their customers. The 3GPP standards organization is standardizing self-optimizing and self-organizing capabilities for LTE. LTE SON will leverage network intelligence, automation and network management features in order to automate the configuration and optimization of wireless networks, thereby increasing efficiency as well as improving network performance and flexibility.

"The time is right for SON as wireless carriers' networks have increasing mobile broadband demand and a high level of complexity," said Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. "The good news is that smartphones, netbooks and emerging classes of mobile devices are driving significant growth of wireless data usage. However, operators will need to continue to significantly improve network management capabilities to efficiently meet the demands of this new mobile broadband world."

The Benefits of SON in LTE describes the motivation behind SON and provides an overview of key SON features contained in Releases 8 and 9 that will serve as a solution for network operators. Motivations for operators to deploy SON include:

• Wireless service providers must now support a growing number of higher-bandwidth data applications and services on their networks
• Operators must drive down the delivery cost per bit
• Radio access network complexity will increase through additions of small cells such as femtocells, picocells as well as WiFi access points to increase and improve coverage and capacity

These and other trends portend ever-increasing demands upon service providers in the areas of network performance and operations.

Initial solutions are offered in the 3GPP Release 8 specifications, which were completed in March 2009, and include SON features such as automatic inventory, software download, neighbor relations and PCI assignment that would be built over 3GPP network management architecture. LTE SON features begin with 3GPP Release 8 and evolve with the expected LTE network evolution stages. In 3GPP Release 9, other SON features are addressed, such as the optimization of coverage and capacity, mobility, RACH, load balancing and support of SON features in multi-vendor network environments.

Other organizations such as the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) have contributed significantly to the development and standardization of SON at 3GPP.

"Self-optimizing networks are a key part in the future-proofing of network reliability and operational efficiency," said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. "NGMN established a set of initial requirements and since then has worked with its partners to define the remaining requirements and to drive forward the early adoption in the standardization."

Previous 3G Americas white papers and technical studies have shown that LTE - with its wideband, highly spectrally efficient, low latency and cost-effective technology - is ideally suited to serving new higher-bandwidth applications. LTE is the next-generation wireless technology adopted by leading GSM and CDMA operators worldwide.

"SON is supported by a host of global organizations as well as leading vendors and operators, and will be an essential and well-developed solution for the successful management of wireless networks in our future," Pearson said.

The white paper,The Benefits of SON in LTE, was written collaboratively by members of 3G Americas and is available for free download on the 3G Americas website at www.3gamericas.org. The recommendations on SON, in the document, "NGMN Recommendation on SON and O&M Requirements," are available for free download on the NGMN website at www.ngmn.org

About 3G Americas: Unifying the Americas through Wireless Technology

3G Americas is an industry trade organization composed of telecommunications service providers and manufacturers. The organization's mission is to promote, facilitate and advocate for the deployment of the GSM family of technologies including LTE throughout the Americas. 3G Americas has contributed to the successful commercial rollout of GSM across the Americas and its place as the number one technology in the region, as well as the global adoption of EDGE. The organization aims to develop the expansive wireless ecosystem of networks, devices, and applications enabled by GSM and its evolution to LTE. 3G Americas is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, with an office for Latin America and the Caribbean in Dallas, Texas. More information is available at www.3gamericas.org.

3G Americas' Board of Governors members include Alcatel-Lucent, América Móvil, AT&T, Andrew Solutions, Cable & Wireless, Ericsson, Gemalto, Huawei, HP, Motorola, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nortel, Openwave, Research In Motion (RIM), Rogers, T-Mobile USA and Telefónica.

About the NGMN Alliance

The NGMN Alliance (www.ngmn.org) is an open group of the world-leading operators, technology vendors and research institutes. The primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of innovation, investment, and adoption of true mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. About 60 partners have signed up to this objective and developed requirements to shape the evolution of the mobile ecosystem. Focus in 2010 will be on operational efficiency, co-ordination of trials and tests, device availability, roaming, and assessment of IMT-Advanced technologies. Achievements and future roadmap will be presented at MWC and NGMN's Industry Conference in Shanghai, June 2010.

Contacts:

3G Americas

Vicki Livingston

Vicki.livingston(at)3gamericas.org

+1 262 242 3458

NGMN

Natacha Schubert

Natacha.Schubert(at)ngmn.org

+4969907499823

The companies took another step towards a wide deployment of LTE by successfully demonstrating a mobile broadband data call in an LTE network and its handover to an HSPA network. This functionality enables a smooth service between existing networks and newly deployed LTE networks.

“With multimode devices consumers can enjoy new high-speed mobile broadband services and global coverage right from the launch of LTE services,” said Jörgen Lantto, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of ST-Ericsson. “Seamless roaming between LTE and today’s networks is a key device capability to enable faster introduction of LTE.”

“Ericsson is in the lead of the LTE development and together with the rest of the industry we will provide a true ecosystem for mobile broadband,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson. Roaming between the two technologies, providing seamless services, are a prerequisite for our customers enabling mobile broadband around the world”.

The device and networks used in interoperability testing in Stockholm were in compliance with the industry standard for commercial deployment, 3GPP Release 8 March baseline.

Multimode support allows device manufacturers to provide consumers with flexible and versatile devices. The chipset for ST-Ericsson’s M710 platform is commercially available.

Ericsson and its mobile platforms division, now part of ST-Ericsson, were also first to achieve interoperability to support multimode devices between GSM and 3G networks in 2002.

Notes to editors:

ST-Ericsson drives innovation in mobile broadband and new advanced services through the development and deployment of LTE:

• 2004-2005 ST-Ericsson started research and standardization activities related to LTE
• 2007 First handheld LTE prototype available and first handheld public demonstration at Mobile World Congress in 2008
• 2008 Platform interoperability tests activities initiated with network vendors
• 2009 Fully working LTE chipset available and interoperability testing of the platform with operators

Read more about ST-Ericsson’s multimode platform, M710 at
www.stericsson.com/platforms/LTE_M710.jsp

About ST-Ericsson

ST-Ericsson is a world leader in developing and delivering a complete portfolio of innovative mobile platforms and cutting-edge wireless semiconductor solutions across the broad spectrum of mobile technologies. The company is a leading supplier to the top handset manufacturers and ST-Ericsson’s products and technologies enable more than half of all phones in use today. The company generated pro-forma sales of about USD 3.6 billion in 2008. ST-Ericsson was established as a 50/50 joint venture by STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) and Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) in February 2009, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Media Relations

Phone : +41 22 9302733

Email: media.relations(at)stericsson.com

Investor Relations

Phone: +41 22 9296973

Email: investor.relations(at)stericsson.com

"We are very proud to be the first operator in the world to offer our customers 4G services. The use of mobile broadband in the Nordic countries is exploding and customers need higher speeds and capacity. This is why we launch 4G services in both Stockholm and Oslo," says Kenneth Karlberg, President and Head of Mobility Services.

4G/LTE will open up new possibilities for customers to use and enjoy services on their laptops, requiring high transmission speed and capacity, such as advanced web TV broadcasting, extensive online gaming and web conferences.

"Being first out with new technology gives us unique experience that we can use on all our markets. We will continue the roll-out to offer our customers new communication services for the future," continues Kenneth Karlberg.

The two pioneering 4G city networks cover the central city areas of Stockholm and Oslo and will be used for mobile data. 4G is the fastest mobile technology available on the market, with speeds up to ten times higher than today's turbo 3G.

TeliaSonera has three nation wide 4G/LTE licenses; in Sweden, Norway and also recently in Finland. The network roll out is in progress to offer 4G to Sweden's and Norway's largest cities.

Facts
The Stockholm 4G city network is supplied by Ericsson. The Oslo 4G city network is supplied by Huawei. The modems at launch come from Samsung. Evaluation of suppliers for TeliaSonera's common 4G core network and radio networks in the Nordic and Baltic countries is in progress and vendors will be selected in the beginning of 2010.

Please also visit TeliaSonea's 4G website, www.teliasonera.com/4g

The press conference will be held in English and will be webcasted at
www.teliasonera.com/press

Participants
Åsa Torstensson, Minister for Communications

Kenneth Karlberg, President and Head of Mobility Services, TeliaSonera
Cecilia Edström, Senior Vice President and Head of Group Communications, TeliaSonera
Erik Hallberg, Senior Vice President and Head of Mobility Services, TeliaSonera in Sweden

Possibility to listen to the press conference via telephone
You can also listen to the press conference live over the phone and also ask questions.

Dial-in numbers: +46 (0)8 506 269 30
+44 (0)207 108 6205
Participants should quote: TeliaSonera

Bernabè: the journey towards fixed and mobile ultra-broadband takes...

Bernabè: the journey towards fixed and mobile ultra-broadband takes another step forwards

The world’s first pre-commercial trial of “4G” LTE (Long Term Evolution) technology is now underway in Turin. This new mobile broadband network offers data transmission speeds of up to 140Mbit/s, making it possible to provide new services such as high-definition video conferencing, remote office access and mobile video chat.

Telecom Italia has begun the world’s first pre-commercial LTE (Long Term Evolution) new technology trial as part of its ongoing development of a fourth-generation mobile ultra-broadband network.

The trial, which is being conducted in Turin with technology partner Huawei, uses 14 new LTE radio stations around the centre of town which are perfectly integrated into the existing mobile infrastructure. These stations provide bandwidth in excess of 140Mit/s for each cell, and can handle three high bandwidth voice/data connections simultaneously.

This trial underscores Telecom Italia’s status as a technology innovation leader, and confirms the company’s commitment to a rolling upgrade of its networks in support of next-generation services over landlines and mobile.

Franco Bernabè, CEO of Telecom Italia, said: “The journey towards fixed and mobile ultra-broadband takes another step forwards. With leading-edge HSDPA technology deployed right now and LTE in the future, high speed services will become increasingly common on mobile phones and usb modems, offering access to professional services such as video conferencing and remote office access, and personal services such as video gaming and video chat.”

This is rapidly becoming one of the most important events in the industry calendar, and NGMN are happy to endorse it once again. It provides a critical forum for senior industry figures to explore how to build and monetize an open mobile economy.

Speakers include:

• John Donovan CTO AT&T
• Vint Cerf Chief Internet Evangelist Google
• Cole Brodman CTO T-Mobile
• Dadi Perlmutter EVP and GM Mobility Intel
• Jan Uddenfeldt SVP Ericsson
• Kevin Lynch CTO Adobe
• Michael Abbot SVP Palm

Plus BT's Hossein Moin, Wall Street Journal columnist Walt Mossberg, Verizon, Sprint, Clear, Virgin Mobile and many more.

Panels include: Who pays for mobile broadband? Platforms for innovation: Degrees of Open-ness. Regulation, Anti-trust and Open Access, Future of the operator portal, App Stores Fad or Future? Future of the OS, PC vs Phone, Operator models for open access and more.

Friends of NGMN will be offered £100 discount on the price of attending if they quote 'NGMN' when they register at www.openmobilesummit.com. If you are planning to attend don't leave it too late, according to organisers the event is on track to sell out early this year.

Nokia Siemens Networks drives LTE towards commercialization...

Nokia Siemens Networks drives LTE towards commercialization with successful test of key feature to enable continuous connectivity

Nokia Siemens Networks recently conducted the world’s first LTE handover test using a commercially available base station and fully standards compliant software. The test verifies that the LTE handover procedure is handled correctly by both Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi Multiradio base station and an LTE test terminal.

Handover is a key feature of mobile radio technology. The LTE handover test is the first to be fully compliant with 3GPP’s (the relevant LTE standards body) March 2009 baseline LTE standard. In this initial test, the handover was made between LTE cells of Nokia Siemens Networks’ award winning Flexi Multiradio base station. Handover support is needed to enable seamless connectivity when the handling of a user’s mobile call is switched from one mobile cell to another, such as occurs when a user is moving.

“Our focus at Nokia Siemens Networks is on commercial hardware and software, not pre-commercial intermediate solutions,” said Marc Rouanne, head of Nokia Siemens Networks’ Radio Access business unit. “We’ve already shipped LTE-capable Flexi Base Station hardware to over 100 customers and this LTE handover on our standards compliant software is another step on the road to the commercial deployment of LTE.“

The test builds on the earlier verification of handover support in the company’s Evolved Packet Core solution for LTE core networks including the Flexi NG and Flexi NS products. Standard compliant LTE network products and terminals are a precondition for commercial network rollouts and for users to benefit from a choice of LTE devices from different vendors.

Nokia Siemens Networks is committed to driving the commercial uptake of LTE, starting in 2010, with an end-to-end solution that provides a future-proof, easy and cost efficient path to LTE via a software upgrade only.

TeliaSonera has secured delivery of data modems for the 4G commercial launch in...

TeliaSonera has secured delivery of data modems for the 4G commercial launch in Sweden and Norway in 2010. The contract with Samsung for 4G modems brings TeliaSonera one major step towards 4G, the next generation’s mobile broadband, offering customers up to ten times higher speed than today.

The world’s first contract for deliveries of 4G modems to be used by end customers has been signed between TeliaSonera and Samsung. TeliaSonera’s goal is to be the first operator in the world to launch 4G on a commercial basis.

“The 4G modems from Samsung will play a very important role in our 4G launch in Sweden and Norway,” says Kenneth Karlberg, President and Head of Mobility Services, TeliaSonera. “We look forward to sharing Samsung’s world leading mobile experience when offering our customers a whole new way of enjoying mobility services.”

Samsung will deliver mobile broadband modems for TeliaSonera’s commercial launch of 4G in Stockholm and Oslo in 2010. TeliaSonera and Samsung have teamed up to meet customers’ continuously increasing demands for high speed mobile broadband services and together they will acquire early market understanding from end users’ ways of using 4G.

- We are very pleased to work together with TeliaSonera. This is an historic step forward for today’s telecommunication industry. With TeliaSonera’s initiation of a 4G service we expect more consumers to enjoy advanced mobile broadband services much earlier than expected,” said JK Shin, Executive Vice President and Head of Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics.

Facts: The 4G modems will be USB dongles for laptops offering high speed mobile broadband. The 4G/LTE system is based on 3GPP standards.

© 2009 Next Generation Mobile Networks Ltd.

The auditorium appreciated the first-hand insight given by top management representatives of NGMN partner companies and the wider mobile ecosystem on the status, the challenges and the customer impact of mobile broadband networks in the coming years. The ITU/NGMN event took place on 7th October at the ITU Telecom World 2009 in Geneva, Switzerland and attracted a substantial portion of the 1.500 ITU Forum participants.

“Mobile Broadband 2010+” proved to be one of the most successful sessions of the conference – attendance already exceeded expectations in the morning at the Open Expert Forum session reaching capacity limits with more than 200 participants. Also the keynotes of NGMN Board members and the afternoon sessions on “Operational Efficiency” and “Customer Impact” saw extremely high attendance of ITU Forum participants and lively discussion.

© 2009 Next Generation Mobile Networks Ltd.

The opening session of NGMN’s “Mobile Broadband 2010+” day brought insights from top speakers of the NGMN Sponsor community on “Infrastructure Innovations” to more than 200 participants. The participants stayed on to listen to the following panel discussion on one of the currently hottest topics in the mobile industry: “Future Mobile Applications”. This topic was moderated by the NGMN co-operation partner WIP with representatives of the wider mobile ecosystem on the panel. Focus of the two morning sessions laid on backhaul, antenna embedded radio, network migration and mobile application developer challenges.

At the keynote session, NGMN Board members from NTT DOCOMO, Telefonica, AT&T and SK Telecom provided an overview on next generation mobile network deployment scenarios and migration plans. The speakers also highlighted the major challenges that still have to be addressed in the next months in the areas of spectrum harmonisation and availability of devices and chipsets.

