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WASHINGTON — Feb 01, `08 — Although a major auction of prime public airwaves, the 700 MHz, is far from finished, there already appears to be a big winner: the US consumer.

A bid on the largest portion of public wireless airwaves, now being auctioned by the US government, reached $4.7 billion Thursday, surpassing a threshold price that would trigger so-called open-access rules that would allow any legal mobile device or software program to use those airwaves.

While bidding was anonymous, analysts speculated that Google and Verizon Wireless, a joint venture between Verizon Communications and Vodafone Group, were the likely bidders on that swath, or about one-third of the total spectrum being auctioned.

Winners, however, will not be known until the entire auction by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission ends, a process that could take several more weeks. The auction began Jan. 24.

To retain the open-access conditions on that spectrum, a minimum $4.6 billion bid was required. The commission is selling a spectrum that is being freed as part of the switch to digital television in February 2009. The airwaves are considered especially valuable because the frequencies travel long distances and can easily pass through walls.

The rules, advocated by Google and a coalition of consumer and public interest groups, will help pry open traditionally closed wireless networks that prevent people from taking their phones with them when switching providers.

Google, AT&T and Verizon Communications are among 214 qualified bidders for nearly 1,100 licenses to pieces of the spectrum that vary from a nationwide swath to regional slivers.

Because of strict rules to prevent collusion, bidders won’t be identified until the auction ends, and companies are forbidden from commenting on their activity. Based on the limited bidding information available, Verizon is probably the high bidder on the open-access chunk, but Google is also a possibility, said Blair Levin, an analyst at brokerage Stifel, Nicolaus & Co.

“The amount of activity that we’ve already seen occurring demonstrates just how significant the interest is in this piece of spectrum,” FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said.

“The openness requirement is important both in terms of the innovation it will lead to on the edges of the network and the ability of consumers to take advantage of that innovation,” Martin further added during a briefing with reporters yesterday.

CES 2008 — Las Vegas — Jan 07, `08 — Intel unveiled 16 products today, including the company’s first 45 nanometer (nm) processors for Intel Centrino Processor Technology based laptops.

With the introduction of the new processors, Intel will offer 32 desktop, laptop and server processors based on these innovations. Intel also announced continuing momentum in ultra mobile computing and WiMAX.

Mobility: Intel Announces Santa Rosa Refresh Product Line
Santa Rosa Refresh – Intel launched “Santa Rosa Refresh,” an update to Intel Centrino processor technology that includes the next-generation 45nm high-k (Hi-k) mobile processor (codenamed “Penryn”) and improved graphics capabilities.

• 45nm Hi-k Intel Core 2 Duo mobile processor for Centrino — Taking advantage of the Hafnium-based, Hi-k metal gate reinvented transistors inside, Santa Rosa Refresh-based notebooks deliver improved platform performance and great battery life. Graphics improvement focuses on HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc support with an optional third-party decoder, as well as enhanced content and gaming capabilities.
• Santa Rosa Refresh for Desktop — Intel will also use this new mobile technology foundation with the energy-efficient performance of the 45nm Intel Core 2 Duo processor to enable a variety of smaller, cooler and quieter, stylish desktop designs.

Mobile Internet Devices:
• Intel confirms “Menlow” platform shipments in the first half of 2008: Intel is getting ready to ship its first-generation low-power platform, codenamed “Menlow,” in the first half of the year. The Menlow platform is comprised of the “Silverthorne” processor and the “Poulsbo” chipset, both being designed from the ground up for MIDs and UMPCs. At CES, Intel provided a sneak peek of some of the upcoming “Menlow”-based devices and applications that are being optimized for this platform.
• Intel unveils customers planning to launch Menlow-based platforms at CES: In a sign of growing momentum behind MIDs and UMPCs, Intel is showcasing a range of Menlow-based devices from customers who expect to ship these products later this year. In its technology showcase, Intel has Menlow-based MIDs and UMPCs from Aigo, Asus, BenQ, Clarion, Compal, Digifriends, EB, Gigabyte, Lenovo, LG-E, LiteOn, Quanta, Toshiba, USI, and Willcom.
• Skype announces support for Intel-based MIDs: Skype announced a collaboration with Intel to develop a mobile Skype experience for MIDs based on Intel low power processors and chipsets. Mobile users will be able to make Skype voice and video calls and send instant messages on the move while harnessing the PC-like performance of Intel’s MIDs. This new category of small, truly mobile consumer devices with WiMAX and Wi-Fi capabilities will enable free Skype-to-Skype voice and video calls and cheap SkypeOut calls to be made on open wireless networks.

