WALNUT CREEK, USA: Wireless calling, text messaging and surfing the Web on the Verizon Wireless high-speed 3G network is now easier and faster for residents and travelers in Marin County thanks to a new cell site in Novato, California.
The site improves 3G wireless coverage along Novato Boulevard near Stafford Lake Park. The company's ongoing network investment in California now totals more than $5.7 billion.
Since the company was formed, Verizon Wireless has invested more than $60 billion – $5.7 billion on average every year – to increase the coverage and capacity of its premier nationwide network and to add new services. In 2009 alone, Verizon Wireless invested $7 billion to expand and advance its network.
Earlier this month, Verizon Wireless launched its 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless services in 38 markets and 60 commercial airports across the US. 4G LTE offers customers who live, work or travel in these markets significantly greater speed and capabilities than even today's most advanced 3G coverage.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
MindTree Wireless - restructuring costs
BANGALORE, INDIA: MindTree Ltd, a global IT Solutions company, announced on October 19, 2010, that it intended to convert the wireless products business of its wholly owned subsidiary MindTree Wireless Pvt. Ltd. (MindTree Wireless) into a design services business.
We had indicated previously that we have had good traction from our global customers for White-labeled smartphones. However, as conversations ensued, we found that contracting with large global service providers required more commitment and risks in areas such as inventory and marketing than we originally anticipated. This was a key change from the market conditions which existed earlier and the new model required significantly higher capitalization.
Considering the interests of all of our current stakeholders, we decided to restructure the wireless business as a design services business. This restructuring has now been completed and the financial implications are as follows:
* The restructuring costs will be approximately $3.60-$3.9 million and will be expensed in the Profit and Loss account for the quarter ending December 31, 2010. No further costs are expected to be incurred in future on the restructuring efforts.
* These costs are mainly in the nature of people separation, fees paid to legal advisors, asset write-offs and payments to vendors for cancellation of contracts.
The restructuring costs were significantly less than the original estimate of $12-$14 million announced in October 2010, since we were able to negotiate better terms with the vendors involved.
* MindTree Wireless will henceforth become a services business.
* The process for merging MindTree Wireless into MindTree is underway and is expected to be completed shortly. When completed, MindTree expects to realize additional operational synergies.
* MindTree is continuing its efforts to monetize the LTE IP & phone design. If these efforts prove successful, it will help offset the restructuring costs to the extent of value realized. However, the outcome and timing of such efforts are difficult to predict.
We had indicated previously that we have had good traction from our global customers for White-labeled smartphones. However, as conversations ensued, we found that contracting with large global service providers required more commitment and risks in areas such as inventory and marketing than we originally anticipated. This was a key change from the market conditions which existed earlier and the new model required significantly higher capitalization.
Considering the interests of all of our current stakeholders, we decided to restructure the wireless business as a design services business. This restructuring has now been completed and the financial implications are as follows:
* The restructuring costs will be approximately $3.60-$3.9 million and will be expensed in the Profit and Loss account for the quarter ending December 31, 2010. No further costs are expected to be incurred in future on the restructuring efforts.
* These costs are mainly in the nature of people separation, fees paid to legal advisors, asset write-offs and payments to vendors for cancellation of contracts.
The restructuring costs were significantly less than the original estimate of $12-$14 million announced in October 2010, since we were able to negotiate better terms with the vendors involved.
* MindTree Wireless will henceforth become a services business.
* The process for merging MindTree Wireless into MindTree is underway and is expected to be completed shortly. When completed, MindTree expects to realize additional operational synergies.
* MindTree is continuing its efforts to monetize the LTE IP & phone design. If these efforts prove successful, it will help offset the restructuring costs to the extent of value realized. However, the outcome and timing of such efforts are difficult to predict.
First CMAI Mobile Expo in India gets unprecedented boost
NEW DELHI, INDIA: The First CMAI International Mobile Sourcing and Investment Expo, 2010 was inaugurated in Delhi on 15th December, 2010 by Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Maken.
He invited the foreign manufacturers to come to India to be a part of ever growing Indian telecom sector and also to start the manufacturing in India. He also stated that Government is giving high priority for development of telecom sector in India and Government is concerned to solve all the issues in telecom sector including the security related matters.
The inauguration was shared by ITU Geneva representative Polo Rosa; Grant Kho, MD, Mediatek Technologies, Taiwan, Ram Kumar, advisor Technology and Operations, Ministry of Communications and IT, Anand Seth, deputy director general, FIEO; RK Pathak, secretary, TEPC and deputy director general, Ministry of Communications and IT, RK Gupta, president, IETE and TV Ramachandran, resident director, Vodafone.
The Mobile Expo was organized by CMAI-CMAI Association of India along with FIEO- Federation of Indian Exporters Organizations, Ministry of Commerce and Industries and TEPC-Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It was supported by IETE, ISPAI, IAMAI, ACTO and other telecom and IT associations.
This was the first ever Mobile Expo officially approved by Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and Indian Trade Promotion Organization and participated by ITU Geneva.
Several manufacturers from Taiwan, Korea and Japan showcased their latest technologies and products. Coinciding with the visit of Hon’ble Premier of the Peoples Republic of China, H.E. Mr. Wen Jiabao, there was a large contingent of mobile manufactures from China.
The latest products included Android phones, video transfer capable phones, note books, ipads, low cost phones of the value of $15 with all facilities. The business contracts worth about $50 mn are expected to have been signed. A consortium group of five companies announced their plans to start manufacturing in India for mobile phones within next 12 months. They have identified West Bengal as probable location for establishing the manufacturing plant.
Mobile revolution in India is known now world over, because India is adding 15-18 Millions cell phones per month. India is now second largest in the world. Mobile has changed the way people live in this world. It is difficult to move without a cell phone in hand. Customers now have wide choice of handsets and several applications.
Cell phone is the cheapest service available in India or even world over at less than one paisa per second. A good quality cell phone is available for less than $20 cents. There are several Indian brands of handsets, with market share of more than 30 percent. There is sufficient scope for manufacturing in India and here exists sufficient scope for investments in this sector.
The government of India has given high priority for development of Mobile sector in India. It was informed that the cell phones can be imported freely under Open General License policy without any custom duty on imports and without any license. The government intends to continue the existing duty regime without any change in next year for continued development in sector.
There does not appear to be any proposal to levy enhanced custom duties in view of commitments under WTO ITA. The Prime Minister of India, in its meeting with Premier of China, has welcomed trade and business between two countries.
The exhibitors and delegates were excited to see the Indian market and it was decided that FIEO, TEPC, CMAI would organize the 2nd CMAI International Mobile Sourcing and Investment Expo in New Delhi during August, 2011.
He invited the foreign manufacturers to come to India to be a part of ever growing Indian telecom sector and also to start the manufacturing in India. He also stated that Government is giving high priority for development of telecom sector in India and Government is concerned to solve all the issues in telecom sector including the security related matters.
The inauguration was shared by ITU Geneva representative Polo Rosa; Grant Kho, MD, Mediatek Technologies, Taiwan, Ram Kumar, advisor Technology and Operations, Ministry of Communications and IT, Anand Seth, deputy director general, FIEO; RK Pathak, secretary, TEPC and deputy director general, Ministry of Communications and IT, RK Gupta, president, IETE and TV Ramachandran, resident director, Vodafone.
The Mobile Expo was organized by CMAI-CMAI Association of India along with FIEO- Federation of Indian Exporters Organizations, Ministry of Commerce and Industries and TEPC-Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion, Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. It was supported by IETE, ISPAI, IAMAI, ACTO and other telecom and IT associations.
This was the first ever Mobile Expo officially approved by Government of India, Ministry of Home Affairs and Indian Trade Promotion Organization and participated by ITU Geneva.
Several manufacturers from Taiwan, Korea and Japan showcased their latest technologies and products. Coinciding with the visit of Hon’ble Premier of the Peoples Republic of China, H.E. Mr. Wen Jiabao, there was a large contingent of mobile manufactures from China.
The latest products included Android phones, video transfer capable phones, note books, ipads, low cost phones of the value of $15 with all facilities. The business contracts worth about $50 mn are expected to have been signed. A consortium group of five companies announced their plans to start manufacturing in India for mobile phones within next 12 months. They have identified West Bengal as probable location for establishing the manufacturing plant.
Mobile revolution in India is known now world over, because India is adding 15-18 Millions cell phones per month. India is now second largest in the world. Mobile has changed the way people live in this world. It is difficult to move without a cell phone in hand. Customers now have wide choice of handsets and several applications.
Cell phone is the cheapest service available in India or even world over at less than one paisa per second. A good quality cell phone is available for less than $20 cents. There are several Indian brands of handsets, with market share of more than 30 percent. There is sufficient scope for manufacturing in India and here exists sufficient scope for investments in this sector.
The government of India has given high priority for development of Mobile sector in India. It was informed that the cell phones can be imported freely under Open General License policy without any custom duty on imports and without any license. The government intends to continue the existing duty regime without any change in next year for continued development in sector.
There does not appear to be any proposal to levy enhanced custom duties in view of commitments under WTO ITA. The Prime Minister of India, in its meeting with Premier of China, has welcomed trade and business between two countries.
The exhibitors and delegates were excited to see the Indian market and it was decided that FIEO, TEPC, CMAI would organize the 2nd CMAI International Mobile Sourcing and Investment Expo in New Delhi during August, 2011.
GIGABYTE holds ‘E3’ channel meet series
MUMBAI, INDIA: In a bid to further strengthen its relationships with committed channel partners, GIGABYTE Technology India Pvt. Ltd, a leading manufacturer of motherboards, has launched a series of informal channel partner networking meets across the country.
Having the theme E3, which stands for ‘Entertain, Enrich, Enjoy’, the series was flagged off with a meet at a resort in Karnala, Raigad district, Maharashtra, which was attended by a large number of partners from the Mumbai and Thane districts.
These meets are being held in a number of states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, and Punjab.
The E3 series is designed to allow channel partners to relax for a few hours, play games like cricket, indulge in water sports, and enjoy some delectable food, while networking with fellow partners.
In addition to relaxation and entertainment, the meets are also proving to be effective in enhancing the knowledge of channel partners on the latest GIGABYTE motherboards and related technologies. Training sessions are given to introduce partners to the upcoming Intel 6 Series chipset based GIGABYTE motherboards, such as GA-H67MA-UD2H and GA-P6A-UD7 that will support the new 2nd Generation Intel Core processors (codenamed Sandy Bridge). Intel has announced that these core processors will be hitting the market early next year.
The objective of these sessions is not only to improve know-how of GIGABYTE motherboards among partners, but also to enhance their technological competence that is vital for improving their overall business performances.
The meetings are also an apt platform to reward partners, who have contributed outstandingly to the success of the GIGBAYTE motherboard business in the past year.
Commenting on the ongoing channel meets, Rajan Sharma, General Manager, Marketing and Sales, GIGABYTE India, said: “We have a channel-focused business model, with over 85 percent of our business coming from partners. With such informal meets, we want our partners to relate more to GIGABYTE, acknowledge and reward exceptional performers, and in the process, build and nurture a very close-knit and committed sub-distribution channel.”
GIGABYTE products are distributed in India by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro, Redington (India) and Neoteric Infomatique Ltd.
Having the theme E3, which stands for ‘Entertain, Enrich, Enjoy’, the series was flagged off with a meet at a resort in Karnala, Raigad district, Maharashtra, which was attended by a large number of partners from the Mumbai and Thane districts.
These meets are being held in a number of states, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, and Punjab.
The E3 series is designed to allow channel partners to relax for a few hours, play games like cricket, indulge in water sports, and enjoy some delectable food, while networking with fellow partners.
In addition to relaxation and entertainment, the meets are also proving to be effective in enhancing the knowledge of channel partners on the latest GIGABYTE motherboards and related technologies. Training sessions are given to introduce partners to the upcoming Intel 6 Series chipset based GIGABYTE motherboards, such as GA-H67MA-UD2H and GA-P6A-UD7 that will support the new 2nd Generation Intel Core processors (codenamed Sandy Bridge). Intel has announced that these core processors will be hitting the market early next year.
The objective of these sessions is not only to improve know-how of GIGABYTE motherboards among partners, but also to enhance their technological competence that is vital for improving their overall business performances.
The meetings are also an apt platform to reward partners, who have contributed outstandingly to the success of the GIGBAYTE motherboard business in the past year.
Commenting on the ongoing channel meets, Rajan Sharma, General Manager, Marketing and Sales, GIGABYTE India, said: “We have a channel-focused business model, with over 85 percent of our business coming from partners. With such informal meets, we want our partners to relate more to GIGABYTE, acknowledge and reward exceptional performers, and in the process, build and nurture a very close-knit and committed sub-distribution channel.”
GIGABYTE products are distributed in India by Avnet (India), Ingram Micro, Redington (India) and Neoteric Infomatique Ltd.
Olive Telecom launches world’s first multi-mode, multi-band modem
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Olive Telecom, the leading Indian convergence device developer, has designed the first Modem on the new multi- connective Qualcomm MDM6600 chipset.
The first of it’s kind Modem will support 3G in both GSM and CDMA networks. Launched in Russia with Sky Link, a part of Rostelecom, the largest state owned telecom conglomerate in Russia.
Gulnara Khasyanova, CEO of Sky Link said: "We began testing a new class of subscriber devices that support multiple standards and frequencies. This is the only missing link for full use of our subscribers dual band 3G-network. "
Qualcomm MDM6600 combines all the core technologies of the third generation, existing in the world. MDM6600 supports frequency ranges from 450MHz to 2100MGts, supports GSM / GPRS / EDGE, CDMA,HSDPA,HSPA (up to 14.4 Mbps) and EV-DO (to 14.7 Mbps) as well as the technology of satellite positioning GPS and GLONASS, which is especially important for the Russian Federation.
Arun Khanna, chairman, Olive Telecom said: "We are proud to launch World’s first Multi-mode, Multi-band modem that will enable both operators and customers to connect seamlessly over different technologies & networks. Olive is committed to bring such innovations to simplify connectivity across technologies. We are expecting large sales revenue and profitability from innovation led devices. Our target markets are India, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America for these modems. Olive will keep focusing on technology, work with global customers and bring exciting products from time to time.”
“With the new Modems, Sky Link becomes the first CDMA450 operator to offer a modem that works around the globe” said Artem Orange, President, Olive Telecom. “Olive Telecom” he continued “has established itself as the most innovative partner to Skylink, They expect permission to convert 1800MHz band for LTE1800 and Olive Telecom has been invited to research and offer devices for this project too.”
The unique functionality and compactness of the Modem will provide the experience of creation and production of millions of units of cellular modems. In addition to traditional USB-modems and wireless access points, Wi-Fi, based on the new chip will be organized by release of embedded modules for notebook PCs, tablet PCs, components for special Machine-to-Machine applications. An additional advantage is reduced power consumption, the Modem will increase the operating time by double.
The first of it’s kind Modem will support 3G in both GSM and CDMA networks. Launched in Russia with Sky Link, a part of Rostelecom, the largest state owned telecom conglomerate in Russia.
Gulnara Khasyanova, CEO of Sky Link said: "We began testing a new class of subscriber devices that support multiple standards and frequencies. This is the only missing link for full use of our subscribers dual band 3G-network. "
Qualcomm MDM6600 combines all the core technologies of the third generation, existing in the world. MDM6600 supports frequency ranges from 450MHz to 2100MGts, supports GSM / GPRS / EDGE, CDMA,HSDPA,HSPA (up to 14.4 Mbps) and EV-DO (to 14.7 Mbps) as well as the technology of satellite positioning GPS and GLONASS, which is especially important for the Russian Federation.
Arun Khanna, chairman, Olive Telecom said: "We are proud to launch World’s first Multi-mode, Multi-band modem that will enable both operators and customers to connect seamlessly over different technologies & networks. Olive is committed to bring such innovations to simplify connectivity across technologies. We are expecting large sales revenue and profitability from innovation led devices. Our target markets are India, South East Asia, Africa and Latin America for these modems. Olive will keep focusing on technology, work with global customers and bring exciting products from time to time.”
“With the new Modems, Sky Link becomes the first CDMA450 operator to offer a modem that works around the globe” said Artem Orange, President, Olive Telecom. “Olive Telecom” he continued “has established itself as the most innovative partner to Skylink, They expect permission to convert 1800MHz band for LTE1800 and Olive Telecom has been invited to research and offer devices for this project too.”
The unique functionality and compactness of the Modem will provide the experience of creation and production of millions of units of cellular modems. In addition to traditional USB-modems and wireless access points, Wi-Fi, based on the new chip will be organized by release of embedded modules for notebook PCs, tablet PCs, components for special Machine-to-Machine applications. An additional advantage is reduced power consumption, the Modem will increase the operating time by double.
Monday, December 27, 2010
As broadband in multicultural homes increases, multicultural audiences over-index on viewing multiplatform TV
NEW YORK, USA: Horowitz Associates' latest study, Multiplatform Content and Services: Multicultural Edition, focuses on multiplatform TV consumption among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and White broadband users.