As efficiency improvements will be a key challenge for the network deployment and operations, the following NGMN session on “Operational Excellence” drew a lot of attention from many of the ITU Forum participants. Executives from Operators gave insights into their requirements and the audience took the chance to discuss the open issues with representatives from the leading vendors present in a panel. All speakers clearly emphasised NGMN’s role in driving the development to enhance “Operational Excellence” through projects like OBRI or Operational Efficiency, but also stressed the importance of further joint industry efforts to lead these efforts towards implementation.

The ITU/NGMN day closed with the session “Customer Impact” on the current status and plans of major device and chipset manufacturers in the area of wireless broadband devices. Besides giving first information on the data devices and chipsets available for 2010, the speakers also provided an outlook on services (e.g. in the area of M2M), on wireless broadband for CEs and on the requirements for wide adoption. Here, a common voice evolution path, common application platforms, enhanced device management and security were named as the most important success factors.

Please find the full programme and all available presentations for download:

ITU_NGMN_Mobile_Broadband_2010+_07-Oct-2009

The conference stream is part of the ITU Telecom World on the 5-9th October - an unrivaled event for the ICT sector that brings together experts and innovators of the highest level on a global networking platform.

Don't miss the unique opportunity to learn more about how key players of the industry are planning for the deployment of next generation mobile networks.

Key themes of the joint ITU / NGMN conference stream on the 7th October include:

• Deployment scenarios and plans - vision and reality of next generation mobile broadband
  
• Operational excellence - strategies and technologies to optimize efficiency and performance
  
• Customer impact - devices, consumer electronics, services
  

The detailed outline of the joint ITU/NGMN conference stream on “Mobile Broadband 2010+” is now available: ITU/NGMN stream Mobile Broadband 2010+

Please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org to receive further details or to arrange meetings at the ITU Telecom World.

Partners of the NGMN Alliance will be offered a 55% discount on the price of the ITU Global Forum Pass. To register for this stream or to obtain further details please contact office(at)ngmn.org.

The ITU-R and regional bodies are currently developing channelling arrangements for the bands identified at the ITU World Radio Conference (WRC-07) so that they can subsequently be used on a harmonised basis around the world. NGMN partners are actively participating in this ongoing work to ensure that the new arrangements will suit their needs. The current status and NGMN views and requirements with regards to these bands are now outlined in the White Paper Update on “Next Generation Mobile Networks Spectrum Requirements” developed by the NGMN Spectrum Working Group. NGMN is continuing to study these bands and may develop additional views in the future.

NGMN Spectrum Requirements Update.pdf

• Take advantage of this rare opportunity to hear from several CXO level speakers
  
• Learn from a variety of unique operator case studies from around the world
  
• Meet all of the leading suppliers face-to-face, hear product briefings and develop a clear picture of where mobile broadband is going and which products and services are on offer to you
  
• Benchmark your own strategy with those of your peers from around the world
  

The IIR Mobile Broadband World is endorsed by the NGMN Alliance. NGMN Partners obtain a discount of 10% off the conference price; please contact office(at)ngmn.org to receive the VIP code. Detailed information about the conference is available at IIR Mobile Broadband World

www.mobilebroadbandworld.com/NGMN

"Nokia is committed to supporting industry activities aimed at maturing LTE technology to enable the first commercial networks to launch in 2010," says Jani Mäenpää, Project Manager, LTE/SAE Interoperability and Trials, Nokia. "Nokia is a founding member in the LTE/SAE Trial Initiative (LSTI) and carries out interoperability testing with a number of network vendors, collaborates with measurement equipment manufacturers and is ready to support operators with their LTE deployment activities. The Nokia Internet Modem RD-3 is used in all these activities."

The Nokia Internet Modem RD-3 supports interoperability with GSM/EDGE and WCDMA/HSPA to make the most out of the global GSM and WCDMA reach right from the start. The Nokia Internet Modem RD-3 also supports multiple LTE frequency bands so is able to meet operators' deployment plans across many different countries and regions.

LTE, Long Term Evolution of UTRA/UTRAN (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network), is the name for 3GPP-defined radio access for future wide area broadband wireless access networks.  It defines the evolution of WCDMA/HSPA radio networks. LTE will be a major step towards providing rich wireless IP-based real-time multimedia services for the consumer. LTE sets the benchmark for high data rates and low response times, improving the user experience significantly compared to today's mobile broadband technologies. Also, it can offer a true internet experience when the availability of fixed line access is limited.

For the complete Nokia article please click the following Link

pressbulletinboard.nokia.com

For nearly a decade, the annual Broadband World Forum Europe conference and exhibition has grown significantly, hosting more than 6,000 of the industry's elite and offering a wide range of information and communication technologies topics under the large umbrella of broadband. Themed "Delivering the Promise," this year's Broadband World Forum Europe will feature more than 250 speakers in more than 50 breakout sessions, keynote addresses, plenary panels, and workshops.

The Broadband World Forum Europe is supported by Orange as Official Host Sponsor and the NGMN Alliance as Associate Sponsor. Chairman of the NGMN Alliance Vivek Badrinath (EVP Networks Carriers Platforms and Infrastructure, France Telecom) will serve as the World Forum Chair and will host a carrier panel at the Forum.

The NGMN Alliance will present the session "The Future of Mobile Access" on the 7th September, 16:00 - 17:30 CET. Confirmed speakers and panelists are:

• Said Mokbel, Executive Director Technology Strategy, Telus
  
• Giovanni Romano, Coordinator for Radio Standards, Telecom Italia
  
• Jonathan Borril, Director of Marketing EMEA, Anritsu
  
• Dr. Shahram Niri, Strategy Director, Network Solutions, NEC
  

NGMN Partners have the opportunity to receive a VIP pass granting 30% off conference pricing and a complimentary Exhibits PLUS pass
(www.iec.org/events/2009/bbwf/vip_pass/vip_ngmn.html).

Please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org to receive further details or to arrange meetings at the BBWF. BBWF 2009 Paris .

- 55% DISCOUNT FOR PARTNERS OF THE NGMN ALLIANCE

The conference stream is part of the ITU Telecom World on the 5-9th October - an unrivaled event for the ICT sector that brings together experts and innovators of the highest level on a global networking platform.

Don't miss the unique opportunity to learn more about how key players of the industry are planning for the deployment of next generation mobile networks.

Key themes of the joint ITU / NGMN conference stream on the 7th October include:

• Deployment scenarios and plans - vision and reality of next generation mobile broadband
  
• Operational excellence - strategies and technologies to optimize efficiency and performance
  
• Customer impact - devices, consumer electronics, services
  

The detailed outline of the joint ITU/NGMN conference stream on “Mobile Broadband 2010+” is now available: ITU/NGMN stream Mobile Broadband 2010+

Please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org to receive further details or to arrange meetings at the ITU Telecom World.

Partners of the NGMN Alliance will be offered a 55% discount on the price of the ITU Global Forum Pass. To register for this stream or to obtain further details please contact office(at)ngmn.org.

Request for Information on LTE Patent Pool Administration

Guiding Rules on NGMN RFI Process & Sessions in Vienna

All prospective patent pool administrators are invited to participate in the NGMN RFI.

After receipt of responses, each prospective patent pool administrator answering the RFI will also be invited to present its envisaged role in the LTE eco-system to NGMN partner representatives from 14th – 15th October in Vienna, Austria.

Any question may be addressed to rfi(at)ngmn.org

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has scored yet another Long Term Evolution (LTE) deal as T-Mobile...

Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. has scored yet another Long Term Evolution (LTE) deal as T-Mobile Austria today revealed the results of Europe's largest LTE field trial using equipment from the Chinese vendor.

For the complete unstrung article please click the following link www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=180831

The RFI on LTE Patent Pool Administration will be published on the NGMN website (www.ngmn.org) on 3rd September, 2009. Prior to this all prospective patent pool administrators, that have or have not yet issued a call for LTE patents, are invited to participate in the NGMN RFI process and to indicate their interest until 2nd September 2009, to rfi(at)ngmn.org.

After receipt of responses, each prospective patent pool administrator answering the RFI will also be invited to present its envisaged role in the LTE eco-system to NGMN partner representatives from 14th - 15th October in Vienna, Austria.

NGMN Alliance will conduct the RFI to gather information on potential LTE patent pools for NGMN partners.

"This RFI will continue the successful IPR activities conducted by NGMN in the past two years and will bring more transparency in the next generation mobile eco-system about envisaged patent pool activities," explained Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN.

NGMN Press Contact

Reston, Va., June 16, 2009 - SkyTerra (OTCBB: SKYT) has unveiled plans that will allow its...

Reston, Va., June 16, 2009 - SkyTerra (OTCBB: SKYT) has unveiled plans that will allow its current voice and push-to-talk customers to transition to the company's next generation integrated satellite-terrestrial network and services.

As part of the initial phase of SkyTerra's Customer Transition Incentive Program, SkyTerra customers who own an active MSAT-G2 radio, or customers who purchase MSAT-G2 radios and are active SkyTerra customers prior to the company's transition to its next-generation network, will be eligible to receive a new next-generation device for each active radio at the time when SkyTerra formally announces the transition.

"The new next-generation devices will be available to current SkyTerra customers with active MSAT-G2 satellite radio equipment accounts at the time of transition from the company's MSAT service to SkyTerra's next-generation network," noted Marc Montagner, executive vice president of strategy, development and distribution for SkyTerra. "This offer is part of the company's new Customer Transition Incentive Program and is subject to certain terms and conditions."

Supported by two of the most powerful commercial satellites ever built, SkyTerra's next-generation network is designed to provide seamless, transparent and ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to conventional handsets and commercial devices. The first of two SkyTerra next-generation satellites is planned for launch in first half of 2010.

"SkyTerra's two next-generation satellites are phenomenal communications assets that will enable government and enterprise customers as well as consumers to take advantage of new capabilities and applications using conventional handsets and mobile devices," Montagner said.

The company also plans to work with existing voice and push-to-talk customers with active accounts, regardless of equipment age and type, to facilitate transition to the company's next-generation network.

For more information on SkyTerra's Customer Transition Incentive Program and on the company's integrated satellite-terrestrial communications network please go to the SkyTerra Web site: www.skyterra.com.

SkyTerra Communications, Inc. (OTCBB: SKYT) owns 100% of SkyTerra LP. SkyTerra LP and SkyTerra (Canada), Inc. jointly operate the MSAT satellites and telecommunications network.

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About SkyTerra Communications (www.skyterra.com) SkyTerra Communications (OTCBB: SKYT) delivers mobile wireless voice and data services primarily for public safety, security, fleet management and asset tracking in the U.S. and Canada. The company's next-generation integrated satellite-terrestrial communications network is expected to provide seamless, transparent and ubiquitous wireless coverage of the United States and Canada to conventional handsets. When completed, the network will support communications in a variety of market segments, including public safety, homeland security, telematics, transportation and entertainment, by providing a platform for interoperable, user-friendly and feature-rich voice and high-speed data services.

Media Contact:
Tom Surface
SkyTerra
T: 703-390-1579
M: 703-462-3837
tom.surface(at)skyterra.com

Operator delegates from NGMN were invited to China Mobile Research Institute for TD-LTE live demo...

Operator delegates from NGMN were invited to China Mobile Research Institute for TD-LTE live demo on May 12th, 2009. The TD-LTE equipments from 15 venders were shown, including most of the important infrastructure, chipset, terminal and test instrument global vendors.

The delegates also experienced TD-LTE field performance in a two-base-station field urban environment built up by China Mobile with Huawei’s equipment. High speed download, streaming, video call and intra-LTE handover were successfully demonstrated. TD-LTE industrialization progress is on target and TD-LTE is promising to be commercially available by end of 2009 or early 2010.

Frankfurt, Germany and Beijing, China - June 4, 2009 – The TD Industry Association (TDIA), the...

Frankfurt, Germany and Beijing, China - June 4, 2009 – The TD Industry Association (TDIA), the group promoting the rapid and healthy development of the TD-industry, and the NGMN Alliance, the group focussing on the evolution of next generation mobile networks, have established a cooperation agreement to support the globally harmonized development of next generation mobile broadband technologies and services.

The TDIA and NGMN will work together to promote TD-LTE technology worldwide and ensure the development of a convergent standard for Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) based next generation mobile networks. This will lay the foundation to extend market scale and to ensure seamless mobile broadband experience for the customer. The two bodies will widen the scope of work on chipsets and devices, system interworking, trial coordination, spectrum requirements, as well as roaming support.

"Our cooperation with the TDIA will certainly help to ensure that next generation mobile networks will enable an exceptional user experience," stated Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. "The aim of this agreement is to avoid fragmentation of standards, to reduce cost and market risks, and to provide truly global services and devices for the end-user."

Yang Hua, Secretary-General of the TDIA commented, "Collaborating with the NGMN Alliance will support our efforts to promote and to develop TD-LTE technology world-wide. We will work on the synchronization of FDD/TDD development so that next generation systems will benefit from the inherent technological advantages of both TDD and FDD."

Follow-up meetings are planned for October 2009 in Geneva, where both organisations will be present at the ITU Telecom World 2009.

The site will be part of a commercial network scheduled to go live in 2010, bringing data rates far above what is possible in today's mobile broadband networks and allowing Stockholmers to stay connected and enjoy seamless, high-quality, online services even while on the move.

Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, says: "The unveiling of this site shows that LTE is no longer the story of the future; it is the story of today. Ericsson, as a leader in LTE development, is proud to work with TeliaSonera to bring a commercial LTE network to life."

Erik Hallberg, Senior Vice President and Head of TeliaSonera Mobility Services in Sweden, says: "Being at the forefront of broadband evolution means our customers will be the first to benefit from this groundbreaking technology. This first LTE site is a key step towards further enhancing Sweden's fastest mobile broadband network."

LTE enables unprecedented performance in terms of peak data rates, spectrum efficiency and delay. Ericsson has already demonstrated peak rates of 160Mbps. LTE can be deployed both in new and existing frequency bands and is designed to minimize the cost of network operation and maintenance.

The evolution of mobile broadband is an integral factor in building sustainable cities that minimize the use of energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

Notes to editors:
Ericsson's multimedia content is available at the broadcast room:
www.ericsson.com/broadcast_room

Ericsson is the world's leading provider of technology and services to telecom operators. The market leader in 2G and 3G mobile technologies, Ericsson supplies communications services and manages networks that serve more than 250 million subscribers. The company's portfolio comprises mobile and fixed network infrastructure, and broadband and multimedia solutions for operators, enterprises and developers. The Sony Ericsson joint venture provides consumers with feature-rich personal mobile devices.

Ericsson is advancing its vision of 'communication for all' through innovation, technology, and sustainable business solutions. Working in 175 countries, more than 70,000 employees generated revenue of USD 27 billion (SEK 209 billion) in 2008. Founded in 1876 and headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Ericsson is listed on OMX Nordic Exchange Stockholm and NASDAQ.

For more information, visit www.ericsson.com or www.ericsson.mobi.

Frankfurt, Germany and London, UK May 26th 2009 – The Extraordinary General Meeting of the NGMN...

Frankfurt, Germany and London, UK May 26th 2009 – The Extraordinary General Meeting of the NGMN Alliance in Beijing, China this month, saw the appointment of new board members:

• Günther Ottendorfer, T-Mobile, Technical Director T-Mobile Germany
   
• Vicente San Miguel Maza, Telefonica, Global Chief Technology Officer
   
• Bruce Rodin, Bell Canada, Vice President Wireless Technology
   
• Sandro Dionisi, Telecom Italia, Head of Telecom Italia Lab
  

These additions replace retiring board members and increase the NGMN Board members from nine to eleven. The growth in the number of board seats reflects the increasing membership base of the NGMN Alliance, which already consists of 57 world leading global network operators, technology vendors and universities.