WiMAX: Mobile WiMAX Takes the Stage in 2008
Intel’s integrated Wi-Fi/WiMAX module (codenamed “Echo Peak”) will debut in certain next-generation Intel Centrino processor-based laptops (codenamed “Montevina”) beginning in the middle of the year. The company’s low-power mobile WiMAX silicon specifically designed for mobile Internet and consumer electronic devices (codenamed “Baxter Peal”) will also be available this year.

Consumer Desktop PCs: 45nm Goes Mainstream this Quarter
• “Penryn” family of processors comes to mainstream desktop PCs – Intel announced three quad-core and four dual-core 45nm-based processors for consumer desktop PCs arriving later this month and throughout the first quarter of the year. The new 45nm Intel Core 2 Quad and Intel Core 2 Duo processors have a range of speeds and feature large L2 caches and Intel HD Boost, which delivers increased performance on such multimedia applications as video editing and encoding.
• Intel Core 2 Processor with Viiv technology – Intel will also extend the performance and energy efficiency of the new 45nm processors with Intel HD Boost to the Intel Core 2 Processor with Viiv technology platform. The company will also focus future plans on delivering silicon-driven capabilities that support the areas of better connecting, protecting and managing digital content – as well as delivering the performance required to view, share and enjoy it.

• Later this quarter:
– The Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9770 Processor (3.2 GHz/1600 MHz system bus 45nm Hi-k metal gate processor formerly codenamed “Yorkfield”) and Intel X48 Express Chipset targeted at high-end PC users and enthusiasts. The Intel X48 Express Chipset continues to push the performance envelope with native support for XMP 1600 DDR3 memory.
– “Skulltrail” is a new dual processor-based platform that will provide extreme high-end enthusiasts with a fantastic professional media creation and gaming experience. The platform will feature two quad-core Intel Core 2 Extreme processors for 8-core performance and 4 PCI Express x16 Gen 1.1 slots with planned support for up to 4 graphics cards. More at Intel (in pdf).

PORTLAND, Ore –BUSINESS WIRE– Dec 19, `07 — The WiMAX Forum today announced its lead certification lab is now open for formal Mobile WiMAX certification testing and evaluation of Mobile WiMAX products.

WiMAX Forum vendors may begin immediately submitting their 2.3 GHz and 2.5 GHz Mobile WiMAX equipment for testing. The WiMAX Forum’s lead certification lab is headquartered at AT4 Wireless in Spain. The WiMAX Forum expects its four other certification labs in the US, Taiwan, China and Korea to open for formal Mobile WiMAX certification testing shortly.

“Certification facilitates Xohm’s model for open access,” remarked Barry West, president of Sprint’s Xohm Business Unit. “We applaud the WiMAX Forum for this important and timely step, which will encourage device innovation in anticipation of Sprint’s WiMAX network launch in the US”Throughout 2008, service providers are expected to expand current Mobile WiMAX deployments to broader populations in their regions. The WiMAX Forum currently estimates that more than 300 operators in over 65 countries have deployed Mobile WiMAX pilots and trials.

As Mobile WiMAX deployments continue to grow in size and scope in 2008, the WiMAX Forum plans to open new certification labs in India and Taiwan to address the demand for equipment certification. Based on the proliferation of certified equipment, the WiMAX Forum will conduct additional product interoperability activities for new Mobile WiMAX profiles and features, such as testing for the planned certification for 3.5 GHz and 700 MHz profiles and core network certification through Mobile WiMAX PlugFests in 2008. More at WiMAX Forum.

Washington — Dec 18, ‘07 — A venture led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has applied to bid in an upcoming auction of 700 MHz wireless airwaves, according to FCC’s “Accepted Applications” list released on late Tuesday, Reuters reports.

Allen was listed with an entity called Vulcan Spectrum LLC among the applicants who filed to bid in the FCC auction of 700-megahertz spectrum, which is scheduled to begin on January 24.

Allen and Vulcan Spectrum were on a list of scores of potential bidders who filed applications ahead of a December 3 FCC deadline. The auction applicants also included, Google, AT&T, Verizon Wireless and Qualcomm.

The FCC-run auction is expected to take several weeks, or even months, of daily, back-and-forth bidding, with the identities of the bidders kept secret. The radio waves are being returned by broadcasters as they move from analog to digital signals early in 2009. The signals can go long distances and penetrate thick walls.

FCC List of “Accepted Applications“, “Incomplete Applications” (in pdf). More at FCC (in Word).

Tokyo, Japan — On Dec 14, NEC announced the release of its first mobile WiMAX solution, PasoWings. The new generation equipment brings the assurance of ITU and IEEE accreditation and marks a cornerstone in certification of the mobile WiMAX standard.

