Recently in 4G Category

The Web: The Best is Yet to Come

April 23, 2009 10:51 AM

If you think the Internet's a crowded place today, guess what? One of the Internets founders (insert Al Gore jokes here) Tim Berners-Lee, keynoting at the 18^th Annual World Wide Web conference in Madrid this week, believes that the best of the Internet is yet to come.

"The Web as I envisaged it, we have not seen it yet. The future is still so much bigger than the past," he said.

The ITU report, Measuring the Information Society, The ICT Development Index, finds that only 23% of the global population currently uses the Internet, as compared to over 60% of the world's population that is currently subscribing to mobile cellular phone services.

An article on Breitbart quotes Internet co-founder Vinton Cerf who says, "We will have more Internet, larger numbers of users, more mobile access, more speed, more things online and more appliances we can control over the Internet."

I for one, think we all can agree that the future of the Web is mobile. As smartphones proliferate and becomes less expensive; as next-generation wireless networks bring Internet access into every far-flung corner of the globe; as more people are able to get access to more information, we will see the truly transformational power of the Internet facilitate a freer exchange of ideas, resulting in new advances in technology, society, etc...

Now if only we can do away with e-Mail spam...

Stock Blog Compares AT&T, Verizon

April 22, 2009 7:28 AM

This morning, over at Seeking Alpha, there's a nice article from ValueExpectations (a stock blog and investment newsletter that provides institutional quality equity research) on the difference between AT&T and Verizon. ValueExpectations.com is run by the founders of The Applied Finance Group and Toreador Research and Trading.

To start, the article separates AT&T and Verizon from the third place U.S. wireless provider, Sprint.

Then, it compares the relative value proposition of both top wireless operators.

AT&T's market cap is $150 billion to Verizon's $90 billion.

AT&T is considered to have the better 3G network and a partnership with Apple to offer what is considered the hottest smartphone on the market, the iPhone. Verizon however has a "decent" 3G network, according to the article, and through its partnership with and support for several Blackberry models, is riding a positive trend.

Verizon's FiOS is considered the wave of the future, delivering "lightning-fast fiber optics" while AT&T's FTTN (fiber to the node) strategy is somewhat wanting. FiOS is also enjoying a much higher rate of adoption than AT&T's U-Verse product.

Finally the article compares the two operators' plans for fourth-generation wireless, or 4G. Verizon seems to be better positioned here, with a more aggressive rollout schedule, looking to deploy 4G services by 2010 as opposed to AT&T looking to roll out service two years later.

Finally, using a proprietary valuation model, the article by Value Expectations views Verizon as an attractive play, while AT&T looks overpriced.

To learn more about 4G and to stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends in the space, visit the 4G-Wireless Evolution homepage.

Paving the Way for Voice over LTE

February 12, 2009 8:27 AM

Great. Another acronym.

I guess in the world of tech that we inhabit, that's to be expected.

This one's not so bad provided it's pronounced volt and not volt-EE.

What am I talking about? I'll tell you.

Nokia Siemens Networks has reportedly come up with an approach for providing voice service over LTE networks that:

...operators can implement with simple and cost-effective software and hardware upgrades* to their existing 3GPP circuit-switch core network. The "Fast Track VoLTE" approach provides a cost-efficient way to offer voice over LTE (VoLTE) in any mobile network architecture.

Note the asterisk. Here's what the press release had to say about that:

*Fast Track VoLTE is based on new functionality that can be added to existing MSC Server mobile softswitching equipment (MSS) that has been upgraded to support VoIP with Nokia Siemens Networks' Mobile VoIP Server (NVS) functionality. The solution requires only a simple software upgrade to an MSS/NVS system, plus the integration of an additional hardware unit. It provides all the functions and features required for carrier-grade voice service and interoperates to support seamless subscriber mobility between LTE and current 2G and 3G networks.

According to Michael Clever, Head of Next Generation Voice and Multimedia, Nokia Siemens Networks, the Fast Track Voice over LTE solution is a critical evolutionary stepping stone en route to IMS.