A study fielded by Horowitz earlier this year suggested that although Black and Hispanic homes under-index for broadband, they are driving new broadband growth. In Horowitz's new study, multicultural consumers with broadband also lead the way in ownership of video-enabled handheld devices: 84 percent of Asian and 83 percent of Hispanic and Black broadband users can access video on a handheld, compared to 74 percent of Whites.
With growing access to alternative platforms and more robust content on them, the study finds multicultural consumers are generally more involved in multiplatform TV than Whites. Almost half (48 percet) of Asian, 46 percent of Hispanic, and 35 percent of both Black and White broadband users watch TV content online; 16 percent of Asian, 22 percent of Hispanic, 19 percent of Black, and 15 percent of White broadband users watch TV content on a handheld (weekly data).
Despite heavy usage of multiplatform TV, the traditional set still dominates. Seventy percent of Asian, 75 percent of Hispanic, 74 percent of Black, and 75 percent of White broadband users who watch TV on alternative platforms report that most of their viewing still occurs primarily on the TV set. On the other hand, for 29 percent of Asian, 22 percent of Hispanic and 24 percent of Black broadband users, alternative platforms are now used equally or more than traditional TV.
One-quarter of Asian (24 percent) and White (25 percent) multichannel subscribers say they are considering/might consider cancelling their TV subscriptions if more of their favorite content were available online. The potential for cord-cutting is lower among Hispanics and Blacks; still 18 percent of Hispanic, and 13 percent of Black multichannel subscribers are considering/would consider cutting the cord.
"Our data consistently show that multicultural audiences tend to be on the leading edge for advanced technologies and services," asserts Adriana Waterston, VP of Business Development for Horowitz Associates. "When it comes to alternative TV platforms, multicultural consumers want more choice, not less. Any players in the multicultural space need to deliver what viewers are coming to expect: cross-platform content."
A study fielded by Horowitz earlier this year suggested that although Black and Hispanic homes under-index for broadband, they are driving new broadband growth. In Horowitz's new study, multicultural consumers with broadband also lead the way in ownership of video-enabled handheld devices: 84 percent of Asian and 83 percent of Hispanic and Black broadband users can access video on a handheld, compared to 74 percent of Whites.
With growing access to alternative platforms and more robust content on them, the study finds multicultural consumers are generally more involved in multiplatform TV than Whites. Almost half (48 percet) of Asian, 46 percent of Hispanic, and 35 percent of both Black and White broadband users watch TV content online; 16 percent of Asian, 22 percent of Hispanic, 19 percent of Black, and 15 percent of White broadband users watch TV content on a handheld (weekly data).
Despite heavy usage of multiplatform TV, the traditional set still dominates. Seventy percent of Asian, 75 percent of Hispanic, 74 percent of Black, and 75 percent of White broadband users who watch TV on alternative platforms report that most of their viewing still occurs primarily on the TV set. On the other hand, for 29 percent of Asian, 22 percent of Hispanic and 24 percent of Black broadband users, alternative platforms are now used equally or more than traditional TV.
One-quarter of Asian (24 percent) and White (25 percent) multichannel subscribers say they are considering/might consider cancelling their TV subscriptions if more of their favorite content were available online. The potential for cord-cutting is lower among Hispanics and Blacks; still 18 percent of Hispanic, and 13 percent of Black multichannel subscribers are considering/would consider cutting the cord.
"Our data consistently show that multicultural audiences tend to be on the leading edge for advanced technologies and services," asserts Adriana Waterston, VP of Business Development for Horowitz Associates. "When it comes to alternative TV platforms, multicultural consumers want more choice, not less. Any players in the multicultural space need to deliver what viewers are coming to expect: cross-platform content."
Saturday, December 25, 2010
W-CDMA revenues grow for third straight quarter
REDWOOD CITY, USA: In a recently published report by Dell'Oro Group, the trusted source for market information about the networking and telecommunications industries, the WCDMA market posted sequential revenue growth of 3 percent in the third quarter of 2010, which continued the market's upward trend that began in the first quarter of this year.
"W-CDMA market revenues have grown each quarter of this year, and we expect the revenue growth trend to continue next quarter and into 2011," said Stefan Pongratz, analyst of Mobile Infrastructure research at Dell'Oro Group.
"While the North America region drove much of the 3G growth in the second quarter of the year, both the North America and Asia Pacific regions were responsible for the growth in the third quarter, and we anticipate strong 3G growth from India in 2011," continued Pongratz.
The report indicates that leaders in the W-CDMA market during the third quarter were Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Huawei.
"W-CDMA market revenues have grown each quarter of this year, and we expect the revenue growth trend to continue next quarter and into 2011," said Stefan Pongratz, analyst of Mobile Infrastructure research at Dell'Oro Group.
"While the North America region drove much of the 3G growth in the second quarter of the year, both the North America and Asia Pacific regions were responsible for the growth in the third quarter, and we anticipate strong 3G growth from India in 2011," continued Pongratz.
The report indicates that leaders in the W-CDMA market during the third quarter were Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Huawei.
Data center network equipment market poised for 67 percent growth in 2010
BOSTON, USA: Market research firm Infonetics Research has released its third quarter of 2010 (3Q10) Data Center Network Equipment market share and forecast report.
Matthias Machowinski, Infonetics Research's directing analyst for enterprise voice and data, predicts: "A new round of data center upgrades is underway, driven by virtualization, surging amounts of data, the growing need for storage, under-investment in 2009, and renewed life in the financial sector.
"Even with a relatively flat third quarter and an expected down fourth quarter, the market for data center network equipment is poised to grow 67 percent in 2010 over 2009 to hit a milestone $7.6 billion worldwide."
Data center network equipment market highlights
* Worldwide revenue from data center network equipment, including data center Ethernet switches, application delivery controllers (ADCs), and WAN optimization appliances, grew 2 percent in 3Q10 over 2Q10 to $1.9 billion.
* Growth was led by activity in North America and EMEA.
* 10G accounts for 14 percent of data center switch ports in 3Q10, much higher than in the total Ethernet switch market.
* Infonetics Research predicts 10G port penetration to reach about 50 percent by 2014, aided by rapidly falling prices.
* The ADC segment is getting a big boost from telecom carriers, a healthy-again financial sector, and the general trend of data center upgrades.
* F5 continued to build its lead in ADC revenue share in 3Q10, and Citrix revenue jumped 25 percent, surpassing Cisco for the first time.
* Riverbed's WAN optimization appliance revenue surged 22 percent in 3Q10 and is now enjoying a double-digit lead over their nearest competitors.
Matthias Machowinski, Infonetics Research's directing analyst for enterprise voice and data, predicts: "A new round of data center upgrades is underway, driven by virtualization, surging amounts of data, the growing need for storage, under-investment in 2009, and renewed life in the financial sector.
"Even with a relatively flat third quarter and an expected down fourth quarter, the market for data center network equipment is poised to grow 67 percent in 2010 over 2009 to hit a milestone $7.6 billion worldwide."
Data center network equipment market highlights
* Worldwide revenue from data center network equipment, including data center Ethernet switches, application delivery controllers (ADCs), and WAN optimization appliances, grew 2 percent in 3Q10 over 2Q10 to $1.9 billion.
* Growth was led by activity in North America and EMEA.
* 10G accounts for 14 percent of data center switch ports in 3Q10, much higher than in the total Ethernet switch market.
* Infonetics Research predicts 10G port penetration to reach about 50 percent by 2014, aided by rapidly falling prices.
* The ADC segment is getting a big boost from telecom carriers, a healthy-again financial sector, and the general trend of data center upgrades.
* F5 continued to build its lead in ADC revenue share in 3Q10, and Citrix revenue jumped 25 percent, surpassing Cisco for the first time.
* Riverbed's WAN optimization appliance revenue surged 22 percent in 3Q10 and is now enjoying a double-digit lead over their nearest competitors.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Isocore uses Ixia to validate Alcatel-Lucent's service router delivery of media-rich residential services
CALABASAS, USA: Ixia, a leading, global provider of converged IP test systems, was used by Isocore in a successful demonstration of the Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router (SR) acting as a broadband network gateway (BNG) for media-rich residential service delivery.
The large-scale test proved that the 7750 SR has the subscriber management, IPv6 support, video quality assurance, and terabit forwarding capabilities required to deliver rich streaming video content necessary for broadband service providers.
To handle new traffic demands, service providers must upgrade their broadband remote access server (BRAS) equipment with next generation edge routers acting as BNGs.
Broadband access functionality is increasingly more important -- and more challenging -- by the volume of bandwidth-hungry video. The imminent exhaustion of IPv4 addresses compounds the issue. The converged BNG is the IP node in a service provider's residential network, and plays a pivotal role in providing subscribers with seamless access to any service on any device as customer demands for low latency and low jitter traffic increase.
Isocore employed Ixia's IxNetwork to emulate and scale stateful subscriber hosts using a variety of residential access technologies, while generating high volumes of wire-rate multi-service IPv4 and IPv6 bi-directional traffic flows. Ixia emulated over 250,000 subscribers with various home residence scenarios.
Granular QoS settings and analysis enabled Isocore to validate video assurance capabilities and user quality of experience. Ixia was able to deliver high volumes of media-rich traffic over extended periods of time -- a critical step in ensuring the test set-up represented real-world field deployments.
Using Ixia's test solutions, Isocore was able to execute its massively scalable test scenarios to meet and exceed real-world deployment conditions, providing assurance to Alcatel-Lucent's customers that the 7750 platform achieves the new IP architecture plans and deployments for residential services delivery. By removing risk, service providers can accelerate their plans and address consumer needs for high-performance video content and applications.
The large-scale test proved that the 7750 SR has the subscriber management, IPv6 support, video quality assurance, and terabit forwarding capabilities required to deliver rich streaming video content necessary for broadband service providers.
To handle new traffic demands, service providers must upgrade their broadband remote access server (BRAS) equipment with next generation edge routers acting as BNGs.
Broadband access functionality is increasingly more important -- and more challenging -- by the volume of bandwidth-hungry video. The imminent exhaustion of IPv4 addresses compounds the issue. The converged BNG is the IP node in a service provider's residential network, and plays a pivotal role in providing subscribers with seamless access to any service on any device as customer demands for low latency and low jitter traffic increase.
Isocore employed Ixia's IxNetwork to emulate and scale stateful subscriber hosts using a variety of residential access technologies, while generating high volumes of wire-rate multi-service IPv4 and IPv6 bi-directional traffic flows. Ixia emulated over 250,000 subscribers with various home residence scenarios.
Granular QoS settings and analysis enabled Isocore to validate video assurance capabilities and user quality of experience. Ixia was able to deliver high volumes of media-rich traffic over extended periods of time -- a critical step in ensuring the test set-up represented real-world field deployments.
Using Ixia's test solutions, Isocore was able to execute its massively scalable test scenarios to meet and exceed real-world deployment conditions, providing assurance to Alcatel-Lucent's customers that the 7750 platform achieves the new IP architecture plans and deployments for residential services delivery. By removing risk, service providers can accelerate their plans and address consumer needs for high-performance video content and applications.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Nokia Siemens Networks tops LTE base station vendor matrix ranking
NEW YORK, USA: Nokia Siemens Networks has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.
Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent claimed the second and third spots in the company’s new evaluation of worldwide LTE base station vendors.
The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors' positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of "innovation" and "implementation" across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.
"NSN is the market leader because of its contracts," comments research analyst Xavier Ortiz, "and due to its high interest in early market research and development. It has positioned itself well without even considering the business that its acquisition of Motorola's wireless infrastructure division will bring.
"Huawei, while having a slightly higher score in innovation due to its 4G experience prior to LTE, was behind NSN in the implementation categories. Alcatel Lucent had a well-rounded score, following close behind the top two in both innovation and implementation."
Huawei and Alcatel-Lucent claimed the second and third spots in the company’s new evaluation of worldwide LTE base station vendors.
The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors' positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of "innovation" and "implementation" across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.
"NSN is the market leader because of its contracts," comments research analyst Xavier Ortiz, "and due to its high interest in early market research and development. It has positioned itself well without even considering the business that its acquisition of Motorola's wireless infrastructure division will bring.
"Huawei, while having a slightly higher score in innovation due to its 4G experience prior to LTE, was behind NSN in the implementation categories. Alcatel Lucent had a well-rounded score, following close behind the top two in both innovation and implementation."
Market for mobile communications gear nears quarter-trillion-dollar mark
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Propelled by the unstoppable cell phone market, worldwide factory equipment revenue generated by the mobile communications industry will near the quarter-trillion-dollar mark by the end of 2010, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc.
Global mobile communications factory equipment revenue this year will reach $235.5 billion, up 7.9 percent from $218.2 billion in 2009, driven by the energetic expansion of mobile broadband in all parts of the world as well as by major increases in sales of 3G cell phones. Growth next year will be even more spectacular, iSuppli data show, when revenue surpasses the quarter-trillion-dollar level and hits $271.3 billion.
Continued revenue growth seems assured in the years ahead for mobile communications, a wide-ranging market encompassing cell phones, cordless phones, battery chargers, mobile infrastructure, mobile and fixed broadband access devices and wireless LAN equipment such as routers. By 2014, total mobile communications factory equipment revenue will reach $359.3 billion.
Among the various segments of the market included in iSuppli’s forecast, 3G mobile handsets this year will take up the largest share of revenue at $86.4 billion, up 34.6 percent from $64.2 billion in 2009.
Revenue is also sizable, although declining, in the older category of 1G/2G mobile handsets—still a significant force in the emerging markets of Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Revenue in 2010 for the combined 1G/2G category will fall to $55.6 billion, down 18.6 percent from $68.3 billion in 2009.
Revenue figures are much smaller in the latest-generation technology known as 4G—a category whose precise definition is in dispute—but growth is highest in this segment. From a paltry intake of only $11 million in 2009, revenue is expected to skyrocket to $1.3 billion in 2010.
3G is still dominant; 4G ramping
“Among mobile handsets, 3G continues to be the dominant technology in 2010 and likely will maintain that distinction beyond 2014,” said Francis Sideco, principal analyst for wireless research at iSuppli.
“For their part, wireless carriers—while wrestling with the issue of heavy data traffic on their networks—are attempting to maximize investments in existing 3.5G and 3.75G technologies through incremental network upgrades. At the same time, carriers are deploying next-generation 4G technologies such as long term evolution (LTE), to begin in earnest by 2011.”
Within the mobile handset segment, smart phones are the unrivaled stars, with projected growth this year of 40.6 percent, compared to a 12 percent expansion in 2009. Manufacturers in the smart-phone-specific space, such as Apple Inc., Research in Motion Ltd. and HTC Corp., continued to gain market share at the expense of other players with more generalized handset offerings.
Overall, cell phone shipments in 2010 are forecasted to reach 1.29 billion units, up 11.7 percent from 1.15 billion units last year. The projections do not take into account the presence of gray-market handsets, especially popular in China, which will contribute $8.9 billion worth of revenue to the industry for 2010.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Global mobile communications factory equipment revenue this year will reach $235.5 billion, up 7.9 percent from $218.2 billion in 2009, driven by the energetic expansion of mobile broadband in all parts of the world as well as by major increases in sales of 3G cell phones. Growth next year will be even more spectacular, iSuppli data show, when revenue surpasses the quarter-trillion-dollar level and hits $271.3 billion.
Continued revenue growth seems assured in the years ahead for mobile communications, a wide-ranging market encompassing cell phones, cordless phones, battery chargers, mobile infrastructure, mobile and fixed broadband access devices and wireless LAN equipment such as routers. By 2014, total mobile communications factory equipment revenue will reach $359.3 billion.
Among the various segments of the market included in iSuppli’s forecast, 3G mobile handsets this year will take up the largest share of revenue at $86.4 billion, up 34.6 percent from $64.2 billion in 2009.
Revenue is also sizable, although declining, in the older category of 1G/2G mobile handsets—still a significant force in the emerging markets of Latin America, Asia and Africa.
Revenue in 2010 for the combined 1G/2G category will fall to $55.6 billion, down 18.6 percent from $68.3 billion in 2009.
Revenue figures are much smaller in the latest-generation technology known as 4G—a category whose precise definition is in dispute—but growth is highest in this segment. From a paltry intake of only $11 million in 2009, revenue is expected to skyrocket to $1.3 billion in 2010.
3G is still dominant; 4G ramping
“Among mobile handsets, 3G continues to be the dominant technology in 2010 and likely will maintain that distinction beyond 2014,” said Francis Sideco, principal analyst for wireless research at iSuppli.
“For their part, wireless carriers—while wrestling with the issue of heavy data traffic on their networks—are attempting to maximize investments in existing 3.5G and 3.75G technologies through incremental network upgrades. At the same time, carriers are deploying next-generation 4G technologies such as long term evolution (LTE), to begin in earnest by 2011.”
Within the mobile handset segment, smart phones are the unrivaled stars, with projected growth this year of 40.6 percent, compared to a 12 percent expansion in 2009. Manufacturers in the smart-phone-specific space, such as Apple Inc., Research in Motion Ltd. and HTC Corp., continued to gain market share at the expense of other players with more generalized handset offerings.