The first products will be shipped to customers in December, with networks being rolled out in early 2008.

NEC has been shipping equipment worldwide during 2007 and has carried out key trials in Japan, Taiwan and other countries. The Tatung network is one of the first networks rolled out under the Taiwanese government sponsored M-Taiwan project. The network is viewed throughout the WiMAX industry as a medium to prove the excellence of WiMAX technology and as a best in class system.

Through on-going trials and commercial deployments NEC will continue to focus on developed and developing markets worldwide. Supporting both 2.6GHz and 3.5GHz frequency ranges allows the solution to support both mobile and fixed operators. The inherent agility in the system means that fixed and mobile business cases in WiMAX are no longer mutually exclusive.

PasoWings, which provides end-to-end solutions, is comprised of subscriber terminals (CPE) such as PCMCIA cards that are inserted into PCs; wireless access products such as base stations and antennas, and application servers such as user authentication servers or user positional information management servers. More at NEC.

Multi-radio antenna supports WiMAX service rollouts globally including the Sprint Nextel Xohm network.

In anticipation of major WiMAX roll-outs around the globe, OMRON Corp has announced the introduction of a new, global WiMAX band polymer antenna, the HAWK-WMX, for laptops, notebooks, tablet and ultra-mobile PCs. Significantly smaller than competing products, the HAWK-WMX fits under the lid of notebook PCs, enabling computer manufacturers to design smaller and lighter models for highly mobile users.

The HAWK-WMX, which employs the high dielectric polymer material and precision molding technology used in Omron’s award-winning UWB antenna range, measures just 30 mm x 6.6 mm but can deliver uniform RF performance across three global WiMAX bands (2.3-2.8 GHz, 3.3-3.8 GHz and 5.25-5.85 GHz). The HAWK-WMX is WiMAX MIMOi compliant, and with its global band attributes can also be used as a Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11n) MIMO antenna.

Computer OEMs and ODMs are already supporting multiple wireless protocols such as 3G, Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi and UWB, each of which usually requires a separate antenna. With mounting space at a premium, there is a clear need for ultra-small antennas that will enable products to function in any region with consistently high performance. The HAWK-WMX delivers a small footprint without compromising performance and can replace five notebook antennas for WiMAX and Wi-Fi with three smaller ones.” More at Omron.

KYOTO, Japan –BUSINESS WIRE– Dec 13, ‘07 — Kyocera announced today that it will introduce a new external modem for the iBurst wireless Internet access system that will transfer data at speeds up to two megabits per second (2Mbps), a rate twice as fast as that offered by current iBurst modems. The new product will be available in March 2008.

Kyocera’s iBurst system provides commercial Mobile Broadband Wireless Access (MBWA) services in 11 countries worldwide, including Australia, Malaysia, Lebanon, Norway, Kenya, the United States and Canada. The iBurst concept is receiving industry-wide attention as a full-mobile, all-IP, end-to-end Internet access system.

The iBurst system provides high spectrum efficiency of 32 Mbps total throughput per base station (24Mbps downlink; 8Mbps uplink) over just 5MHz of bandwidth. The new 2Mbps modem will double user data throughput by aggregating two data streams for a single user.

MOSCOW, Russia — In an effort to bring people faster, lower cost and a truly mobile, data broadband technology, Comstar, Russia’s leading telecomm provider, and Intel Corporation on Tuesday, Dec 11, announced a collaboration to develop mobile WiMAX in Russia.

The joint effort will initially focus on building a city-wide mobile WiMAX network in Moscow. Comstar plans to use its 2.5-2.7Ghz spectrum footprint in the city to build the network and is targeting its commercial launch for late 2008. Intel will drive an ecosystem of the client devices with embedded WiMAX solutions.

Intel is already developing embedded mobile WiMAX solutions for notebook PCs and ultra mobile and mobile Internet devices. Starting in mid-2008 the company will offer its first embedded mobile WiMAX/Wi-Fi module, codenamed “Echo Peak,” with its next-generation Intel Centrino processor technology for notebooks and ultra-mobile devices. A solution optimized for mobile Internet devices with low-power consumption, codenamed “Baxter Peak,” is also expected to be available next year.

Mobile WiMAX is a broadband wireless technology that provides low-cost, multi-megabit speed, and great throughput for accessing large amounts of such data as movies and multi-media content. It is based on the IEEE 802.16e standard and is expected to be deployed around the world starting next year.

Intel will work manufacturers worldwide to develop and test notebook PCs and mobile devices to work with mobile WiMAX networks. A number of PC and device manufacturers have already expressed intent to embed these solutions into systems next year and more are expected in the next several months.