Said Clever:

Fast Track Voice over LTE supplies the missing link in the evolution of voice. It can provide a transitional step between traditional networks and the all-IP world of LTE. The solution allows our customers to exploit their investment in their existing circuit-switched mobile core network, while providing next-generation service. Later, they can proceed to a full IMS solution to provide converged multimedia services, in addition to VoLTE. This is cost-effective, sensible evolution.

Wireless Association Comments on Stimulus Plan

February 10, 2009 2:55 PM

President Obama's economic stimulus plan passed its first hurdle today, clearing the Senate, en route to the House.

Among the many elements of the bill, there is nearly $7billion in available funding for the delivery of wireless broadband to rural areas.

Fred Campbell, the President of the Wireless Communications Association International issued the following statement:

"WCAI is pleased that the Senate stimulus bill includes $6.65 billion in grants for broadband deployment. As the only broadband platform that is capable of providing access everywhere, all the time, and at affordable prices, wireless broadband is essential to broadband connectivity, especially in rural areas. Many WCAI members serving rural and underserved areas would be in a position to implement their business plans more quickly and broadly with the support of the government funding. This would create new jobs, strengthen our economy and ensure that America remains competitive globally."

In-Stat: WiMAX Market Strong, Yet Some Vendors Shrink from Opportunity

February 10, 2009 10:09 AM

According to industry researcher In-Stat, "Broadband communications have become a crucial communications tool, so demand for mobile WiMAX technology remains strong."

But some vendors, especially those slow to migrate to the latest standards, might not be willing to wait around for that demand to translate into tangible sales.

"While the market for 802.16e will continue to grow, it does not mean happy days are here for every vendor," says Daryl Schoolar, In-Stat analyst. "In-Stat expects to see more infrastructure vendors pull back or leave the WiMAX market entirely. This is especially true for vendors that have been slow moving from 802.16d to the 802.16e standard."

According to the In-Stat research:

· WiMAX base station revenues grew by 137.9% in 2008.

· Global WiMAX subscriptions will be over 85 million by the end of 2013.

· Deployments of 802.16e are contributing to the decline of sales in the fixed WiMAX standard, 802.16d.

Seems to me that this market opportunity is real and continues to evolve. With some vendors pulling out before the market matures, it appears that there will be more to go around for the remaining players that do hang in there.

The Bell Has NOT Rung on WiMAX

January 30, 2009 5:08 PM

So there's been quite a bit of buzz this past few weeks about the potential demise of WiMAX.

First Nokia stopped production of their WiMAX device, then there was some news about Intel writing off their entire investment in the venture with Clearwire... It was covered all over TMCnet, but Rich summed it up nicely in his post: The Trillion Dollar Question - Is WiMAX Dying?

Now, LTE has its proponents and WiMAX has its detractors, but Carl Ford, writing on the 4GWE blog points out the following:

While many want me to point to LTE as the clear winner, I don't think this would be a sign of WiMAX's apocalypse. I instead see this as a prudent move on Nortel's part to emphasize the pieces of the solutions they own. Partnerships in Telecom are pretty easily forced by the carriers, and the real story is that no carrier is forcing Nortel to support WiMAX.

This maybe proof that WiMAX is in trouble, but it's more likely proof that the legacy Nortel customers are not looking for Nortel to go into new areas with them.

So I asked Scenna Tabesh, director of marketing communications for the WiMAX Forum, for some insight into the Nortel situation as well as the future co-existence of the two 4G approaches, LTE and WiMAX. Tabesh's thoughts appear in italics:

What does it mean to the WiMAX community that Nortel is reportedly jettisoning its Alvarion-based WiMAX offering?

No one is immunized from the global financial crisis. While the WiMAX industry anticipates a slowdown in general, WiMAX Forum still believes that at least 100 more WiMAX operators will launch commercial services in 2009. This number was expected to be higher; however, the market turmoil caused investors to become more cautious and focus on tighter risk management. Despite a tightening in investment, companies with sound business models and proven technologies, such as WiMAX, will still obtain funding during this challenging time. Meantime, we continue to be encouraged by the fact that the WiMAX industry has been growing at a reasonable pace since 2007. Toward this end, there were about 200 WiMAX networks deployed in 2008 alone. WiMAX Forum leadership surrounding the evolution of technology standards and introduction of Mobile WiMAX Certified products are on track, with the active support of the global telecommunications/wireless ecosystem.