Overall, cell phone shipments in 2010 are forecasted to reach 1.29 billion units, up 11.7 percent from 1.15 billion units last year. The projections do not take into account the presence of gray-market handsets, especially popular in China, which will contribute $8.9 billion worth of revenue to the industry for 2010.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Infineon takes number two position in cellular baseband market in Q3 2010
BOSTON, USA: Global cellular baseband revenues reached $3.4 billion in Q3 2010, registering a 12.6 percent year-on-year growth, according to the latest report from the Strategy Analytics Baseband Quarterly Metrics Service module, “BASEBAND Market Tracker: Infineon Grabs Second Spot in Q3 2010.” This report provisionally estimates that cellular baseband revenues for the first nine months in 2010 reached $9.4 billion.
Strategy Analytics reports that the lead up to the end-of-year holiday season helped most baseband vendors to register impressive growth in terms of both units and revenue.
Qualcomm led the cellular baseband market in Q3 2010, with the help of its strong position in the CDMA and W-CDMA baseband markets. Infineon, Broadcom, Spreadtrum, Icera, Marvell and VIA Telecom all made significant progress in Q3 2010, while MediaTek and ST-Ericsson struggled to increase their revenue share in the face of stiff competition. 2010 is proving to be a challenging year for MediaTek after several years of growth from 2004 to 2009.
According to Stuart Robinson, director of the Handset Component Technologies service: “Infineon rose to the number two revenue position in Q3 2010, on the strength of several of high-volume design wins at tier-one handset OEMs. Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple accounted for over one-third of Infineon’s baseband revenues in Q3 2010.”
“Broadcom and Spreadtrum continued to gain market share in cellular basebands and showed impressive growth in units and revenue in Q3 2010,” commented Sravan Kundojjala, senior analyst. He added, “Strategy Analytics estimates that Broadcom and Spreadtrum together accounted for 12 percent of GSM/GPRS/EDGE baseband shipments in Q3 2010, up from just 7 percent in Q3 2009.”
Strategy Analytics reports that the lead up to the end-of-year holiday season helped most baseband vendors to register impressive growth in terms of both units and revenue.
Qualcomm led the cellular baseband market in Q3 2010, with the help of its strong position in the CDMA and W-CDMA baseband markets. Infineon, Broadcom, Spreadtrum, Icera, Marvell and VIA Telecom all made significant progress in Q3 2010, while MediaTek and ST-Ericsson struggled to increase their revenue share in the face of stiff competition. 2010 is proving to be a challenging year for MediaTek after several years of growth from 2004 to 2009.
According to Stuart Robinson, director of the Handset Component Technologies service: “Infineon rose to the number two revenue position in Q3 2010, on the strength of several of high-volume design wins at tier-one handset OEMs. Strategy Analytics estimates that Apple accounted for over one-third of Infineon’s baseband revenues in Q3 2010.”
“Broadcom and Spreadtrum continued to gain market share in cellular basebands and showed impressive growth in units and revenue in Q3 2010,” commented Sravan Kundojjala, senior analyst. He added, “Strategy Analytics estimates that Broadcom and Spreadtrum together accounted for 12 percent of GSM/GPRS/EDGE baseband shipments in Q3 2010, up from just 7 percent in Q3 2009.”
CSR delivers next-generation Bluetooth to PCs with BlueSlim2
CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND: CSR plc has released its latest PC Bluetooth Module BlueSlim2. BlueSlim2 is a qualified Bluetooth module reference design for notebooks, netbooks and tablets, providing a fast, simple and cost-effective route for OEMs to integrate the latest Bluetooth functionality into PC module designs.
BlueSlim2 is fully compatible with the Bluetooth v3.0 + High Speed and Bluetooth v4.0 standards, offering high-speed data transfer and Bluetooth low energy for PC products. Through products based on BlueSlim2, consumers can take full advantage of the Bluetooth low energy ecosphere, connecting peripherals such as mice and keyboards and benefiting from Bluetooth low energy’s enormous power efficiency.
“As the number and variety of peripheral and sensor devices featuring Bluetooth low energy continues to grow, consumers will want all of their devices to be able to interact with each other,” commented Eric Neilson, senior Product Marketing Manager for PCs in CSR’s Audio and Consumer Business Unit.
“With larger screens and more flexible interfaces, PCs offer an ideal opportunity to interact with Bluetooth low energy devices in exciting and unforeseen ways; perhaps enabling the true ‘smart home’, or acting as intelligent multi remote-controls. PC module OEMs need a quick and easy way to tap into this and CSR is helping its OEM customers to be at the profitable centre of this emerging market.”
BlueSlim2 is fully tested, qualified and ready to be built by manufacturers. The device comes complete with tested interoperability with leading PC Bluetooth stacks such as CSR Harmony, Motorola, and Toshiba as well as CSR Synergy stack. BlueSlim2 is designed to meet the regulatory approval requirements in over 200 countries, which greatly benefits OEMs by removing the need to pay regulatory fees and avoiding a lengthy qualification process.
BlueSlim2 utilises USB, the dominant standard interface for most PC platforms, so it can be easily connected to a vast range of PC devices. Thanks to its tiny 6.5mm x 30mm x 1.95mm footprint, the module is ideal for today’s small form factor notebooks, netbooks and tablet PCs.
CSR has reduced the overall BOM for OEMs with a minimal external component count. BlueSlim2 also offers +10dBm Tx output power and -93dBm Rx sensitivity, as well as Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 support without the need for external power amplifier or TX/RX switch.
BlueSlim2 utilises CSR’s new CSR8510 for PCs, based on the recently launched CSR8000 connectivity platform.
BlueSlim2 is sampling now and is expected to be in volume production in the first quarter of 2011.
BlueSlim2 is fully compatible with the Bluetooth v3.0 + High Speed and Bluetooth v4.0 standards, offering high-speed data transfer and Bluetooth low energy for PC products. Through products based on BlueSlim2, consumers can take full advantage of the Bluetooth low energy ecosphere, connecting peripherals such as mice and keyboards and benefiting from Bluetooth low energy’s enormous power efficiency.
“As the number and variety of peripheral and sensor devices featuring Bluetooth low energy continues to grow, consumers will want all of their devices to be able to interact with each other,” commented Eric Neilson, senior Product Marketing Manager for PCs in CSR’s Audio and Consumer Business Unit.
“With larger screens and more flexible interfaces, PCs offer an ideal opportunity to interact with Bluetooth low energy devices in exciting and unforeseen ways; perhaps enabling the true ‘smart home’, or acting as intelligent multi remote-controls. PC module OEMs need a quick and easy way to tap into this and CSR is helping its OEM customers to be at the profitable centre of this emerging market.”
BlueSlim2 is fully tested, qualified and ready to be built by manufacturers. The device comes complete with tested interoperability with leading PC Bluetooth stacks such as CSR Harmony, Motorola, and Toshiba as well as CSR Synergy stack. BlueSlim2 is designed to meet the regulatory approval requirements in over 200 countries, which greatly benefits OEMs by removing the need to pay regulatory fees and avoiding a lengthy qualification process.
BlueSlim2 utilises USB, the dominant standard interface for most PC platforms, so it can be easily connected to a vast range of PC devices. Thanks to its tiny 6.5mm x 30mm x 1.95mm footprint, the module is ideal for today’s small form factor notebooks, netbooks and tablet PCs.
CSR has reduced the overall BOM for OEMs with a minimal external component count. BlueSlim2 also offers +10dBm Tx output power and -93dBm Rx sensitivity, as well as Class 1, Class 2 and Class 3 support without the need for external power amplifier or TX/RX switch.
BlueSlim2 utilises CSR’s new CSR8510 for PCs, based on the recently launched CSR8000 connectivity platform.
BlueSlim2 is sampling now and is expected to be in volume production in the first quarter of 2011.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Wireless Innovation Forum approves report on quantifying benefits of cognitive radio technologies
WASHINGTON, USA: The Wireless Innovation Forum (SDR Forum version 2.0), a non-profit organization dedicated to driving the future of radio communications and systems worldwide, announced the approval of the report, “Quantifying the Benefits of Cognitive Radio.”
The report presents the results of an extensive survey performed by the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnF) Cognitive Radio Work Group (CRWG) on open and public Cognitive Radio (CR) literature. The intent of the report is to summarize the “hard numbers” required to assess the value proposition of CR technologies in future radio systems.
James Neel, of Cognitive Radio Technologies and Chair of the CRWG, said: “Cognitive radio is an exciting technology that is pushing wireless innovation forward in areas such as dynamic spectrum access in the TV White Spaces, self-organizing networks (SON) with femtocells, self-healing wireless LANs, real-time spectrum markets, and context aware smart phones. Tremendous claims are being made about what these applications will achieve – improving spectrum availability by 10 times, decreasing deployment costs by a factor of 4 and so on – claims which in the popular press tend to be unsubstantiated and end up sounding like marketing spin.”
According to Neel, in an effort to separate the hype from reality, the CRWG went back to original sources – conference proceedings, journals publications and regulatory filings – to extract the quantifiable benefits claimed for various cognitive radio technologies, the assumptions required to achieve those benefits, and the intended applications.
The report presents this information in an easily digestible format with issues related to coexistence, security, implementation, test, and regulation, allowing developers, researchers, and regulators to analyze the cost vs. benefit associated with integrating cognitive radio techniques into their solutions.
The document identifies many CR technologies that would be beneficial to commercial, defense, and public safety applications, and includes a review of issues and risks posed by CR that developers, users, and regulators should be aware of.
The report presents the results of an extensive survey performed by the Wireless Innovation Forum (WInnF) Cognitive Radio Work Group (CRWG) on open and public Cognitive Radio (CR) literature. The intent of the report is to summarize the “hard numbers” required to assess the value proposition of CR technologies in future radio systems.
James Neel, of Cognitive Radio Technologies and Chair of the CRWG, said: “Cognitive radio is an exciting technology that is pushing wireless innovation forward in areas such as dynamic spectrum access in the TV White Spaces, self-organizing networks (SON) with femtocells, self-healing wireless LANs, real-time spectrum markets, and context aware smart phones. Tremendous claims are being made about what these applications will achieve – improving spectrum availability by 10 times, decreasing deployment costs by a factor of 4 and so on – claims which in the popular press tend to be unsubstantiated and end up sounding like marketing spin.”
According to Neel, in an effort to separate the hype from reality, the CRWG went back to original sources – conference proceedings, journals publications and regulatory filings – to extract the quantifiable benefits claimed for various cognitive radio technologies, the assumptions required to achieve those benefits, and the intended applications.
The report presents this information in an easily digestible format with issues related to coexistence, security, implementation, test, and regulation, allowing developers, researchers, and regulators to analyze the cost vs. benefit associated with integrating cognitive radio techniques into their solutions.
The document identifies many CR technologies that would be beneficial to commercial, defense, and public safety applications, and includes a review of issues and risks posed by CR that developers, users, and regulators should be aware of.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Telecom outsourcing thriving; Ericsson, NSN, ALU, Huawei: soon running 3/4 of world's networks?
CAMPBELL, USA: Telecommunications industry market research firm Infonetics Research released its updated Service Provider Outsourcing to Vendors market size, market share, and forecast report.
Stéphane Téral, Infonetics Research's principal analyst for mobile and FMC infrastructure, notes: "Fierce competition among telecom service providers around the world is driving them to increase operating expenses, and that in turn is forcing service providers to outsource more of their network tasks, because outsourcing is one of the last remaining ways to cut opex.
With major outsourcing deals looming, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, and Huawei may end up running three-quarters of the networks on this planet."
Service provider outsourcing highlights
* By the end of 2010, telecom service providers worldwide will have outsourced about $53.5 billion worth of networking tasks to equipment vendors, 8 percent more than they outsourced in 2009.
* Mobile network outsourcing is growing much faster than fixed (wireline) outsourcing: in 2008 revenue from mobile and fixed network outsourcing was roughly the same; by 2014, mobile network outsourcing will grow to account for 61 percent of all network outsourcing.
* The major growth areas for telecom network outsourcing include network maintenance, planning, design, and operations.
* Much of the growth in outsourced services is coming from EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia Pacific, and to a lesser extent, Central and Latin America, with the Oi-Nokia Siemens deal in Brazil and activity increasing in Mexico.
Stéphane Téral, Infonetics Research's principal analyst for mobile and FMC infrastructure, notes: "Fierce competition among telecom service providers around the world is driving them to increase operating expenses, and that in turn is forcing service providers to outsource more of their network tasks, because outsourcing is one of the last remaining ways to cut opex.
With major outsourcing deals looming, Ericsson, Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent, and Huawei may end up running three-quarters of the networks on this planet."
Service provider outsourcing highlights
* By the end of 2010, telecom service providers worldwide will have outsourced about $53.5 billion worth of networking tasks to equipment vendors, 8 percent more than they outsourced in 2009.
* Mobile network outsourcing is growing much faster than fixed (wireline) outsourcing: in 2008 revenue from mobile and fixed network outsourcing was roughly the same; by 2014, mobile network outsourcing will grow to account for 61 percent of all network outsourcing.
* The major growth areas for telecom network outsourcing include network maintenance, planning, design, and operations.
* Much of the growth in outsourced services is coming from EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) and Asia Pacific, and to a lesser extent, Central and Latin America, with the Oi-Nokia Siemens deal in Brazil and activity increasing in Mexico.
Wi-Fi offers unsurpassed capabilities for smart grid
AUSTIN, USA: A recent white paper authored by the General Electric Company comparing the power efficiency of Wi-Fi and ZigBee technologies in home Smart Grid applications is flawed, resulting in inaccurate findings.
The report, released on December 9, 2010 and titled, "Energy Efficiency Comparisons of Wireless Communication Technology Options for Smart Grid Enabled Devices," compares Wi-Fi and ZigBee in home Smart Grid applications, focusing on power consumption as the primary evaluation criterion. The report bases its conclusion on measurements of a single implementation each of ZigBee and Wi-Fi, using Smart Energy Profile 1.0.
The evaluation was based on old technology and tested only one implementation.
The evaluation that formed the basis for the conclusions in the paper was conducted using ZigBee Smart Energy Profile 1.0, an older protocol which lacks key technical features, such as cyber security and IP communications, now specified by the federal government for Smart Grid use.
Moreover, the single tested Wi-Fi implementation in the study is based on an 802.11b chip, based on ten-year-old Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED technology based upon 802.11n will be very widely used in Smart Grid applications, and is already used in millions of households around the world.
In fact, Wi-Fi offers a range of technology options, including 802.11a, g and n, that suit the diverse range of Smart Grid applications, and none of these technologies was tested.
The study's design leads to inaccurate conclusions on power efficiency.
Because the evaluation was based on old technologies, its conclusions present an inaccurate characterization of the energy efficiency of both ZigBee and Wi-Fi technologies and cannot be used to draw generalized conclusions about the state of Smart Grid communications technology today.
Implementations of any technology using Smart Energy Profile 2.0 – the federally-specified implementation for the Smart Grid – will have increased power consumption compared with the version of the protocol which was tested, because of the additional data transmission requirements inherent in Smart Energy Profile 2.0.
It should be noted that 802.11n, the current generation of Wi-Fi technology, incorporates more efficient data transmission and more sophisticated power-saving mechanisms than 802.11b, and may perform better in an energy efficiency evaluation. When evaluated using Smart Energy Profile 2.0 the differences in energy consumption between Wi-Fi and ZigBee could be much smaller.
The study's limited scope excluded important criteria in which Wi-Fi has key strengths.
A recent and significantly more comprehensive Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) study, available at www.aham.org/smartgrid, concludes with a leading ranking for Wi-Fi as the communications protocol technology of choice in smart home appliance applications because of its range and throughput benefits, power management, established certification ecosystem, significant installed base, and more.
Already the network of choice in an estimated 201 million households worldwide, Wi-Fi brings a variety of features unmatched by other technologies, including whole-home coverage, IP-based communications, industry-standard security protections, and advanced power management mechanisms that meet the federally-specified requirements of smart energy applications.
The report, released on December 9, 2010 and titled, "Energy Efficiency Comparisons of Wireless Communication Technology Options for Smart Grid Enabled Devices," compares Wi-Fi and ZigBee in home Smart Grid applications, focusing on power consumption as the primary evaluation criterion. The report bases its conclusion on measurements of a single implementation each of ZigBee and Wi-Fi, using Smart Energy Profile 1.0.
The evaluation was based on old technology and tested only one implementation.
The evaluation that formed the basis for the conclusions in the paper was conducted using ZigBee Smart Energy Profile 1.0, an older protocol which lacks key technical features, such as cyber security and IP communications, now specified by the federal government for Smart Grid use.
Moreover, the single tested Wi-Fi implementation in the study is based on an 802.11b chip, based on ten-year-old Wi-Fi technology. Wi-Fi CERTIFIED technology based upon 802.11n will be very widely used in Smart Grid applications, and is already used in millions of households around the world.
In fact, Wi-Fi offers a range of technology options, including 802.11a, g and n, that suit the diverse range of Smart Grid applications, and none of these technologies was tested.
The study's design leads to inaccurate conclusions on power efficiency.
Because the evaluation was based on old technologies, its conclusions present an inaccurate characterization of the energy efficiency of both ZigBee and Wi-Fi technologies and cannot be used to draw generalized conclusions about the state of Smart Grid communications technology today.
