A survey by the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA) has found there are now 39 LTE network commitments worldwide. This is an increase of 50% compared to a similar survey undertaken by GSA in March 2009.

LTE standardization is complete and approved by 3GPP within Release 8, and is the basis for initial LTE deployments worldwide. The LTE standard supports both FDD and TDD modes with the same specification and hardware components.

The Evolution to LTE Information Paper published by GSA on August 26, 2009
confirms:

• 39 LTE network commitments in 19 countries
• 14 LTE networks anticipated to be in service by end 2010
• 31 LTE networks anticipated to be in service by end 2012

Harris Stratex Networks has  introduced what it said is a unique synchronisation feature for its Eclipse Packet Node high-speed IP wireless backhaul platform. This new feature enables operators to cross the ‘sync divide’ by providing a key component for the efficient migration of existing TDM infrastructure to an all-IP transport network.

The patent-pending Distributed Sync will be supported by a new plug-in network sync module for the Eclipse Packet Node intelligent nodal indoor unit. Distributed Sync offers a smooth synchronisation migration path for operators planning to evolve their transport network to all-IP, enabling them to introduce all-packet transport, while at the same time maintaining the comfort, reliability and security of their proven TDM-based synchronisation.

Distributed Sync complements standards-based solutions such as Synchronous Ethernet or IEEE 1588v2, and enables operators to delay moving to these IP-based schemes until after their network migration to IP transport is well progressed or complete. Distributed Sync offers a standard, primary reference clock traceable for 2.048/1.544 MHz clock output at the base station over a multi-hop, nodal backhaul network without having to use valuable payload capacity, even in an all-IP environment where no TDM transport capability is available.

“This new distributed timing capability will be of significant interest to operators who are looking for a solution to their network synchronisation challenges as they start to introduce Ethernet transport in the backhaul,” said Paul Kennard, Harris Stratex chief technology officer. “Unlike other solutions currently being considered, Distributed Sync will enable operators to take a low-risk evolutionary approach to network timing.”

Harris Stratex’ Eclipse Packet Node solution, featuring the new Distributed Sync feature, will be part of the multi-vendor Carrier Ethernet Interoperability test being conducted by the European Advanced Networking Test Centre (EANTC) in Berlin  from Aug. 24 – Sept. 4, 2009. It also will be part of the Multi-Vendor Interoperability showcase at the IIR Carrier Ethernet World Congress in Berlin, Sept. 22–24, 2009.

Harris Stratex introduced the Eclipse Packet Node product earlier this year Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

When it comes to managed services for mobile operators, Europe leads the world’s most active regions this year. ABI Research forecasts indicate that the European managed mobile services market will total nearly $9 billion in 2009. The Asia-Pacific region follows a distant second, with a market size of about $5.7 billion. Total managed services revenue for 2009 is forecast to reach $22.2 billion.
 
“Just a few large companies account for the lion’s share of the network-related managed services market,” says senior analyst Nadine Manjaro. “Ericsson and Alcatel-Lucent are the leaders in this space with both vendors recently announcing new managed services contracts and agreements. Among them: Ericsson’s $5 billion contract with Sprint – the first major penetration in North America. The company also signed a seven-year contract with Vodafone UK.”
 
In 2008 Alcatel-Lucent concluded a three-year managed services deal with Saudi mobile operator Mobily.
 
Nokia Siemens ranks third in the world in terms of market share, and recently announced managed services contracts with the Brazilian operator Oi valued at $1.57 billion.
 
Meanwhile the major managed services providers are working to extend their IT capabilities through partnerships or on their own; Alcatel-Lucent, for example, has established a global alliance with HP. The company also entered a managed service joint venture with Bharti Airtel in India.
 
ABI Research's study “Managed Services for Mobile Operators” addresses the global market for managed services and provides regional breakdowns of each market, including global data, market share data and regional managed services data

Nortel and LG Electronics say they have demonstrated the world’s first 3GPP standards compliant active handover of a data transmission between a LTE network and a CDMA network. The demonstration showed that online activities like video downloads, web surfing, and VoIP calls can be maintained when a mobile data user moves between LTE and CDMA coverage zones.