Chairman of the NGMN Alliance Vivek Badrinath (EVP Networks, Carriers, Platforms and Infrastructure, France Telecom) congratulated the newly appointed board directors: "The NGMN Alliance is established as a key player in the mobile industry with major achievements in the areas of Technology, IPR, Spectrum. Adding new Board Members is clearly increasing the global reach of the Alliance. I'm convinced that we will continue our track record in the years ahead. Our work programme is ensuring the successful launch of next generation mobile networks by focusing on device availability, trial support and co-ordination, as well as maintaining the focus on operational and environmental efficiency".

13 May 2009, Shenzhen, China - ZTE Corporation ("ZTE") (H share stock code: 0763.HK / A share stock code: 000063.SZ), a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions today announced that it is the first company to successfully complete and pass the TD-LTE Phase I test together with key industry players including China Mobile, Vodafone and the Ministry of Industry and Information of China on April 15, 2009. The TD-LTE test measures high bandwidth network capacity.

This significant achievement was made known during yesterday's NGMN (Next Generation Mobile Network) Conference held in Beijing, China. As one of the key highlights of the conference, TD-LTE attracting numerous key industry participants including China Mobile, Vodafone and other leading members of NGMN.

In ZTE's TD-LTE Phase I test, the results indicated that the downlink sector reached the theoretical peak rate of 39Mbps with a 10M bandwidth, at the same time, ZTE became the first company in the industry to realize 20M bandwidth support. In the trials, ZTE adopted third party test UE (User Equipment) and the downlink peak rate attained TM500's upper limit of 61.228 Mbps. Upgradable through terminal, the system is designed to support a downlink rate of up to 82.3 Mbps in the future.

Adopting a unified SDR business platform for its system equipment in the test, ZTE is the first vendor to feature pre-business EPC (Evolved Packet Core) to complete the total system tests, highlighting its leading position in commercial applications. As an industry first to use third party UE to complete the tests, ZTE achieved its expected trail results, including zero fault, zero malfunction and 100% connection rate: another technology breakthrough that highlights ZTE's winning customer offerings with its excellent system stability.

This TD-LTE test also makes ZTE the first company to complete a performance test under a 350Km/h high-speed mobile channel model, reaching the best theoretical value. In fact, in May 2009, ZTE was the first industry vendor to pass China Mobile Institute's GSM/TD-SCDMA/TD-LTE joint platform test further underlining its leading edge in the TD-LTE area.

To date, as one of the leading advocates of the TD industry chain, ZTE has a taskforce of over 3,200 TD R&D engineers with more than 900 devoted to TD-LTE. The Company has submitted more than 400 LTE papers to the 3GPP Conference to further propel and inspire industry development. Through continuous and extensive investments in R&D and manpower, ZTE has been at the forefront of LTE fully demonstrating its leadership in both LTE and TD-LTE.

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 -- LG Electronics Inc. will ship Long-Term Evolution (LTE) modem chips...

Wednesday, 29 April 2009 -- LG Electronics Inc. will ship Long-Term Evolution (LTE) modem chips to NTT DoCoMo Inc. from March 2010, according to a report in The Korea Times. An LG spokesman confirmed that DoCoMo will use its LTE modem chips, but he did not specify the shipment date and would say only that the products would ship next year. For the complete Unstrung article please go to the link below
Unstrung.

CHICAGO – 24 March 2009 – The International Engineering Consortium’s (IEC) today announced Vivek Badrinath, executive vice president Networks and Carriers, Orange as World Forum Chair of the upcoming Broadband World Forum Europe 2009. He will also chair the plenary panel entitled “Broadband Services Evolution:
Opportunities and Challenges for Services Providers” featuring respected broadband leaders Matt Bross, chief technology officer, BT; Vicente San Miguel, chief technology officer, Telefónica S.A.; and Steve Pusey, chief technology officer, Vodafone.

“We look forward to Mr. Badrinath sharing his vision and headlining more than 250 highly regarded speakers in this year’s program in Paris,” commented IEC President John Janowiak. “Their commitment to the evolution of broadband services and continuing education certainly fall in line with the event’s mission to ‘deliver the promise’ of driving the industry forward.”

“The Broadband World Forum Europe hosts the most significant stakeholders in the global telecommunications industry, and I am honored to serve as the Conference Chair at this year’s event,” stated Mr. Badrinath. “The industry faces unique challenges in these times, and I look forward to exploring creative solutions and opportunities to advance the deployment of today’s evolving services.”

Mr. Badrinath’s panel will serve as one of 50 sessions and will discuss the opportunities emerging from the evolution of mass market services such as home networking, digital home, e-health, IPTV, mobile data, and the resulting challenges for service providers.

The panel takes place at 11:30 on Wednesday 9 September and is included within the IEC’s Exhibits PLUS programming, which also grants access to the exhibition floor, keynote addresses, InfoVision Awards Ceremony, and networking receptions.

Major supporters of the Broadband World Forum Europe 2009 include Official Host Sponsor Orange, Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Siemens Networks, Ericsson, Thomson, ZTE Corporation, ADVA Optical Networking, AVM, Motorola, NEC and more.

Exhibits and sponsorship opportunities remain; key industry companies may visit
www.iec.org/events/2009/bbwf/exhibitors/index.asp or contact Christine Paplaczyk at
cpaplaczyk(at)iec.org or +1-312-559-4616.

The IEC is now accepting speaking proposals at: www.iec.org/events/2009/bbwf/speakers/call_proposals.asp.

For additional information, visit www.bbwfeurope.com or contact Katie Post at kpost(at)iec.org or +1-312-559-3325.

###

About the Broadband World Forum Europe

For nearly a decade, the annual Broadband World Forum Europe conference and exhibition has grown significantly, hosting more than 6,000 of the industry’s elite and offering a wide range of information and communication technologies topics under the large umbrella of broadband.

Themed “Delivering the Promise,” this year’s Broadband World Forum Europe will feature more than 250 speakers in more than 50 breakout sessions, keynote
addresses, plenary panels, and workshops. Seventy-seven percent of BBWF Europe attendees are expected to be at a manager-level and above (averaged from the last three years). The event will also draw more than 100 carrier companies.
One hundred top vendors from around the globe will make up the high-caliber exhibition and display the latest broadband technologies, equipment, applications, solutions, and services needed to meet the ever-increasing customer demand for innovative solutions.

When last in Paris in 2006, the Broadband World Forum Europe received the "Best in Congress" KRéA Award with the CNIT La Défense and was honored as the best professional conference in all of France. Last year, the event helped generate the #1 industry news story of 2008 according to Total Telecom.

This year, the World Forum will present six tracks: (1) Mass Market, (2) Enterprise, (3) Software Enablers, (4) Core, (5) Access, and (6) Broadband Ecosystem Evolution. The prestigious InfoVision Awards will also take place again at the event. With the support of Official Host Sponsor Orange, the IEC expects thousands of industry professionals from approximately 100 countries to the CNIT La Défense this 7-9 September. For complete information, visit www.bbwfeurope.com.

About the IEC

A nonprofit organization, the IEC is dedicated to catalyzing technology and business progress worldwide in a range of high-technology industries and their university communities. Since 1944, the IEC has provided high-quality educational opportunities for industry professionals, academics, and students.

In conjunction with industry-leading companies, the IEC has developed an extensive, free, on-line educational program. The IEC conducts industry-university programs that have substantial impact on curricula. It also conducts research and develops publications, conferences, and technological exhibits that address major opportunities and challenges of the information age.

More than 70 leading high-technology universities are IEC affiliates, and the IEC handles the affairs of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association and Eta Kappa Nu, the honor society for electrical and computer engineers. Please visit www.iec.org.

TeleGeography's CommsUpdate

Latest Results from the LTE/SAE Trial Initiative

LSTI Forum

Gene Rittenhouse, Chef der Bell-Labs von Alcatel-Lucent, hat eine Vision. "In zehn Jahren", so beschreibt der Forscher des weltgrößten Telekommunikationslabors, "könnten Menschen mit Brillen durch die Straße laufen, auf denen sie sowohl die reale als auch die virtuelle Welt sehen." Auf dem Brillenglas wären dann z. B. Navigationstipps oder auch kurze Empfehlungen von Freunden für das ein oder andere Restaurant zu sehen.

"Wir müssen beim Mobilfunk ja nicht immer an das Handy von heute denken", so Rittenhouse in Barcelona. Breitband im Mobilfunk, davon ist der Forscher überzeugt, macht viel mehr möglich, als wir uns bislang vorstellen können.

Doch noch ist die Telekommunikationswelt weit von derartigen Anwendungen entfernt. Das zeigte sich auch und gerade auf dem Messegelände am Fuße des Montjuic, wo Fest- und Mobilfunknetze in den vier Messetagen ständig zusammenbrachen.

Dafür war in Barcelona jede Menge Zukunftsluft zu schnuppern. So waren bei vielen Ausstellern Demonstrationen der kommenden Mobilfunkgeneration Long Term Evolution aufgebaut. Von Ericsson über Nokia Siemens Network, von der chinesischen Huawei bis zur japanischen NEC - sie alle wollten zeigen, dass sie up to date sind.

Schließlich haben sie gemeinsam hart an der Standardisierung der nächsten Mobilfunkgeneration gearbeitet: In der NGMN-Allianz - Next Generation Mobile Network - wurden die technischen Spielregeln detailliert festgelegt. "Das Equipment von verschiedenen Herstellern läuft miteinander", sagte Anthony Berkley, LTE-Stratege beim Ausstatter Alcatel-Lucent. Die Netzausstatter und -betreiber haben in diesem Fall hehre Ziele: Sie wollen einen weltweiten Standard etablieren, der sowohl in Asien und Australien als auch in Europa, Afrika und Amerika funkt. Ein bislang einmaliges Unterfangen.

Vor allem jedoch soll mit dieser neuen Technik der ständig wachsende Hunger nach Bandbreite gestillt werden. Video über Handy, Netzwerken über Facebook, Musikdownloads über iTunes, Fotospaß mit Flickr - das alles propagierten vollmundig die Mobilfunkanbieter in den Messehallen. Und das alles füllt und verstopft die Netze.

Doch das schockt Carl-Henric Svanberg nicht. "Die nächste Mobilfunkgeneration LTE wird die Geschwindigkeit auf 150 Mbit/s erhöhen", verkündete der Chef von Ericsson, des weltgrößten Ausstatters von Mobilfunknetzen, auf der Mobile World und ergänzte selbstbewusst: "Wir legen Wert darauf, auch hier eine frühe Marktführerschaft zu übernehmen."

Wie es scheint mit Erfolg. Die Schweden sind am heimischen LTE-Netz der Telia Sonera und dem von Japans NTT Docomo beteiligt. In Stockholm soll die vierte Mobilfunkgeneration bereits 2010 kommerziell starten. Von Handys ist man dann noch Monate entfernt. "Zunächst wird es Steckkarten und Sticks für Notebooks geben", sagte Thomas Noren, LTE-Manager bei Ericsson.

Doch auch bei den LTE-Geräten gibt es schnelle Fortschritte. Noch bei der gemeinsamen Demo von Nortel, T-Mobile und LG im Sommer vergangenen Jahres in Bonn war das "Handy" so groß wie ein Koffer. Jetzt wurde im Pavillon von T-Mobile ein kleines Endgerät des koreanischen Herstellers LG zum Publikumsmagneten.

"Das haben wir erst vor zwei Wochen bekommen", erklärte der junge Ingenieur an der Demonstrationsinsel des größten deutschen Mobilfunkers.

"Wir können mit 50 Mbit/s senden", erklärte er, während die Videoübertragung einer Testfahrt in Bonn auf großen Bildschirmen lief. "Manchmal sind es auch nur 30 Mbit/s", ergänzte er, als plötzlich Artefakte auf dem Display zu sehen waren. Und fügte schnell hinzu: "Das liegt nicht an LTE, das ist das Netz hier in Barcelona."

Sein Chef Hamid Akhavan ist in Sachen LTE zurückhaltender geworden. "Wir arbeiten bereits jahrelang an LTE", erklärte er in Barcelona und versicherte: "Die Tests gehen weiter." Technologisch sind die Fakten gesetzt. Jetzt allerdings käme es darauf an, dass für die Technik die richtigen Frequenzen mit ausreichender Bandbreite zur Verfügung gestellt werden. "Die Einführung hängt von externen Entscheidungen ab", so Akhavan und spricht damit die Politik an.

Weltweiter Standard wird je nach Land auf anderen Frequenzen funken

LTE wird je nach Kontinent in verschiedenen Frequenzen funken: In Japan mit 2,1 GHz, in den USA mit 700 MHz und in Europa mit 2,6 GHz. Für dieses Frequenzband kommt es noch in diesem Jahr in vielen europäischen Ländern - auch in Deutschland - zu Auktionen. "Wir rechnen damit nach der Bundestagswahl", so Ericsson-Experte Noren. Noch lieber jedoch würden die Anbieter im MHz-Bereich funken. Die Versorgung in Häusern, große Zellenradien und weniger Antennen wären nur einige der damit verbundenen Vorteile.

"Mit LTE werden die Karten im Mobilfunkmarkt neu gemischt", meinte Alcatel-Lucent-Stratege Berkley. Der französisch-amerikanische Konzern, der bislang weltweit nur wenige Mobilfunknetze aufgebaut hat, wittert Morgenluft.

Schließlich sei LTE mehr als nur ein Netz aus Mobilfunkantennen und Basisstationen, so Berkley. "Hinter LTE verbirgt sich die komplette Umstellung der Netze auf IP-Technik." Was im Festnetz längst Standard ist - der vollständige Transport von Informationen über Datenpakete - hält dann auch im Mobilfunk Einzug. Alcatel-Lucent, nach eigenen Angaben die Nr. 1 in Sachen IP (Internet Protocol), hofft daher auf ein ordentliches Stück vom Kuchen.

Des einen Freud, könnte des anderen Leid werden. Längst gilt Long Term Evolution mit seinen dicken Datenraten als potenzieller Ersatz für das Festnetz. "LTE ist ein guter DSL-Ersatz", sagte Ericsson-Experte Noren. Eine Debatte, die mit der diesjährigen Mobile World noch längst nicht beendet sein dürfte.

by Regine Bönsch and Nikola Wohllaib, VDI Nachrichten

VDI Nachrichten

This in-depth session on “Technology Evolution”, developed jointly with NGMN, examined LTE in detail, moving through the process of developing the new technology from identifying requirements, to deployment. It included deployment options and scenarios, testing and trials, device development, roaming, Quality of Service and the emerging challenge of backhaul.

Programme Brochure

Dabei geht es größtenteils noch gar nicht um sogenannte Netzwerke der nächsten Generation (4G) und den UMTS-Nachfolger Long Term Evolution: Auch die bestehenden UMTS-Netze sollen in Zukunft bei der Übertragungs-Geschwindigkeit mit guten DSL-Anschlüssen mithalten können.

So kündigten die deutschen Netzbetreiber T-Mobile und O2 erste Testversuche mit der UMTS-Erweiterung HSPA + an. Mit dem Standard werden Download-Raten von bis zu 28 Megabit pro Sekunde versprochen. O2-Kunden in München sollen davon testweise bereits in der zweiten Jahreshälfte profitierern können.

Vodafone hat ähnliche Pläne in Spanien. Acht Jahre nach der Versteigerung der UMTS-Lizenzen sei das mobile Internet in Deutschland endlich Realität, sagte Jaime Smith Basterra, Deutschland-Chef von O2 Telefónica auf dem Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Treibende Kräfte für die Entwicklung seien innovative Endgeräte, preiswertere Datentarife sowie auf mobile Nutzung spezialisierte Anwendungen. Und genau für diese erwartete Flut von Musik- und Video-Downloads, Instant Messaging und E-Mails sollen die Netze gewappnet werden.

Auf die als UMTS-Nachfolgestandard gehandelte Technologie Long Term Evolution (LTE), die mit erwarteten Übertragungsraten von mehr als 100 Megabit pro Sekunde selbst Glasfaserleitungen schlagen soll, werden die Mobilfunk-Kunden zumindest in Deutschland aber wohl noch etwas warten müssen.