Comstar, part of services conglomerate Sistema, provides voice, data, Internet, pay-TV and other services. It has around 452K broadband Internet subscribers in Moscow. More at Intel.

Dec 05, ‘07 — PhoneScoop is reporting on Sprint Nextel soft launching its XOHM WiMax network in the next few days, citing Bin Shen, VP of Product Management and Partnership Development.

PhoneScoop further writes, “Chicago, Washington DC and Baltimore will all go live at soft launch, and though Shen did not discuss what devices would be available, a number of data cards have been tested on the network. XOHM will officially launch in the second quarter of 2008 as will several laptops with WiMax embedded in them. Later in the year a number of special purpose devices will launch, as will dual-mode CDMA / WiMax handsets.” PhoneScoop.

White Plains, NY — Dec 03, ‘07 — Nokia today applauded Verizon Wireless’ announced plans to develop and deploy a fourth generation (4G) mobile broadband network. The Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology Verizon Wireless chose is an open and global specification for next generation networks that will bring scale and efficiencies for manufacturers, choice in network equipment and device for operators, and ultimately better value and richer experiences for consumers.

Broadband wireless technologies have the power to change the way people work, live, play and communicate. As the world leader in converged devices, Nokia is dedicated to offering a wide choice of mobile devices to consumers and remains committed to openness and innovation. Nokia is proud to expand our collaboration with Verizon Wireless to develop products that allow consumers to experience the benefits of mobility and the Internet.

“Nokia has long been committed to working closely with operators in the US and around the world, and is very pleased to support Verizon Wireless in their choice of LTE as their global 4G evolution path,” said Mark Louison, President, Nokia Inc., the North American arm of Nokia.

“It is very exciting to see Verizon Wireless, one of the world’s leading wireless providers, announce their open development initiative for devices and their decision to evolve their network to the open, global specification of LTE.”

Within the next 10 years, Nokia sees that demand for an enriched mobile experience and mobile computing will continue to grow at exponential rates. LTE will help to enable faster, richer multimedia services such as multi-player gaming with rich 3D graphics and simultaneous Instant Messaging or voice calls and a host of other applications providing a much more compelling mobile experience for consumers everywhere. Nokia.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif — November 30, 2007 — Google announced today that it will apply to participate in the Federal Communications Commission’s upcoming auction of wireless spectrum in the 700 megahertz (MHz) band.

As part of the nationally mandated transition to digital television, the 700 MHz spectrum auction — which begins January 24, 2008 — will free up spectrum airwaves for more efficient wireless Internet service for consumers.

Advocacy by public interest groups and Google earlier this year helped ensure that regardless of which bidders win a key portion of the spectrum up for auction (the so-called “C Block”), they will be required to allow their users to download any software application they want on their mobile device, and to use any mobile devices they would like on that wireless network.

The winner must ensure these rights for consumers if the reserve price of $4.6 billion for the C Block is met at auction.

“We believe it’s important to put our money where our principles are,” said Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google. “Consumers deserve more competition and innovation than they have in today’s wireless world. No matter which bidder ultimately prevails, the real winners of this auction are American consumers who likely will see more choices than ever before in how they access the Internet.”

Schmidt also praised the leadership of FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and his fellow commissioners for adopting the new rights for consumers earlier this year.

Google’s formal application to participate in the 700 MHz auction will be filed with the FCC on Monday, December 3, 2007 — the required first step in the auction process. Google’s application does not include any partners.More at Google.

Bidding separately instead of assembling a coalition does not rule out Google later signing up partners if it wins the bidding, said a source familiar with the company’s strategy. But the FCC has “anti-collusion” rules that prevent deal-making between potential bidders during the auction period.

The auction is expected to take several weeks, or even months, of daily, back-and-forth bidding, with the identities of the bidders kept secret. Big spectrum bidders typically draw up elaborate strategies, often with input from game-theory experts.

FCC officials hope the company’s participation will mean a possible new player in the wireless business and boost the amount of money the government can bring in from the auction.

BASKING RIDGE, NJ, Nov 29, ‘07 /PRNewswire/ — Verizon today announced plans to develop and deploy its fourth generation mobile broadband network using LTE — Long Term Evolution – the technology developed within the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards organization.

The selection of LTE provides Verizon and Vodafone — joint owners of U.S.-based Verizon Wireless - - with a unique opportunity to adopt a common access platform with true global scale and compatibility with existing technologies of both companies.

Verizon and Vodafone have a coordinated trial plan for LTE that begins in 2008. Trial suppliers include Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Motorola, Nokia- Siemens, and Nortel. These suppliers, along with others in the world community, have contributed significantly towards development of the standards in 3GPP.

