Ctia Wireless

Verizon plans femtocell rollout this year

Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:59:57 -0400

Verizon Wireless CTO Tony Melone said at the CTIA Wireless 2008 trade show last week that the carrier would begin offering femtocell products and service plans sometime this year. The announcement follows a move by Sprint into the femtocell arena. AT&T also is said to be evaluating a femtocell offering.

What remains to be seen is what Verizon will charge for the femtocell device and the service plan. Sprint charges around $50 for the product and $15 per month for service. Verizon's commitment, broader than Sprint's thus far and the only one by a U.S. telco that has both local wireline and wireless networks, may well bring femtocell deployment to its tipping point in the U.S. market.

To read more about Verizon's femtocell plans:
- take a look at this article from AP

Also, check out our recent webinar: Fixed Mobile Convergence:
Are femtocells and UMA/WiFi solutions competitive or complementary?

Related articles:
Sprint formally launches femtocell, Airave Report
Nokia Siemens and Ubiquisys jointly push femtocells Report
Cisco pours cash into U.K. femtocell developer Report
Operators want femtocells Report

SPOTLIGHT: Nokia hoists the WiMAX flag 180 feet

Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:59:52 -0400

Nokia setup a massive crane in the parking lot in front of the Las Vegas Convention Center at CTIA Wireless to demonstrate the new capabilities of the new Nokia N810 Internet Tablet, which is now WiMAX (802.16e) enabled. Nokia strapped 20 journalists into roller coaster style seats attached to a board meeting-like table and lifted the entire apparatus 180 feet into the air. In front of each journalist was a cup holder and a N810 device running on a WiMAX demo the company had set up in the lot. Article

Ericsson pushes data limits on HSPA

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:56 -0400

Ericsson is pushing the limits on 3G High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA). During CTIA Wireless 2008 this week, the vendor plans to demonstrate downlink speeds of 42 Mb/s over a 5-megahertz channel using HSPA evolved equipment with the addition of MIMO technology. The new architecture is expected to become commercially available this year and can be added to Ericsson's later-generation WCDMA base stations with a software upgrade. Ericsson is targeting those operators that don't have enough spectrum for LTE.

To find out more about Ericsson's enhanced HSPA plans:
- check out this article from Telephony Magazine

Related articles:
- Mobile World Congress: Ericsson plugs LTE, HSPA Report
- The HSPA PR machine heats up as WiMAX heats up Editorial

ALSO NOTED: WiMAX Forum forecasts 113M subs by 2012; Airvana, Alcatel-Lucent demo EV-DO femtocell ; and much more...

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 07:59:51 -0400

> The WiMAX Forum today released its projections for global WiMAX subscribers. The forum estimates more than 133 million WiMAX subscribers by 2012. The organization commissioned an independent research study that will be published next month. Release

> A new report from Infonetics indicates sales of mobile data cards could nearly quadruple between last year and 2011 to reach $2.9 billion. Article

> Airvana and Alcatel-Lucent today announced they will jointly demonstrate an end-to-end 3G CDMA/EV-DO femtocell solution, supporting voice and mobile high-speed data services, at the CTIA Wireless 2008 tradeshow and exhibition. Release

And Finally... Behold, a leather-covered iPhone. Article

Focusing on the future

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:31:56 -0400

Focusing on the future

It's always intriguing to talk about future technologies. That's what I like about trade shows. As such, if you are attending next month's CTIA Wireless 2008 in Las Vegas, there will be plenty of discussion about future technologies.

The discussion around WiMAX, however, is beyond vaporware. The WiMAX Forum intends to make a big splash during the show to demonstrate that 802.16e has proliferated around the globe, despite the PR hit the technology is taking in terms of Sprint and Clearwire. According to Ron Resnick, chairman of the WiMAX Forum, some 260 service providers are in the midst of deploying 802.16e networks. The forum will be hosting the "WiMAX Lounge" that will feature a huge map on the wall pinpointing all of the deployments globally. Expect more noise to come out of the forum and its members around the recently announced 700 MHz profile for WiMAX. As the 700 MHz auction wraps up, you can bet vendors will be vying for contracts and the opportunity to build WiMAX in the band.

For the first time at a CTIA show, Vodafone CEO Arun Sarin will be a keynote speaker. As head of one of the world's largest mobile operators, what he says about technology gets noticed. During the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last month, Sarin argued that WiMAX could find a place within the LTE standard after the previous year warning the infrastructure industry that WiMAX threatened to eat LTE's lunch. What interesting comment will he make at CTIA?

Meanwhile, we should hear a lot about LTE at the show. Demos should be commonplace with more specific announcements surrounding product roadmaps.

