RCA CEO on LTE, Devices, T-Mobile and AT&T Merger

RCR Wireless interviews RCA CEO Steve Berry at LTE-North America 2011.

Sprint to launch LTE-Advanced network in 2013

Sprint will deploy a LTE-Advanced network on its 800MHz spectrum from 2013. Sprint’s Vice President of Network Development and Engineering, Iyad Tarazi, told attendees at the 4G World conference that during the first half of 2013, sprint plans to launch an LTE-Advanced network.

Trazi expects speeds in 12Mbps to 15Mbps range with LTE-Advanced using 4x4 antenna array devices. Sprint plans to launch CDMA-LTE devices by mid-2012, with approximately 15 devices coming throughout the year – including handsets, tablets and data cards.

At 4G World, Bob Azzi, Sprint's SVP Networks, explained on where Sprint is headed with LTE also the benefits of using Lightsquared's spectrum, see below

Earlier this month Sprint had announced plan to launch 4G LTE on its 1900MHz spectrum by midyear 2012 and complete the network build-out by the end of 2013. By the conclusion of 2013, Sprint’s expect to provide 4G coverage to more than 250 million people.

Sprint has already signed a 15-year agreement with LightSquared that includes spectrum hosting and network services, 4G wholesale, and 3G roaming. Under the agreement, LightSquared will pay Sprint to deploy and operate a nationwide LTE network that hosts L-Band spectrum licensed to or available to LightSquared.

Soure: LteWorld

Airtel likely to contract multiple vendors for LTE deployment?

Indian service provider Bharti Airtel is close on signing LTE deals for offering 4G services in four circles. Airtel is rumored be ready to offer contracts to four different vendors for each of the circle.

While ZTE and Huawei are frontrunners for bagging the contract in Kolkata and Karnataka , respectively, Ericsson and Nokia Siemens could get the deal for Punjab and Maharashtra respectively. Though none of the players confirmed the deal, insiders said that talks had reached advanced stage.

Bharti had won broadband spectrum in the four circles for Rs 3,314 crore during the auctions held last year. Reliance Industries, Qualcomm, Tikona, Augere and Aircel are the players which have broadband spectrum in various circles but none of them have started services.

Augere, which has spectrum in Madhya Pradesh circle, has announced a deal with Ericsson for equipment supply and launch of services by second quarter of 2012.

source: LteWorld

United Mobile Introduces Cross-platform 3G/LTE Connection Manager UConnect

United Mobile has unveiled UConnect, a cross-platform software with intuitive interfaces to discover, customize, control and connect to LTE and WiMAX networks. According to company, UConnect is already integrated with two of the worlds’ leading semiconductor company’s LTE chipsets and is seeing strong traction from several other firms as well.

UConnect is a 4G Connection Manager. It manages the UE/CPE such as a LTE dongle from an operator/carrier and makes sure that the user is connected to the right network. It also manages the IP interfaces on the host, by receiving the IP from any underlying signaling protocols and configuring the IP/IPV6 interfaces accordingly. UConnect has been designed keeping both the end user and ODM needs in mind (different compiled out flavors).

For seamless connectivity, from LTE=>3G the handoff is signaled from the underlying chipset, and from LTE->WiFi, UConnect policies will do a break-before-make.

In addition, UConnect manages multiple connections and offers strong debug support with extensive statistics which are very useful for field testing.

UConnect works on Windows XP, Vista, 7, Linux (Kernel 2.6 and above), Mac OS X. As LTE will not be limited to laptops/desktops and will proliferate the handheld devices such as tablets/ cameras etc. UConnect also supports Android.

UConnect offers benefits to both end users or device manufacturers. The end user gets a very intuitive interface to seamlessly connect to any network of choice and also monitoring tools such as data transfer rates, bytes downloaded/ uploaded. UConnect has simple USSD interface to query / get balances on prepaid connections.

The device manufacturer will get comprehensive statistics and field testing support. As LTE networks are being deployed all over, it is exceedingly important to have very detailed handles on signal quality and strength. UConnect provides all this and more with a delayed event logging and reporting feature. Also for device manufacturers It provides an integrated CLI.

Based in Bangalore, India, United Mobile is a software product company with focus on Mobile connectivity and management solutions.

source:LteWorld

GSA: LTE user devices grow 155% in 6 months

According to recent GSA report 45 manufacturers have announced 161 LTE-enabled user devices, representing 155% growth in the number of products reported by GSA in early February 2011.

Most devices are designed to ensure ubiquitous mobile broadband coverage by supporting existing mobile network technologies – i.e. dual mode working. The report indicates for each device where complementary modes are supported e.g. HSPA, HSPA+ and/or EV-DO and TD-SCDMA as appropriate, in addition to the LTE mode. Around 100 products support LTE and HSPA (or HSPA+) modes.

Breakdown of 161 LTE user devices are shown below.

Source: GSA report Status of the LTE Ecosystem

Network Sharing in LTE

3GPP network sharing architecture allows different core network operators to connect to a shared radio access network. The operators do not only share the radio network elements, but may also share the radio resources themselves.

Network-sharing scenario allows operators without a UMTS/ LTE license to share the network and supply its customers with 3G/4G services. For example, a 2G operator may supply its subscribers with 3G/4G services using another operator’s allocated spectrum.

3GPP has identified two architectures for network sharing. In both architectures, the radio access network is shared.

In first architecture evolved packet core network element MME is also shared in addition of radio access network (E-UTRAN). This configuration is referred to as a Gateway Core Network (GWCN) configuration.

In second architecture only radio access network (E-UTRAN) is shared and is referred as the Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) configuration.

The UE behavior in both of these configurations is same. No information concerning the configuration of a shared network is indicated to the UE.

If the E-UTRAN is shared by multiple operators, the system information broadcasted in each shared cell contains the PLMN-id of each operator (up to 6) and a single tracking area code (TAC) valid within all the PLMNs sharing the radio access network resources.

Based on system broadcasts UE selects desired PLMN and reports it to eNB during RRC connection setup. eNB includes the selected PLMN is in the INITIAL UE MESSAGE message while sending it to MME. The MME indicates the selected core network operator PLMN-id to the UE in the GUTI during initial attach procedure.

source: LteWorld

GSA: 91 commercial LTE networks by 2012

The GSA (Global mobile Suppliers Association) has confirmed that 218 operators are now investing in LTE. According to GSA, 166 firm commercial LTE network deployments are in progress or planned in 62 countries, including 24 networks which have commercially launched. A further 52 operators in 19 additional countries are engaged in LTE technology trials, tests or studies.

The 62 countries and territories having firm LTE network commitments are Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Jersey, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Libya, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Moldova, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tunisia, UAE, UK, Uruguay, USA, and Uzbekistan

24 LTE networks are commercially launched in 16 countries: Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Lithuania, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Sweden, USA, and Uzbekistan.

source: GSA