Speeding Evolution to Stay Competitive - The Right Blend of Network Bandwidth and Speed During LTE Migration

Next Generation Communications Blog

Speeding Evolution to Stay Competitive - The Right Blend of Network Bandwidth and Speed During LTE Migration

These days, seeing young consumers with high-tech gadgets like an iPhone or other smart phone device with Internet capabilities, is pretty common.  As the desire for those very devices increases, so does the demand for increased bandwidth-intensive services.

 

And because consumers' usage patterns keep evolving, wireless operators need to develop a new strategy to support various multimedia offerings at a lower cost. Next-generation LTE technology appears to be the answer, but operators are still challenged with finding an easy way to transition from 3G CDMA networks to LTE.

 

Experts at Alcatel-Lucent said wireless operators should build a strategy that addresses the importance of a technology ecosystem, VoIP and seamless interworking, and spectrum efficiency and CAPEX.

 

Young wireless users are particularly playing a pivotal role in the evolution to next-generation networks. Users that make of the so-called "millennial" market, people aged 11 to 33 - are transforming the way voice and data services are accessed and used for business and consumer applications. While voice services are still important, other forms of communications, such as text messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, photos, video and online games, dominate usage, according to an Alcatel-Lucent white paper.


Businesses, too, are turning to mobile applications, such as collaboration and video conferencing to keep employees connected. A Yankee Group survey found that nearly 80 percent of responding enterprises provide mobile access, plan to upgrade to mobile access, or are evaluating the possibility for the future. As more businesses users look for enriched Quality of Experience and service, a growing number of enterprises appear to be willing to spend more for these services and applications, Alcatel-Lucent's white paper said.

 

 What's more, businesses across many sectors are exploring M2M applications to transform the way they do business, Alcatel-Lucent said. M2M applications require a range of products, connectivity and support. But they key for wireless operators is to deploy next-generation mobile networks that meet younger users expectations while keeping the cost affordable.

 

There is a silver lining. Nearly all GSM, W-CDMA, TD-SCDMA and CDMA operators are embracing LTE as the preferred next-generation mobile network technology, Alcatel-Lucent said. This move toward greater acceptance will help create a larger ecosystem of chipset, device and infrastructure vendors, further supporting a successful introduction of LTE, officials said.

 

Alcatel-Lucent is further promoting the development of the LTE ecosystem through the ngConnect Program, which launched at Mobile World 2009 in Barcelona. The program is designed to bring industry stakeholders together to help shape the direction of LTE content, applications and devices, including multi-mode devices that support CDMA and LTE.

 

The goals behind the open LTE ecosystem, include attracting open innovation, enabling new business models, supporting continuous sharing of experience between wireline and wireless access, accelerating adoption of new devices and services and reducing costs for addressing complex customer requirements.

 

CDMA technology offers a "mature, stable and seamless path to LTE." With its smaller bandwidth requirements, CDMA technology aids in-band subscriber transition, the whitepaper said. And companies like Alcatel-Lucent can help service providers meet the migration challenges, no matter what technology path they choose.

 

Alcatel-Lucent offers a variety of tools, including:

 

• Troubleshooting wireless end-to-end bearers over a flat IP/MPLS network using service-aware

management tools.

• Multi-standard radio network planning leveraging CDMA RAN knowledge to ensure an

optimized and integrated LTE design.

• A strong mass LTE provisioning system for error-free configuration, fast roll-out and audit.

 

For more on the migration to LTE, read Alcatel-Lucent's white paper, "CDMA and LTE: Making the most of Wireless Broadband."

 

 



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