Discussions with device suppliers have expanded beyond traditional suppliers such as LG, Samsung, Motorola, Nokia, and Sony Ericsson, as consumer electronics companies anticipate embedded wireless functionality in their future products.

“We fully support Verizon’s decision to select LTE as their next generation wireless broadband solution,” said Steve Pusey, Vodafone’s global chief technology officer. “LTE will build on the capabilities of Vodafone’s 3G broadband High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) network technology, which is available across the entire Vodafone 3G footprint.”

“Today’s 4G announcement, coupled with our Open Development initiative announced earlier this week present a major growth opportunity for Verizon Wireless,” said Doreen Toben, chief financial officer of Verizon. “Fourth generation’s higher data speeds wi usher in a new era of wireless applications and appliances, all of which can benefit from connecting to the nation’s premier wireless network.”

More at PRNewsWire.

Neubiberg, Germany –Marketwire– Infineon Technologies AG a leading supplier of communication ICs, On Nov 20, announced it has shipped its one billionth RF transceiver.

With more than 230 million handset transceivers shipped in 2006, Infineon holds the leading market share in a total addressable market of just over one billion units, reports the market research company Strategy Analytics. Infineon has shipped communication ICs for more than 15 years to all major companies in the mobile phone segment, including Nokia, Samsung, Motorola, Sony Ericsson and LG.

“We produce seven RF transceivers every second and approximately every fourth mobile phone worldwide has Infineon’s RF transceiver technology integrated,” stated Stefan Wolff, Vice President, Communication Solutions Business Group and General Manager of the RF Engine business unit at Infineon.

The newest member in the Infineon family is the SMARTi LTE, the world’s first highly integrated Long Term Evolution (LTE) RF transceiver.

The SMARTi LTE is the world’s first RF transceiver supporting LTE functionality in a single CMOS-process. Measuring just 5 x 5 mm in a WFSGA-81 package, Infineon’s LTE transceiver provides outstanding RF performance to enable handset manufacturers the ability to provide high data rate up- & downlink connections for upcoming LTE network field trials.

Covering the entire spectrum of allocated LTE RF bands (Band I to X) and providing switchable baseband filtering (up to 5, 10, 20 MHz), Infineon’s SMARTi LTE fits global RF requirements and band combinations.

Sample silicon has been provided to selected customers. Volume shipments are expected to be available by 2010. Infineon.

Consumer demand for bandwidth could see the internet running out of capacity as early as 2010, a new study warns. US analyst firm Nemertes Research predicted a drastic slowdown as the network struggles to cope with the amount of data being carried on it.

Such gridlock would drastically affect how people use the web and could mean the next Google or YouTube simply doesn’t get off the ground, it said. The report said billions needed to be spent upgrading broadband networks.

It put the figure at around $137bn (£66bn) globally. For users, the slowdown could see a return to the bad old days of dial-up, the report predicts. “It may take more than one attempt to confirm an online purchase or it may take longer to download the latest video from YouTube,” the report cited. But it is the knock-on effect for new services that could be the real problem, report authors think. “The next Amazon, Google or YouTube might not arise, not from a lack of user demand but because of insufficient infrastructure preventing applications and companies emerging,” the report warned.

The demand for bandwidth-intensive applications shows no sign of abating. Nearly 75% of US internet users watched an average of 158 minutes of online video and viewed more than 8.3bn video streams during May, according to research by measurement firm comScore.

The financial invested required to “bridge the gap” between demand and capacity would range from $42bn to $55bn in the US, Nemertes estimates. The report is part-funded by the Internet Innovation Alliance (IIA) which campaigns for universal broadband in the US.

WASHINGTON/SAN FRANCISCO — Nov 19, ‘07 — Reuters is reporting on, Google considering bidding alone on coveted airwaves to launch a US wireless network, as a deadline nears to declare bidding plans, citing sources familiar with the situation.

Reuters further reports, “One source underscored that Google had made no decision as of Friday on whether it would bid with partners or on its own in the auction of 700-megahertz spectrum due to begin January 24.

Bidding could pit Google against top wireless carriers AT&T and Verizon Wireless. Going it alone at the government auction of airwaves would not rule out later signing up partners if Google were to win the necessary spectrum to create a network, the source said.

Google executives discussed the auction last week with Federal Communications Commission officials, including FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, sources familiar with the meeting said.

At the talks, executives for the Web search leader gave the impression of “inching more towards” a bid, one source said. Another said it is “within the realm of possibility” that partners could be brought on later if Google wins. Google has talked to a number of prospective partners, not just carriers.

