RoW Update

Industry Canada caps ESMR holdings in spectrum aggregation limit calculationIndustry Canada will cap the amount of enhanced specialized mobile radio spectrum (ESMR) at 10 MHz under the department’s spectrum aggregation limits, a move that will surely be highly criticized by some wireless players (DGTP-004-03 – Changes to the Treatment of Public High-mobility Radiotelephony Services Under the Spectrum Cap Policy). The decision, released April 5, follows a similar ruling made by the Federal Communications Commission in 1994. Last year, Telus Mobility applied to Industry Canada (DGTP-003-02) seeking a change in the way the department calculates the spectrum cap for wireless operators holding ESMR spectrum (RoW, May 27/02). The company noted that it was approaching its spectrum cap in certain geographic markets, couldn’t wait for a formal review of spectrum cap rules and therefore wanted relief to be able to acquire additional ESMR spectrum without being penalized for exceeding the 55 MHz limit. Canada’s other national wireless operators opposed any changes to the current rules, stating that Telus Mobility would gain an unfair advantage over them if it were allowed to acquire spectrum over and above the spectrum aggregation limit. They also noted that a change wasn’t warranted since ESMR services compete directly with PCS services (RoW, June 24/02). Telus countered that its proposal constituted only a minor change and wouldn’t have too great of an impact on the Canadian wireless market (RoW, July 9/02). A more detailed assessment of the policy change and reaction from the country’s national wireless operators will be presented in the next full issue of Report on Wireless. Industry Canada launches antenna tower policy reviewIt appears as though Industry Canada has officially opened the comment period for its somewhat controversial National Antenna Tower Policy Review. In a March 28 news release announcing the members of the tower policy review committee, a short phrase at the end of the release states: "Individuals or organizations wishing to make a submission to the review can send their comments to antenna@unb.ca or fax the Antenna Consultation Office at (506) 453-4548."The manner in which the decision to green light the consultation was made comes as a surprise as many in the industry were looking forward to participating in the creation of an effective consultation process. Future issues of Report on Wireless will have more information regarding the review of the department’s National Antenna Tower Policy. Nortel unveils wireless local area network strategyNortel Networks Corp. has jumped on the wireless local area network bandwagon joining a myriad of other communications equipment and component suppliers entering the market, which until now has been dominated by smaller, more agile players. The Brampton ON-based company is following the likes of Toshiba and Intel. Nortel’s move also signifies the company’s re-entry into the fixed wireless market, which it all but exited in 2001.The one-time venerable telecommunications equipment giant unveiled its wireless local area network (WLAN) strategy at the end of last month. The strategy promises to "bridge current WLAN challenges by providing mobile professionals and consumers with secure, seamless, wireless roaming capabilities across converging public and private networks, as well as hotspot environments," Nortel said in a March 31 news release. One analyst says that Nortel may be able to capitalize with its new offering. Sarah Kim, a wireless/mobile technologies analyst at the Yankee Group, explains that the enterprise and service provider WLAN markets are converging and that there will soon be a need to deliver an integrated system capable of addressing both markets. "Nortel Networks is taking a major step forward in delivering a portfolio that addresses this level of integration regardless of how the end user connects to the network," she said. New products include a WLAN security switch, access point, mobile adapter and mobile voice client. All products are scheduled for commercial availability in the second quarter of this fiscal year. Contec secures additional investment from Industry CanadaVancouver-based Contec Innovations has landed nearly $500,000 in funding from the federal government to continue ongoing development of its Hornet mobile wireless application server. The money will come from Industry Canada’s Technology Partnerships Canada program, which is jointly administered by the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program. "The funding support will help us take advantage of the growth opportunities that exist in the mobile data market," Contec’s president and CEO Perry Quan said in a news release. The company has also reached agreements to settle some outstanding legal, accounting and consulting fees in the amount of approximately $145,000. Contec reached the agreements with law firm Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP, Godding Sheane Chartered Accountants and Solutions in Motion. Wi-LAN moves OFDM technology into transportation fieldWi-LAN Inc. and South Korea-based Wellink have teamed up to collaborate on developing new mobile wireless products based on Wi-LAN’s patented W-OFDM technology. More specifically, the two companies will work together on developing emerging intelligent transportation systems (ITS) that incorporate W-OFDM technology.Products to be developed from this agreement are aimed at the Asia-Pacific market and will focus on real-time video security, advertising and other Internet-based applications. Wi-LAN and Wellink will also pursue other business opportunities related to the use of W-OFDM in wireless communications products. Elster and GDI partner to offer wireless meteringElster Electricity LLC and GDI Global Data Inc. have signed a distribution agreement covering North, Central and South America and the Caribbean, which allows Elster to offer a variety of wireless communications options for its ALPHA metering technology. Not only does this agreement allow Elster to add a wireless automated meter reading (AMR) component to its offering, GDI also gains access to significantly more markets in which to sell its wireless communications modules. INTERNATIONAL NEWS Rapid growth expected in wireless local area network use, according to Gartner Market research firm Gartner Inc. projects that the number of frequent wireless local area network (WLAN) users in North America will jump from 4.2 million this year to more than 31 million by 2007. Despite the rosy projections for WLAN use, Gartner notes that profitability for hotspot providers will be stalled by three or four years. With applications requiring broadband connections developing apace, the possibility of the addition of 100,000 new hotpsots can’t come soon enough, but waiting for a large enough population that is WLAN equipped will retard profitability, the research firm says. The real sweet spot for wireless LANs will come with greater availability and deployment of 802.11a networks, the firm adds. "When they mature in 2004, 802.11a WLANs will offer significant technological advantages over 802.11b networks," Ken Dulaney, a VP and research director at Gartner, tells InformationWeek. "Some of the advantages include link rates of up to 54 Mbps, lack of interference from Bluetooth and consumer devices operating in the crowded 2.4 GHz band, and the availability of up to 13 channels in North America and more in European markets." Video clip messaging debuts in the United StatesT-Mobile USA will soon be introducing a new video messaging service for its subscribers that will allow them to record and send a 10-second video clip. However, there is one hitch. Subscribers will have to purchase the Nokia 3650 colour videophone, which is equipped with built-in video and audio recording capabilities. Sending video clips and picture messaging is only just beginning to gain some traction in the United States, but the features are quite popular in Europe and Asia. There has been no indication from any of Canada’s wireless operators when or if they will introduce a similar service. Microcell Telecommunications Inc. may be one of the first in Canada to offer such a service since T-Mobile is one of the company’s major backers.

RoW Update

News | April 7, 2003

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Q&A: Liberal MP introduces new bill to update spectrum framework, improve cell service in rural areas

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CTA co-hosting conference on Canadian telecom issues in May

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