3GSM Congress draws attention of fixed operators too

Demonstrating the high level of convergence that is affecting the telecommunications industry in a variety of ways, a contingent of fixed-line experts recently attended the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona, Spain.

As the biggest event on the calendar of the GSM Association - a global trade association that exists to promote, protect and enhance the interests of GSM mobile operators throughout the world, the conference also serves as a fertile ground for fixed-line telecommunications operators to explore technologies, concepts and products that can help them deliver improved services to their customers.

According to Mark van Vuuren, Managing Director for Fixed Networks at Siemens Communications Southern Africa, even in the context of the mobile telecommunications explosion, fixed-line networks still play an important role in the provision of both voice and data communication.

"Particular areas of interest at this year`s conference are the concept of fixed/mobile convergence, in particular IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) as well as emerging access technologies such as WiMax," he says.

Tackling fixed/mobile convergence (FMC), he says with the introduction of IMS, customers will be able to switch seamlessly between fixed and mobile networks.

"The goal of network operators is to deliver services as cost-effectively as possible to their customers - regardless of the technologies that are used to do so."

While licences governing the provision of such services can and do restrict the technologies and methods used by different operators, he explains that distinctions between fixed and wireless telecommunication networks are nevertheless being removed to create seamless services using a combination of fixed broadband and local access wireless technologies.

"By taking advantage of technologies like WiMax, fixed operators are discovering opportunities where they can start competing again with mobile operators. Furthermore, wireless access to fixed-line broadband such as ADSL constitutes a growing market," he says.

"Also, as fixed operators continue to work towards their universal service obligations, the introduction of wireless access technologies provides the opportunity to establish last-mile connectivity even in difficult to reach areas, allowing fixed operators to compete favourably in the challenging telecommunications market," Van Vuuren concludes.