Die Betreiber machen dafür teilweise den Streit um die Mobilfunk-Frequenzen verantwortlich. Solange nicht klar ist, ob an die Mobilfunkanbieter die sogenannte «Digitale Dividende» geht, wie durch den Übergang zu digitalen TV-Übertragungen freigewordene Rundfunkfrequenzen genannt werden, wollen sie sich erst einmal auch nicht weiter engagieren.

Auch in Deutschland wird LTE zwar schon getestet - in anderen Regionen sind die Unternehmen allerdings schon weiter: Mit Verizon Wireless baut der größte Mobilfunkbetreiber in den USA ab 2010 ein LTE-Netz auf. In Europa sollen Kunden von TeliaSonera in der schwedischen Hauptstadt Stockholm ebenfalls ab Mitte kommenden Jahres in den Genuss der superschnellen Mobil-Netze kommen.

Für manche Marktbeobachter ist damit der Wettlauf zwischen LTE und dem konkurrierenden mobilen Format WiMAX bereits entschieden. «WiMAX ist nicht so bedeutend geworden, wie es in der Vergangenheit erwartet worden ist», sagt etwa Christoph Caselitz, Vertriebs- und Marketingchef von Nokia Siemens Networks. «LTE ist die wichtigste Technologie für die Zukunft.»

Und auch Philippe Kreyer, Technikchef von Alcatel-Lucent, sagt: «Unsere wichtigsten mobilen Kunden, haben sich für diesen einen Ansatz entschieden.» So treibe zum Beispiel der chinesische Marktführer China Mobile die Entwicklung voran, der in China allein 460 Millionen bedient. Ob sich die Betreiber immer sofort für die Standards der nächsten Generation entscheiden, sei allerdings noch nicht geklärt, räumt Kreyer ein. Beide Unternehmen gehören zur NGMN-Allianz (Netz Generation Mobile Networks), die den Aufbau von LTE als einheitlichen Standard propagiert.

Für Gartner-Analyst Sylvain Fabre ist LTE aber immer noch Zukunftsmusik. «Ich glaube, das LTE sehr langsam kommen wird.» Von der Nachfrageseite gebe es keinen Druck, denn mit UMTS gebe es ja bereits anständige Übertragungsraten. «Für den einfachen Nutzer macht es erstmal keinen Unterschied, ob er Übertragungsraten von 30 oder 100 Megabit pro Sekunde bekommt.» Und das wissen auch Netzbetreiber und Ausrüster: «Sie kaufen sich mit der Ausstattung der alten Netze erstmal etwas Zeit.»

Einig sind sich die Experten aber zumindest in einem: In Zukunft wird es mehr Breitbandverbindungen im Mobilfunk als im Festnetz geben.

by Annika Graf, dpa-AFX

dpa-AFX

As part of the MWC main conference program, GSMA and NGMN announced a specific stream on Thursday, February 19th with top speakers from Partners of the NGMN Alliance as well as other major companies of the mobile industry. This in-depth session on “Technology Evolution”, developed jointly with NGMN, will examine LTE in detail, moving through the process of developing the new technology from identifying requirements, to deployment. It will include deployment options and scenarios, testing and trials, device development, roaming, Quality of Service and the emerging challenge of backhaul.At the NGMN Hospitality Suite, the NGMN Office representatives welcome company representatives interested in the NGMN Alliance. To arrange meetings, please contact the NGMN Office at office(at)ngmn.org. The NGMN Hospitality Suite 137 is located on Gallery Level (Entrance via Hall 2, Level1. for directions click here

Programme Brochure

For the past three months, visitors to T-Mobile’s headquarters in Bonn have been able to experience what impact NGMN could have on real life communications. T-Mobile is bringing this experience to Barcelona, allowing visitors to their booth to interact with users in Germany over a mobile video connection and through popular applications like multiplayer gaming and social networking. This is how future subscribers will use the Next Generation Mobile Network to stay connected to colleagues, family and friends while on the go.

The demonstration comprises a high quality link between the stand in Barcelona and a LTE-equipped van in Bonn, Germany. As the van travels along the test route, visitors will be able to experience LTE via high definition video conferencing between the van and the stand. They will be able to play online games with people in the van and see lightning-fast file downloads speeds. There will be a second screen which will demonstrate mobile IPTV. In addition, a remote camera will provide a video feed of what is happening in the van in Germany.

Previous trials within the NGMN alliance successfully demonstrated download rates of up to 170 Mbit/s and upload rates of up to 50 Mbit/s in optimal conditions. With a view to demonstrating a customer experience which is second-to-none, T-Mobile tested the exciting applications showed on the van under live conditions. This resulted in the successful transmission of data to and from a vehicle driving at speeds of up to 65 km/h late last year. On the test route data transmission went smoothly without interruption or loss of quality even across different cells – one of the most important prerequisites for qualification as a mobile communications network of the future. The network used in this test was established by Nortel and consisted of a multi-cell end-to-end Nortel network. LG Electronics terminals were used in the vehicle.

“We’re very pleased to see the continued success of our tests with Next Generation Mobile Networks,” said Emin Gürdenli, EVP Radio Networks T-Mobile International and Technology Director, T-Mobile UK. “To ensure T-Mobile’s ongoing leadership in mobile network technology and meet the growing de-mand from our customers for mobile data, it is vital that we prepare for the future. These tests of real-life applications are an important step in managing the eventual transition to a NGMN.”

Press Release "T-Mobile extends leadership in Next Generation Mobile Networks with world-first demonstrations at Mobile World Congress"

T-Mobile

In the setup at the Rohde & Schwarz booth (hall 1, booth D59), an R&S AMU200A baseband signal generator will generate a base station's LTE TDD MIMO signal received by the user equipment (UE) implementation jointly developed by ASTRI and Innofidei. The signal contains an encoded video stream that is decoded by the UE. The R&S AMU200A is already equipped with two signal sources and one internal two-channel fading simulator. In the demonstration, it will include the option for LTE MIMO fading. This will enable the instrument to add 2x2 MIMO realtime fading in order to assess the effects on the receiver. The unique concept of the R&S AMU200A offers in one box all functions that are required to perform measurements on 2x2 MIMO receivers.

The 3GPP Release 8 specifications include both an LTE frequency division duplex (FDD) mode and an LTE time division duplex (TDD) mode. Both are essential for the commercial deployment of LTE. Although the two modes have been technically harmonized, solid test solutions are needed.

In addition to the setup in the demonstration, ASTRI also uses test solutions from Rohde & Schwarz to verify a femto base station implementation for LTE TDD. This involves using two R&S FSQ signal analyzers that assess the RF characteristics of the base station's MIMO signal.

The LTE TDD test solutions for signal generation (options R&S AMU-K55 and R&S SMx-K55) and signal analysis (options R&S FSQ-K104 and R&S FSQ-K105) are available from Rohde & Schwarz.

Press contacts:

Europe (headquarters): Monika Roth, Phone: +49 89 4129 12232, Fax: +49 89 4129 13208, E-mail: press(at)rohde-schwarz.com

North America: Chris Petrole, Phone: +1 410 910 7836, E-mail: chris.petrole(at)rsa.rohde-schwarz.com

Press Release "Rohde & Schwarz and ASTRI to demonstrate advanced test solutions for LTE TDD"

Rohde & Schwarz

The LTE demonstration will utilize Samsung’s eNode-B system and Starent’s multimedia core solutions including Mobility Management Entity (MME), Serving Gateway (SGW) and Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW).

The interoperability testing and public demonstration showcases the two companies’ commitment to creating a solution that is standards compliant and can address mobile operator requirements for broadband connectivity along with network deployment flexibility. The demonstration further validates Samsung and Starent Networks’ leadership positions in delivering next generation mobile broadband and multimedia core networking solutions to an ever evolving market.

“Because Starent focuses on mobile broadband and the multimedia core network, they were the perfect choice to showcase the interoperability requirements of a multi-vendor LTE EPC solution,” said Woon Sub Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung. “We believe this interoperability test is the first with the radio access from one company, Samsung, and the packet core from another, Starent. While other live network demonstrations have showcased end-to-end vendors demonstrating their radio and EPC, the completion of interoperability testing between Samsung and Starent validates the open standards compliance of both companies and demonstrates that we are ready and able to work with other companies’ solutions.”

“With the completion of interoperability testing with Samsung, Starent is poised to be first to market with a fully deployable evolved packet core network based on open standards,” said Ashraf Dahod, CEO of Starent Networks. “We are focused on the specific needs of the mobile operator multimedia core network and understand the unique dynamics of the network.  As a result, we have developed our solutions to deliver superior performance in the existing 3G network, with easy and cost-effective evolution to 4G-LTE.”

Samsung

Starent Networks

www.ngmn.org

A major objective of the NGMN Alliance is to ensure that next generation devices are available when the network is commercially available in 2010. The industry requires complete synchronicity of next generation devices, networks and services for a successful launch.

The NGMN’s ITDD project is an initiative which determined the requirements for user equipment for delivery in 2010. It defined devices which are enabled to serve common requirements while at the same time providing enough customisation to be regionally useful.

This document has initiated a sequence of “Executive Workshops on Devices” where all NGMN partners are committed to participate. NGMN continues to put a major focus in its workplan on the critical success factors in the device area including early device availability and capabilities, certification, test cases and IPR matters.

“NGMN’s main objective is to provide the mobile industry with support and recommendations that will enable device manufacturers, service providers and network operators to offer a complete synchronised offering in 2010. The ITDD document released today is the result of many months of intense work by the NGMN partners. They have specifically taken into account the mobile industry requirements for devices in the launch phase”, said Peter Meissner, Operating Officer, NGMN Alliance.

Download "NGMN Initial Terminal Device Definition"

NGMN Press Contact

NGMN Press Release "NGMN Releases Requirements for Initial Terminal Device Definition"

The cooperation agreement between NGMN and 3G Americas will focus on areas related to next generation mobile broadband, including information exchange, project-based cooperation and work on public relations, marketing and advocacy opportunities.

First joint activities will be around the NGMN Alliance’s session “Tools for Success – Enablers and key success factors for deployment of next generation mobile networks” at the Broadband World Forum at CTIA Wireless 2009. On April 2, leading industry executives will be discussing technical options, implications and success factors related to the transition towards next generation networks with representatives of NGMN, 3G Americas and others during this featured session.

NGMN is an organization founded to evaluate candidate technologies to develop a common view of suitable solutions for the next evolution of wireless networks. In June 2008, LTE was confirmed by the NGMN as the first technology which meets its recommendations. Now, as both NGMN and 3G Americas support 3GPP LTE/SAE, the working agreement between the two bodies will enable development and deployment of commercial mobile broadband based on this standard.

“Our agreement with 3G Americas will allow us to work cohesively in the successful implementation of next generation mobile technology throughout the Americas region,” stated Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. “There is already strong operator support by leading GSM and CDMA operators in adopting LTE for future evolutions. 3G Americas has proven itself successful in paving a smooth path for mobile operators adopting new 3GPP technologies and we are pleased to be able to work together to ensure future market success.”

The Americas region currently has 45 commercial HSPA networks in 22 countries and the natural 3GPP evolution will lead these operators to deploy LTE.  In addition, leading CDMA operators from around the globe have announced their next generation technology evolution to LTE. Worldwide, there are more than 100 operators who have announced plans to trial or deploy LTE for next generation mobile broadband. The vast majority of leading operators, device and infrastructure manufacturers support LTE as the mobile broadband technology of the future.

Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas, commented, "Collaborating with NGMN Alliance on areas of common interest to both our organizations benefits the wireless industry and customers in the Americas region.  Our joint focus is not only on wireless technology evolution, but will also include spectrum policies, regulation and establishing a complete mobile broadband ecosystem to support the social and economic development in this region.  We are honoured to be associated with this important global wireless organization.”

NGMN Press Contact

Press Release "3G Americas and NGMN Alliance Initiate Cooperation on Next Generation Mobile Networks"

3G Americas

The NGMN Alliance has had a successful year with some key deliverables and key milestones being reached. With the documentations on Self Organising Networks, Backhaul and ITDD (Initial Terminal Device Definition) now available from www.ngmn.org the Alliance has turned its attention to focus on operational efficiency, device availability and trials in the area of emerging next generation networks.

Next generation mobile networks are gaining momentum and operators are already moving their business propositions towards them. During the seminar, high level industry speakers will be discussing all aspects of next generation networks and how these will offer a connectivity boost for a new generation of consumer devices specifically tailored to suit next generation mobile services and applications.

Starting at 09.00 am, Thursday 19th February at the Fira de Barcelona, and spread over the full day, the conference stream will cover key areas of next generation mobile networks.

In the morning session “Drivers & success factors for the deployment of next generation mobile networks” keynotes and panels will focus on:

• Deployment strategies
• Interoperability & roaming
• Trials & testing

Followed in the afternoon session “Key technical and business aspects of network evolution” which zooms in on specific technology and business challenges such as:

• Network operations & rollout realities
• Terminals – development and timescales
• Backhaul solutions

Keynote speakers in the morning will be:

• Vivek Badrinath
  EVP IT Networks & Product Support, FT/Orange and Chairman of the NGMN Board
• Marc Rouanne
  Head of Radio Networks, Nokia Siemens Networks
• Donglin Shen
  VP Wireless Technology, ZTE Corporation

Representatives from 3GPP, Alcatel-Lucent, China Mobile, Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, LG, LSTI, mimoOn, NEC, Nortel, NTT DOCOMO, Qualcomm, Rohde & Schwarz, T-Mobile, Telefonica, Telia Sonera, Tellabs, Telus, Vodafone and ZTE Corporation will also address key topics in their speeches.   “Early 2010 will see the first next generation network deployments, devices and services and in recognition of this we have joined with the GSMA to develop an in-depth, day long seminar,” said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance.  “We are delighted to have some of the leading technology executives from the largest corporations across the globe speaking at the seminar.  We hope that those involved and attending enjoy the speaker sessions and that the panel on deployment strategies and backhaul challenges will spark further discussion points across the industry.”

NGMN Press Contact

NGMN Press Release "NGMN and GSMA talk ‘Technology Evolution – Beyond 3G’"

This latest expansion of Motorola’s LTE trial facilities offers operators the ability to engage in LTE technology field trials and detailed real-world equipment testing at the UK site.  Additionally, Motorola can host the core elements of the LTE network for operators that require a hosted LTE trial in EMEA.  The network and trial activity is fully supported by Motorola services, giving operators access to Motorola’s expertise in deploying and optimizing OFDM-based mobile broadband networks as well as developing 4G migration strategies.

“Motorola is at the forefront of 4G development which will address the mobility demands of today's consumers who are looking for personalized media experiences and operators looking to lower their cost per bit and gain a competitive advantage," said Joe Cozzolino, senior vice president and general manager, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility, EMEA & Asia Pacific.  “With our latest trial network we look forward to working closely with our customers in EMEA as they transition to LTE during 2009 and beyond.”

Visitors to Mobile World Congress 2009 can experience Motorola’s LTE live in a mobile environment.  For more information and to book a live LTE tour please visit http://www.motorola.com/events/mwc2009

Within its LTE lab in Swindon, UK, Motorola engineers work on LTE radio frequency and self organising network (SON) development. In addition, the site in Swindon remains a center of excellence for Motorola base station transceiver (BTS) development for GSM and now LTE.  Development of Motorola’s LTE solutions is also conducted in Arlington Heights, Illinois; Fort Worth, Texas; Beijing, China and Bangalore, India.

Motorola’s first commercial release of LTE solutions later this year will include products for the 700MHz and 2.6GHz spectrum bands to help operators increase coverage and capacity of their networks as they strive to meet the growing demand for mobile broadband services. Motorola is engaged with operators in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region for LTE field trial activity. 

