Much ink has been spilt on how AT&T is using the Wi-Fi network as a means of offloading the macro network, as a slew of smartphones are clogging the network pipes. The rise of the Wi-Fi as a mechanism for offload is not new nor game-changing but part of orthogonal thinking that is here to stay until there are other solutions to relieve the macro network. Traffic as we know on 3G networks have grown exponentially in the last 2-3 years since smartphones, tablets with 3G-HSPA+ capabilities but how have the wireless operators changed ? There is multitude of optimization techniques happening all the same time over 3G networks – Carrier addition to the NodeBs, Fiber to Site (AAV), Direct tunnel for GGSN, PCRF, IMS, etc. Every single one of the changes takes up resources either as part of the spectrum, Channel elements on RNCs, power or bandwidth on the core.
Many mechanisms have been explored with cost to benefit ratios calculated but the most cheapest though not the easiest of mechanisms to use has been Wi-Fi – no spectrum licensing costs, low capex/opex costs with improved customer performance. Pico cells are another option but they offer only slightly more advantages with a main drawback of licensed spectrum usage, and not Wi-Fi download speeds in ideal radio conditions. Read more…
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MetroPCS the fifth largest carrier in the US will be the first operator to launch LTE in September, couple of months ahead of Verizon. Samsung’s vice president of systems research and development, Jaebeom Choi, said that MetroPCS would launch their LTE network in the Las Vegas and Dallas markets. At this point, the Samsung Craft will be the initial offering from the carrier – though it may not be an awesome device to launch a next generation network, but will still showcase the kind of speeds LTE will be capable of achieving. This will be a feather in the cap of this regional cellular provider who is a low cost provider for voice and data in the prepaid wireless market.
MetroPCS
MetroPCS is the fifth largest wireless telecommunications network in the United States, and currently serves about 7.6 million customers covering around 20 markets. The company, a Delaware corporation, is headquartered in Richardson, Texas. They operate in 12 of the top 25 largest metropolitan areas, with extended home service in all but Seattle. MetroPCS operates a CDMA 1xRTT (2G) for Mobile Web services in the PCS (1.9 GHz) and AWS spectrum, and has roaming agreements with Verizon and Leap. Read more…
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ZTE, a global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, today announced a contract with Telenor Hungary, a subsidiary of one of the Telenor Group, to build a GSM/UMTS/LTE network in Hungary. ZTE will provide the company with radio and core infrastructure over the next five years, including its industry leading End-to-End and Uni-RAN solutions.
“As part of our vision of a Digital Hungary, we predict a growing need for simple- to-use, value-for-money mobile communications services across Hungary, especially mobile broadband and we now see that the time has come to switch to the next gear and take the lead in providing even faster and even more reliable services to our customers,” said Anders Jensen, CEO of Telenor Hungary.
ZTE will switch, expand and operate the GSM/UMTS/LTE network and deploy over 6,000 base stations, including LTE eNodeBs throughout the country. With its SDR-based solution, ZTE will help Telenor Hungary achieve a unified 2G/3G/LTE core network, supporting multi-mode and multi-band wireless services. This technology eliminates the need for further infrastructure upgrades, providing the operator with the flexibility to roll-out new services and a smooth evolution path to LTE.
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Clearwire a leading provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the largest 4G network in the country, today announced plans to conduct 4G LTE technology trials expected to yield unmatched wireless speeds in the U.S., and to test multiple coexistence scenarios between LTE and WiMAX radio technologies. The new tests are designed to showcase the unique capability of Clearwire’s unmatched spectrum holdings and examine a variety of potential future technology combinations that could yield additional benefits to consumers and shareholders. Read more…
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Cellular network operators across the world have seen an explosive growth of mobile broadband usage. Traffic volume per subscriber is increasing daily; in particular, with the introduction of flat-rate tariffs and more advanced mobile devices. Operators are moving from a single-service offering in the packet-switched domain to a multi-service offering by adding Value added services (VAS) that are also provided across the mobile broadband access. Examples of such services are multimedia telephony and mobile-TV. These services have different performance requirements, for example, in terms of required bit rates and packet delays. Solving these performance issues through over-provisioning typically is uneconomical due to the relatively high cost for transmission capacity in cellular access networks which includes radio spectrum and backhaul from the base stations. Read more…
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Much ink has been spilt on how AT&T is using the Wi-Fi network as a means of offloading the macro network, as a slew of smartphones are clogging the network pipes. The rise of the Wi-Fi as a mechanism for offload is not new nor game-changing but part of orthogonal thinking that is here to stay until there are other solutions to relieve the macro network. Traffic as we know on 3G networks have grown exponentially in the last 2-3 years since smartphones, tablets with 3G-HSPA+ capabilities but how have the wireless operators changed ? There is multitude of optimization techniques happening all the same time over 3G networks – Carrier addition to the NodeBs, Fiber to Site (AAV), Direct tunnel for GGSN, PCRF, IMS, etc. Every single one of the changes takes up resources either as part of the spectrum, Channel elements on RNCs, power or bandwidth on the core. 