Implementations of any technology using Smart Energy Profile 2.0 – the federally-specified implementation for the Smart Grid – will have increased power consumption compared with the version of the protocol which was tested, because of the additional data transmission requirements inherent in Smart Energy Profile 2.0.
It should be noted that 802.11n, the current generation of Wi-Fi technology, incorporates more efficient data transmission and more sophisticated power-saving mechanisms than 802.11b, and may perform better in an energy efficiency evaluation. When evaluated using Smart Energy Profile 2.0 the differences in energy consumption between Wi-Fi and ZigBee could be much smaller.
The study's limited scope excluded important criteria in which Wi-Fi has key strengths.
A recent and significantly more comprehensive Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers (AHAM) study, available at www.aham.org/smartgrid, concludes with a leading ranking for Wi-Fi as the communications protocol technology of choice in smart home appliance applications because of its range and throughput benefits, power management, established certification ecosystem, significant installed base, and more.
Already the network of choice in an estimated 201 million households worldwide, Wi-Fi brings a variety of features unmatched by other technologies, including whole-home coverage, IP-based communications, industry-standard security protections, and advanced power management mechanisms that meet the federally-specified requirements of smart energy applications.
Cell phone mobile payment market set for take off
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Ignited by support from key wireless players Nokia Corp. and Google Inc., global usage of near field communication (NFC) technology in cell phones is expected to begin an explosive growth phase starting next year, paving the way
for a boom in the mobile payments business, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc.
Worldwide shipments of cell phones with built-in NFC capability will rise to 220.1 million units in 2014, up by a factor of four from 52.6 million in 2010, as presented in the figure. In 2014, 13 percent of cell phones shipped will integrate NFC, up from 4.1 percent in 2010.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity technology based on magnetic field induction. It is intended primarily for intuitive, simple and secure communications between two electronic devices in close proximity to each other—a perfect fit for mobile payment applications.
“Imagine paying your bus fare, buying a plane ticket or making an ATM/credit card purchase simply by holding your cell phone near a wireless terminal,” said Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for communications and consumer electronics with iSuppli.
“This is the mobile payment revolution on the verge of being unleashed by NFC technology. With NFC technology expected to be integrated into Nokia’s cell phones and Google’s Android operating system, the first shots of this revolution will be fired next year.”
NFC infrastructure
Leading cell phone brand Nokia said it will support NFC in all new smart phone models introduced in 2011.
Google has announced support for NFC in Android 2.3, set for release this week.
Furthermore, after two years of discussions, the three largest US mobile phone carriers—AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile—have launched a joint venture known as ISIS that will develop a mobile payment system based on NFC.
While ISIS is initially working with Barclaycard U.S. and Discover Financial Services, the carriers said they are open to collaborating with any bank or credit card company that would like to use the platform.
ISIS within the next 18 months hopes to have NFC-enabled cell phones sold by the three carriers and an NFC ecosystem in place in some regions of the United States, with a full nationwide rollout slated to be accomplished by 2013.
“iSuppli believes that 2012 will be the make-or-break year for NFC,” Rebello said. “With all the ongoing and planned NFC trials in different regions of the world—as well as support for the technology by major stakeholders, including wireless operators, financial institutions and banks—it is imperative that business models be established that allow each of the nodes to see value in offering the service.
NFC technology
Beyond mobile payments in cell phones, NFC enables a range of other functions.
NFC chips are compatible with contactless smart cards. Devices that are NFC enabled can be used as access devices for secure facilities, such as office buildings and gated apartments. They also can work as information retrieval devices—allowing applications including the exchange of electronic business cards and the downloading of information from NFC-enabled posters.
Furthermore, NFC can perform authentication features, initiating setup for other forms of wireless communication, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
for a boom in the mobile payments business, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc.
Worldwide shipments of cell phones with built-in NFC capability will rise to 220.1 million units in 2014, up by a factor of four from 52.6 million in 2010, as presented in the figure. In 2014, 13 percent of cell phones shipped will integrate NFC, up from 4.1 percent in 2010.
Source: iSuppli, USA.NFC is a short-range wireless connectivity technology based on magnetic field induction. It is intended primarily for intuitive, simple and secure communications between two electronic devices in close proximity to each other—a perfect fit for mobile payment applications.
“Imagine paying your bus fare, buying a plane ticket or making an ATM/credit card purchase simply by holding your cell phone near a wireless terminal,” said Jagdish Rebello, director and principal analyst for communications and consumer electronics with iSuppli.
“This is the mobile payment revolution on the verge of being unleashed by NFC technology. With NFC technology expected to be integrated into Nokia’s cell phones and Google’s Android operating system, the first shots of this revolution will be fired next year.”
NFC infrastructure
Leading cell phone brand Nokia said it will support NFC in all new smart phone models introduced in 2011.
Google has announced support for NFC in Android 2.3, set for release this week.
Furthermore, after two years of discussions, the three largest US mobile phone carriers—AT&T Wireless, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile—have launched a joint venture known as ISIS that will develop a mobile payment system based on NFC.
While ISIS is initially working with Barclaycard U.S. and Discover Financial Services, the carriers said they are open to collaborating with any bank or credit card company that would like to use the platform.
ISIS within the next 18 months hopes to have NFC-enabled cell phones sold by the three carriers and an NFC ecosystem in place in some regions of the United States, with a full nationwide rollout slated to be accomplished by 2013.
“iSuppli believes that 2012 will be the make-or-break year for NFC,” Rebello said. “With all the ongoing and planned NFC trials in different regions of the world—as well as support for the technology by major stakeholders, including wireless operators, financial institutions and banks—it is imperative that business models be established that allow each of the nodes to see value in offering the service.
NFC technology
Beyond mobile payments in cell phones, NFC enables a range of other functions.
NFC chips are compatible with contactless smart cards. Devices that are NFC enabled can be used as access devices for secure facilities, such as office buildings and gated apartments. They also can work as information retrieval devices—allowing applications including the exchange of electronic business cards and the downloading of information from NFC-enabled posters.
Furthermore, NFC can perform authentication features, initiating setup for other forms of wireless communication, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Mitsubishi Electric to launch WCDMA power amplifiers for PC data communication in cellular networks
TOKYO, JAPAN: Mitsubishi Electric Corp. will launch five new models of gallium arsenic (GaAs) power amplifiers to be used in personal computer (PC) data communication terminals for WCDMA cellular networks. Sales will begin on March 1, 2011 through Mitsubishi Electric sales sites worldwide.
With faster data transfer speeds of cellular networks, development of PC data communication terminals, such as data cards or USB terminals, has become extremely active. However, market demand for smaller terminals, which required more power output due to greater data traffic, created the issue of needing to limit heat accumulation as much as possible.
Mitsubishi Electric's new GaAs power amplifiers achieve an industry-leading power added efficiency (PAE) of 45 percent, contributing to lower power consumption and heat emission.
With faster data transfer speeds of cellular networks, development of PC data communication terminals, such as data cards or USB terminals, has become extremely active. However, market demand for smaller terminals, which required more power output due to greater data traffic, created the issue of needing to limit heat accumulation as much as possible.
Mitsubishi Electric's new GaAs power amplifiers achieve an industry-leading power added efficiency (PAE) of 45 percent, contributing to lower power consumption and heat emission.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Brightstar expands Asia Pacific operations
MIAMI, USA & MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: Brightstar Corp., a leader in services and solutions for the wireless industry, has expanded into Thailand and Vietnam further increasing its footprint in Asia Pacific. Brightstar's entrance into these markets supports Brightstar's strategy to have a local presence in key markets throughout the Asia Pacific region.
This regional expansion comes on the heels of Patrick Aronson's recent appointment as the Managing Director for Thailand and Vietnam based out of Ho Chi Minh City. Aronson is responsible for crafting and executing Brightstar's aggressive expansion plans in Southeast Asia.
He has 18 years of experience in both the mobile communications and software development businesses coupled with significant local experience and relationships in retail, mobile device demand generation and value added distribution services. Prior to joining Brightstar, Aronson was based in Bangkok and managed Motorola's Mobile Device business across Southeast Asia.
Brightstar's value proposition to emerging markets includes increasing their access to wireless devices and leading edge technology through the company's global relationships with leading manufacturers, its vast distribution network and integrated supply chain solutions which increase speed to market and reduce overall product costs.
Vietnam accounted for the highest GDP growth for 2009 in Southeast Asia and has been transforming into a vibrant, modern market economy backed by a dynamic domestic market, rising middle class and increase in urbanization and incomes.
With 60 percent of the population under 35, there is a strong demand for mobile phones and services. According to a recent study by Research On Asia (ROA) Group, the number of mobile users in Vietnam will increase to 53 million by 2010.
The mobile market in Thailand also continues to grow. According to the GSM Association, Thailand is a similarly dynamic market with almost 70 million subscribers, corresponding to more than 100 percent penetration. Thailand has witnessed a dramatic change in the market shares of major manufacturers in the last few quarters.
Arturo Osorio, president of Brightstar Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, said: "We recognized the growing demand for mobile devices and services throughout Asia Pacific, hence our decision to expand into additional countries within the region. We believe that our strong portfolio of OEM partners, current local infrastructure and the new facilities in Vietnam and Thailand will provide the highest levels of value-added distribution and supply chain services, and will drive mobile products to thousands of points of sale and consumers in the region."
Brightstar has been in the Asia Pacific region for more than six years, and has continued to grow and strengthen its business operations. The company has more than 600 employees in the region, and numerous facilities and relationships in place to continue to provide innovative, customized solutions for its customers.
This regional expansion comes on the heels of Patrick Aronson's recent appointment as the Managing Director for Thailand and Vietnam based out of Ho Chi Minh City. Aronson is responsible for crafting and executing Brightstar's aggressive expansion plans in Southeast Asia.
He has 18 years of experience in both the mobile communications and software development businesses coupled with significant local experience and relationships in retail, mobile device demand generation and value added distribution services. Prior to joining Brightstar, Aronson was based in Bangkok and managed Motorola's Mobile Device business across Southeast Asia.
Brightstar's value proposition to emerging markets includes increasing their access to wireless devices and leading edge technology through the company's global relationships with leading manufacturers, its vast distribution network and integrated supply chain solutions which increase speed to market and reduce overall product costs.
Vietnam accounted for the highest GDP growth for 2009 in Southeast Asia and has been transforming into a vibrant, modern market economy backed by a dynamic domestic market, rising middle class and increase in urbanization and incomes.
With 60 percent of the population under 35, there is a strong demand for mobile phones and services. According to a recent study by Research On Asia (ROA) Group, the number of mobile users in Vietnam will increase to 53 million by 2010.
The mobile market in Thailand also continues to grow. According to the GSM Association, Thailand is a similarly dynamic market with almost 70 million subscribers, corresponding to more than 100 percent penetration. Thailand has witnessed a dramatic change in the market shares of major manufacturers in the last few quarters.
Arturo Osorio, president of Brightstar Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa, said: "We recognized the growing demand for mobile devices and services throughout Asia Pacific, hence our decision to expand into additional countries within the region. We believe that our strong portfolio of OEM partners, current local infrastructure and the new facilities in Vietnam and Thailand will provide the highest levels of value-added distribution and supply chain services, and will drive mobile products to thousands of points of sale and consumers in the region."
Brightstar has been in the Asia Pacific region for more than six years, and has continued to grow and strengthen its business operations. The company has more than 600 employees in the region, and numerous facilities and relationships in place to continue to provide innovative, customized solutions for its customers.
Qualcomm announces agreement for sale of 700 MHz spectrum licenses to AT&T
SAN DIEGO, USA: Qualcomm Inc. has agreed to sell its Lower 700 MHz D and E Block (Channel 55 and 56) unpaired US spectrum licenses to AT&T for $1.925 billion.
The sale follows Qualcomm's previously announced plan to restructure and evaluate strategic options related to the FLO TV business operated by FLO TV Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm. It is expected that the FLO TV business and network will be shut down in March 2011.
AT&T announced that as part of its longer-term 4G network plan, it intends to deploy this spectrum as supplemental downlink, using carrier aggregation technology. This technology is designed to deliver substantial capacity gains by enabling unpaired spectrum to be used in conjunction with paired spectrum.
Qualcomm is integrating carrier aggregation technology into its chipset roadmap to enable supplemental downlink and intends to market the technology globally. This new technology is expected to create opportunities around the world in markets where unpaired spectrum bands can be made available for wireless operators to use in conjunction with existing paired bands to obtain substantial improvements in their mobile broadband networks.
Qualcomm plans to take advantage of its experience in broadcast technology to develop LTE multicast technologies that address the rapidly growing demand for high-bandwidth video and other multimedia content.
"This is a positive outcome for Qualcomm and our stakeholders," said Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "Carrier aggregation, supplemental downlink and LTE multicast technologies are an exciting evolution of next generation wireless systems to economically support increasing consumer demand for mobile TV and other rich media content. We will continue to drive the development and delivery of these new capabilities, which build on our technology leadership and deep experience with 3G, 4G and broadcast technologies."
Completion of the spectrum transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the US Federal Communications Commission and clearance from the US Department of Justice. Qualcomm and AT&T anticipate closing the sale during the second half of calendar 2011. The proceeds will be received at closing.
Restructuring charges related to the FLO TV service business were previously estimated to be in the range of $125 million to $175 million in fiscal 2011, primarily related to certain contractual obligations, with the potential for additional charges depending on the outcome of the evaluation of strategic options for the business.
As a result of this agreement to sell the spectrum licenses, it is anticipated that additional charges will be incurred related to the shut down of the FLO TV network and associated business exit costs.
The sale follows Qualcomm's previously announced plan to restructure and evaluate strategic options related to the FLO TV business operated by FLO TV Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm. It is expected that the FLO TV business and network will be shut down in March 2011.
AT&T announced that as part of its longer-term 4G network plan, it intends to deploy this spectrum as supplemental downlink, using carrier aggregation technology. This technology is designed to deliver substantial capacity gains by enabling unpaired spectrum to be used in conjunction with paired spectrum.
Qualcomm is integrating carrier aggregation technology into its chipset roadmap to enable supplemental downlink and intends to market the technology globally. This new technology is expected to create opportunities around the world in markets where unpaired spectrum bands can be made available for wireless operators to use in conjunction with existing paired bands to obtain substantial improvements in their mobile broadband networks.
Qualcomm plans to take advantage of its experience in broadcast technology to develop LTE multicast technologies that address the rapidly growing demand for high-bandwidth video and other multimedia content.
"This is a positive outcome for Qualcomm and our stakeholders," said Paul Jacobs, chairman and CEO of Qualcomm. "Carrier aggregation, supplemental downlink and LTE multicast technologies are an exciting evolution of next generation wireless systems to economically support increasing consumer demand for mobile TV and other rich media content. We will continue to drive the development and delivery of these new capabilities, which build on our technology leadership and deep experience with 3G, 4G and broadcast technologies."
Completion of the spectrum transaction is subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions, including approval by the US Federal Communications Commission and clearance from the US Department of Justice. Qualcomm and AT&T anticipate closing the sale during the second half of calendar 2011. The proceeds will be received at closing.
Restructuring charges related to the FLO TV service business were previously estimated to be in the range of $125 million to $175 million in fiscal 2011, primarily related to certain contractual obligations, with the potential for additional charges depending on the outcome of the evaluation of strategic options for the business.
As a result of this agreement to sell the spectrum licenses, it is anticipated that additional charges will be incurred related to the shut down of the FLO TV network and associated business exit costs.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
LTE services in US will generate more than $11 billion in 2015
NEW YORK, USA: When it comes to mobile network infrastructure discussions, LTE is the name on everyone’s lips. Yet the very meaning of the acronym – “Long-Term Evolution” – is a hint that it isn’t going to happen overnight.
LTE’s deployment as the mainstay 4G technology will take place gradually, and won’t even begin to gather real steam until 2013. Nonetheless, LTE is forecast by ABI Research to generate more than $11 billion in service revenue in the United States in 2015, with nearly a further $650 million to come from Western Europe.
“The LTE service revenue growth curve for Western Europe is practically a straight line,” notes ABI Research director Philip Solis. “That contrasts sharply with constantly accelerating revenue growth in the US, and is largely due to the sometimes exorbitant amounts European network operators paid for their 3G spectrum: many of those operators want to squeeze every drop of value from their 3G investments before migrating to 4G.”
In the US, though, carriers such as Sprint deployed WiMAX, and began publically advertising 4G as each city rolled out starting in late 2008. Other carriers, not wanting to be left out in the cold, started jumping on the 4G bandwagon, with Verizon Wireless already launching LTE, and AT&T Wireless bringing its announced launch date forward in 2011.
“Although carriers will appreciate LTE’s bandwidth efficiency and users its higher data speeds and lower latency, voice will only start to enter the LTE picture in a meaningful way in 2013 or 2014,” adds research analyst Xavier Ortiz.
“Existing networks still provide voice services with great coverage and reliability. Using LTE for voice will mean completely abandoning the tried-and-true legacy TDM backhaul and replacing it with IP backhaul at considerable cost. Carriers will only make that leap when 4G can truly replace 2G and 3G for voice, although ABI Research recommends doing it sooner rather than later.”