LTE brings true mobile broadband, giving users a personalized, affordable media experience at home and while on the go. LTE is based on orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM), a next-generation radio frequency technology that has high spectral efficiency, and utilizes an all-IP flat architecture, resulting in a much increased capacity and a lower cost per bit that enables the delivery of mobile broadband services to the mass market. For more details about Motorola’s LTE solutions please visit http://www.motorola.com/lte and http://www.motorola.com/experiencelte

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit http://www.motorola.com.

Press Release "Motorola Launches Long Term Evolution (LTE) Trial Network in the UK"

Motorola

In order to provide overall guidance on solutions supporting SONs for the future, the new NGMN document provides several use cases and identifies requirements of operators aiming to implement SONs. The NGMN document builds upon the previously released recommendation “Use Cases Related to Self-Organising Networks”.

SONs offer key operational and financial benefits for operators thinking of investing in next generation networks.  Future networks must be dynamic and have the ability to adapt to user requirements. Self optimising networks are capable of reconfiguring themselves for maximum operational efficiency which in turn significantly reduces the total cost of ownership of a network.

NGMN’s document focuses on the key parts of the “Technical Working Group SON” requirements including:

• SON enablers
• Self-configuration
• Self-optimisation
• Fault Management & Fault Correction
• O&M Related SON

“Self-optimising networks are a key part in the future proofing of network reliability and operational efficiency,” said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. “We’ve worked with our partners to create the recently released SON document and are happy to discuss the contents of the document further with vendors, operators and interested parties.“

The objective of the NGMN Alliance is to reach out for a new experience in mobile broadband communications and to ensure a virtuous cycle of investment, innovation and adoption of mobile broadband services with attractive cost-performance ratios. NGMN is established as a global voice for common requirements for next generation of mobile networks.

NGMN Press Contact

NGMN Press Release "NGMN Releases Requirements on Self-Optimising Networks"

4G will offer customers a whole new mobility experience using mobile broadband services. It will be a joy connecting to services demanding large data volumes or fast data traffic. 4G will be suitable for media and interactive services for which timing on the second is essential.

“We have chosen Ericsson to deliver the initial 4G city network in Stockholm and Huawei for the initial 4G city network in Oslo. Now, TeliaSonera continues the evaluation of suppliers to deliver 4G networks in the Nordic and Baltic countries, says Lars Klasson, Senior Vice President and CTO, Mobility Services, TeliaSonera.”

Facts: The 4G/LTE system is based on 3GPP standards for Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio technology and System Architecture Evolution (SAE) core technology.

Press Release "TeliaSonera signs world’s first 4G commercial contracts"

TeliaSonera

The Modem Chip is the most crucial component required to create a viable 4G handset with LTE technology, the leading candidate to become the fourth generation mobile phone technology standard.  LG demonstrated the chip today at its Mobile Communication Technology Research Lab in Anyang, Korea, achieving wireless download speeds of 60 Mbps and upload speeds of 20 Mbps. The fastest phones currently on the market use HSDPA technology and download at a maximum speed of 7.6 Mbps.

Higher download speeds are becoming more and more important as people are increasingly using their mobile phones to watch movies, listen to music and browse the internet. With LTE technology, users can download a 700 MB movie file in less than one minute at speeds of 100 Mbps. LTE technology would also allow consumers to simultaneously stream four HD movies without any buffering.

For the past three years, LG have been pursuing 3GPP LTE standardization, working to develop and test commercially viable LTE technology with approximately 250 of R&D staffs. The result is a 13 by 13 mm modem chip, perfectly sized for the next generation of slim-yet-powerful handsets. For its demonstration today, LG used a test terminal running Windows Mobile to play back high quality, on-demand video. In addition to this handset modem, LG is also developing the first preliminary LTE-based data card, which can replace the wireless cards currently used in computers.

“Now that LG has developed and tested the first 4G handset modem, a commercially viable LTE handset is on the horizon,” said Dr. Woo Hyun Paik, CTO of LG Electronics. “This latest breakthrough gives us a strong technology advantage that we will use to bolster our industry leadership.”

Most of the major mobile operators are pursuing LTE-based 4G technology. Because it is based on the existing WCDMA technology evolutionary path, 85 percent of WCDMA service-provided carriers will be able to upgrade their networks to LTE with far less cost than building a new network based on a different technology.

According to market research company Strategy Analytics, the global LTE handset market will double from 70 million sales units in 2012 to 150 million sales units by 2013.

Dr. Paik added, "Our successful development of this LTE handset modem signals the start of the 4G mobile communications market. LG will continue to advance this technology and develop further technologies to maintain global leadership.”

Mobile phone carriers have now built LTE test networks and are currently working on early stage handsets. The first LTE mobile phones will likely reach the market in 2010.

LG Electronics

Ericsson said this week it expects 80% of global Internet subscribers will connect via mobile broadband instead of fixed by 2013.

by Nick Wood

Total Telecom

Building and Monetizing the open mobile economy -
As internet and wireless worlds collide, Open Mobile is the deal space for the new mobile economy. This outstanding industry event examines the impact of the current trend to open the mobile value chain - on operators, software, handset, Internet, application and mobile web companies. And seeks to define where the value is going to be in wireless.

NGMN Alliance will be represented by Hossein Moiin, Group Vice President Technical Strategy, T-Mobile International and Chair of the NGMN Ecosystem Working Group.

NGMN Partners obtain an additional discount of $100 off the ticket price if they quote NGMN when they register at www.openmobilesummit.com

Download of the conference agenda www.openmobilesummit.com/agenda.aspx

The operator is preparing the new LTE network now, even before its 3G network, based on the home-grown Chinese standard TD-SCDMA, has been commercially launched. (See China Mobile Flexes LTE Muscle, China Mobile to Unleash 3G Next Year.)

China Mobile says it is building out the 3G TD-SCDMA network so that the cell sites and many other elements can be reused for the LTE network. (See Emerging Markets Offer Capex Hope.)

"In our new TD-SCDMA network, we put all the measurement and configuration in place to have a simple migration to LTE," says Bill Huang, general manager at China Mobile Research Institute. "More than 60 percent of the investment will be able to migrate to LTE in the future. That makes us the most ready operator for LTE."

China Mobile's aggressive timescale for LTE begs a burning question: To what extent will the operator actually deploy 3G TD-SCDMA given that LTE follows hot on its heels?

The world's largest operator by subscribers has one of the most aggressive deployment plans for LTE, with a commercial launch targeted for 2010. It joins the ranks of NTT DoCoMo Inc. (NYSE: DCM - message board), T-Mobile International AG , and Verizon Wireless in the push for 4G.

China Mobile's Huang says a proof-of-concept trial will start by the end of this year, while lab and field trials are scheduled for early next year. The operator hopes to enter the "pre-commercial stage" by the end of 2009, and then launch a large-scale pre-commercial trial, according to Huang.

China Mobile refers to its TD-SCDMA network as a "large-scale trial" that comprises 15,000 base stations.

For 4G, China Mobile will use TD-LTE -- a time division duplex (TDD) version of LTE -- that will be compatible with TD-SCDMA and the rest of the world's LTE, which is based on frequency division duplex (FDD). The TD-LTE specifications are scheduled to be completed by the end of this year along with the primary LTE/system architecture evolution (LTE/SAE) specifications at the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) . (See LTE Focus Puts Pressure on Femtocells and LTE Specs on Track.)

"TDD/FDD integration brings the opportunity for a unified radio infrastructure," says Huang. "Global roaming will be effectively enabled with a single access platform."

China Mobile is part of a joint trial initiative with Verizon Wireless and Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD - message board), but Huang was unable to provide an update. (See China Mobile Joins LTE Threesome, Verizon, Vodafone Head for LTE, and Verizon Goes LTE.)

"Before coming here, I asked Vodafone if I could provide more information [about the trial] and they told me I should just say, we're doing it," he says.

Huang also noted the importance of supporting voice over LTE and said that one technology option for that could be Kineto Wireless Inc. 's unlicensed mobile access (UMA).

"We could carry voice over UMA," he says. "We will have an LTE network that supports voice -- it doesn't matter what protocol we'll use. We'll use voice as the application."

by Michelle Donegan, European Editor

Unstrung

China Mobile

Download des Programms

According to Chief Technology Officer Joachim Horn, the company will deploy HSPA as long as no hardware upgrades or replacements are necessary, and will look to improve network efficiency using software techniques. This effectively means T-Mobile can boost its current 7.2Mbps HSDPA network up to 14.4 Mbps on the downlink--and not to the next step of 28.8Mbps (and higher) that is enabled by HSPA+. The major drawbacks, according to Horn, are the necessary base station upgrades and the need for MIMO antennae.

Those looking for conspiracy theories might accuse T-Mobile of attempting to force equipment vendors to place greater emphasis on the development of LTE as against further refining HSPA+. Given that China Mobile, DoCoMo and Verizon Wireless have each made aggressive statements regarding their intent to push forward with LTE, then those interested in such plots have more to go on.

However, there is a question as to whether these operators, including T-Mobile, can wait for LTE--especially given the marketing hype around mobile broadband offers.

Horn is acutely aware of this issue and doesn't believe LTE test networks will be seen until mid- to late-2010. Horn seems content to adopt a long-term strategy: "LTE is suited in the long run, [around] 2020, to be the technology that you can consolidate all technologies onto--GSM and UMTS. That's a vision for 12 years from now."

by Paul Rasmussen

Fierce Wireless

T-Mobile

This new partnership combines the knowledge of NGMN’s partners with Cambridge Broadband Network’s expertise in traffic optimisation and PMP microwave backhaul architecture, thereby furthering the group’s capabilities to work effectively towards providing better next generation mobile broadband services.

Cambridge Broadband Networks’ CEO, Graham Peel comments:

We are delighted to be joining the NGMN. We feel that adding our unique backhaul technology and experience to the NGMN Alliance will both compliment and strengthen the Alliance’s goal to ensure effective end-to-end backhaul performance throughout mobile broadband networks.

Cambridge Broadband Networks is the leading supplier of point-to-multipoint (PMP) packet microwave backhaul network solutions, designed to provide flexible backhaul to mobile broadband network operators. Cambridge Broadband Networks’ solutions enable mobile network operators to roll-out high performance mobile broadband networks quickly at less cost than many alternatives.

Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN, welcomed Cambridge Broadband Networks as an NGMN sponsor.

To ensure that next generation networks deliver a quality experience to customers, backhaul networks need to be carefully designed to respond to traffic requirements while providing cost-efficient, flexible and easy-to-operate solutions for the operators. NGMN is glad to have Cambridge Broadband Networks on board to help us to achieve our challenging objectives and to make the vision of NGMN a reality.

Press Release "Cambridge Broadband Networks to Join NGMN Alliance"

Cambridge Broadband Networks

The sessions included mobile video streaming and various high data rate applications. The demonstrations also included execution of applications priority which guarantees throughput using quality of service (QoS) aspects of the LTE standards.

“This field test shows the progress we’ve made in preparing to deliver a commercial LTE solution for testing and early limited deployments in 2009,” said Darren McQueen, vice president, Wireless Broadband Access Technologies, Motorola Home & Networks Mobility. “We are testing our 700MHz and 2.6GHz products, which are expected for first commercial release next year, in real-world environments to ensure our products will meet the needs of mobile carriers who want to be first to market with LTE.”

The lower frequency bands provide better coverage and in-building penetration, which is a requirement for many mobile operators. In North America, the 700MHz spectrum auctioned earlier this year is part of the worldwide “digital dividend” - spectrum in the 470–862MHz bands that has been freed by the switch from analog to digital TV. The digital dividend is viewed by mobile operators in the U.S., Europe, and much of the rest of the world as a valuable resource as existing and new mobile broadband networks quickly consume current spectrum allocations and operators are pushed towards providing connections to rural areas.

In Europe digital dividend spectrum encompasses the current TV broadcast 790–862MHz bands. It is expected to be auctioned between 2009–2012, coinciding with mobile operators’ plans to deploy LTE.

Motorola’s flexible LTE eNode-B architecture can be tailored to meet each customer’s specific requirements by using frame based-mounted radios and remote radio heads. This design allows many spectrum bands to be supported in the early stage of LTE and accommodates a wide variety of LTE deployment scenarios across newly available spectrum as well as existing GSM, UMTS and CDMA bands. The 700MHz radio head for example, can be modified to operate in 790-862MHz to provide operators a solution to deploy LTE in the “digital dividend” spectrum as soon as it becomes available in the various regions.

LTE promises to deliver an unrivalled user experience with ultra fast broadband and very low latency with lowest cost per bit for data services. With LTE’s ability to deliver a highly compelling user experience and to interconnect with other access technologies, operators will be able to integrate their LTE and fixed line broadband networks. LTE creates the opportunity to deliver subscribers truly seamless broadband communications that accelerates the delivery of personal media experiences and brings exciting new applications like video streaming to enable media mobility.

For more details about Motorola’s LTE solutions please visit: www.motorola.com/lte and www.motorola.com/experiencelte

About Motorola

Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. Our portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. Motorola is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of US $36.6 billion in 2007. For more information about our company, our people and our innovations, please visit www.motorola.com.

Press Release Motorola Demonstrates Industry First Over-the-Air LTE Session in 700 MHz Spectrum

During the NGMN live test, data was transmitted to and from a vehicle driving between Deutsche Telekom’s headquarters on the left side of the River Rhine and the T-Mobile headquarters on the river’s right bank. On the four km test route the vehicle, which was driven at speeds up to 100kph (60mph), demonstrated download speeds in excess of 130Kbps (max 170 Mbps) and upload speeds up to 44 Mbps (max 50 Mbps).

The trial system was working in the 2.1 GHz band using multiple radio cell sites providing true mobility (including handover) and at varying vehicle speeds we experienced LTE enabled services across the Nortel solution.

In his introduction to the event, T-Mobile CTO International, Joachim Horn said that mobile broadband had become a reality with data revenues multiplying by 1.5 times between Q206 and Q208 whilst mobile data traffic from 06/08 to 06/08 and showed a growth factor of 13.

“This growth will continue”, said Horn. “Working on Moore’s Law, the performance of digital circuits doubles every two years – but the price stays the same.”

We don’t like it slow

Horn went on to say that with the evolution of the networks, LTE would have an enormous impact and now with HSPA in place, “You can never go back. When customers get used to better performance, that’s what they expect forever. The more speed we provide, the more they want and that’s what will fuel our networks in the near future.”

Judging by the experience of the field test when broadcast TV, live video calls and HD viewing was all running in parallel, as well as making a voice call, LTE shows immense commercial promise that wireless operators can exploit to offer the rich content services of the type demanded by bandwidth hungry consumers.

2010: the year of LTE

Horn continued by saying that there would be several success pointers for LTE:

Device usability: early GSM devices were not for purpose If we look at what IPod and iPhone did for consumers’ perception then HSPDA will do he same for mobile consumers.

Optimized Web Experience: Applications and Internet access are not new to consumers, but through LTE they will have better experiences in their browser, screen and speed. They won’t have to learn new ways, just appreciate better ways of what they know.

Worry free roaming: as prices become unified, data roaming will increase through the vastly improved capability of LTE.

Network Innovation: The network will no longer be viewed as a commodity. Technology will prove to be the engine of innovation. Today, we are not forgetting about 3G at all as we have to re-use and maximise the resources to go forward and I think that LTE is the most likely technology to be adopted for 4G. No decision has been made yet it is gradually proving to be good and shows a great potential. Network latency is greatly diminished.

“LTE is clearly here – it’s on the street and ready for lots of applications and it’s not too ambitious to say it will hit the road on 2010,” said Horn. “170 Mbps is well within our reach now.”

by Kendrick Struthers-Watson, Global Editor Telecommunications

Telecom Magazine

T-Mobile

• Vivek Badrinath
  Executive Vice President for IT, Networks & Product Support, France Telecom SA
  
• Dr. Jae W. Byun
  CTO, Head of Institute of Network Technology, MNO Business, SK Telecom Co. Ltd. 
  
