ROW International News Briefs

Global UMTS TDD Alliance grows membershipThe Global UMTS TDD Alliance announced on November 18 that several operators and vendors have joined the organization. The group’s membership now passes the 50-member milestone, including 30 network operators and 20 equipment manufacturers. The announcement was made at the conclusion of its second summit where more than 80 executives from more than 20 countries joined to discuss strategies around using TDD for 3G wireless networks. TD-CDMA is considered the first packet-based standard to be able to provide ubiquitous, very high speed, low latency to provide broadband and other packet services to users on the home, at work and on the road. There are commercial deployments of the 3G standard in Australia, Germany, Malaysia, New Zealand, Portugal, South Africa and the United States. Motorola acquires wireless mesh networking firmMotorola Inc. is expanding its wireless expertise with the planned acquisition of MeshNetworks Inc. a Florida-based firm with about 70 employees. MeshNetworks has contracts with government, law enforcement and civil defence agencies to create mesh networks. "This acquisition will provide Motorola with technologies that will have a significant benefit for customers across all of our businesses," said Greg Brown, president of the commercial and government unit. The acquisition could be a boon to the company. Mesh technology improves metro network viabilityThe Yankee Group suggests that wireless mesh technology will bolster the viability of metropolitan scale Wi-Fi networks. The technology improves network reliability because data packets have multiple paths and can be dynamically and transparently routed around failed nodes or interference. In addition, new nodes can be more easily added to the mesh, reads a Yankee Group research advisory. "Mesh networking improves the value equation for Wi-Fi by extending it to larger coverage areas. Service providers don’t have to negotiate for venue contracts; they can deploy Wi-Fi access on street lights and utility poles to provide outdoor coverage and beam into buildings," the research advisory continues. Cisco Systems CTO downplays impact of WiMAXCisco Systems Inc. CTO Charles Giancarlo downplayed the potential impact of WiMAX as a last mile on traditional DSL and cable networks, and at least one telecom analysts is biting. Eric Mantion, senior analyst for LAN networking at In-Stat/MDR, says in a November 19 information alert that it shouldn’t come as a surprise that Cisco doesn’t believe WiMAX will have a great impact. "By Mr. Giancarlo’s own admission, Cisco has not yet invested in WiMAX. However, it has heavily invested in both DOCSIS (cable modem) and DSL technologies. Considering WiMAX will compete with both cable and DSL modems, any success that WiMAX enjoys will cut into profit centers that Cisco already has. It makes sense then for Mr. Giancarlo to not be supportive of a technology that promises to pull money out of Cisco’s coffers," Mantion states. KDDI shakes up Japanese market with new pricingKDDI has thrown down the gauntlet and introduced flat-rate pricing for its new EV-DO services, in a move to counter any momentum NTT DoCoMo might create with its FOMA-based services. "In a market traditionally characterized by competitive differentiation through new handsets and service launches, the flat-rate plan is a bold departure," writes the Yankee Group in a research advisory. The market research firm also notes the fundamental shift to flat-rate pricing could accelerate the trend to lower average revenue per user rates. But, writes the Yankee Group, DoCoMo is betting on e-payments as a key to its future. The company has partnered with Sony to develop chips that will allow users to download "money" onto their cell phones. "If realized, DoCoMo will introduce a new dimension to the promise of 3G and the new revenue streams from these e-payment services will compensate for declining ARPU and eve churn," states the American research firm in a research advisory, adding this should help the company regain its 3G status in Japan.

ROW International News Briefs

News | 12/02/2004 5:00 am EST

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