ABI Research’s “LTE and LTE-Advanced” study gives an LTE and LTE-Advanced standards overview and update, considering trends, network architecture, and the elements that make up that architecture, as well as approaches and strategies. Forecasts include device and equipment shipments broken down by region, as well as subscribers, service revenue and ARPU.
LTE’s deployment as the mainstay 4G technology will take place gradually, and won’t even begin to gather real steam until 2013. Nonetheless, LTE is forecast by ABI Research to generate more than $11 billion in service revenue in the United States in 2015, with nearly a further $650 million to come from Western Europe.
“The LTE service revenue growth curve for Western Europe is practically a straight line,” notes ABI Research director Philip Solis. “That contrasts sharply with constantly accelerating revenue growth in the US, and is largely due to the sometimes exorbitant amounts European network operators paid for their 3G spectrum: many of those operators want to squeeze every drop of value from their 3G investments before migrating to 4G.”
In the US, though, carriers such as Sprint deployed WiMAX, and began publically advertising 4G as each city rolled out starting in late 2008. Other carriers, not wanting to be left out in the cold, started jumping on the 4G bandwagon, with Verizon Wireless already launching LTE, and AT&T Wireless bringing its announced launch date forward in 2011.
“Although carriers will appreciate LTE’s bandwidth efficiency and users its higher data speeds and lower latency, voice will only start to enter the LTE picture in a meaningful way in 2013 or 2014,” adds research analyst Xavier Ortiz.
“Existing networks still provide voice services with great coverage and reliability. Using LTE for voice will mean completely abandoning the tried-and-true legacy TDM backhaul and replacing it with IP backhaul at considerable cost. Carriers will only make that leap when 4G can truly replace 2G and 3G for voice, although ABI Research recommends doing it sooner rather than later.”
ABI Research’s “LTE and LTE-Advanced” study gives an LTE and LTE-Advanced standards overview and update, considering trends, network architecture, and the elements that make up that architecture, as well as approaches and strategies. Forecasts include device and equipment shipments broken down by region, as well as subscribers, service revenue and ARPU.
Friday, December 17, 2010
SingTel and Portugal Telecom sign collaboration agreement
SINGAPORE: Portugal Telecom SGPS, S.A (PT) and Singapore Telecommunications Limited (SingTel) recently announced the signing of a collaboration agreement to share operational and commercial best practices in fibre optic and IPTV based pay TV services and to develop innovative applications for ultra high speed fixed and wireless networks.
As leaders in their respective local and international markets, the telco and multimedia synergies between PT and SingTel are clear. As part of this agreement, both companies will tap into each other’s proven expertise and partnership deals, in areas such as IPTV and FTTH, as well as the mobile and business markets.
Portugal Telecom has a long history of providing pay-TV services in the Portuguese market and for the past three years has been providing pay-TV services (under the brand MEO) using its copper and fibre networks. PT today has 1 million homes passed with fibre (FTTH) and has announced that it will build an additional 600,000 FTTH homes in 2011.
Over the past three years, PT has gained roughly 30 per cent market share in pay-TV in Portugal and has more than 800,000 pay-TV customers. PT is also the leader in mobile in Portugal, where it has been driving wireless broadband and smartphone usage, making Portugal a reference case in Europe. PT also owns businesses in Brazil and a number of countries in Africa and Asia.
This year in Singapore, SingTel launched fibre services to residential customers, delivering 100 Mbps speeds to homes and is progressively upgrading mobile network capacity to 42 Mbps. The company’s multimedia efforts are gaining traction with 245,000 customers on its three year old pay-TV service, mio TV.
In the business segment, SingTel is a leader in regional IP VPN service and has more than 100,000 users on its cloud-based services.
With its significant presence in Asia and Africa, the SingTel group reaches 368
million mobile customers and leverages this scale to drive service innovation and enhance customer experience.
PT was selected to be SingTel’s partner after a global search.
The agreement includes:
• Sharing benchmarks and best practices particularly in operating efficient and effective fibre based fixed line networks.
• Collaboration on research and development including joint creation of.cross platform applications and solutions.
• Leveraging joint scale and assets in wholesale procurement leading to potential cost savings.
• Fostering talent pools across the companies including employee secondment programs.
As leaders in their respective local and international markets, the telco and multimedia synergies between PT and SingTel are clear. As part of this agreement, both companies will tap into each other’s proven expertise and partnership deals, in areas such as IPTV and FTTH, as well as the mobile and business markets.
Portugal Telecom has a long history of providing pay-TV services in the Portuguese market and for the past three years has been providing pay-TV services (under the brand MEO) using its copper and fibre networks. PT today has 1 million homes passed with fibre (FTTH) and has announced that it will build an additional 600,000 FTTH homes in 2011.
Over the past three years, PT has gained roughly 30 per cent market share in pay-TV in Portugal and has more than 800,000 pay-TV customers. PT is also the leader in mobile in Portugal, where it has been driving wireless broadband and smartphone usage, making Portugal a reference case in Europe. PT also owns businesses in Brazil and a number of countries in Africa and Asia.
This year in Singapore, SingTel launched fibre services to residential customers, delivering 100 Mbps speeds to homes and is progressively upgrading mobile network capacity to 42 Mbps. The company’s multimedia efforts are gaining traction with 245,000 customers on its three year old pay-TV service, mio TV.
In the business segment, SingTel is a leader in regional IP VPN service and has more than 100,000 users on its cloud-based services.
With its significant presence in Asia and Africa, the SingTel group reaches 368
million mobile customers and leverages this scale to drive service innovation and enhance customer experience.
PT was selected to be SingTel’s partner after a global search.
The agreement includes:
• Sharing benchmarks and best practices particularly in operating efficient and effective fibre based fixed line networks.
• Collaboration on research and development including joint creation of.cross platform applications and solutions.
• Leveraging joint scale and assets in wholesale procurement leading to potential cost savings.
• Fostering talent pools across the companies including employee secondment programs.
GCF launches certification for LTE devices
UK: The Global Certification Forum (GCF) has extended its mobile device certification scheme to encompass LTE.
From now on, 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.
From now on, 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.
Atheros delivers new family of Bluetooth 4.0 solutions
SAN JOSE, USA: Atheros Communications Inc. has announced two new Bluetooth solutions for PCs and mobile devices, both of which have been qualified for the new Bluetooth v4.0 specification.
The AR3002 is Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 system-on-chip (SoC) for mobile phones, tablets, smartbooks and other portable consumer electronics, and the AR3012 provides Bluetooth 4.0 features for notebooks, netbooks, desktops and all-in-one PCs.
By supporting classic, high speed and low energy Bluetooth technologies, Atheros' new chips not only enable robust wireless connections between legacy Bluetooth products, but can also operate with devices such as low-power sensors in wristwatches, home control systems and other devices that aren't traditionally "connected." These solutions provide customers with a flexible platform that meets the communication and battery requirements of a variety of applications.
Key facts
* The new Bluetooth v4.0 specification adds low-energy features to one of the industry's most prolific wireless connectivity technologies. This will expand the possibilities for Bluetooth in health and fitness, home security and automation, smart grid and entertainment applications, which often use devices powered by button-cell batteries that must last for years.
* Atheros was instrumental in the development of the high speed Bluetooth standard, and played an active role in shaping the new low energy specification. Its Bluetooth solutions have been designed into notebooks and netbooks from a majority of the top ten PC OEMs, and provide robust wireless features for a growing number of mobile devices on various platforms.
* Continuing its commitment to open source software, Atheros leverages the GNU/Linux BlueZ architecture as the basis of its Bluetooth host stack, and has added key features to support the latest low-energy Bluetooth applications. Atheros is also working with the Bluetooth SIG to develop an open API that will streamline the development and deployment of low-energy applications.
* Atheros also offers innovative coexistence technologies to improve the wireless experience for devices with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Its Universal Wireless Cooperation technology minimizes interference by facilitating greater cooperation between the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios. This ensures glitch-free audio streaming and VoIP calls when using Bluetooth headsets and speakers, and faster Web downloads and flawless media streaming over Wi-Fi.
* Equipped with a configurable Class 1.5 power amplifier, Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 products enable manufacturers to customize output power (up to +10dBm) based on the unique characteristics of each device. For example, heart monitors may require lower output power to conserve battery life, while mobile phones can maximize Bluetooth performance by using higher output power.
* To further enable Bluetooth adoption in high volume devices, Atheros continues to push the envelope of system integration. The company has integrated additional components and eliminated the need for external EEPROM memory in its Bluetooth 4.0 solutions, which can reduce a manufacturer's bill of material (BOM) costs by up to 30 percent versus competitive solutions.
* Atheros' latest Bluetooth solutions also reduce power consumption to minimize battery drain in PCs and mobile devices. Since Bluetooth radios spend most of their time in idle mode, Atheros has cut the AR3012's USB suspend current to reduce total power consumption by up to 50 percent compared to other solutions. The AR3002 also utilizes advanced encoding/decoding features to cut power consumption by up to 20 percent for mobile devices.
* The AR3002 and AR3012 Bluetooth solutions are now sampling, and are expected to be in volume production in 1Q 2011.
The AR3002 is Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 system-on-chip (SoC) for mobile phones, tablets, smartbooks and other portable consumer electronics, and the AR3012 provides Bluetooth 4.0 features for notebooks, netbooks, desktops and all-in-one PCs.
By supporting classic, high speed and low energy Bluetooth technologies, Atheros' new chips not only enable robust wireless connections between legacy Bluetooth products, but can also operate with devices such as low-power sensors in wristwatches, home control systems and other devices that aren't traditionally "connected." These solutions provide customers with a flexible platform that meets the communication and battery requirements of a variety of applications.
Key facts
* The new Bluetooth v4.0 specification adds low-energy features to one of the industry's most prolific wireless connectivity technologies. This will expand the possibilities for Bluetooth in health and fitness, home security and automation, smart grid and entertainment applications, which often use devices powered by button-cell batteries that must last for years.
* Atheros was instrumental in the development of the high speed Bluetooth standard, and played an active role in shaping the new low energy specification. Its Bluetooth solutions have been designed into notebooks and netbooks from a majority of the top ten PC OEMs, and provide robust wireless features for a growing number of mobile devices on various platforms.
* Continuing its commitment to open source software, Atheros leverages the GNU/Linux BlueZ architecture as the basis of its Bluetooth host stack, and has added key features to support the latest low-energy Bluetooth applications. Atheros is also working with the Bluetooth SIG to develop an open API that will streamline the development and deployment of low-energy applications.
* Atheros also offers innovative coexistence technologies to improve the wireless experience for devices with both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Its Universal Wireless Cooperation technology minimizes interference by facilitating greater cooperation between the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth radios. This ensures glitch-free audio streaming and VoIP calls when using Bluetooth headsets and speakers, and faster Web downloads and flawless media streaming over Wi-Fi.
* Equipped with a configurable Class 1.5 power amplifier, Atheros' new Bluetooth 4.0 products enable manufacturers to customize output power (up to +10dBm) based on the unique characteristics of each device. For example, heart monitors may require lower output power to conserve battery life, while mobile phones can maximize Bluetooth performance by using higher output power.
* To further enable Bluetooth adoption in high volume devices, Atheros continues to push the envelope of system integration. The company has integrated additional components and eliminated the need for external EEPROM memory in its Bluetooth 4.0 solutions, which can reduce a manufacturer's bill of material (BOM) costs by up to 30 percent versus competitive solutions.
* Atheros' latest Bluetooth solutions also reduce power consumption to minimize battery drain in PCs and mobile devices. Since Bluetooth radios spend most of their time in idle mode, Atheros has cut the AR3012's USB suspend current to reduce total power consumption by up to 50 percent compared to other solutions. The AR3002 also utilizes advanced encoding/decoding features to cut power consumption by up to 20 percent for mobile devices.
* The AR3002 and AR3012 Bluetooth solutions are now sampling, and are expected to be in volume production in 1Q 2011.
LG launches world’s first and fastest dual-core smartphone
SLOUGH, BERKESHIRE: LG Electronics (LG) has unveiled the LG Optimus 2X, the world’s first smartphone with a dual-core processor.
Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X’s high-performance Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and applications and lets users multitask with virtually no screen lag.
“Dual-core technology is the next leap forward in mobile technology so this is no small achievement to be the first to offer a smartphone utilising this technology,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “With unique features such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) mirroring and exceptional graphics performance, the LG Optimus 2X is proof of LG’s commitment to high-end smartphones in 2011.”
Developed by graphics processor powerhouse NVIDIA, the dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip found in the LG Optimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio. Users will experience faster web browsing and smoother gameplay compared with single-core processors running at the same speed as well as instantaneous touch response and seamless multitasking between applications.
The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor.
The smartphone includes rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, Micro-USB port and a hefty 1500mAh battery.
The LG Optimus 2X will be available in Korea next month with countries in Europe and Asia to follow. This mobile phone will initially be released with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The upgrade schedule will be announced in local markets in due course.
Along with more powerful multimedia features, the LG Optimus 2X’s high-performance Tegra 2 processor makes for faster, smoother web browsing and applications and lets users multitask with virtually no screen lag.
“Dual-core technology is the next leap forward in mobile technology so this is no small achievement to be the first to offer a smartphone utilising this technology,” said Dr. Jong-seok Park, CEO and President of LG Electronics Mobile Communications. “With unique features such as HDMI (High Definition Multimedia Interface) mirroring and exceptional graphics performance, the LG Optimus 2X is proof of LG’s commitment to high-end smartphones in 2011.”
Developed by graphics processor powerhouse NVIDIA, the dual-core Tegra 2 system-on-a-chip found in the LG Optimus 2X runs at a clock speed of 1GHz and boasts low power consumption and high performance for playing video and audio. Users will experience faster web browsing and smoother gameplay compared with single-core processors running at the same speed as well as instantaneous touch response and seamless multitasking between applications.
The LG Optimus 2X offers 1080p HD video playback and recording with HDMI mirroring that expands content on external displays to full HD quality. The LG Optimus 2X can connect wirelessly to any DLNA (Digital Living Network Alliance) compatible digital device such as HD TVs for a console-like gaming experience taking full advantage of the phone’s HDMI mirroring, accelerometer and gyro sensor.
The smartphone includes rear- and front-facing cameras, microSD memory expandability, Micro-USB port and a hefty 1500mAh battery.
The LG Optimus 2X will be available in Korea next month with countries in Europe and Asia to follow. This mobile phone will initially be released with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and will be upgradeable to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). The upgrade schedule will be announced in local markets in due course.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
China gray-market cell phone shipments slow in 2011
EL SEGUNDO, USA: Stymied by a government crackdown, China’s gray-market cell phone shipments are expected to expand in 2011 at a considerably slower pace compared to this year, according to the market research firm iSuppli, now part of IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS).
China’s gray-market cell phone shipments will amount to 255 million units in 2011, up 11.8 percent from 228 million in 2010. This compares to a rise of 43.6 percent in 2009.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of shipments of gray-market handsets from 2005 to 2014.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Gray-market handsets are cell phones manufactured in China that are not recognized or licensed by government regulators. Makers of these products generally do not pay China’s value-added taxes and, therefore, profit illegally from their participation in the market.
“The object of a nationwide government crackdown, the gray cell phone market in the world’s most populous country is facing some trepidation as official scrutiny focused on illegal handsets and as consumers are starting to lose some interest in the devices,” said Kevin Wang, director of China research at iSuppli.
“This created particular challenges for white-box handsets—on which gray-market dealers can put their logos. These types of phones use smuggled chips, carry no certification from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sport fake international mobile equipment identity codes and are smuggled to Hong Kong to avoid value-added taxes.”
What growth there is in 2011 will be driven by demand from emerging countries as well as by falling average selling prices for gray handsets.
After growing in 2011, the gray market will begin to decline in 2012. This is because gray market cell phone suppliers will be unable to cut prices any further—even if they wish to win more new customers in emerging countries. Suppliers also will find themselves competing with an increasing number of locally branded original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that provide better quality and after-sales service, iSuppli believes.
The market for gray handsets
Aside from serving domestic demand in China, gray handsets command sizable sales in other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, an area that includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines—as well as Pakistan, a neighbor to China.
While gray-handset shipments in 2010 within China will fall to 24.2 million units, down from 33.2 million in 2009, gray-handset shipments to other Asian countries during the same period will rise to 154.4 million units, up from 110.2 million.
The market for non-gray handsets
Meanwhile, shipments from Chinese non-gray handset makers will grow by 36.4 percent in 2010 and continue to climb during the next five years. Not only will Chinese OEMs improve their global market sales—especially in the emerging countries—China’s white-box handset shipments also will keep growing.
Further, Chinese handset makers will win more orders from international carriers and from locally branded OEMs in the emerging markets.
Within the domestic market, China’s 3G handsets are poised for dramatic expansion—reaching 51 million units in 2010 and maintaining growth in the next five years, thanks to the continued decline of both 3G handset prices and service fees. By 2014, local 3G handsets are projected to reach 134 million units.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
China’s gray-market cell phone shipments will amount to 255 million units in 2011, up 11.8 percent from 228 million in 2010. This compares to a rise of 43.6 percent in 2009.