• Joachim Horn
  Chief Technology Officer, T-Mobile International AG
  
• Mitsunobu Komori
  Executive Vice President, Chief Technical Officer, Member of Board of Directors, and Managing Director of R&D Center, NTT DOCOMO, INC.
  
• Cayetano Lluch Mesquida
  Director of Technology and Services Development, Telefonica Móviles España S.A.
  
• Steve Pusey
  Global Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Group Plc.
  
• Kris Rinne
  Senior Vice President – Architecture & Planning, AT&T, Inc.
  
• Sha Yuejia
  Vice President for Business Support, Technology and R&D, China Mobile Communications Corp.

Outgoing Chairman Hamid Akhavan (CEO, T-Mobile International AG) congratulated the newly appointed Board Directors: “The NGMN Alliance has been established as a key player in the mobile industry in just two years with major achievements in the areas of next generation technology, spectrum, IPR and many others. I’m convinced that the Alliance will continue its track record in the coming years.”

At its first meeting, the new Board elected Vivek Badrinath as Chairman and agreed to work on ensuring the successful launch of next generation mobile network technology by focusing on trials and testing, device availability, services and applications.

The new Chairman, Vivek Badrinath, expressed his appreciation for the Initial Board’s groundbreaking success and thanked Hamid Akhavan for his excellent leadership: “I am honored to follow Hamid Akhavan's guidance and intend with all our colleagues, to put continued focus on the key needs for an evolutionary, cost-effective migration path from the existing networks to the next generation networks in order to deliver on our promise of mobile broadband to our customers.”

NGMN Press Contact

"4G Executive Summit provided business and communications executives a forum where they gained insight into the current trends and projected capabilities of next generation mobile broadband systems, networks, advanced technologies, services and applications", explained Eliot Weinman, conference founder, co-chair, and president of Trendsmedia.  "The Summit provided attendees with a clear roadmap for success as they begin to build their business models for the future."

The 4G Executive Summit focused on assessments of key technologies and new business models that enable service providers to profitably deliver the intrinsic value of mobile Internet access to businesses and consumers.  Additional expert-led breakout sessions offered attendees opportunities to examine technology infrastructure, device and applications strategies as well as exploring regulatory and spectrum policy challenges.Some of the industry experts sharing their insights with attendees included:

• Dr. Peter Meissner, NGMN Alliance
• Dr. Mo Shakouri, Alvarion Chris Pearson, 3G Americas
• Charlie Martin, Huawei Technologies
• Herns Pierre-Jerome, Qualcomm
• Hank Kafka, AT&T
• Eric Dentler, Cisco Systems
• Mark Pecen, Research In Motion
• Fred Campbell, WCA

Summarizing the event's success Weinman offered that "with over 800 attendees the importance of 4G in the future of mobile broadband to major carriers, start-up content providers, solutions vendors, broadcasters and investors has been well demonstrated."

About Trendsmedia

Trendsmedia is the events and publishing division of Yankee Group Research, Inc. Our mission is to help our clients stay ahead of the major technology trends that are likely to impact their businesses significantly. Trendsmedia provides their clients with independently researched media products that target emerging technology markets in depth, including focused conferences, independently produced online media, and in-depth newsletters. For more, see www.trendsmedia.com.

This 4G Executive Summit leverages the extensive research conducted by Yankee Group and will provide a unique insight into the market potential for 4G broadband services based on 3GSM/LTE, Wi-Fi and WiMAX technologies.

Key topics of the conference are

• Personal and Mobile Broadband Services
• Enabling Disruptive 4G Mobile Technologies
• Wireless Broadband and Mobile Applications Strategies
• Mobile Content and Commerce Strategies
• Mobile TV, Quad Play, and Broadband Embedded Consumer Electronics
• New Business Models for Personal Broadband and the Mobile Internet

NGMN Partners obtain a discount of $ 300. Please contact office(at)ngmn.org to receive the priority code. Details are available at 4G Executive Summit 2008

Now, T-Mobile goes one step further by realizing the NGMN in a live test under everyday conditions. In the trial, data was transmitted to and from a vehicle driving in Bonn between Deutsche Telekom's headquarters on the left side of the river Rhine and the T-Mobile headquarters on the river’s right bank. On the four-kilometer test track data transmission went smoothly without interruptions and without loss of quality even across different cells – one of the most important prerequisites for qualification as a mobile communications network of the future. The network used in this test was established by Nortel and consisted of a multi – cell end-to-end Nortel network. LG Electronics terminals were used in the vehicle.

In a second step, applications with high demands on bandwidth and latency like HDTV, HD-Video or Online Gaming will then be tested for their usability under real-world conditions.  

“As a pioneer in the development of NGMN, T-Mobile marked the next step in testing future technology with this field trial. In line with the NGMN Alliance's recommendation we are the first network operator worldwide to take LTE as one of the possible new future technologies from the laboratory to the field. In doing so, we are consolidating our position as the leading network provider and innovation driver. At the same time, we are underlining our claim of continuing to offer our customers top quality and the fastest broadband connections for the mobile Internet with the next generation of networks,” said a delighted Joachim Horn, Chief Technology Officer of T-Mobile International AG, on the successful start to LTE testing.

“We are pleased to join efforts with T-Mobile in bringing Nortel's LTE technology to life in the Bonn test network,” said  Richard Lowe, president, Carrier Networks, Nortel. “T-Mobile is a thought leader in NGMN. This early field trial is an important step for both companies to test LTE's extensive capabilities and demonstrate innovative LTE applications. Ongoing joint testing of LTE in a real mobile operator network will expand understanding of the benefits and performance characteristics of LTE technology which will further strengthen Nortel's offering and accelerate our time to market.”

The IIR Mobile Broadband World is endorsed by the NGMN Alliance. NGMN Partners obtain a discount 10% off the conference price; please contact office(at)ngmn.org to receive the VIP code. Detailed information about the conference is available at IIR Mobile Broadband World

www.funkschau.de

Supported by NGMN with a presentation from the Operating Officer. To receive further information about the event please follow Synergie Fachtagung

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The HSPA to HSPA+ roadmap provides tremendous technical enhancements and robust capabilities for wireless operators today. Many operators will choose an evolution to extend the current HSPA roadmap through HSPA+ or HSPA Evolved, a simple upgrade to today’s HSPA networks with peak theoretical downlink speeds of 28 Mbps that will be available for commercial deployment in 2009. HSPA+ delivers a smooth transition and complement to LTE, and by 2010, further developments of the technology will offer peak theoretical speeds of 42 Mbps on the downlink and 11.5 Mbps on the uplink. In addition, HSPA+ will more than double the capacity of HSPA as well as reduce latency below 50 milliseconds. Many operators such as AT&T have already announced their network strategy to evolve from HSPA to HSPA+.

“HSPA already has the leadership position in mobile broadband,” stated Chris Pearson, President of 3G Americas. "Now, the mobile telecommunications world is adopting LTE as the next evolutionary technology of choice.”

LTE was recently confirmed by the Next Generation Mobile Network Alliance (NGMN). NGMN is the organization founded to evaluate candidate technologies to develop a common view of suitable solutions for the next evolution of wireless networks.

Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN announced that, “based on intensive and detailed technology evaluations, 3GPP LTE/SAE is the first technology which broadly meets its recommendations and is approved by its Board.” NGMN is ensuring the successful commercial launch of future mobile broadband networks through a roadmap for technology and friendly user trials.  Initial trial results for LTE exceed NGMN expectations and prove that future network technology will deliver on its promises.

In reference to the NGMN Alliance announcement, Michael Thelander, CEO and Founder of Signals Research Group, a US-based wireless research consultancy, stated that, “the implications could be significant, and if nothing else, eighteen of the world’s largest mobile operators have spoken …”

LTE is the next generation technology evolution that most leading operators worldwide are choosing. Announcements have been made on planned LTE deployments, LTE trials, LTE initiatives and LTE testing by leading global operators such as AT&T, China Telecom, China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, Telecom Italia, T-Mobile Germany, Verizon and Vodafone indicating the strong preference of LTE as the future technology.

Nearly one billion potential subscriptions are already represented within networks by operators who have made announcements regarding LTE building tremendous scope and scale for the technology. This scalability will provide an open delivery platform for consumers as well as improve OPEX and total cost of ownership for improved network performance and investments for operators. LTE standards specifications in 3GPP Release 8 were approved in January 2008, with some trials starting in 2008, putting the technology on track for initial deployments in 2010 and beyond.

For more information on HSPA+ and LTE, visit the 3G Americas website at www.3gamericas.org where white papers are available for free download.

The two industry groups announced that they will collaborate to ensure that the dialogue between all stakeholders including research in the area of future mobile and wireless communication systems will be maintained and intensified. In order to contribute to the advancement of the mobile industry, the organisations will cooperate through exchanging information and views and will promote their cooperation by regular meetings and by identifying focus areas. 

Dr. Nigel Jefferies, Chair of the WWRF said, “The NGMN is a key organisation for the future commercial deployment of next generation mobile networks. We are both pursuing the mission to enhance the mobile experience for all parties involved in mobile, from developers to the end user. We are convinced that the WWRF footprint in the research community will support this mission.”

NGMN Operating Officer, Dr. Peter Meissner commented, “The WWRF is offering an excellent platform for the mobile industries to leverage the latest research results into their business activities. By integrating the research platform from WWRF into our work in NGMN we will make sure that all our partners in NGMN have an active link into ongoing global research in the mobile area.” 

NGMN Press Contact

Under the terms of the co-operation agreement, the two organisations will work to facilitate the timely development of next-generation mobile broadband systems while avoiding duplication of work. This includes areas such as defining market requirements; assessing spectrum requirements; optimised backhaul solutions; and the development of recommendations to mobile operators, equipment developers, standardisation bodies and national administrations.

Speaking at this week’s 2^nd NGMN Industry Conference in Frankfurt, UMTS Forum Chairman Jean-Pierre Bienaimé emphasized the importance of partnerships between industry associations in promoting technology solutions defined by standardisation bodies.

“HSPA is already a proven market success, with more than 40 million subscribers to almost 120 HSPA networks worldwide. Going forward, our industry now needs to focus its attention on creating a fertile ecosystem to meet future mass-market demand for cost-effective next-generation systems. These advanced solutions will offer an order of magnitude increase in speed, capacity and performance over today’s networks. In the UMTS Forum we are delighted to support and endorse the objectives of the NGMN Alliance in building an environment where technological solutions can be translated into a successful commercial reality.”

Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. explained: “The partnership between the UMTS Forum and the NGMN Alliance will offer the mobile industry will certainly help to steer the future of mobile broadband and will support the rapid deployment of NGMN technologies. Fulfilling NGMN requirements will provide a step change in existing mobile broadband experience and will enable and accelerate mass market access to new products and services. Based on intensive and detailed technology evaluations, 3GPP LTE/SAE is the first technology which broadly meets its recommendations and is approved by its Board”.

NGMN Press Contact

In his keynote speech Hamid Akhavan (Chairman of the NGMN Board and CEO of T-Mobile International) quoted Informa who have predicted that the number of mobile broadband subscribers will overtake the number of fixed broadband subscribers in the early part of the next decade. “We note that mobile broadband expands the mobile ecosystem to include bandwidth hungry applications and consumer electronic devices. These will provide the industry with tremendous growth opportunities through both operator and 3rd party services,” Hamid Akhavan explained, furthermore he added that “in order to continue its growth in a viable manner, mobile broadband players need to address three key challenges; first, they must provide a superior user experience allowing for personalised, easy-to-use devices with desirable and seamless services, second, they must reduce the cost of carrying mobile traffic and ensure the optimised usage of all operator assets, and third, they must synchronise the arrival and readiness of devices, networks and services to avoid years of missed opportunities.” Based on these principles, Hamid Akhavan outlined the major imperatives of the NGMN Alliance roadmap for the next years as “to provide all required enablers, to fulfil all customer-centric requirements, and to extensively trial and test all systems, devices and services prior to commercial availability in 2010.”

In technology sessions, senior executives from operators and vendors discussed delivery plans for next generation high-performance solutions. It was clearly highlighted that fulfilling NGMN requirements will provide a step change in existing mobile broadband experience and will enable and accelerate mass market access to new products and services. Furthermore, the NGMN Alliance announced that “based on intensive and detailed technology evaluations, 3GPP LTE/SAE is the first technology which broadly meets its recommendations and is approved by its Board” as explained by Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance.

In order to ensure the successful commercial launch of mobile broadband networks, a roadmap for technology and friendly user trials was developed when the NGMN Alliance was established. The initial trial results shown at the Industry Conference exceed NGMN expectations and proved that future network technology will deliver on its promises. Several on-site live demonstrations also made the same point during the conference.

Customer expectations and demand, the future of mobile devices and potentially successful services were addressed in several speeches and panel sessions. Industry thought leaders clearly pointed out the explosive growth potential in combining the strength of the internet and mobile industries. New business models and commercial arrangements are under development by many players and these new developments will challenge the mobile industry and will lead to new requirements by the mobile operators. During panel sessions on mobile internet and mobile broadband ecosystem it was emphasised that the innovators and developers will require open platforms to deliver new services to the end-users and the operator community needs to ensure that all the right enablers are in place for their use.

Key elements required to make this ecosystem viable include sufficient spectrum availability and a transparent IPR scheme. Major NGMN milestones in the area of spectrum allocation have already been achieved but a number of spectrum issues (e.g. the timely availability of sufficient UHF spectrum) still have to be resolved. Coordinated efforts of the mobile industry are essential to drive the spectrum allocation process and also the process to finalise the new IPR regime. Speakers expressed that IPR transparency is of greatest importance because next generation mobile communication is fundamentally different to 2G/3G, for example as cost and performance are driven by competitive forces outside the mobile industry. A breakthrough in the telecommunication industry has already been reached as a number of NGMN partners owning key patents have recently published their expected royalty rates for the first time.

While highlighting achievements and discussing challenges during the NGMN Industry Conference, consensus was reached on the strategic focus of the NGMN Alliance for the next two years. Key activities of the NGMN Alliance will include securing availability of devices and services as well as developing consistent requirements for trials to be performed prior to the successful launch of mobile broadband networks in 2010.

NGMN Press Contact

The two bodies will work together to ensure that next generation mobile networks can incorporate femtocells from the very beginning of their deployment rather than integrating the technology afterwards. This is expected to enable mobile operators to use femtocells to manage the cost of rollouts, plan spectrum use and ensure optimum coverage and capacity precisely where it is needed.  The two bodies will be involved in establishing clear performance targets, fundamental recommendations and deployment scenarios for next generation mobile broadband networks incorporating femtocells and to help ensure that cost/performance ratios are optimised.   “Adding femtocells to existing cellular networks provides operators with numerous benefits, but rolling out a completely new mobile technology designed to include femtocells introduces fundamental and powerful advantages,” said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. “The partnership between the Femto Forum and the NGMN Alliance will offer operators a completely different approach to network rollout than exists today.”   “Femtocells can transform how next generation mobile networks can be deployed. For example, femtocells could be employed using higher frequencies to deliver targeted intense high bandwidth requirements inside buildings - exactly where subscribers need it. This is expected to enable operators to use the scarce lower frequency spectrum to provide good quality coverage across entire markets with the minimum number of macro network cells” said Prof. Simon Saunders, Chairman of the Femto Forum “The range of possibilities opened up by femtocells is extensive and this agreement will help ensure that the most can be made of the opportunity.”   The NGMN Alliance recommendations include a clear requirement for a cost-optimised indoor node design. It also includes requirements for self-organising networks with automated self-optimising and self-configuring functionality.  Femtocells are the first example of a self-organising network and therefore meet both these requirements. The two bodies will work together to define technology requirements, and make recommendations which will then be converted into solutions to be developed within the Femto Forum and promoted jointly.