The 700-MHz band airwaves, which are being returned by broadcasters as they move from analog to digital signals early in 2009, can go long distances and penetrate thick walls. The auction is seen as a last chance for a new wireless player.

Google has said it would be prepared to bid at least $4.6 billion for the biggest chunk of spectrum if regulators agreed to policies to promote open use of such networks.

Google won half of what it asked: The FCC imposed a condition on a large portion of the spectrum that would require the winning bidder to open up networks to allow consumers to use any device or applications that works on those frequencies.

But the FCC did not require open access to network capacity to be resold to independent mobile service providers on a wholesale basis, another Google request. Under the auction terms, if no one meets the $4.6 billion minimum bid, the auction for the open-access portion of the spectrum would be rerun without the open-access conditions.

Google unveiled this month plans to offer Mobile Operating System software, Android, for building Internet-ready cell phones in an alliance - Open Handset Alliance - of network operators and device and software makers. The first phones to result from it are due out in mid-2008, partners say.” More at Reuters.

Bath, England, & Tokyo, Japan, 19 November 2007: - picoChip announced today the PC6532 Wave 2 femtocell, the next version of its industry-standard WiMAX basestation reference design. Femtocell access points are optimized for deployment inside buildings to improve coverage and data rates. The new PC6532 WiMAX femtocell is the industry’s only single-chip (PHY + MAC) reference design to support WiMAX Wave 2 and full IO-MIMO in both downlink and uplink.

The PC6532 supports Wave 2 and full IO-MIMO, with Matrix A and Matrix B downlink, and both MRC and UL-CSM uplink. Wave 2 is the latest version of the WiMAX standard, adding increased support for mobility, while MIMO (Multi Input Multi Output) increases data-rate and reliability by simultaneously sending and receiving data via multiple antennas.

The picoChip WiMAX architecture is scaleable from femtocell access points to sophisticated multi-sector carrier macrocells with full support for IO-MIMO and beamforming. Both reference designs run on a single processor: the PC205 integrates an ARM processor for MAC functionality, and picoArray multi-core DSP for software defined PHY.

Stuart Carlaw of ABI Research, added, “It is clear that femtocells are an essential part of operator strategy going forward. Carriers are making it clear that this is even more true for WiMAX and LTE than it is for older standards.

“The problem of good in-building coverage, and the opportunity for femtocells to address it, is becoming increasingly widely recognised,” commented Simon Saunders, Chairman of the Femto Forum. “With use of 2.5GHz and the business case for ubiquitous high-speed data this is even more important for WiMAX.

The PC6530 Wave 1 WiMAX reference design is available now and has already passed IOT testing. The seamless software upgrade to the PC6532 Wave 2 WiMAX femtocell reference design will be available in Q2 2008.

GENEVA — Nov 15, ‘07 — A U.N. telecoms meeting decided Thursday to give mobile service providers access to bandwidth currently reserved for terrestrial television broadcasts, offering the promise of high-speed Internet access on-the-move anywhere in the world by 2015.

The decision will give manufacturers of wireless equipment greater security to develop better and cheaper devices, while service providers can expect significantly lower rollout costs for new networks.

U.S. officials lobbied hard for a global agreement on spectrum use, arguing that a common approach was better than each country or region deciding to use separate frequencies for next-generation mobile services.

Consumers in the United States are to gain access to at least some of the spectrum in question by 2009, but it will take an additional six years before those in Europe, Africa, China, Russia and much of the Middle East will have the same access.

The decision to open these frequencies — sometimes described as the beachfront property of the radio spectrum — to mobile services will mean significant cost-savings for telecommunications companies.

Countries agreed to the rule after a month of negotiations that boiled down to a battle between old and new media — broadcasters against telecommunications companies — for control of a prime stretch of radio spectrum.

All-night talks at the U.N.-hosted World Radiocommunications Conference in Geneva finally resulted in a deal by Thursday morning, but not without Europe’s powerful broadcasting interests winning a major concession that means the amount of bandwidth available for mobile services in their region will be half of what is offered elsewhere.

European broadcasters warned earlier this week that viewers of digital terrestrial television could see their reception interrupted by nearby cell phones if the two technologies shared the same frequency.

In addition to the reduced bandwidth, Europe, Africa, China, Mongolia, the countries of the former Soviet Union, and much of the Middle East would wait until 2015 before making the most cost-effective part of the radio spectrum available for advanced mobile services.

A U.S. government auction scheduled for February is expected to fetch up to $15 billion from the sale of bandwidth in the 698 megahertz to 806 megahertz range.

The same frequencies will be available for mobile services throughout the Americas, India, Japan, Korea and a number of other Asian countries, while the rest of the world will initially use only the 790 megahertz to 862 megahertz range.