The figure presents iSuppli’s forecast of shipments of gray-market handsets from 2005 to 2014.
Source: iSuppli, USA.Gray-market handsets are cell phones manufactured in China that are not recognized or licensed by government regulators. Makers of these products generally do not pay China’s value-added taxes and, therefore, profit illegally from their participation in the market.
“The object of a nationwide government crackdown, the gray cell phone market in the world’s most populous country is facing some trepidation as official scrutiny focused on illegal handsets and as consumers are starting to lose some interest in the devices,” said Kevin Wang, director of China research at iSuppli.
“This created particular challenges for white-box handsets—on which gray-market dealers can put their logos. These types of phones use smuggled chips, carry no certification from China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, sport fake international mobile equipment identity codes and are smuggled to Hong Kong to avoid value-added taxes.”
What growth there is in 2011 will be driven by demand from emerging countries as well as by falling average selling prices for gray handsets.
After growing in 2011, the gray market will begin to decline in 2012. This is because gray market cell phone suppliers will be unable to cut prices any further—even if they wish to win more new customers in emerging countries. Suppliers also will find themselves competing with an increasing number of locally branded original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) that provide better quality and after-sales service, iSuppli believes.
The market for gray handsets
Aside from serving domestic demand in China, gray handsets command sizable sales in other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, an area that includes Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and the Philippines—as well as Pakistan, a neighbor to China.
While gray-handset shipments in 2010 within China will fall to 24.2 million units, down from 33.2 million in 2009, gray-handset shipments to other Asian countries during the same period will rise to 154.4 million units, up from 110.2 million.
The market for non-gray handsets
Meanwhile, shipments from Chinese non-gray handset makers will grow by 36.4 percent in 2010 and continue to climb during the next five years. Not only will Chinese OEMs improve their global market sales—especially in the emerging countries—China’s white-box handset shipments also will keep growing.
Further, Chinese handset makers will win more orders from international carriers and from locally branded OEMs in the emerging markets.
Within the domestic market, China’s 3G handsets are poised for dramatic expansion—reaching 51 million units in 2010 and maintaining growth in the next five years, thanks to the continued decline of both 3G handset prices and service fees. By 2014, local 3G handsets are projected to reach 134 million units.
Source: iSuppli, USA.
Growing mobile marketing and advertising revenue will approach $1.5 billion in 2016
NEW YORK, USA: The audience for mobile marketing and advertising is growing steadily, and spending on the new medium is growing in parallel. One six-month period in 2010 saw spending expand in the US by almost 2.5 percent, and a new ABI Research study indicates that in 2016, revenue from mobile display ads will be getting close to $1.5 billion.
Practice director Neil Strother says: “Although the market for mobile advertising and marketing is starting from a very small base, it is showing steady, solid growth. A Consumer Technology Barometer survey conducted by ABI Research this year revealed that about one third of the smartphone owners polled had clicked on at least one mobile advertisement.”
Overall spending on mobile ad media has accelerated with the arrival of the autumn “back to school” and end-of-year holiday seasons, and is expected to approach $1 billion by year’s end.
Before 2010 this industry was seen as quite “experimental,” but, says Strother, “There was a shift starting at the end of last year from the pioneering phase to what we might call the ‘early growth phase.’ By now, probably 20% of all major companies have done something with mobile marketing, and some of them are doing so repeatedly. Today’s mobile campaigns can cost $100,000 or more and annual budgets may run to several million dollars.”
Mobile marketing and advertising fall into five categories:
* Text messages.
* Mobile display (banner) ads.
* Mobile search.
* In-application advertising.
* In-video advertising.
All of these may have their uses within a campaign, as does location data; however Strother observes, “Today, mobile is often seen as a distinct channel, but eventually there will be nothing special about it: it will be understood as an integrated part of a campaign’s overall strategy.”
Practice director Neil Strother says: “Although the market for mobile advertising and marketing is starting from a very small base, it is showing steady, solid growth. A Consumer Technology Barometer survey conducted by ABI Research this year revealed that about one third of the smartphone owners polled had clicked on at least one mobile advertisement.”
Overall spending on mobile ad media has accelerated with the arrival of the autumn “back to school” and end-of-year holiday seasons, and is expected to approach $1 billion by year’s end.
Before 2010 this industry was seen as quite “experimental,” but, says Strother, “There was a shift starting at the end of last year from the pioneering phase to what we might call the ‘early growth phase.’ By now, probably 20% of all major companies have done something with mobile marketing, and some of them are doing so repeatedly. Today’s mobile campaigns can cost $100,000 or more and annual budgets may run to several million dollars.”
Mobile marketing and advertising fall into five categories:
* Text messages.
* Mobile display (banner) ads.
* Mobile search.
* In-application advertising.
* In-video advertising.
All of these may have their uses within a campaign, as does location data; however Strother observes, “Today, mobile is often seen as a distinct channel, but eventually there will be nothing special about it: it will be understood as an integrated part of a campaign’s overall strategy.”
BroadLight partners with AlCircuits to enhance rapid adoption of GPON and high-speed fiber access solutions in Brazil
SANTA CLARA, USA: BroadLight, the leading supplier of fiber access processors, announced today that it has signed AlCircuits, a leading supplier of optical and semiconductor solutions for the Brazil market, as its exclusive distributor in Brazil.
“AlCircuits has unique technology and logistics know-how to serve our existing customers in Brazil, and an intimate knowledge of the telecom/fiber access market in Brazil that will grow both BroadLight business and accelerate adoption of GPON and high-speed fiber access technology in Brazil and elsewhere in South America,” said Wade Giles, VP of Americas Sales at BroadLight.
Access equipment makers worldwide have their eye on Latin America as one of the potential high-growth areas for fiber access and GPON in particular. BroadLight is uniquely positioned to serve the Brazilian market, with six local licensees of BroadLight technology. BroadLight believes AlCircuits will help existing and future licensees take advantage of “local content” competitiveness in Brazil.
Marcos Tadeu, president and owner of AlCircuits, added, “We are very pleased to add BroadLight to the list of world-class components we distribute, ensuring a cost-effective and fast time-to-market solution for the telecom fiber market in Brazil.”
“AlCircuits has unique technology and logistics know-how to serve our existing customers in Brazil, and an intimate knowledge of the telecom/fiber access market in Brazil that will grow both BroadLight business and accelerate adoption of GPON and high-speed fiber access technology in Brazil and elsewhere in South America,” said Wade Giles, VP of Americas Sales at BroadLight.
Access equipment makers worldwide have their eye on Latin America as one of the potential high-growth areas for fiber access and GPON in particular. BroadLight is uniquely positioned to serve the Brazilian market, with six local licensees of BroadLight technology. BroadLight believes AlCircuits will help existing and future licensees take advantage of “local content” competitiveness in Brazil.
Marcos Tadeu, president and owner of AlCircuits, added, “We are very pleased to add BroadLight to the list of world-class components we distribute, ensuring a cost-effective and fast time-to-market solution for the telecom fiber market in Brazil.”
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Deltenna's WiBE increases 2Mbps broadband availability in India
BANGALORE, INDIA & CHIPPENHAM, ENGLAND: Deltenna’s WiBE, a device to deliver fast broadband via the 3G mobile network, even in areas of weak 3G signal, is coming to India.
The company has enlisted Bangalore based Entuple Technologies to make the device available across the sub-continent, sold via the country’s 3G mobile network operators.
The WiBE’s maximum throughput is 7.2Mbps and extensive tests have demonstrated a typical download speed of 2.8Mbps in even rural regions.
The home use gadget uses four highly sensitive directional antennas and patented signal isolation algorithms to create a web hotspot. These give it up to five times the range and 30 times the throughput of a 3G USB dongle or MiFi device; meaning 3G broadband coverage is greatly extended.
The device automatically tests every mobile cell in range and determines the fastest available download speed, configuring its aerials to achieve the best possible connection and block any interference.
Users connect laptops, smartphones or VoIP phones to the device via WiFi or Ethernet cable.
Commenting on India’s rapid 3G network rollout Rajesh Agarwal, sales director for Entuple said: “Broadband is starting to take off in India, but fixed line download speeds are still slow, typically 512Kbps. 3G is being rolled out quickly in cities and offers a far greater potential for bringing India online.
“Major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore are the first to receive 3G coverage, however a lot of investment is being made and this means even remote villages will have access to the 3G networks within 18 to 24 months.”
Andrew Fox, CEO of Deltenna commented that, in India, “there are just 10 million ADSL lines versus over half a billion cellphones. The new 3G licenses, combined with the WiBE, means people across the country can finally access content such as YouTube, which requires large amounts of bandwidth.”
Deltenna’s WiBE was recently selected to represent the best of British mobile technology innovation at Mobile World Congress and the WiBE will be demonstrated on the UK Trade and Investment’s stand at the world’s largest telecom’s event in February 2011.
The company has enlisted Bangalore based Entuple Technologies to make the device available across the sub-continent, sold via the country’s 3G mobile network operators.
The WiBE’s maximum throughput is 7.2Mbps and extensive tests have demonstrated a typical download speed of 2.8Mbps in even rural regions.
The home use gadget uses four highly sensitive directional antennas and patented signal isolation algorithms to create a web hotspot. These give it up to five times the range and 30 times the throughput of a 3G USB dongle or MiFi device; meaning 3G broadband coverage is greatly extended.
The device automatically tests every mobile cell in range and determines the fastest available download speed, configuring its aerials to achieve the best possible connection and block any interference.
Users connect laptops, smartphones or VoIP phones to the device via WiFi or Ethernet cable.
Commenting on India’s rapid 3G network rollout Rajesh Agarwal, sales director for Entuple said: “Broadband is starting to take off in India, but fixed line download speeds are still slow, typically 512Kbps. 3G is being rolled out quickly in cities and offers a far greater potential for bringing India online.
“Major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore are the first to receive 3G coverage, however a lot of investment is being made and this means even remote villages will have access to the 3G networks within 18 to 24 months.”
Andrew Fox, CEO of Deltenna commented that, in India, “there are just 10 million ADSL lines versus over half a billion cellphones. The new 3G licenses, combined with the WiBE, means people across the country can finally access content such as YouTube, which requires large amounts of bandwidth.”
Deltenna’s WiBE was recently selected to represent the best of British mobile technology innovation at Mobile World Congress and the WiBE will be demonstrated on the UK Trade and Investment’s stand at the world’s largest telecom’s event in February 2011.
Comtech Telecommunications wins $1.3 million order for MIL-STD-188-165A modems
MELVILLE, USA: Comtech Telecommunications Corp. announced that its Tempe, Arizona-based subsidiary, Comtech EF Data Corp., received a $1.3 million order for MIL‑STD‑188‑165A modems. The modems will upgrade tactical satellite terminals in an existing US military network.
The SLM-5650A Satellite Modem was ordered, which is compliant with the strict requirements defined in MIL‑STD‑188‑165A, modem types I, II, IV, V and VI for applications on DSCS, WGS and commercial satellites.
The SLM-5650A features DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier bandwidth compression, advanced forward error correction, the transmission security (TRANSEC) and Network Processor modules. The modem provides reliability, flexibility and ease of use, which are critical for tactical terminals. Also ordered was the demodulator-only version of the SLM-5650A Satellite Modem, the SLM-5650AD.
"Comtech has a consistent track record of supplying market-leading satcom products to the US military," said Fred Kornberg, president and CEO of Comtech. "This order demonstrates the military's continued confidence in Comtech solutions to support mission-critical communications."
Comtech EF Data Corp. manufactures a broad spectrum of satellite earth station communications products, including Satellite Modems, Bandwidth & Capacity Management, TCP/IP Performance Enhancement Proxies, Encapsulators, Receivers, Frequency Converters, Amplifiers, Transceivers and Terminals. All products meet or exceed the standards published by worldwide and regional satellite networks.
Comtech designs, develops, produces and markets innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications solutions. The company believes many of its solutions play a vital role in providing or enhancing communication capabilities when terrestrial communications infrastructure is unavailable, inefficient or too expensive.
It conducts business through three complementary segments: telecommunications transmission, mobile data communications and RF microwave amplifiers. The Company sells products to a diverse customer base in the global commercial and government communications markets. The company believes it is a market leader in the market segments that it serves.
The SLM-5650A Satellite Modem was ordered, which is compliant with the strict requirements defined in MIL‑STD‑188‑165A, modem types I, II, IV, V and VI for applications on DSCS, WGS and commercial satellites.
The SLM-5650A features DoubleTalk Carrier-in-Carrier bandwidth compression, advanced forward error correction, the transmission security (TRANSEC) and Network Processor modules. The modem provides reliability, flexibility and ease of use, which are critical for tactical terminals. Also ordered was the demodulator-only version of the SLM-5650A Satellite Modem, the SLM-5650AD.
"Comtech has a consistent track record of supplying market-leading satcom products to the US military," said Fred Kornberg, president and CEO of Comtech. "This order demonstrates the military's continued confidence in Comtech solutions to support mission-critical communications."
Comtech EF Data Corp. manufactures a broad spectrum of satellite earth station communications products, including Satellite Modems, Bandwidth & Capacity Management, TCP/IP Performance Enhancement Proxies, Encapsulators, Receivers, Frequency Converters, Amplifiers, Transceivers and Terminals. All products meet or exceed the standards published by worldwide and regional satellite networks.
Comtech designs, develops, produces and markets innovative products, systems and services for advanced communications solutions. The company believes many of its solutions play a vital role in providing or enhancing communication capabilities when terrestrial communications infrastructure is unavailable, inefficient or too expensive.
It conducts business through three complementary segments: telecommunications transmission, mobile data communications and RF microwave amplifiers. The Company sells products to a diverse customer base in the global commercial and government communications markets. The company believes it is a market leader in the market segments that it serves.
TRAI issues recommendations on ‘National Broadband Plan’
NEW DELHI, INDIA: The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) issued recommendations on ‘National Broadband Plan”. An effective National Broadband network would greatly facilitate inclusive growth of the country by including the large rural population in governance and decision making process and extend to the rural areas better education, health and banking facilities.
The salient features of the National Broadband Plan 2010 are:
1. ICT in general and broadband in particular contribute substantially to growth of GDP and towards poverty elevation by improving access with equity.
2. As per study, 10 percent increase in broadband penetration accounts for 1.38 percentage increase in the per capita GDP growth in developing economies.
3. Currently in India, the penetration of broadband is 0.8 percent as against the teledensity of 60.99 as of Sep’ 2010. The number of broadband connections is only 10.3 million as against a target of 20 million by the year 2010.Therefore, there is an urgent need to facilitate rapid growth of broadband.
4. Towards this end, a National Broadband Network will be established. This network will be an open access optical fibre network connecting all habitation with population of 500 and above. This Network will be established in two phases. The first phase covering all cities, urban areas and Gram Panchayats will be completed by the year 2012. Phase II will see the extension of the network to all the habitations having a population more than 500, to be completed by the year 2013.
5. A National Optical Fibre Agency (NOFA) will be set up to establish this broadband network. NOFA is proposed to be a 100 percent Central Government-owned holding company. Besides being a Holding company, NOFA will also establish the networks in all the 63 cities covered under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).
6. A State Optical Fiber Agency (SOFA) would be formed in every State with 51 percent equity held by National Optical Fibre Agency(NOFA) and 49 percent by the respective state government. NOFA would be the holding company of all the SOFAs.
7. All the SOFAs, under the overall guidance of NOFA will establish the networks and backhaul in the rural areas and in the urban areas other than those cities covered under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).
8. The optical fibre network would support backhaul bandwidth requirement for provision of broadband and facilitate broadband growth.
9. This network will be established at a cost of about Rs 60,000 crore. It will be financed by USO fund and the loan given/ guaranteed by Central Government.
10. The National Broadband Plan envisages provision of 75 million broadband connections (17 million DSL, 30 million cable and 28 million wireless broadband) by the year 2012 and 160 million broadband connections (22 million DSL, 78 million cable and 60 million wireless broadband) by the year 2014.
11. Right of way will be issued to the executing agency without delay and without any charges but subject to reinstatement by the concern agency. The work related to national broadband network will be taken up in a state only on an undertaking to this effect.
12. Government may notify the charges for Right of Way in consultations with the State Governments on priority basis and ensure availability of RoW to telecom service providers to provide various telecom services.
13. The program is expected to bring immense benefit when fully operational. The estimated revenue of NOFA and all SOFA is expected to be Rs 2,6000 crore per year.
14. The Network will provide easy access to high speed data and information to citizens, promoting thereby the efforts in the field of education, health etc.
15. The optical fibre network would support following bandwidths:
-- 10 Mbps download speed per household in 63 Metro and large cities (covered under JNURM) for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
-- 4 Mbps download speed per household in 352 cities for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
-- 2 Mbps download speed per household in towns /villages for every wireline
connection by the year 2014.
* Upload speed would be half of the download speed.
16. The objective of national broadband Network is to provide fibre to the home in 63 cities covered under JNURM, Fibre to kerb in all other cities (0.5 km from any residence).
17. In order to enable cable industry to go fully digital, the recommendations of TRAI dated 5th August 2010 on “Implementation of Digital addressable system in India” will need to be implemented on priority basis.