 Nortel’s CDMA business and LTE Access assets are the subject of an asset sale agreement with Ericsson, set to close in the fall of 2009.

LG Electronics (LG), a global leader and technology innovator in mobile communications, has contributed to this demonstration by developing its CDMA/LTE device, the M13. LG has focused on developing CDMA/LTE devices and equipment since 2006 to drive the next generation of mobile technology, and achieved prominence by unveiling the world’s first modem chipset for 4G LTE devices in December 2008.

Operators around the world are preparing to launch LTE with major deployments expected as early as 2010. Initial LTE networks will co-exist with today’s CDMA networks until, over time, they expand to provide wide scale 4G mobile broadband coverage. Inter-technology handover allows mobile users to move between a LTE and a CDMA network without losing their data connectivity. This means that operators can run these networks concurrently without impacting services. This will help to ensure that users have full network coverage while taking advantage of LTE speeds, wherever initially available.

“Nortel innovation will help CDMA operators enjoy a smooth migration to LTE,” said Larry Murat, vice president of LTE R&D, Nortel. “Although CDMA networks will remain the primary networks for many years to come, LTE will become a key piece of the networking puzzle as early as next year. With interoperability between LTE and CDMA networks on a single device, Nortel and LG are enabling operators to provide their subscribers with the speed of LTE wherever it is available backed up by the far-reaching reliability of CDMA. This is important to operators who want to provide robust and consistent service throughout their evolutions to 4G.”

“The 2010 LTE commercial launch for CDMA operators represents a milestone. LG’s new M13 terminal technology is the key to enabling CDMA network operators an incremental LTE network deployment over a national CDMA network,” said In-Kyung Kim, vice president of 4G Development, LG Electronics. The test by Nortel and LG Electronics successfully demonstrates standards-compliant CDMA-LTE interworking. This enables idle mode handover between CDMA and LTE, and active mode handover from LTE to CDMA leveraging device assisted, network controlled functionality. The demonstration was conducted over 700MHz spectrum using Nortel CDMA Evolved High-Rate Packet Data (eHRPD) 1xEV-DO and Nortel Long Term Evolution (LTE) solution with LG Electronics’ dual-mode CDMA-LTE M13 terminal. The M13 terminal is a test device created with commercial grade components that will form the basis for a consumer device which is expected to be available in 2010.

The handover between LTE to CDMA networks was completed in a Live-Air Drive Test at Nortel’s Research and Development centre in Ottawa, Canada.

mobilkom austria has introduced comprehensive and standardized Service Level Agreements (SLA). The first mobile provider in Austria to offer SLAs, its A1 customers can now benefit from the highest quality standards, the best service through a specifically developed SLA service unit, round-the-clock technical support and a detailed reporting system to track achievement of the contractually agreed service levels. PORR AG was the first A1 customer to benefit from mobilkom austria’s guaranteed services through a pilot project that began in May 2009. From now on, A1 Business SLAs will be available for all enterprise customers.
 
Mobile solutions can efficiently support a great number of corporate processes ranging from long term sales procedures monitoring to resource management, which can bring customers a rapid return on investment, in some cases, after two or three months only. The more companies employ mobile solutions, the better they are integrated into corporate processes, with clearly defined quality parameters and service levels becoming increasingly important.  

Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO Telekom Austria Group, commented: “Service can be best managed when adequately measured. A great number of our customers are increasingly relying on mobile communication to provide their services. Mobile SLAs are becoming imperative for any IT manager. With A1 Business SLA we are considerably enhancing our service levels and contractually committing ourselves to comply with the highest quality guidelines for our customers.” 