Is there room in the market for two competing technologies (LTE & WiMAX)?

The WiMAX Forum believes the two technologies will co-exist. WiMAX is included in the IMT-2000 family of mobile wireless interface standards and is supported by a broad, open and innovative ecosystem including more than 500 member companies in the WiMAX Forum. This open ecosystem is one of the many strengths of WiMAX - it brings the flexibility of the computing industry model to the mobile world. This includes an open IPR model led by the Open Patent Alliance. Toward this end, WiMAX has already established itself in the 3.5 GHz band with deployments in every region. This is in addition to large 2.5 GHz deployments in major markets such as the US, Japan, and India. As an established technology - WiMAX is here now. There are 407 WiMAX deployments in 133 countries, over 480 WiMAX-enabled devices in development by over 80 suppliers, and there are more major WiMAX spectrum auctions on the horizon (India, Argentina, the UK, etc.).

Conversely, LTE currently has zero deployments. While marketed as an "evolution," LTE networks are a completely new upgrade. They require new infrastructure and new spectrum. While WiMAX is already in deployment, new spectrum or the re-farming of wide swaths of 2G spectrum will be necessary to free up spectrum to deploy LTE and take advantage of the wider channel bandwidths that are supported. LTE will also take time to roll out, with deployments forecast to reach limited adoption by 2012. LTE networks will require new client devices and service providers will need to purchase new radio access network (RAN) equipment in addition to upgrading their core networks to handle additional IP-based traffic.

The bottom line is this - it's still too early to bury the survivors so to speak. This market is just now getting its legs, it's early days for certain. It's a time for competing technologies, and for vendors to make and break alliances. It's that exciting time where everything is possible and yet we need to proceed cautiously.

If you're new to this market -- and most everyone is -- it makes sense to find a good source of education, to get a better understanding of the trends, vendors, politics... etc... that are driving this market today and will in the end determine the eventual "winners."

That education is available at the 4GWE Conference, which is taking place in Miami Beach next week (February 2-4) in Miami Beach.

Femtocells in the News

January 28, 2009 8:36 AM

The femtocell is indicative of much in the technology world these days.

Analysts are generally in agreement that the market opportunity is large, and yet fits and starts - typical of early days in any sector -- abound. Verizon's newly released Network Extender has met with mixed results. T-Mobile's HotSpot@Home service was well received, but ran into a bit of a patent issue late last year. And Ars Technica is reporting today that AT&T slipped up and released details of their offering into the space:

The new offering will be called 3G MicroCell, supports voice and 3G data, and allows 4 simultaneous calls or data sessions.

The product details reported on a new AT&T page, since pulled, were discovered by Engadget and SlipperyBrick.

Adding to the femtocell conversation, IntelliNet Technologies today announced the development of a new integrated femtocell gateway, which combines a femtocell access point controller with a carrier grade security gateway in an industry standard AdvancedTCA platform.

The idea behind this offering is to give service providers and wireless operators the ability to manage thousands of femtocells at once.

Anjan Ghosal, president and CEO of IntelliNet Technologies said:

Cellular phone service is now in line with traditional wireline as a subscriber's primary mode of communication. Our femtocell gateway offers carriers the means to heighten subscriber loyalty by drastically improving call coverage in the home or office building - areas notorious for poor service.

Mobile Backhaul Certification

January 21, 2009 8:46 AM

A new certification program, designed to act as a benchmark for mobile operators, backhaul providers and end users was launched by the IP/MPLS Forum today.

The Mobile Backhaul Certification program will initially focus on certifying standards-compliant implementations of Circuit Emulation services over MPLS as defined in the IP/MPLS Forum's MPLS Mobile Backhaul Initiative (MMBI), which defines how MPLS can be used to backhaul TDM traffic for mobile operators.

The certification program will lay out a set of guidelines and test procedures and will be administered by Iometrix, the Forum's certified lab partner.

According to Andrew G. Malis, Chairman and President of the IP/MPLS Forum:

The Mobile Backhaul Certification Program represents a needed step in the evolution of MPLS solutions which have already proven in lab trials to be ready to meet the needs of operators around the world.