18. In order to ensure affordability of Customer premises equipment cost, Government may review the duties levied on inputs and finished products used in providing broadband and Internet services.
19. Customer premises equipment including modem and routers used for Internet and broadband may be considered for 100 percent depreciation in the first year.
The salient features of the National Broadband Plan 2010 are:
1. ICT in general and broadband in particular contribute substantially to growth of GDP and towards poverty elevation by improving access with equity.
2. As per study, 10 percent increase in broadband penetration accounts for 1.38 percentage increase in the per capita GDP growth in developing economies.
3. Currently in India, the penetration of broadband is 0.8 percent as against the teledensity of 60.99 as of Sep’ 2010. The number of broadband connections is only 10.3 million as against a target of 20 million by the year 2010.Therefore, there is an urgent need to facilitate rapid growth of broadband.
4. Towards this end, a National Broadband Network will be established. This network will be an open access optical fibre network connecting all habitation with population of 500 and above. This Network will be established in two phases. The first phase covering all cities, urban areas and Gram Panchayats will be completed by the year 2012. Phase II will see the extension of the network to all the habitations having a population more than 500, to be completed by the year 2013.
5. A National Optical Fibre Agency (NOFA) will be set up to establish this broadband network. NOFA is proposed to be a 100 percent Central Government-owned holding company. Besides being a Holding company, NOFA will also establish the networks in all the 63 cities covered under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).
6. A State Optical Fiber Agency (SOFA) would be formed in every State with 51 percent equity held by National Optical Fibre Agency(NOFA) and 49 percent by the respective state government. NOFA would be the holding company of all the SOFAs.
7. All the SOFAs, under the overall guidance of NOFA will establish the networks and backhaul in the rural areas and in the urban areas other than those cities covered under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNURM).
8. The optical fibre network would support backhaul bandwidth requirement for provision of broadband and facilitate broadband growth.
9. This network will be established at a cost of about Rs 60,000 crore. It will be financed by USO fund and the loan given/ guaranteed by Central Government.
10. The National Broadband Plan envisages provision of 75 million broadband connections (17 million DSL, 30 million cable and 28 million wireless broadband) by the year 2012 and 160 million broadband connections (22 million DSL, 78 million cable and 60 million wireless broadband) by the year 2014.
11. Right of way will be issued to the executing agency without delay and without any charges but subject to reinstatement by the concern agency. The work related to national broadband network will be taken up in a state only on an undertaking to this effect.
12. Government may notify the charges for Right of Way in consultations with the State Governments on priority basis and ensure availability of RoW to telecom service providers to provide various telecom services.
13. The program is expected to bring immense benefit when fully operational. The estimated revenue of NOFA and all SOFA is expected to be Rs 2,6000 crore per year.
14. The Network will provide easy access to high speed data and information to citizens, promoting thereby the efforts in the field of education, health etc.
15. The optical fibre network would support following bandwidths:
-- 10 Mbps download speed per household in 63 Metro and large cities (covered under JNURM) for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
-- 4 Mbps download speed per household in 352 cities for every wireline connection by the year 2014.
-- 2 Mbps download speed per household in towns /villages for every wireline
connection by the year 2014.
* Upload speed would be half of the download speed.
16. The objective of national broadband Network is to provide fibre to the home in 63 cities covered under JNURM, Fibre to kerb in all other cities (0.5 km from any residence).
17. In order to enable cable industry to go fully digital, the recommendations of TRAI dated 5th August 2010 on “Implementation of Digital addressable system in India” will need to be implemented on priority basis.
18. In order to ensure affordability of Customer premises equipment cost, Government may review the duties levied on inputs and finished products used in providing broadband and Internet services.
19. Customer premises equipment including modem and routers used for Internet and broadband may be considered for 100 percent depreciation in the first year.
Starhome unveils new state-of-the-art Global Services Operations Center (GSOC)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND: Starhome, the leading provider and acknowledged driving force behind roaming profitability for mobile network operators, unleashes its new Global Services Operations Center (GSOC) together with OMNYX, the industry’s first sophisticated integrative roaming management and innovation system.
The advanced GSOC center maximizes operators’ revenues and creates new revenue-generating opportunities by proactively identifying and evaluating global roaming events. In addition, the GSOC routinely performs preventative maintenance to ensure optimal network conditions. Management systems monitor critical system parameters, and databases provide immediate information and backup.
Starhome presented a visual mega event scenario where it demonstrated the GSOC’s ability to identify environmental disruptions and peaks in services. For example, the effects of events such as earthquakes and volcanic ash clouds are all viewed in real time, allowing the GSOC to take appropriate action to increase operator’s revenue and improve subscribers’ quality of service.
The GSOC can also detect an immediate drop in traffic volumes due to an unexpected problem on the network. After identifying the cause, the operator is informed, and immediate solutions and campaigns are triggered to minimize traffic and revenues loss.
By providing 24/7 global coverage of its operators’ subscribers, the GSOC identifies network failures that could potentially compromise subscribers’ services and cause revenue loss to the operator. Concealed system problems such as service availability, carrier failures and data quality are all detected in real time. The GSOC can also identify trends or capacity issues for the company’s 200+ mobile operators in 130 countries.
The GSOC is also equipped with the technology to identify large groups of subscribers in a single location, such as a mega sporting event. Knowing that for a limited time these subscribers may be highly responsive to appealing offers, unique mobile-specific campaigns are automatically generated for immediate deployment.
For example, an important moment during the game will trigger campaigns that typically offer reduced rates, enticing subscribers to share the excitement with friends and family. The result for operators is increased usage that translates to increased revenue.
Starhome had recently launched OMNYX, the industry’s first integrative roaming management and innovation system. OMNYX provides advanced algorithms, recommendations and forecasts for mobile operators to improve their roaming business performance and the quality of service and solutions for their customers. The system encompasses proprietary analytical technology to simplify the business decision-making process by presenting essential information about the operator’s roaming traffic.
Amit Daniel, VP of Marketing added: “Since its establishment in 1999, Starhome has invested tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure management and our globally held IP network, with a third of Starhome’s annual budget being used for R&D purposes. The GSOCs are connected to our IP network, both unique in the industry - enabling Starhome to offer managed service-based products and solutions. With our IP network investment, 20 patented solutions and a fast growing customer base, the outlook for 2011 is very positive in all areas.”
The advanced GSOC center maximizes operators’ revenues and creates new revenue-generating opportunities by proactively identifying and evaluating global roaming events. In addition, the GSOC routinely performs preventative maintenance to ensure optimal network conditions. Management systems monitor critical system parameters, and databases provide immediate information and backup.
Starhome presented a visual mega event scenario where it demonstrated the GSOC’s ability to identify environmental disruptions and peaks in services. For example, the effects of events such as earthquakes and volcanic ash clouds are all viewed in real time, allowing the GSOC to take appropriate action to increase operator’s revenue and improve subscribers’ quality of service.
The GSOC can also detect an immediate drop in traffic volumes due to an unexpected problem on the network. After identifying the cause, the operator is informed, and immediate solutions and campaigns are triggered to minimize traffic and revenues loss.
By providing 24/7 global coverage of its operators’ subscribers, the GSOC identifies network failures that could potentially compromise subscribers’ services and cause revenue loss to the operator. Concealed system problems such as service availability, carrier failures and data quality are all detected in real time. The GSOC can also identify trends or capacity issues for the company’s 200+ mobile operators in 130 countries.
The GSOC is also equipped with the technology to identify large groups of subscribers in a single location, such as a mega sporting event. Knowing that for a limited time these subscribers may be highly responsive to appealing offers, unique mobile-specific campaigns are automatically generated for immediate deployment.
For example, an important moment during the game will trigger campaigns that typically offer reduced rates, enticing subscribers to share the excitement with friends and family. The result for operators is increased usage that translates to increased revenue.
Starhome had recently launched OMNYX, the industry’s first integrative roaming management and innovation system. OMNYX provides advanced algorithms, recommendations and forecasts for mobile operators to improve their roaming business performance and the quality of service and solutions for their customers. The system encompasses proprietary analytical technology to simplify the business decision-making process by presenting essential information about the operator’s roaming traffic.
Amit Daniel, VP of Marketing added: “Since its establishment in 1999, Starhome has invested tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure management and our globally held IP network, with a third of Starhome’s annual budget being used for R&D purposes. The GSOCs are connected to our IP network, both unique in the industry - enabling Starhome to offer managed service-based products and solutions. With our IP network investment, 20 patented solutions and a fast growing customer base, the outlook for 2011 is very positive in all areas.”
Picochip extends lead in public access femtocells, announces dual-mode LTE/HSPA+ capabilities
BATH, ENGLAND & MIAMI, USA: Building on its market leadership in residential femtocells, Picochip is extending its technology into the more traditional part of the public network, adding support for Iub network architectures to its recently-launched picoXcell PC333 HSPA+ device, and announcing plans for an optimized dual-mode LTE/HSPA+ basestation.
By supporting the lub standard associated with traditional cellular network architectures and picocells, in addition to the Iuh standard adopted for femtocells, Picochip continues to drive the progression of its high-volume system-on-chip (SoC) technology into the enterprise and public access space. Meanwhile, plans for a dual mode platform supporting both LTE and HSPA+ will allow operators to deploy “small cells” that are ready for the move to LTE.
“Many carriers and vendors are attracted by the cost advantages of femtocells and wish to benefit from the economies of scale enabled by standard silicon SoC, but also want to continue to support their centrally-managed Iub architecture for public access basestations,” confirmed Dimitris Mavrakis, Senior Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.
“With the PC333 SoC and support for Iub, Picochip can address that desire. Moving to address the public access market is a logical next step for Picochip, and the femtocell ecosystem as a whole. Femtocells already outnumber conventional macrocells in the United States, meaning that Picochip’s baseband is very widely deployed, proven and trusted.”
In bringing together its industry-leading PC333 product for HSPA+ and its recently announced PC500 LTE platform, Picochip becomes the only company to offer an optimized solution for designers of dual mode (LTE and HSPA+) ‘small cell’ basestations. This enables operators to deploy LTE in an evolutionary manner, while simultaneously maximizing return on investment in their existing 3G networks.
This will be crucial for operators looking to deploy femtocells in congested city centers or busy stations, providing coverage for existing 3G customers and ensuring that the system is future proof for the move to LTE.
“The improvement in carrier economics from the economies of scale of femto architectures is dramatic. Basestations using cost-effective commercial SoC platforms are moving out of the home and into enterprise, metropolitan and rural usage,” said Rupert Baines, VP Marketing at Picochip, speaking at the Femtocell Americas conference (13-14 December, Miami, USA).
“It doesn’t matter if you describe them as femtocells, picocells or small cell basestations. What’s important is the fact that the Picochip product portfolio addresses all these different segments, from cost-sensitive residential chips already shipping in very high volumes, through to high-performance public access, all with our field-proven, robust PHY. Adding support for Iub and LTE is part of that, with a path to an integrated single chip dual-mode basestation.”
Picochip’s PC333 enables femtocell designs that serve up to 64 users, and with smartSignaling supports an additional 400 smartphones, conforming to the 3GPP local area basestation (LABS) specification. It employs advanced technologies such as receive diversity, MIMO, soft handover and increased UE speed and supports 3GPP Release 8 with 42Mbps down/11Mbps uplink.
It is the market’s highest-performing femtocell device and runs the latest version of Picochip’s widely deployed and tested baseband.
The PC500 is the latest evolution in Picochip’s LTE roadmap, enabling a powerful processor for an LTE ‘small cell’ meeting 3GPP Release 9 for both FDD and TD-LTE versions. It is code-compatible with Picochip’s award-winning PC960x µTCA-based LTE eNodeB development system developed in partnership with Continuous Computing (CCPU).
Picochip and Wavesat recently announced passing a significant milestone with end-end interoperability between this platform and Wavesat’s UE reference design. The PC500 provides a low-risk platform for carrier-class enterprise and metro femtocell LTE products, and has a clear path to optimized single-chip dual-mode devices.
By supporting the lub standard associated with traditional cellular network architectures and picocells, in addition to the Iuh standard adopted for femtocells, Picochip continues to drive the progression of its high-volume system-on-chip (SoC) technology into the enterprise and public access space. Meanwhile, plans for a dual mode platform supporting both LTE and HSPA+ will allow operators to deploy “small cells” that are ready for the move to LTE.
“Many carriers and vendors are attracted by the cost advantages of femtocells and wish to benefit from the economies of scale enabled by standard silicon SoC, but also want to continue to support their centrally-managed Iub architecture for public access basestations,” confirmed Dimitris Mavrakis, Senior Analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.
“With the PC333 SoC and support for Iub, Picochip can address that desire. Moving to address the public access market is a logical next step for Picochip, and the femtocell ecosystem as a whole. Femtocells already outnumber conventional macrocells in the United States, meaning that Picochip’s baseband is very widely deployed, proven and trusted.”
In bringing together its industry-leading PC333 product for HSPA+ and its recently announced PC500 LTE platform, Picochip becomes the only company to offer an optimized solution for designers of dual mode (LTE and HSPA+) ‘small cell’ basestations. This enables operators to deploy LTE in an evolutionary manner, while simultaneously maximizing return on investment in their existing 3G networks.
This will be crucial for operators looking to deploy femtocells in congested city centers or busy stations, providing coverage for existing 3G customers and ensuring that the system is future proof for the move to LTE.
“The improvement in carrier economics from the economies of scale of femto architectures is dramatic. Basestations using cost-effective commercial SoC platforms are moving out of the home and into enterprise, metropolitan and rural usage,” said Rupert Baines, VP Marketing at Picochip, speaking at the Femtocell Americas conference (13-14 December, Miami, USA).
“It doesn’t matter if you describe them as femtocells, picocells or small cell basestations. What’s important is the fact that the Picochip product portfolio addresses all these different segments, from cost-sensitive residential chips already shipping in very high volumes, through to high-performance public access, all with our field-proven, robust PHY. Adding support for Iub and LTE is part of that, with a path to an integrated single chip dual-mode basestation.”
Picochip’s PC333 enables femtocell designs that serve up to 64 users, and with smartSignaling supports an additional 400 smartphones, conforming to the 3GPP local area basestation (LABS) specification. It employs advanced technologies such as receive diversity, MIMO, soft handover and increased UE speed and supports 3GPP Release 8 with 42Mbps down/11Mbps uplink.
It is the market’s highest-performing femtocell device and runs the latest version of Picochip’s widely deployed and tested baseband.
The PC500 is the latest evolution in Picochip’s LTE roadmap, enabling a powerful processor for an LTE ‘small cell’ meeting 3GPP Release 9 for both FDD and TD-LTE versions. It is code-compatible with Picochip’s award-winning PC960x µTCA-based LTE eNodeB development system developed in partnership with Continuous Computing (CCPU).
Picochip and Wavesat recently announced passing a significant milestone with end-end interoperability between this platform and Wavesat’s UE reference design. The PC500 provides a low-risk platform for carrier-class enterprise and metro femtocell LTE products, and has a clear path to optimized single-chip dual-mode devices.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Skyworks enables 4G smart phones from HTC
WOBURN, USA: Skyworks Solutions Inc., an innovator of high reliability analog and mixed signal semiconductors enabling a broad range of end markets, announced that it is powering multiple smart phones from HTC including the EVO, Desire HD and Z with Skyworks’ highly integrated power amplifier modules as well as the company’s industry leading switch technology. Taiwan-based HTC is one of the fastest growing companies in the mobile sector.
The EVO 4G features Wi-Fi with instant access for up to five computers, a true high definition (HD) camcorder with HD multimedia interface cable that allows flat screen connections, large 4.3-inch wide video graphics array resolution, a multi-touch screen, Web connectivity that is up to 10 times faster, access to live-streaming video applications, and an 8 megapixel camera with auto focus.
The Android-based Desire HD houses a bright LCD display, Dolby Mobile and SRS virtual sound and is the first to be powered by the new 1 GHz Qualcomm 8255 Snapdragon processor. The Desire Z features a unique “pop hinge” that opens to reveal a QWERTY keyboard with a variety of shortcuts and two customizable keys for instant access to common functions without the need to open menus.
“Given consumers’ growing appetite for anytime, anywhere connectivity, Skyworks is delighted to be partnering with HTC to support several of their 4G platforms facilitating mobile Internet access,” said Liam K. Griffin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Skyworks.
“By leveraging our technology leadership, integration capabilities and scale advantages, Skyworks is capitalizing on the rising tide of increasing RF content associated with these band-intensive 3G and 4G architectures.”
The EVO 4G features Wi-Fi with instant access for up to five computers, a true high definition (HD) camcorder with HD multimedia interface cable that allows flat screen connections, large 4.3-inch wide video graphics array resolution, a multi-touch screen, Web connectivity that is up to 10 times faster, access to live-streaming video applications, and an 8 megapixel camera with auto focus.
The Android-based Desire HD houses a bright LCD display, Dolby Mobile and SRS virtual sound and is the first to be powered by the new 1 GHz Qualcomm 8255 Snapdragon processor. The Desire Z features a unique “pop hinge” that opens to reveal a QWERTY keyboard with a variety of shortcuts and two customizable keys for instant access to common functions without the need to open menus.