Keep up to date on the happenings at CTIA by clicking on our CTIA Live! site.-Lynnette

P.S. Fierce will once again host its popular networking party. Join us on April 1 from 7 p.m. until 10 p.m. at Rain at The Palm in Las Vegas. RSVP here.

Sprint to make Xohm SDK available

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0500

While we have noted that Sprint plans to run its Xohm WiMAX network as an open access network, Sprint's SVP of Xohm, Atish Gude, told TechRepublic that the carrier plans to release the SDK and open APIs for Xohm by year end.

"We're going to be open on devices and open on applications," said Gude. "We're here to serve the Internet. Our foremost priority is providing really good access ... This is the open Internet. We're not going to block anybody." Gude also addressed the subsequent privacy concerns that an open access network conjures for some: "We will absolutely have the highest level of privacy, and we will let customers control when to expose [their data]."

For more on Xohm:
- read this article from TechRepublic

ALSO: To hear more about the Xohm launch, hear Atish Gude speak at FierceWireless' 4G event at CTIA Wireless in April. Site

Related Articles:
Sprint reveals WiMAX partners Report
WiMAX's future rests heavily in Sprint's hands Report

Rumor: Intel to facilitate Sprint/Clearwire deal

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 06:59:56 -0500

Rumors are circulating again that Sprint Nextel will spin off its Xohm WiMAX broadband unit and form a joint venture with Clearwire. The Street.com is reporting the deal between the two firms will include a $2 billion investment from Intel Capital.

If this rumored deal actually goes through, it will give a much-needed vote of confidence to WiMAX. Many companies at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week said much of WiMAX's future was resting on Sprint's Xohm business. Without Xohm, mobile WiMAX may not be anything other than a niche play.

Find out the latest on Xohm at the FierceWireless co-located event "4G and Beyond" on April 2 at CTIA Wireless 2008. Barry West, CTO of Sprint and head of the Xohm unit will be a keynote speaker and will provide a status update on Xohm. Here's a link to the agenda.

For more on Sprint and Clearwire:
- see this Street.com report

Related articles:
WiMAX's future still rests heavily in Sprint's hands Report
Sprint launches three markets as planned Report

Sprint: Xohm will be a platform for innovation

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:59:53 -0400

Sprint Nextel's senior vice president, mobile broadband operations Atish Gude, believes that the company's forthcoming WiMAX network will be a big hit with content providers and enterprises.

Gude, who spoke with sister publication FierceWireless prior to his keynote address during the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment show, said he believes Sprint is creating a platform for innovations that will give content companies the opportunity to really leverage the wireless Internet. "There will be more content to develop and more devices to use to access that content," Gude said. "The market will dictate the content. Not the carrier."

Likewise, Gude says Sprint's WiMAX network will benefit enterprises because the open environment will allow more enterprise applications to be available. Specifically, he envisions companies being able to better incorporate LBS, security and device management apps into their mobile enterprise agenda. "When all these new applications are enabled it will change how we do business by improving productivity," Gude said.

Sprint will not block VOIP applications and initially it will offer fixed VOIP over the WiMAX network, Gude said. In addition, once the company's WiMAX coverage area is sufficient (within the first 12 months), it will also offer mobile VOIP. -Sue Marek

CTIA renews call for veto of ITC chip ban

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:59:56 -0400

As the White House ponders whether to veto the International Trade Commission's ban on mobile devices containing Qualcomm's 3G chipsets, the Cellular Telecommunications & Internet Association (CTIA) renewed its concern about the impact of the ban, citing a report from The Brattle Group that says $21.1 billion could be at stake for U.S. consumers and producers.

"CTIA-The Wireless Association is deeply concerned that the ITC order banning new models of wireless broadband handsets will cause unprecedented economic harm to tens of millions of American wireless consumers, and because of that we urge President Bush to veto the order," said CTIA CEO Steve Largent.

The ITC banned the import of new cell phones made with Qualcomm 1xEV-DO and WCDMA chipsets. The ITC says those chipsets infringe upon patents held by Broadcom. Qualcomm is pursuing a presidential veto and garner an appeal in federal court. White House vetoes of ITC orders are rare, with the last such presidential veto of an ITC decision coming more than 20 years ago. The White House has 60 days from June 7 to act on the request for a veto.

The Brattle Group analysis concludes that the ITC order will cause direct economic damage to U.S. consumers and producers, ranging between $4.3 billion and $21.1 billion and will cause billions more in lost productivity across the U.S. economy. The direct economic harm to consumers alone could be as high as $17.7 billion, the report says.

For more about CTIA's concerns and The Brattle Group's report:
- read this release
- check out the report

Related articles:
- Qualcomm pulls out all the stops for ITC veto case
- Qualcomm rejects Broadcom settlement offer
- Broadcom urges president to uphold chip ban