The first group of certified vendors will be announced at the MPLS Ethernet World Congress in Paris this February.

TMCnet columnist Dr. Alan Solheim, Vice President of Product Management at DragonWave illustrates the opportunity in the backhaul segment in his most recent column submission.

According to Solheim:

If any networks get built, backhaul wins. If any backhaul gets built, packet radio wins. So while I wouldn't break out the champagne just yet I do believe there is a case for optimism amidst all the doom and gloom

Praise for LTE, WiMAX' Bad Week

January 9, 2009 11:06 AM

Market researcher ABI Research has released a new study that points to continued enthusiasm for LTE deployment.

Coming on the heels of a turbulent week for WiMAX (see: Intel's $950 million investment write-down and Nokia ceasing production of its only WiMAX device) it's a positive sign indeed for this 4G technology.

Now before we get carried away with the premature burial of WiMAX, it's important to note that Clearwire did light up a new city this week (Portland, OR) and has plans to start service in up to nine other cities in 2009. Let's wait before we get out the shovels.

Still ABI's report Long Term Evolution (LTE) draws attention to the fact that Verizon, (possibly sensing some blood in the water?) has reportedly moved up their LTE deployment plans by a year, from 2010 to 2009.

ABI notes that globally, 18 operators have announced LTE rollout plans.

Writing in the recent report, ABI Research senior analyst Nadine Manjaro said,

ABI Research believes that NTT will also deploy LTE in Japan in 2009. We forecast that by 2013 operators will spend over $8.6 billion on LTE base station infrastructure alone. For operators that have already deployed 3G networks, LTE will be a key CAPEX driver over the next five years.

Manjaro also notes that LTE application development could be a major driver of investment as operators explore which services to deploy.

As an example, Manjaro looks to Sprint and Verizon and their plans to provide third-party access to their GPS data.

The resulting new applications will tie mobility and presence aspects together to create more compelling services than in the past. This is significant because it represents the beginning of a new generation of application development which will leverage the vast amounts of data in operators' networks.

Carriers looking to deploy 4G technology face the same financial difficulties as the rest of us. However one cannot lose sight of the fact that on the other side of this financial mess, one might imagine a new period of growth. Companies that make investments in technology today might not see an immediate return however, they should take solace that the evolution to broadband wireless is going to happen sooner or later.

To learn more about the opportunities in the emerging 4G space, consider the 4GWE Conference, which is taking place in Miami Beach this February 2-4.

The show will feature keynotes from Intel and Qualcomm as well as over 50 speakers from companies such as Fujitsu, Google, Dialogic, IBM, SkyTerra and others.

The conference promises to deliver an unmatched educational experience. 4GWE Attendees will learn:

· How the history and evolution of the cellular network will in part determine the evolution to 4G

· The major differences between the competing technologies of WiMAX and LTE

· The killer applications for both the consumer and business customer

· How 4G will effect social networking applications

· How 4G will significantly change content distribution

· Where venture money will be spent

· What mobile devices will be developed to support 4G

Take a look at the event Web site for more information.

Alcatel-Lucent to Trim Workforce, Tighten R&D Focus

December 12, 2008 8:23 AM

Alcatel-Lucent CEO Ben Verwaayen spoke to media and analysts at a press conference today, announcing the company's strategic plan for 2009 and beyond. To read a full description of the company's plans, please read this article.

The company will undergo a strategic reduction in workforce, eliminating approximately 1,000 management positions and lowering the number of contractor headcount by approximately 5,000.

Plans call for reducing the company's break-even point by 1 Billion Euros a year in 2009 and 2010.

Company officials also spoke of a renewed focus on research and development activities, targeting four key segments (Optical, IP, broadband and Applications enablement).

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Recently in 4G Category

The Web: The Best is Yet to Come

Stock Blog Compares AT&T, Verizon

Paving the Way for Voice over LTE

Wireless Association Comments on Stimulus Plan

In-Stat: WiMAX Market Strong, Yet Some Vendors Shrink from Opportunity

The Bell Has NOT Rung on WiMAX

Femtocells in the News

Mobile Backhaul Certification

Praise for LTE, WiMAX' Bad Week

Alcatel-Lucent to Trim Workforce, Tighten R&D Focus

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