“Given consumers’ growing appetite for anytime, anywhere connectivity, Skyworks is delighted to be partnering with HTC to support several of their 4G platforms facilitating mobile Internet access,” said Liam K. Griffin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Skyworks.
“By leveraging our technology leadership, integration capabilities and scale advantages, Skyworks is capitalizing on the rising tide of increasing RF content associated with these band-intensive 3G and 4G architectures.”
Leading 4G wireless operator chooses Eltek Valere Micropack to power picocell deployments
RICHARDSON, USA: Eltek Valere, a leader in high efficiency power systems, announced that its Micropack power system has been chosen by a leading US 4G wireless operator to power its network of picocell sites in major US cities.
Already, the companies have worked together to build out the network in New York City and in Los Angeles with the deployment of several hundred sites, and will continue with an ongoing rollout schedule.
The Eltek Valere Micropack is ideal for the tight, confined spaces of 3G or 4G picocell cabinets because it scales from 250W up to 1000W with rectifiers that measure only 44 mm wide by 150 mm deep by 134 mm high. This size is critical as the picocell cabinet includes all communications equipment, power supplies and up to two hours of battery backup packed in a single pole-mounted enclosure.
Micropack also features a very wide temperature range, which is an advantage because picocell cabinets rely on fans for cooling. The system is DIN-rail mountable for easy installation in a cabinet, or comes in its own MicroShelf cabinet.
“Picocells are part of the future of wireless network design, and working with a wireless market leader gives Eltek Valere a sustained advantage in providing compact, high-density power solutions for these networks,” said David Leal, VP Sales, North America for Eltek Valere. “The Micropack is a key part of Eltek Valere’s full range of high-efficiency power systems, making us a complete provider for all wireless network application
Already, the companies have worked together to build out the network in New York City and in Los Angeles with the deployment of several hundred sites, and will continue with an ongoing rollout schedule.
The Eltek Valere Micropack is ideal for the tight, confined spaces of 3G or 4G picocell cabinets because it scales from 250W up to 1000W with rectifiers that measure only 44 mm wide by 150 mm deep by 134 mm high. This size is critical as the picocell cabinet includes all communications equipment, power supplies and up to two hours of battery backup packed in a single pole-mounted enclosure.
Micropack also features a very wide temperature range, which is an advantage because picocell cabinets rely on fans for cooling. The system is DIN-rail mountable for easy installation in a cabinet, or comes in its own MicroShelf cabinet.
“Picocells are part of the future of wireless network design, and working with a wireless market leader gives Eltek Valere a sustained advantage in providing compact, high-density power solutions for these networks,” said David Leal, VP Sales, North America for Eltek Valere. “The Micropack is a key part of Eltek Valere’s full range of high-efficiency power systems, making us a complete provider for all wireless network application
Monday, December 13, 2010
Mobile number portability in India to be launched on 20th Jan. 2011
NEW DELHI, INDIA: Telecom service providers have made necessary changes in their network for implementation of Mobile Number Portability (MNP). The MNP has been launched in Haryana on 25-11-2010 and it is to be launched in rest of the country w.e.f. 20-01-2011.
The guidelines for criteria to be adopted for MNP services have laid down by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). The consumers will have the choice of selecting their Telecom Service Provider (operator) without changing their number, provided a minimum period of 90 days has elapsed after subscription to the mobile service of the current service provider.
For change of service provider, i.e., porting, a subscriber has to send a SMS (short message service) from the number he wishes to be ported, to number 1900 whereby a Unique Porting Code (UPC) will be received on SMS from his current service provider.
The subscriber will need to apply in the prescribed application form to the chosen new service provider quoting the UPC which will act as a reference while filling up the application form with new service provider. The new service provider will then take action to get the required process completed to enable the subscriber to get connected to his network.
Porting has to be completed within seven working days. TRAI has put a ceiling of Rs. 19 on porting charges which the new service provider may collect from the subscriber. Post-paid subscribers before making the porting request, have to make sure that their last bill has been paid failing which the request for change to new service provider shall be rejected.
In the case of prepaid subscriber, any balance amount left will not be carried forward when the number is transferred to the new service provider.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology, Sachin Pilot in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
The guidelines for criteria to be adopted for MNP services have laid down by TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India). The consumers will have the choice of selecting their Telecom Service Provider (operator) without changing their number, provided a minimum period of 90 days has elapsed after subscription to the mobile service of the current service provider.
For change of service provider, i.e., porting, a subscriber has to send a SMS (short message service) from the number he wishes to be ported, to number 1900 whereby a Unique Porting Code (UPC) will be received on SMS from his current service provider.
The subscriber will need to apply in the prescribed application form to the chosen new service provider quoting the UPC which will act as a reference while filling up the application form with new service provider. The new service provider will then take action to get the required process completed to enable the subscriber to get connected to his network.
Porting has to be completed within seven working days. TRAI has put a ceiling of Rs. 19 on porting charges which the new service provider may collect from the subscriber. Post-paid subscribers before making the porting request, have to make sure that their last bill has been paid failing which the request for change to new service provider shall be rejected.
In the case of prepaid subscriber, any balance amount left will not be carried forward when the number is transferred to the new service provider.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Communications & Information Technology, Sachin Pilot in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.
Inovonics outlines top trends in wireless security for 2011
LOUISVILLE, USA: Inovonics, a leader in high-performance wireless sensor networks for commercial and life safety applications, today outlined major trends for wireless security systems for 2011.
Inovonics' President Mark Jarman notes that today's security needs are different than they were a decade ago.
"People and assets are mobile so security needs to be as well. People are 'connected' thanks to mobile devices so they can stay linked to their security and data systems in real time," he explained. "When security is mobile, you need to be able to track it. People and assets are increasingly mobile so Real Time Location Solutions (RTLS) will become increasingly important."
Jarman's additional top predictions for 2011 include:
* Integration of access control panels, video management systems and alarm sensors with IP-based security solutions will increase substantially. Jarman says there is a convergence that's been taking place in the security world with manufacturers of access control panels and video management systems integrating their systems into a cohesive IP-based solution.
In the coming year, development of IP-based specifications to achieve system-wide interoperability of IP security devices will accelerate and will soon become reality forcing vendors to shift their product strategies to comply with the new requirements.
* Location and situational awareness in conjunction with mobile security capabilities will become a key requirement of campus-wide security systems. Today, security guards are mobile and have smart phones or two-way radios driving the growing trend toward mobility.
With an increasing number of security persons and human assets mobile these days, knowing where they are within a building or campus setting when they activate a duress alarm, such as a pendant, is mission critical. Then notifying others within that same environment via an integrated, easy-to-deploy and use mass notification system ensures they will get out of harm's way quickly and safely.
* Wireless sensor networks vs. hard-wired solutions. Wireless sensor networks in commercial settings will continue to gain traction against traditional hard-wired solutions due to their ease in extending monitored sensor types, speed of installation, cost savings and mobility, as well as overall reliability.
Altogether, this will improve the tangible ROI property owners expect. Increasingly, security dealers and directors are leveraging wireless throughout their organizations for these reasons – especially when a security breech occurs and the weaknesses of wired solutions are exposed.
"Wireless security systems are poised to take advantage of a number of market factors in 2011," said Jeff Kessler, managing director of Imperial Capital, a leading security market research and advisory firm. "In the coming years ahead, we will see security directors and integrators asking vendors to better integrate access control, video analytics and external sensors into a single view to achieve true Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) capabilities. Wireless systems will play an important part in this evolution."
Echoing this same sentiment, Jarman adds: "Despite all the advances in technology, one thing rings clear: an integrated security solution needs to be simple – not over-featured. As elegant as many integrated solutions can be, their sheer complexity can make them fall short of expectations for usability, and therefore performance, reliability and in realizing a return on investment. That is why simple to install, easy-to-use, reliable and cost-effective wireless systems will gain growing acceptance among security directors and integrators across many markets in the years ahead."
Inovonics' President Mark Jarman notes that today's security needs are different than they were a decade ago.
"People and assets are mobile so security needs to be as well. People are 'connected' thanks to mobile devices so they can stay linked to their security and data systems in real time," he explained. "When security is mobile, you need to be able to track it. People and assets are increasingly mobile so Real Time Location Solutions (RTLS) will become increasingly important."
Jarman's additional top predictions for 2011 include:
* Integration of access control panels, video management systems and alarm sensors with IP-based security solutions will increase substantially. Jarman says there is a convergence that's been taking place in the security world with manufacturers of access control panels and video management systems integrating their systems into a cohesive IP-based solution.
In the coming year, development of IP-based specifications to achieve system-wide interoperability of IP security devices will accelerate and will soon become reality forcing vendors to shift their product strategies to comply with the new requirements.
* Location and situational awareness in conjunction with mobile security capabilities will become a key requirement of campus-wide security systems. Today, security guards are mobile and have smart phones or two-way radios driving the growing trend toward mobility.
With an increasing number of security persons and human assets mobile these days, knowing where they are within a building or campus setting when they activate a duress alarm, such as a pendant, is mission critical. Then notifying others within that same environment via an integrated, easy-to-deploy and use mass notification system ensures they will get out of harm's way quickly and safely.
* Wireless sensor networks vs. hard-wired solutions. Wireless sensor networks in commercial settings will continue to gain traction against traditional hard-wired solutions due to their ease in extending monitored sensor types, speed of installation, cost savings and mobility, as well as overall reliability.
Altogether, this will improve the tangible ROI property owners expect. Increasingly, security dealers and directors are leveraging wireless throughout their organizations for these reasons – especially when a security breech occurs and the weaknesses of wired solutions are exposed.
"Wireless security systems are poised to take advantage of a number of market factors in 2011," said Jeff Kessler, managing director of Imperial Capital, a leading security market research and advisory firm. "In the coming years ahead, we will see security directors and integrators asking vendors to better integrate access control, video analytics and external sensors into a single view to achieve true Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) capabilities. Wireless systems will play an important part in this evolution."
Echoing this same sentiment, Jarman adds: "Despite all the advances in technology, one thing rings clear: an integrated security solution needs to be simple – not over-featured. As elegant as many integrated solutions can be, their sheer complexity can make them fall short of expectations for usability, and therefore performance, reliability and in realizing a return on investment. That is why simple to install, easy-to-use, reliable and cost-effective wireless systems will gain growing acceptance among security directors and integrators across many markets in the years ahead."
Sustained share and growth leadership for Ruckus Wireless in enterprise and carrier Wi-Fi markets
SUNNYVALE, USA: Ruckus Wireless announced that it showed the largest growth of any enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) supplier in the market for the second consecutive quarter with 95 percent growth in unit shipments over the same quarter for the year prior, according to a new WLAN report by Gartner.
Additionally, the Smart Wi-Fi technology pioneer garnered the top market share position in unit shipments of outdoor wireless mesh systems to service providers around the globe for the third straight quarter, according to a separate report published by the Dell'Oro Group.
Driving this growth is a massive movement by consumers and enterprise users to the Mobile Internet through the use of more powerful and multimedia-capable Wi-Fi-enabled smart devices.
According to industry analysts, data traffic has exploded in 2010 across both enterprise and carrier networks. Some so-called "superphones" routinely average more than 1 GB per month, and by the end of 2010, it's expected that the average US consumption per smart device will be approximately 325 MB per month -- up 112 percent from 2009.
Additionally, Cisco's "mobile data trends" research estimates that 66 percent of the world's mobile data traffic will be video by 2014 and that mobile video will grow at a CAGR of 131 percent over the next five years.
"We're in the midst of a global transformation as the mobile Internet opens up possibilities for communicating and sharing information in ways never before thought possible," said Selina Lo, CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "Whether you're an enterprise dealing with iPads on your network or a carrier overloaded by Android traffic, these reports clearly validate the growing need for more robust Wi-Fi technology that can deliver high throughput despite an increasingly noisy and crowded Wi-Fi environment."
Lo noted that the mobile Internet phenomenon is having a profound impact on both enterprise and carrier networks that must support new devices that only communicate using wireless technology.
With the barrage of data traffic hitting corporate and mobile networks from Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and other bandwidth-hungry devices, enterprises and carriers must contend with data volumes that rapidly exceed network capacity and a crowded RF spectrum that is almost impossible to navigate.
These challenges have spawned new innovations in Wi-Fi technology, such as intelligent antenna arrays patented by Ruckus Wireless, that provide dramatic improvements in making wireless communications more reliable, ubiquitous and adaptive to ever-changing environment conditions.
Additionally, the Smart Wi-Fi technology pioneer garnered the top market share position in unit shipments of outdoor wireless mesh systems to service providers around the globe for the third straight quarter, according to a separate report published by the Dell'Oro Group.
Driving this growth is a massive movement by consumers and enterprise users to the Mobile Internet through the use of more powerful and multimedia-capable Wi-Fi-enabled smart devices.
According to industry analysts, data traffic has exploded in 2010 across both enterprise and carrier networks. Some so-called "superphones" routinely average more than 1 GB per month, and by the end of 2010, it's expected that the average US consumption per smart device will be approximately 325 MB per month -- up 112 percent from 2009.
Additionally, Cisco's "mobile data trends" research estimates that 66 percent of the world's mobile data traffic will be video by 2014 and that mobile video will grow at a CAGR of 131 percent over the next five years.
"We're in the midst of a global transformation as the mobile Internet opens up possibilities for communicating and sharing information in ways never before thought possible," said Selina Lo, CEO of Ruckus Wireless. "Whether you're an enterprise dealing with iPads on your network or a carrier overloaded by Android traffic, these reports clearly validate the growing need for more robust Wi-Fi technology that can deliver high throughput despite an increasingly noisy and crowded Wi-Fi environment."
Lo noted that the mobile Internet phenomenon is having a profound impact on both enterprise and carrier networks that must support new devices that only communicate using wireless technology.
With the barrage of data traffic hitting corporate and mobile networks from Wi-Fi-enabled smartphones, tablets and other bandwidth-hungry devices, enterprises and carriers must contend with data volumes that rapidly exceed network capacity and a crowded RF spectrum that is almost impossible to navigate.
These challenges have spawned new innovations in Wi-Fi technology, such as intelligent antenna arrays patented by Ruckus Wireless, that provide dramatic improvements in making wireless communications more reliable, ubiquitous and adaptive to ever-changing environment conditions.
RSA security tools make Google Android platform more enterprise and ecommerce friendly
BEDFORD, USA: RSA, The Security Division of EMC, has announced the availability of the RSA SecurID Software Token for Android that is engineered to enable an Android powered device to be used as an RSA SecurID authenticator, providing convenient and cost-effective two-factor authentication to enterprise applications and resources.
Additionally, RSA is releasing a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Android platform that is designed to allow developers to embed RSA SecurID two-factor authentication directly into Android applications and gain competitive advantage by offering this additional layer of security.
Mobile applications that directly integrate RSA SecurID technology provide organizations with the assurance that their resources are engineered to be protected from unauthorized access without any usability impact to the end user. The SDK is available free of charge for all RSA Secured partners.
The new RSA SecurID Software Token for Android is engineered to generate a one-time password that changes every 60 seconds, enabling secure access to corporate resources. The solution complements the broad range of authentication methods offered by RSA, giving customers a choice in authentication methods based on risk, cost and convenience.
The RSA SecurID Software Token for Android is designed for enterprise users whose organizations have implemented the RSA SecurID system. The token can be installed directly onto Android enabled devices at no cost via a simple download from Android Market. With minimal help from their IT department, users can enable the application with a unique software token seed, creating a convenient, secure and cost-effective RSA SecurID authenticator.
The use of RSA SecurID software tokens helps decrease total cost of ownership for organizations as they don't require any physical shipping, can be revoked and automatically redeployed if an employee leaves the company with their Android enabled device eliminating the need for replacement tokens. Additionally, having the software authenticator on business-critical smart phones reduces the number of costly technical support calls for misplaced tokens.
Additionally, RSA is releasing a new Software Development Kit (SDK) for the Android platform that is designed to allow developers to embed RSA SecurID two-factor authentication directly into Android applications and gain competitive advantage by offering this additional layer of security.
Mobile applications that directly integrate RSA SecurID technology provide organizations with the assurance that their resources are engineered to be protected from unauthorized access without any usability impact to the end user. The SDK is available free of charge for all RSA Secured partners.
The new RSA SecurID Software Token for Android is engineered to generate a one-time password that changes every 60 seconds, enabling secure access to corporate resources. The solution complements the broad range of authentication methods offered by RSA, giving customers a choice in authentication methods based on risk, cost and convenience.
The RSA SecurID Software Token for Android is designed for enterprise users whose organizations have implemented the RSA SecurID system. The token can be installed directly onto Android enabled devices at no cost via a simple download from Android Market. With minimal help from their IT department, users can enable the application with a unique software token seed, creating a convenient, secure and cost-effective RSA SecurID authenticator.
The use of RSA SecurID software tokens helps decrease total cost of ownership for organizations as they don't require any physical shipping, can be revoked and automatically redeployed if an employee leaves the company with their Android enabled device eliminating the need for replacement tokens. Additionally, having the software authenticator on business-critical smart phones reduces the number of costly technical support calls for misplaced tokens.
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