PORR AG had the opportunity to test mobilkom austria’s SLAs with a pilot project. DI Quirin Radmer, Head of IT PORR AG, said: “In the construction sector we are faced with extreme time pressure and communication with our employees is crucial for our business success. Safeguarding currently existing services, rapid reaction times and guaranteed service levels represent the three main reasons behind our decision to choose mobilkom austria’s A1 Business SLA.”

Service Level Agreements stipulated between a business customer and a service provider lay down certain quality and service standards. mobilkom austria offers A1 Business SLA in three types: “basic” “standard” and “premium”. These include up to 36 KPIs, which are clearly defined, currently monitored and assessed on a regular basis and made available to customers in the form of a report. Thus, customers can benefit from clearly defined and contractually agreed service levels, a predefined service interface and, in the case of malfunctioning, they are supported with highest priority. Regular and transparent A1 Quality Reports, which are compiled on a monthly or half-yearly basis according to the selected SLA product, as well as Quality Review Meetings between customers and mobilkom austria’s key accountants also contribute to safeguarding quality under the SLA agreement. Business customers are entitled to compensation in the case the contractually agreed levels are not met as laid down in the A1 Business SLA.

Guaranteed service levels include six products: Voice, SMS, mobile broadband, BlackBerry, Internet Security and Data Guard (the secure connection for corporate intranet). The three SLA versions on offer are characterized by a different range and number of quality parameters to be agreed and measured.  

“Old-school SLAs used to include only one up to two service levels with ten different criteria, which to a large extent were not so crucial for business success,” explains Leif-Olof Wallin, Research Vice President, Mobile and Wireless, Gartner Client Service Group. “With A1 Business SLA, mobilkom austria has a considerable competitive edge over its international rivals based on exactly defined service levels and the value add for the customers.” 

Reinhard Zuba, Head of Marketing at mobilkom austria, said: “As the country’s market leader, we have a responsibility towards our business customers. We are constantly exchanging feedback with them and are committed to developing innovative and tailor-made products and services to meet the specific needs of our customers in their daily business.”

A range of dual-sim handsets have been launched today by Onyx, a British handset company which claims to be finding and serving the gaps in the current handset market, both in the UK and internationally.

The new dual-sim handsets mean users can insert an additional sim-card to their main number allowing them to make full use of all the money-saving tariffs on offer, to save money on calls and texts at home or abroad; or conveniently to have only one handset for both business and personal calls.

The handsets being launched today are:

–   Flip – A lightweight and stylish clamshell dual-sim handset. The Flip is perfect for the style conscious looking to use multiple tariffs that best match their usage or save money on calls and texts while abroad.

–   Slider – A smart, music-player that also has email functionality and a 2MP camera, combined with a dual-sim mobile phone. With the Slider you can stay connected and save money while abroad; or have all your personal and business needs in one handset.

–   Nero – A handset that combines touch screen desirability, with dual-sim practicality. The Nero also has email functionality and a 2MP camera.

The range of dual-sim handsets has been launched to provide an alternative choice for consumers that might want:

–  To save money – by taking advantage of two different networks and tariffs on one handset, whether they have got two UK sims cards to make the most of the multiple offers in the market; or they use an international sim card to save money on calls and texts whilst abroad

–  Added convenience – having two contact numbers on the same handset means they can easily combine personal and business numbers, making life easier as they only need to carry one handset and set of accessories

–  A stylish solution – no longer do they need to fill pockets with two handsets

–  An environmental solution – as they now only need to charge one handset rather than two

"These new handsets offer consumers a different choice, one that many people have been crying out for," said Zafar Mirza, Chairman of Onyx. "They are stylish, practical and will be very competitively priced. And the dual-sim function means that consumers can shop around for the best tariffs or have a great phone to take with them as they travel abroad."

Mirza continued, "these are exciting times for Onyx and for the UK handset market. What is particularly exciting is that the Flip, Slider and Nero are just the first three handsets that we are launching and we're equally excited about the next handsets in the range."