NGMN Press Contact

In his keynote speech, Hamid Akhavan, Chairman of the NGMN Board, announced the decision of LTE/SAE as the first technology broadly meeting the requirements of the NGMN White Paper 3.0 (details see section “News from the Board”).

Apart from this announcement of the first candidate technology compliant with NGMN White Paper, the NGMN Industry Conference showed a strong commitment of the community to the NGMN roadmap and the most relevant topics to focus on until deployment and launch in 2010: assuring timely availability of devices and services, pursuing intensive trial activities, IPR transparency as well as spectrum availability.

Customer expectations and demand, the future of mobile devices and potentially successful services were addressed in several speeches and panel sessions. During panel sessions on mobile internet and the mobile broadband ecosystem it was emphasised that the innovators and developers will require open platforms to deliver new services to the end-users and the operator community needs to ensure that all the right enablers are in place for their use. Key elements required to make this ecosystem viable include a platform for innovation as pursued by NGMN as well as sufficient spectrum availability and a transparent IPR scheme.

Final Conference Programm

Download of presentations for registered participants

NGMN Industry Conference Media Package

Key Milestones reached towards Future Mobile Communications

Announced at this month’s 2^nd NGMN Industry Conference in Frankfurt, Germany, the industry groups will collaborate to ensure the best security is put in place for devices which will become available in Next Generation Mobile Networks. Together, the two organisations, which are both made up of leading mobile operators and major manufacturers, will promote industry recommendations on mobile and network security, which in turn will enable enhanced mobile applications and provide a secure environment for developers, operators and consumers.

Tim Raby, MD OMTP said, “The NGMN is a complementary organisation to the OMTP. We have like-minded individuals, a similar membership and a mission to enhance the mobile experience for all parties involved in mobile, from developers to the end user. We hope to raise device security up the agenda, ultimately delivering a better and safer user experience.”

NGMN Operating Officer, Peter Meissner commented, “The OMTP’s recommendations are valuable and respected within the industry. The security recommendations are widely seen as the baseline for device security across the industry. Security within the network and device is critical for the NGMN Alliance’s roadmap especially in the light of the uptake of future mobile applications such as Mobile Web 2.0, Mobile TV and more.”

NGMN Press Contact  

The NGMN Alliance’s members currently include 19 of the world’s leading mobile network operators – names like AT&T, China Mobile, Orange, Sprint, T-Mobile and Vodafone. Other organizations working within the Alliance include universities and research institutes, as well as 29 makers of network infrastructure (such as Alcatel Lucent, Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei and Nokia Siemens Networks) and measuring equipment and end-user devices (Motorola, Nokia, Samsung and Sony Ericsson, among others).

“We’re delighted to have Communology, a strong innovator in the field of applications, on board. The success of tomorrow’s mobile communication networks will rely extensively on attractive services and new applications capable of bringing the Internet and mobile communication even closer together,” says Dr. Peter Meissner, NGMN’s Operating Officer.

Communology’s Live Media platforms simplify the process of deploying sophisticated mobile communication services, including mobile social networks, locationbased services and instant messaging, as well as multimedia applications such as mobile TV and video. The company also specializes in solutions to support inno vative forms of mobile marketing, and offers quality assurance services for mobile handset software.

“We are thrilled to be part of the NGMN Alliance and to have the chance to collaborate on innovation in mobile communication applications. After all, high speed and real-time capabilities are not simply an end in themselves, they’re about offering customers attractive services,” says Communology CEO Thomas Kähler. “The higher performance offered by next-generation mobile networks will help to optimize numerous applications. Networks will be capable of supporting video downloads and TV streams in high definition quality, for example, and will greatly enhance the user experience in applications like location and navigation services and mobile internet browsing.”

The two groups will cooperate to ensure that users of next generation mobile networks, such as those based on the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, will be able to roam on to existing GSM, W-CDMA and HSPA networks, which now cover more than 80% of the world’s population. The GSMA and the NGMN Alliance will also develop the commercial frameworks and technical platforms necessary to ensure that all mobile services will be able to travel across both next generation networks and existing networks based on the GSM family of technologies.

The two groups have also agreed to co-operate in other essential areas related to the development of next generation mobile broadband services, such as intellectual property rights and spectrum requirements.

“Now is the time for the mobile operator community to bring together all the pieces that are needed to ensure that our industry can meet the rapidly rising global demand for mobile broadband services in the decade beyond 2010,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer of the GSMA. “This agreement with the NGMN Alliance will help ensure that users of the mobile broadband networks of the future will enjoy all the benefits, such as economies of scale, global roaming and interoperability, inherent in the GSM ecosystem today.“

“This cooperation will certainly help to steer the future of mobile broadband and will support the rapid deployment of NGMN technologies,” said Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of the NGMN Alliance. “Our agreement is not just about liaison, it is project driven and we have clearly identified those areas where the mobile industry needs to cooperate. We are happy to share our milestone achievements in technology evaluation, trials, IPR and spectrum.” 

NGMN Press Contact

The agenda for the whole industry will be set with a groundbreaking conference program. For further information about the event  WiMAX Forum Global Congress 2008

here

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In his key note speech, Hamid Akhavan (Chairman of the NGMN Board and CEO, T-Mobile International), outlined the great potential of mobile broadband as well as key challenges and objectives. “Mobile broadband is a reality today in many markets,” Akhavan said. “The mobile data traffic is growing rapidly as people increasingly mobilize their personal, social, and working lives. The NGMN Alliance has been established by leading mobile operators to drive the development and to ensure the success of the mobile broadband ecosystem. NGMN will provide a true mobile internet experience with personalization and attractive, easy to use devices and applications."

Hartmut Kremling (CTO, Vodafone Germany) followed up on this by presenting the key success factors for next generation mobile networks from an operator perspective. He pointed out: “Increasing network traffic load beyond Pentabytes/month and the demand for high data rates indicate a clear need for a step-change in spectrum and network technology. Spectrum - the blood of our industry - is a scarce resource. Sufficient spectrum allocation and efficient use is therefore essential for NGMN. The performance of LTE / Mobile WiMAX is getting closer to the NGMN requirements; however, there is still a way to go. Most importantly, network deployment must be feasible on the existing 3G site grid, and transmission costs need to be drastically reduced through advanced backhauling solutions.”

How advanced network technologies and architectures contribute to resolve the challenges of next generation mobile broadband, this was the emphasis of the speech from Matthias Reiß (Head of LTE Radio, Nokia Siemens Networks): “Reduced network cost per Megabyte is a clear prerequisite for maintaining the profitability of mobile broadband networks,” Reiß said. “LTE/SAE offers an evolutionary network migration path enabling investment protection for operators and low network cost per Megabyte by flat architectures, optimized backhaul transmission, high spectral efficiency, and a scalable bandwidth. We are enthusiastic as “LTE live on Air” field trials carried out in Berlin have shown very encouraging performance results for LTE including the feasibility to deploy it on existing 3G sites.”

„Services are Key“, this was the key message from Dr. Jinsung Choi (Vice President Mobile Comms Tech, LG Electronics), who gave a lively impression of what customers can expect from future mobile broadband end-user devices and applications. “It is very obvious that the convergence of mobile, fixed, internet, gaming and computing industries and applications drives the mobile broadband market growth,” Choi explained. “Drastic handset performance improvements will make the internet experience portable and more personalized. Two major trends will be the convergence of mobile-centric devices integrating many different functions and the divergence of specialized application-centric devices. In either case, service personalization delivers lasting incremental value – increased revenues and customer loyalty,” he concluded.

Semiconductor technology and chip sets for end-user devices are critical enablers for any new and ever more demanding mobile wireless technology. Fortunately, Bill Krenik (CTO, Texas Instruments) had good news for the industry when he pointed out: “Whereas implementation of 3G terminal chip sets was a big challenge over 2G, OFDM-based next generation mobile broadband technologies are much more manageable. Advanced semiconductor process technology maximizes integration and minimizes cost. And integration drives features and functionality. The mobile future is bright. Chip sets for next generation include devices that will enable a 10-fold application processing performance, 8+ hours of continuous video viewing, 100+ hours of music, and much more."

NGMN Press Contact

Mobile Broadband – An economic growth engine
Hamid Akhavan (CEO, T-Mobile International AG, Chairman of the Board, NGMN Ltd.)

Making mobile broadband networks a success – Operator requirements
Hartmut Kremling (CTO, Vodafone D2)

Future network infrastructure for a world connected
Matthias Reiß (Head of LTE Radio, Nokia Siemens Networks)

What customers can expect from future mobile broadband devices and services
Jinsung Choi (Vice President Mobile Comms Tech, LG Electronics)

What 'Silicon' can do for NGMN devices
Bill Krenik (CTO, Texas Instruments)

Final Conference Programm

Presentations

NGMN Conference at CeBIT 2008 looks ahead towards a Bright Future of Mobile Broadband Communications

Motorola’s LTE-enabled experiences on display at its booth (#8A159) will include:

• High definition (HD) video blogging - HD video will be streamed live over LTE to an IPTV set-top box back home for family or friends to view
• Follow me Video – HD video played on an IPTV set-top box will seamlessly hand over to the LTE-enabled mobile device to continue the viewing experience on the move
• Online racing car games played live over the Motorola LTE network
• LTE-enable VoIP calls.

“Motorola’s vision for next-generation networks is one of a 4G radio access technology with huge bandwidth like LTE, combined with a flat IP architecture tied to IMS, enabling an unlimited variety of media mobility experiences. Our carrier customers want technology solutions that fit with their business plans - regardless of whether their 4G choice is LTE or WiMAX that will deliver the user experience and capacity necessary to support the growing demand for bandwidth intensive mobile, multimedia applications,” said Fred Wright, senior vice president, Cellular Networks and WiMAX, Motorola.

LTE will provide users with a personal media experience similar to that of fixed line broadband both in terms of bandwidth and latency, meaning applications that can be delivered today on fixed line will soon be available over the air and fully mobility with LTE. By combining expertise from across Motorola including, chipsets, network and video head-end solutions, and professional services, the Motorola LTE ecosystem will enable true media mobility, delivering innovative applications that can help operators to increase revenues and gain a competitive advantage.

Motorola is pioneering mobile broadband innovation and leveraging its experience, research and expertise in OFDM, as well as developments in chipsets, devices, highspeed backhaul solutions, collapsed IP architecture and video head end solutions, to deliver its end-to-end LTE solution.

Complete Upload Broadband Speed...

AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) today announced highlights of the company’s 2008 wireless network expansion plans, including the deployment of third-generation (3G) wireless broadband service to more than 80 additional cities in the United States through the course of the year. The planned expansion is expected to deliver AT&T 3G services to nearly 350 leading U.S. markets by the end of 2008, including all of the top 100 U.S. cities. The 3G initiative will include the roll out of more than 1,500 additional cell sites nationwide.

Other plans for the new year include completion of the nation’s first High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA)-enabled network by the middle of the year. The AT&T 3G network now delivers typical downlink speeds ranging between 600 and 1,400 Kilobits per second (Kbps), as well as faster uplink speeds, ranging from 500 and 800 Kilobits per second (Kbps). The faster uplink speeds allow AT&T’s HSUPA-enabled laptop users to more quickly send large files and take full advantage of the latest interactive Internet and business applications.

The company’s wireless network is based on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) technologies, the most open and widely used wireless network platform in the world, supporting 86 percent of the people worldwide who use wireless devices. This platform also positions AT&T to continually adopt next-generation technologies.

“Fast wireless broadband is the foundation for a whole range of new and emerging applications that our customers are adopting, including everything from social networking to sending live video and large business files,” said Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO for AT&T’s wireless unit. “With these aggressive initiatives, we’re expanding the scope and the speed of our 3G capabilities, connecting people with their world and enabling more customers to do more with their wireless devices, wherever they may be.

“We’re also planning for the future by establishing a clear path to a 4G network that will meet the needs of our customers for years to come,” said de la Vega.

The deployment of HSUPA this year is the next step in the evolution of AT&T’s 3G network, with further enhancements and speed boosts expected in the near future. This year’s HSUPA deployment will complete the transition of the AT&T 3G network to High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) standards, marking the only full transition by any wireless provider in the United States to this latest generation of wireless broadband capabilities.

As customer needs continue to evolve and grow in the future, AT&T’s global leadership in deployment of GSM technologies positions the company to continuously evolve its network to meet those needs. The evolution towards HSPA+ and LTE technologies will enable the company to continue to deliver higher speeds and capacity in the years to come.

“From the beginning, our wireless network has been designed with the future in mind,” said de la Vega. “The capabilities of 3G standards will continue to expand over the next several years, enabling us to stay well ahead of our customers’ broadband needs. And looking even further into the future, our existing technologies provide the ideal platform for a smooth transition to nextgeneration platforms.”

AT&T’s GSM technology also offers customers the largest international roaming footprint. AT&T devices work in 196 countries and regions – accounting for more than 90 percent of the planet. All GSM customers in those countries can roam on the AT&T network in the United States as well.

3GPP LTE, an evolution of the GSM/UMTS family, specifies the next generation mobile broadband access system, which utilizes state-of-the-art Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access (OFDMA) technology. 3GPP LTE provides downlink peak data rates of up to 300 Mbps with very low latency using advanced antenna techniques such as Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO).

3GPP LTE is capable of operating globally in a wide range of bandwidths from 1.4 - 20 MHz, using both Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex (TDD) modes of operation – hence offering the flexibility to suit any operator’s existing or future frequency allocation globally.

3GPP LTE radio technology is optimized to enhance networks by enabling significant new high capacity mobile broadband applications and services, whilst providing cost efficient ubiquitous mobile coverage.

A soft launch of Xohm mobile Internet service is underway with employees in Chicago, Baltimore and Washington D.C. in preparation for commercial WiMAX service launch beginning later this year in select U.S. cities.

“Sprint is delivering on its Open Internet vision with exciting and differentiated WiMAX services,” explained Barry West, president of Sprint’s Xohm business unit. “The new service agreements and device commitments will help Xohm subscribers access, enjoy, store and secure personal digital and user-generated content while experiencing new device innovation.”

Sprint is exhibiting Xohm WiMAX applications, access devices and showing WiMAX broadband technical demonstrations during the 2008 International CES show in Las Vegas at booth # 31561, South Hall in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The company plans to enhance and safe-guard the Xohm personal broadband experience as it expands its WiMAX services ecosystem.

LTE is the next generation system for mobile networks like GSM, WCDMA/HSPA and CDMA. It improves the delivery of new multimedia and rich call applications by enhancing data transfer speeds, reducing latency and building on a scalable flat network design.

Panasonic Mobile Communications has developed WCDMA base stations for over ten years based on NTT DoCoMo’s requirements and has delivered equipment for the operator’s FOMA ^TM network. Panasonic Mobile Communications also joined standardization of LTE technology and development of elements from the early stage.

Nokia Siemens Networks is the forerunner in flat architecture networks with its I-HSPA innovation, providing a smooth migration path for operators to LTE. Nokia Siemens Networks was the first to demonstrate LTE technology in 2006 with data speeds in the 160Mb/s range, and the first to demonstrate a handover between LTE and HSPA in 2007.

"We will collaborate on LTE development, and also leverage both companies’ capabilities to deliver high quality and timely solutions that meet operators’ requirements in a cost-efficient way," said Mr. Nobuyoshi Ito, Director and Member of the Board, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd.

"We are extremely proud to cooperate with Panasonic Mobile Communications and NTT DoCoMo on the development of LTE. This collaboration is a significant step for us and underpins our commitment to technologically advanced Japanese market," said Ari Lehtoranta, Head of Radio Access, Nokia Siemens Networks.

The NGMN Alliance was founded in 2006 by leading network operators to develop a coherent vision for the mobile industry's evolution towards next-generation mobile broadband networks. NGMN’s primary objective is to create a virtuous cycle of investment, innovation, and adoption of mobile broadband services with competitive price-performance ratios. NGMN supports and complements the work of existing standards development organisations by establishing clear performance targets, fundamental recommendations, functional requirements, and deployment scenarios.