Nov 15, ‘07 — The board of the GSM Association voted to back LTE (3GPP Long Term Evolution) as the mobile broadband standard to succeed HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access), the CEO of the group said Tuesday.

The vote is an indication that GSM operators are unified in their support for LTE, and gives them a united front as LTE competes with Qualcomm’s UMB (Ultra Mobile Broadband) and with WiMax, backed by the computer industry, to become the next mobile broadband technology.

LTE is several times faster than HSPA and could help spur demand for more downloading over cellular networks. Japan’s NTT DoCoMo may become the first operator to widely deploy the new technology, which is expected to be ready by the end of this decade.

Rob Conway, CEO of GSMA, announced the association’s backing of LTE during a speech at the GSM Association’s Mobile Asia Congress in Macau, China, and called on the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the leading United Nations agency for communication technologies, to ensure the industry wins the spectrum needed to offer mobile broadband.

NTT DoCoMo is pushing aggressively ahead with plans to speed up its mobile broadband services in Japan, and is looking to LTE to take care of the job. The company counts over half of Japan’s mobile subscribers as its customers and has already started running tests on LTE technology to become its “Super 3G” offering. One advantage to LTE is that it can be used on existing 3G networks.

Download speeds on Super 3G could reach up to 300Mbps (megabits per second), Masao Nakamura, the CEO of NTT DoCoMo, said in a speech, a huge improvement over HSDPA.

DoCoMo is also researching 4G (fourth generation) mobile technology. When it’s commercialized, 4G will promise 1Gbps download speeds, said Nakamura, but in testing DoCoMo has achieved speeds as high as 5Gbps.

Testing on LTE is expected to be finished by 2009, said Matthias Reis, head of the LTE business program at Nokia Siemens Networks. Operators are currently using HSPA, and starting to roll out HSPA+ and IHSPA (Internet-HSPA). By 2009, testing will be done and operators will be able to start rolling out the technology, he said.

Meanwhile the GSMA continues to back current generation wireless technologies. Separately Tuesday, in partnership with Microsoft, it announced a contest to design laptop PCs with HSPA-enabled chipsets to make it easier for the average user to access the Internet via a mobile network.

San Antonio, Texas, & Vancouver, B.C. – November 14, 2007 – AT&T and Sierra Wireless today announced the availability of the AT&T USBConnect 881, a new, easy-to-use wireless USB data device that is the first to have AT&T Communication Manager software pre-loaded. The AT&T USBConnect 881 automatically installs AT&T Communication Manager when first used with Microsoft Windows Vista, XP and 2000 notebooks. This eliminates the need for an installation CD to provide a plug-and-play experience for most users.

The AT&T USBConnect 881 enables laptop owners to quickly and easily send and receive e-mail and access the Internet on AT&T’s 3G High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) BroadbandConnect wireless network. This network has upload speeds between 500 Kbps and 800 Kbps and enhanced download speeds ranging between 600 Kbps and 1,400 Kbps.

AT&T is the first U.S. carrier to deploy enhanced upload speeds through High Speed Uplink Packet Access (HSUPA) in its HSPA network.

The AT&T USBConnect 881 will be available for purchase across AT&T sales channels starting Nov. 14. The USBConnect 881 will be available for $49.99 with a new two-year DataConnect contract of $59.99 a month or higher. AT&T USBConnect 881.

Honolulu, Hawaii, November 12, 2007 –AT&T has announced a change in how, when and where people in the Aloha State access the Internet, use e-mail or view a variety of entertainment services by offering the 3G wireless broadband service in Oahu.

“The benefits and features of our 3G network are a perfect match for the outdoor and active lifestyles in Hawaii,” said Ed Maruyama, director of sales for AT&T’s wireless operations in Hawaii. ” “The network that quickly deliver interactive content and applications anywhere, anytime — whether a user is on the road for business or enjoying another beautiful day at the beach.”

The AT&T 3G network also offers AT&T LaptopConnect  — which simply requires a LaptopConnect card or a laptop with embedded 3G capability, software and an AT&T data plan — mobile customers DSL-like speeds for their laptops, with the ability to access the Internet, their company’s intranet or corporate e-mail from anywhere within the 3G network.

Benefits of the AT&T 3G Network
AT&T’s 3G network uses HSDPA/UMTS (High Speed Downlink Packet Access/Universal Mobile Telephone System) technology. The company’s 3G network is also based on the GSM (Global Systems for Mobile Communications) standard, the most widely used technology in the world. More than 2.6 billion people use wireless devices powered by GSM — representing more than 85 percent of the world’s wireless users.

The 3G network provides the simultaneous delivery of voice and data — a capability not offered by all wireless providers. More at AT&T.