Additional handsets that are in development include a dual-sim handset with an 8MP camera, a Windows Mobile smartphone and a dual-sim Android handset with a 5MP camera.

Hutchison 3G Austria has extended its existing contract with Nokia Siemens Networks to modernize its microwave radio network, to enable ultra high-speed downloads and prepare for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology roll out.

"Mobile Internet access is driving our growth and we want to continue to ride the wave," said Jan Trionow, CTO of Hutchison 3G Austria. "Nokia Siemens Networks will help us turbo charge data download rates in the mobile broadband network. This enables our customers to surf the web even faster and more effectively than using fixed line connection. Additionally we are now in a better position to offer new services like video on demand to the subscribers of Hutchison 3G Austria."

As the sole supplier of the operator's microwave network, Nokia Siemens Networks will build extra capacity in the existing network via Carrier Ethernet upgrades and all-IP backhauling. This will allow very high download speeds, with an option of delivering up to 155 Mbps once the operator migrates its network to LTE. Nokia Siemens Networks all-IP backhaul solution will make the transport network ready for LTE.

"Having long standing business relationship with H3G Austria we know the architecture of their network by heart. Therefore we  have the experience and established processes to smoothly handle their transition to future technologies," said Dietmar Appeltauer, Head of Central East Europe at Nokia Siemens Networks. "What's more, given the easy integration with existing elements of the network we can keep new expansions simple and cost efficient."

The Nokia Siemens Networks mobile backhaul solution comprising microwave radio and Carrier Ethernet transport is said to be optimized for carrying vast amounts of packet traffic in 2G, 3G, WiMax and LTE networks in a cost efficient manner, while ensuring lowest possible latency and synchronization. To ensure that the operator can monitor, manage and optimize the whole network in a simple way, the microwave element management will be integrated with the NetAct network management system. Also, Nokia Siemens Networks' implementation team will provide a smooth installation and commissioning for a timely launch.

Ipadio's new iPhone app, available in the App Store,  is said to give users the choice between recording high quality audio for publication later or streaming their calls live to the web – on www.ipadio.com or straight to their own web site.

For the first time, says Ipadio, iPhone users can choose to live stream audio to their own web site or pre-record up to 60 minutes of audio and upload it later. Callers also have the option to use SpinVox voice to text conversion to produce title, tags and a transcript, plus adding photos from the phone, geolocating the call and automatically integrating with social media (Twitter, Facebook) and popular blogging platforms. Listeners can subscribe to each "channel" as a podcast in iTunes, within an ipadio account, via RSS or even old fashioned email. IPod Touch users can of course record and publish via ipadio.

Dr Mark K Smith, CEO of ipadio, said, "From the day we launched, ipadio's iPhone users let us know in no uncertain terms that audio quality is paramount to them, and so here we are – up to 60 minutes call time at high quality. But we've decided not to stop there, and we hope that optional SpinVox conversion plus all of the rich functionality that can be managed from the web account will make ipadio a valuable addition to the serious blogger's toolset. In fact, several bloggers and journalists are setting their ipadio accounts to "private" and then embedding them to their own sites along with a more detailed article, so they never appear on ipadio.com at all. That's fine with us, and gives ipadians ultimate control over their audio content. Along with moderation it's just the functionality that many journalists are looking for."

On uploading a call, users have the option to leave their title, tags and description to SpinVox, or to type these manually. In practice, most callers are running a quick test and then leaving things to SpinVox. If the odd word is missed, it's easy to edit the text either in the iPhone app or through an account on ipadio.com.

As well as signposting the content, the SpinVox conversion will make the phlogs (phone blogs) easy for search engines to find. With the new app, users can call ipadio whilst on the road and appear in the search results before arriving home.

Ipadio's commercial service introduces workflow process (moderation, group access and distribution, database integration of calls), additional in-call functionality (in-call polling, "call push") to meet each company's exact requirement. Ipadio has already announced its partnership with The Duke of Edinburgh's Award to collect audio assessments.