The accomplishments of NGMN in 2007 include agreement on a new IPR regime, clarifying the spectrum requirements for the next generation of mobile networks, initiation of trials for various candidate technologies, and continued contributions to standards development organisations. The 2008 roadmap of the NGMN Alliance emphasises the need for the finalisation of the relevant standards, focuses on developing the required elements of the ecosystem and on getting results from technology evaluation studies and validation trials.

Dr. Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN Ltd., is happy to welcome Anritsu as a new NGMN Sponsor: “To ensure proper end-to-end interoperability of terminals, network infrastructure, service platforms, and legacy systems already during the standardisation and early system design phase is crucial for the successful development and deployment of nextgeneration mobile systems. NGMN is glad to have Anritsu on board, along with other test solution providers and testing houses, as this will greatly help us to achieve our challenging objectives and to make the vision of NGMN reality.”

The experience and wealth of knowledge that Anritsu will bring to the Alliance is born out of the Corporation’s global strategy of providing a true end-to-end portfolio of test and monitoring solutions, focused on delivering the reality of communications network convergence and the ubiquitous network society.

The portfolio the Corporation offers today spans the complete network lifecycle through research and development, conformance test, manufacturing, installation and maintenance, network monitoring and OSS service assurance. With engineers that have a wealth of experience developing solutions for 3G, HSPA Evolution, WiMAX, MIMO, LTE, and high speed optical and IP networks across the whole industry, Anritsu is ready and able to play a vital role within the NGMN working groups.

Jonathan Borrill, Director of Market Strategy, comments: “As Sponsors of NGMN, Anritsu is very excited to contribute in a number of areas which will help the industry assure that the devices, networks and services for NGMN come to market with the right level of quality to meet user expectations. Our role will be in helping to ensure that testing and service quality assurance requirements are correctly addressed within the activities of the NGMN community, so enabling a smoother rollout of networks.”

This event provides an opportunity for the whole industry to come together and drive forward the technical evolution, as well as demystifying the complexity of next generation mobile networks. Officially endorsed by the NGMN Alliance, and several renouned speakers from the Alliance made a valuable contribution to this conference. Fur forther information please see the event page about Informa NGMN Summit

Download of the Final Brochure

The NGMN Alliance grew significantly during the summer of 2007 following a ground-breaking agreement on a new IPR regime when 10 major telecom, IT and semiconductor vendors joined in. In addition, during October and November 2007, 7 further partners joined the NGMN Alliance, Telenor as a new Member and Datang Mobile, Sony Ericsson, NXP Semiconductors, Anritsu, Cetecom and IPWireless as new Sponsors. With these new partners the NGMN Alliance has grown to 14 Members, 23 Sponsors and 2 Advisors. Furthermore, NGMN underscores the importance of the North American region for NGMN through the election of Ms. Kris Rinne, Senior Vice President for Architecture & Planning at AT&T, as a new NGMN Board Member.

In August 2007, the NGMN Alliance issued a White Paper on the spectrum requirements for the next generation of mobile networks. This White Paper is used as the basis of a joint industry effort to obtain additional spectrum for IMT-2000 and IMT-Advanced technologies during and after the ITU World Radiocommunication Conference 2007 (WRC-07). In particular, NGMN calls for additional spectrum for mobile broadband communications in the UHF band (470 to 806/862 MHz) and in the range above 2.2 GHz. To maximise the probability of success, the NGMN Alliance has actively supported the GSM Association during WRC-07 in Geneva. At a joint GSMA / NGMN Welcome Reception on 23rd October 2007, Mr. Vivek Badrinath, Executive Vice President for IT Networks and Product Support of France Telecom (Orange), gave a Keynote Speech on behalf of NGMN where he stressed the importance of sufficient and globally harmonised spectrum allocations for the further development of the mobile broadband ecosystem: “To continue to offer benefits to users and societies, the mobile communication industry requires continued availability of radio spectrum in sufficient quantity. It is vital – for the continued success of mobile, and to extend and grow its benefits – that new spectrum is allocated for mobile access at WRC-07”.

Noting the importance of technology in realising its vision, the NGMN Alliance, through its Trial Group, has initiated close cooperation with the existing LTE/SAE Trial Initiative and with WiMAX trial efforts led by NGMN Member Sprint Nextel along with several NGMN Sponsors. Furthermore, NGMN is closely monitoring the ongoing UMB developments. The Trial Group will ensure a coordinated approach for the evaluation of field trial results of different technologies with regards to performance and functionality. In 2008, the NGMN Alliance will provide its guidance on the NGMNpreferred technology candidate(s) following an assessment against the NGMN performance, functional and timeline requirements.

For 2008, the NGMN Alliance and its partners are committed to continuing their contributions to various standards development organisations so that all relevant standards are finalised by the end of 2008. In addition, test specifications for the relevant technologies are also expected to be finalised by the same time. Finally, the NGMN Alliance intends to provide additional focus and resources to the development of its ecosystem including appropriate chipsets, terminals, and network infrastructure. In a 3-day workshop dedicated to chipsets and terminals at the end of September 2007, the NGMN partners discussed the key technical challenges and concluded that data cards and handsets for the next generation of mobile networks can be expected to be commercially available in 2010 or earlier.

These points were emphasised by Mr. Hamid Akhavan, Chairman of NGMN Ltd. and CEO of T-Mobile International during the recent NGMN Forum and Board meeting in New York: “To enable early NGMN launches it is important to progress technology evaluation and finalise the relevant standards by 2008. NGMN needs to secure timely availability of devices and also transparency of IPR terms. Mobile broadband is a reality as can be seen through the many-fold increase of mobile data traffic last year.”

NGMN Press Contact

Main objective of WRC-07 was to revise and update the international treaty, known as Radio Regulations, governing the world-wide use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. Over 2800 delegates representing 164 Member States and 104 observers attended the four-week conference, marked by intense negotiations on the future of wireless communications.

Rapid technological developments and growth in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector have fuelled the demand for spectrum. In July 2007, the NGMN Alliance published a White Paper on the spectrum requirements for future mobile broadband communications and has requested the allocation of sufficient and suitable spectrum (up to 120 MHz) in the UHF band (470 to 806/862 MHz) in the context of the “Digital Dividend”, as well as additional spectrum in the range above 2.2 GHz.

Under the agenda item 1.4 “to consider frequency-related matters for the future development of IMT-2000 and systems beyond IMT-2000 …“, WRC-07 has now identified globally harmonised spectrum for use by International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT-2000 and IMT-Advanced). Additional spectrum was allocated for IMT systems in various new bands, resulting in 392 MHz in total in Europe and 428 MHz in the Americas:

•   20 MHz   in the band 450-470 MHz (globally)
•   72 MHz   in the band 790-862 MHz for Region 1 (Europe) and 3 (Asia)
• 108 MHz   in the band 698-806 MHz for Region 2 (Americas)
• 100 MHz   in the band 2.3-2.4 GHz (globally)
• 200 MHz   in the band 3.4-3.6 GHz (no global allocation, but accepted by many countries)

Note: This spectrum will not be available immediately, but opened to the market following transition periods of several years.

This outcome of WRC-07 represents an important milestone for the worldwide development of next-generation mobile networks and is therefore highly welcome and appreciated by the NGMN Alliance. A consequent and timely implementation of the new Radio Regulation treaty in all relevant Regions and counties is now crucial for the success of NGMN.

NGMN Press Contact

The wireless industry has been one of the major engines of economic growth and social change in Europe in the past decade. For more information on WWI click here.

Main objective of WRC-07 was to revise and update the international treaty, known as Radio Regulations, governing the world-wide use of the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. Over 2800 delegates representing 164 ITU member states and 104 observers attended the four-week conference, marked by intense negotiations on the future of wireless communications.

NGMN welcomes the identification of additional spectrum for IMT as a result of WRC-07

Resolutions Radiocommunication Assembly (RA-07)

Together with its existing members, sponsors, and advisors NGMN has received wide industry acceptance that is set to shape the future of mobile broadband communications.

The alliance also announced a new IPR agreement that aims to deliver more transparency and predictability towards IPR costs associated with next generation mobile technologies.

“NGMN is very excited about collaborating with more than 30 key players of our industry to drive a common goal of developing and deploying cost-effective mobile technologies beyond 3G, which is beneficial for all participants in the mobile communication ecosystem and in particular for our existing and future customers. We are delighted to represent a major part of the global community of operators and vendors - let’s celebrate this outstanding achievement,” said Hamid Akhavan, Chairman of NGMN and CEO of T-Mobile International.

Innovative IPR regime

IPR licensing has become a subject for debate in the industry as mobile technologies evolve in terms of performance, complexity and customer acceptance. As a consequence, some mobile technology standards setting organisations have started to review their IPR disclosure guidelines to allow for increased transparency of standards essential IPR and associated licensing terms during the standardisation process.

Through extensive consultations with all its existing members, sponsors, and advisors as well as the new sponsors, NGMN has achieved consensus to use innovative IPR notification guidelines.

“NGMN has reached an unprecedented agreement with global technology providers to receive notifications of proposed IPR terms for next generation technologies. This chosen approach will create an environment of increased investment and innovation, thus accelerating adoption of mobile broadband services. We look forward to expanding our relationship into many new areas over years to come,” Hamid Akhavan pointed out.

A common approach has been designed to enable an effective forum for such notifications to take place prior to finalization of a standard. By revealing indicative cumulative IPR cost up front, this NGMN process provides an early opportunity for technology customers to consider in their decisionmaking process the IPR cost of potential next generation technologies. It also enables a bilateral, commercial dialogue between individual technology customers and technology providers.

“This achievement underscores our desire to foster an ecosystem offering greater efficiencies for next generation mobile broadband products and services. Our gratitude and appreciation goes to all in NGMN who have contributed to this tremendous success,” said Peter Meissner, Operating Officer of NGMN.

NGMN Press Contact

The NGMN alliance argues that realising the ITU’s vision of a global mobile society requires the availability of some harmonised spectrum in bands below 1 GHz (i.e. in the band between 470 to 806/862 MHz(1), currently mainly used for terrestrial broadcasting) as well as significant additional spectrum in higher bands (above 1GHz, and in practice above 2.2 GHzwhere the most likely candidate is the range 3.4 to 4.2 GHz). Yves Bellego, the chairman of the NGMN spectrum working group, stated that “we need ubiquitous wireless coverage to bridge the digital-divide between cities and rural areas in developed nations and to enable developing nations to offer broadband services to their populace in a cost-efficient manner. Furthermore, the demand for services with higher data rates in urban areas will lead to demand for additional spectrum which can only be found in higher bands. Finally, harmonisation, on a global scale is of paramount importance if we are to achieve economies of scale and make services commercially viable.”

The NGMN alliance argues that not only the amount of spectrum made available for mobile communication (in particular International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT)) is important but also how that spectrum is divided. Hossein Moiin, the editor in charge of the NGMN White Paper on spectrum, said that “the next generation of mobile networks require channel bandwidths of up to 20 MHz in bands below 1 GHz and channel bandwidths of up to approximately 100 MHz in higher frequency bands.Therefore, it is critical that sufficiently large and contiguous blocks of spectrum are made available to mobile operators so that they can take advantage of the new technology. For example, a channel bandwidth of 20 MHz is needed to achieve throughput of 100 Mbit/s with high mobility and a channel bandwidth of 100 MHz is needed to provide a throughput of 1 Gbit/s with low mobility.”

Therefore the NGMN alliance urges WRC-07 to allocate and identify sufficient spectrum for mobile communication (and in particular for IMT) so that the future needs of the mobile customers can be met. In addition, the NGMN alliance requests that the administrations around the globe cooperate with each other on more immediate spectrum management issues. This is needed so that a vibrant ecosystem for the next generation of mobile networks can be developed while the spectrum allocated and identified by WRC-07 is being made available. A key to the development of such an ecosystem, to be fully realized when additional spectrum will be made available by WRC-07, is the global harmonisation of bands already identified for mobile communication and the assurance of seamless services based on interoperable systems across mobile networks.

The NGMN alliance’s White Paper on spectrum details all the spectrum requirements for the next generation of mobile networks and can be downloaded at Spectrum Requirements for The Next Generation of Mobile Networks

(1) These two numbers reflect the different amount of spectrum used for terrestrial broadcasting in different regions.

LTE 2007

Download of the Final Brochure

One of the main issues on the agenda will be the much-debated subject of frequency demand and allocation in Europe, and specifically in Germany. This debate revolves around the 470 – 862 MHz frequency band in particular, which is currently used for terrestrial television but, in the context of the transition from analog to digital technology, is also extremely attractive for´mobile broadband communications in more general terms.

This demand for frequency is of particular significance as international studies show that mobile broadband communication is set to be a fundamental factor in the development of the global economy in years to come. Internet and mobile communication services will continue to converge. At the same time, the demand by private and business users for anytime, anyplace access to specific data and attractive media and entertainment content is increasing.

Numerous requirements converge at an international level here. In particular, questions regarding the allocation of the frequency spectrum must be agreed by all the interested groups. The same applies to the clear formulation of requirements and the coordinated submission of the necessary frequency demands in order for networks to be expanded in a promising manner.

In this contentious area, NGMN sees itself as an advocate of end customers who expect innovative mobile services of a high quality at an acceptable price.

Following a brief introduction on the subject of the evolution of future mobile phone networks and services, and statements on the current position of the frequency discussion, the podium participants will be taking questions from the press.

Participants

Markus Haas (Senior Vice President Legal & Regulatory Affairs; o2 Germany)

Joachim Horn (CTO, T-Mobile International)

Hartmut Kremling (CTO, Vodafone Deutschland)

Dr. Horst Lennertz (Member of the Supervisory Board, E-Plus)

Dr. Peter Meissner (Operating Officer, NGMN Ltd.)

NGMN Press Contact

Ein Schwerpunkt ist das intensiv diskutierte Thema Frequenzbedarf und –vergabe in Europa und speziell in Deutschland. Dabei dreht sich die Debatte insbesondere um das Frequenzband von 470 bis 862 MHz, welches zurzeit für terrestrisches Fernsehen genutzt wird, aber im Rahmen des Übergangs von analoger auf digitale Technik auch für mobile Breitbandkommunikation in der Fläche höchst attraktiv ist.

Dieser Frequenzbedarf ist von besonderer Bedeutung, da internationale Studien belegen, dass die mobile Breitbandkommunikation in den kommenden Jahren ein wesentlicher Entwicklungsfaktor der Weltwirtschaft sein wird. Internet- und mobile Kommunikationsdienstleistungen wachsen weiter zusammen. In gleichem Maße steigt der Bedarf der privaten und geschäftlichen Nutzer an orts- und zeitunabhängigem Zugriff auf individuelle Daten und attraktive Inhalte aus den Bereichen Medien und Entertainment.  

Hierbei treffen zahlreiche Anforderungen auf internationaler Ebene zusammen. Gerade die Fragen rund um die Verteilung von Frequenzspektrum müssen mit allen Interessensgruppen abgestimmt werden. Das gilt auch für die klare Formulierung der Bedürfnisse und die koordinierte Einforderung des notwendigen Frequenzbedarfs für einen erfolgversprechenden Ausbau der Netze.

In diesem Spannungsfeld sieht sich NGMN als Fürsprecher der Endkunden, die innovative mobile Dienste in hoher Qualität zu einem akzeptablen Preis-Leistungsverhältnis erwarten.  

Nach einer kurzen Einführung in die Thematik der Evolution zukünftiger Mobilfunknetze und -dienste sowie Statements zum Stand der Frequenz-Diskussion stellen sich die Teilnehmer des Podiums den Fragen der Presse.

Teilnehmer

Markus Haas (Senior Vice President Legal & Regulatory Affairs; o2 Germany)