RESTON, Va.–BUSINESS WIRE–Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have mutually agreed to terminate the Letter of Intent (LOI) signed in July 2007. The two companies could not resolve complexities associated with the LOI and failed to reach final agreement on the terms of the transaction.

Sprint remains fully committed to developing WiMAX services and deploying a WiMAX network that will allow customers to realize the benefits of a mobile broadband Internet experience. Sprint expects to continue to work together with Clearwire on future opportunities to enhance the deployment of robust WiMAX capabilities through ongoing discussions that include the possibility of roaming, frequency interference coordination, spectrum exchanges, technology evolution and development and network standards.

“We are on track for soft launch late this year in the Chicago and Baltimore/Washington markets and commercial launch in 2008,” said Keith Cowan, Sprint’s president of Strategic Planning and Corporate Initiatives. “In line with Sprint’s mandate of improving the customers experience and simplifying our operations, we look forward to working with Clearwire on opportunities such as roaming and standards.”

In light of this announcement, Sprint is reviewing its WiMAX business plans and outlook and the company expects to comment further on these topics early next year.

Sprint intends to provide services under the Xohm brand, supported by an ecosystem of device, chip and other partners, including Intel, Motorola, Nokia and Samsung. The company also has selected Google to bring search, interactive communications and social networking tools through a new mobile portal to future WiMAX mobile Internet customers.

World’s First Soft Modem to Achieve 2.8Mbps Transfer Rate Powers Samsung SGH-T578H.

EINDHOVEN, The Netherlands –BUSINESS WIRE–Nov 09, ‘07– Samsung, NXP Semiconductors and T3G Technologies today announced the world’s first TD-SCDMA HSDPA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE multi-mode mobile phone, which has also been demoed at the PT/Wireless Exposition in Beijing on October 23^rd. Powered by a software-defined modem capable of achieving data transfer rates of 2.8Mbps, the Samsung SGH-T578H enables about 20 times faster transfers than GPRS, allowing consumers to download several high-quality MP3 files in less than a minute. The phone is based on the T3G7210 system solution featuring the industry’s first soft modem empowered by NXP’s Embedded Vector Processor (EVP) to achieve high data transfer and multi-mode capability.

TD-SCDMA network deployments have been completed in 10 major cities across China where there are more than 70 million potential subscribers. This network is planned to be upgraded to support Release 5 (HSDPA) of the TD-SCDMA standard during the course of 2008. With the Samsung SGH-T578H mobile phone, users will be able to enjoy the widespread deployment of TD-SCDMA infrastructure to support high-speed streaming of multimedia coverage of the Beijing Olympics 2008. With this new milestone reached by Samsung, NXP and T3G, the TD-SCDMA standard is rapidly progressing towards the current W-CDMA capabilities.

“Samsung has always been at the cutting edge of mobile technology. Together with NXP and T3G, we have achieved several major milestones for TD-SCDMA phones – from the first TD-SCDMA video phone to this current high data transfer rate TD-HSDPA dual-band prototype,” said Mr. W.S. Lee, Vice President, Handset R&D Planning, Telecommunication Network Business, Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. “Multimedia and sharing of content will be the drivers for next-generation handsets. The combination of T3G’s leading TD-SCDMA technology and NXP’s very innovative EVP technology make them obvious partners of choice to provide consumers a high-end multimedia experience in a run up to the Beijing Olympics.”

“The China 3G subscription is expected to grow rapidly. By realizing 3.5G capabilities on Samsung’s SGH-T578H, NXP is driving the commercialization and adoption of next-generation wireless technologies – not only for China’s TD-SCDMA standard, but also proving successful our EVP-based software-defined radio approach,” said Marc Cetto, Executive Vice President & General Manager, Mobile & Personal Business Unit, NXP Semiconductors.

Mr. Johan Pross, CEO of T3G, said, “The T3G7210 is the first cellular system solution to use NXP’s breakthrough embedded vector processor to support multi-mode and multi-standard platforms, also allowing us to deal with possible changes in the standard or operator requirements. It enables mobile phone makers to offer more commercialized handsets with a broad scope of 3G multimedia applications.”

Samsung’s SGH-T578H is based on the T3G7210 system solution which uses the world’s first 2.8Mbps HSDPA modem IC, TD60291. NXP’s Adelante VD32040 embedded vector processor enables the modem to achieve 2.8Mbps peak data rates and fully supports the 3GPP TDD-LCR Standard Release 5. The T3G7210 system solution also supports quad-band EDGE and dual-band TD-SCDMA with integrated multimedia accelerators to allow for the development of high-end feature phones without the need for additional external co-processors.