VoIP News: Telephony technology

LTE commercial success 'by 2013'

Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile telecoms are expected to have more than 85 million users worldwide by 2013, according to forecasts.

A new report from Cantab Wireless indicates that LTE system specifications could be finalised by as early as June 2009, after which test networks will begin to appear in a number of countries.

LTE developers claim that it can offer broadband data speeds of up to 200Mbs, which far outstrips the performance of mobile 3G technology.

Cantab Wireless said in a statement: "LTE achieves such performance figures by employing several new techniques that have not been used in cellular systems before.

"The biggest question is not whether LTE will be adopted by mobile operators, but rather when it will be adopted."

Mobile company Motorola recently underlined its confidence in LTE in an industry first demonstration of VoIP calls and streaming video using the technology.

Dan Moloney, president of Motorola's Home and Networks Mobility business, said: "Our testing of LTE networks has demonstrated great forward movement for the cellular community into networks that are fast, agile and able to deliver content on consumers' terms."

Posted on: 2008-12-23, in: Telephony technology

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Mobile market 'to slow in 2009'

The continuing worldwide economic downturn will hit the mobile phone market next year, according to an analysis company.

IDC has predicted that handset shipments will be 1.9 per cent down in 2009 compared with 2008, marking the first reduction since 2001.

While the sector has seen double-digit annual growth over the past few years, especially due to emerging economies, IDC said that these markets are now maturing, meaning growth will be 7.1 per cent this year and negative in 2009.

A number of companies in the business have said that they are worried about shipments in the coming 12 months.

"Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, and MediaTek are among some of the suppliers announcing reductions in manufacturing for the upcoming year," said IDC mobile phone expert Ryan Reith.

"There is a lot of uncertainty about how the markets will fare and inventory levels will be more of a focus point then ever before."

Posted on: 2008-12-22, in: Telephony technology

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LG tests 'first 4G handset modem'

An electronics company has claimed a first in the world of mobilebroadband.

LG said that it had tested a chip which is capable of downloading from the internet at speeds eight times faster than phones currently commercially available.

The firm used a technology called Long-Term Evolution (LTE) - which is currently vying with WiMax to be the standard for fourth-generation internet telephony - to achieve wireless download speeds of 60Mbps and upload speeds of 20Mbps.

Most phones on the market, which use the HSDPA standard, can only achieve a maximum of 7.6Mbps, the company claimed.

"Now that LG has developed and tested the first 4G handset modem, a commercially-viable LTE handset is on the horizon," said Paik Woo-hyun, LG's chief technology officer.

If the company's claims are accurate, then it could signal a new dawn in terms of mobile internet.

The speeds LG said it could reach means that a 700MB film would be able to be downloaded in minutes, while the LTE technology means a buffer would not be required - therefore avoiding jittery playback.

Posted on: 2008-12-10, in: Telephony technology

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Telecoms 'to gain from downturn'

The telecoms industry is not only in a good position to survive the global economic downturn but may actually gain from it, according to an analyst.

Sharifah Amirah, from Frost & Sullivan, explained that businesses will want to "minimise risk and improve operational efficiency" as pessimism over the economy continues.

She said that telecoms businesses' mid-term focus should be on value-added services and new distribution strategies, which "will be key to growth".

"While focus will be very much on surviving the next couple of years, sights on further horizons should still be retained," she added.

However, Ms Amirah said that for telecoms firms to succeed in the long run, three "key themes" should be looked at - "mobility, content and bandwidth".

She concluded by pointing out that the government has announced it will invest in digital infrastructure to help the economy - which should provide an excellent opportunity for the telecoms industry.

Posted on: 2008-12-02, in: Telephony technology

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EU telecoms authority to be "substantially smaller"

The European Telecoms Authority is to be "substantially smaller" in both size and responsibilities than originally planned, the European Commission (EC) has announced.

EC proposals to create a single telecoms market for the bloc, made in November 2007, came under scrutiny by the European Parliament and the Council of Telecoms Ministers.

The EC has now published new legislative documentation which takes into account the concerns and suggestions raised, including reducing the remit of the European Telecoms Authority to cover regulation and not network security and spectrum issues.

In addition, it will no longer be integrated with the European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) but will remain separate.

"We now need to move beyond this consensus on the objectives [of strengthening the single telecoms market] and reach agreement also on the concrete legislative texts," said EU telecoms commissioner Viviane Reding.

"With the text proposals published by the commission today, we intend to facilitate the work of the European lawmakers."

The next stage in the process will be a meeting of the Council of Telecoms Ministers on November 27th.

Posted on: 2008-11-10, in: Telephony technology

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