In an industry first, Ericsson demonstrated a live end-to-end live GPRS (General Packet Radio Service) network, complete with WAP applications over GPRS as well as a first prototype GPRS phone at the GSM World Congress in Cannes. It is the first fully working prototype in the industry to be shown in a live end-to-end GPRS network.
GPRS is a common step for GSM and TDMA to handle higher data speeds and to transition to 3G. It makes very efficient use of available radio spectrum, and enables users to get access to more bandwidth. GPRS opens the door to completely new applications in a mobile environment. The Ericsson demonstration now takes the Ericsson GPRS technology a step further to show how these services can benefit users.
The GPRS phone used for the demonstrations is a fully working prototype, its exterior design being based on the Ericsson R320 GSM WAP-phone. The prototype phone consists of breakthrough technology, which handles both GPRS and GSM. Ericsson will launch pre-commercial GPRS phones toward the end of this year and expects commercial volumes during first quarter 2001.
Commercial products will not look like the prototype and will incorporate a range of sophisticated technologies, which together with GPRS will enable a broad spectrum of both communication and information functionalities. Ericsson is demonstrating WAP over GPRS using its MC218 WAP-compatible terminal, which is connected to the GPRS prototype phone. The applications are
running on a portable PC, which is connected to the Ericsson GPRS prototype phone via an infrared connection. The live end-to-end GPRS network includes radio network and infrastructure, user interfaces, billing systems and network management.
GPRS is an ideal bearer for WAP as it is dedicated to, and especially designed for, data communications. The introduction of WAP over GPRS is a significant development towards the true mobile Internet.
Two of the applications on show are Microsoft Chat and a Lotto System. Chat allows participants using a GPRS mobile phone to converse using text, or cartoon characters representing themselves. Lotto enables users to select lottery numbers using a graphical interface on the Ericsson GPRS prototype phone, and submit them to a Lotto server. Other applications being demonstrated over the live Ericsson GPRS network include Web browsing, e-mail and FTP file transfer.
Ericsson has already taken a leadership role with its open, multi-vendor GPRS system, holding some fifty percent of the GPRS market, as measured by operator`s subscriber base. Ericsson is already delivering GPRS systems to forty-five leading operators, spanning three continents.
Ericsson is the leading provider in the new telecoms world, with communications solutions that combine telecom and datacom technologies with freedom of mobility for the user. With more than 100,000 employees in 140 countries, Ericsson simplifies communications for its customers - network operators, service providers, enterprises and consumers - the world over.
Please visit Ericsson`s Press Room at: http://www.ericsson.se/pressroom
For further information, please contact
Johan Wiklund, Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 560 0134; E-mail: johan.wiklund@lme.ericsson.se
Per Nordl"of, Vice President GSM Systems, Packet Switching Systems Phone: + 46 70 555 7735; E-mail: per.nordl"of@era.ericsson.se
Jan Ahrenbring, Vice President Marketing and Communications Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Phone: +46 70 590 9900
Bo Albertson, PR & Information Manager Ericsson Mobile Communications AB Phone: + 46 8 764 1388 or +46 70 510 0992
Additional information
Ericsson`s GPRS system will enable operators to offer mobile Internet and other IP-based applications at speeds ten times as fast as current mobile networks that are optimised for voice applications.
Ericsson combines its core strengths in datacom and mobility in its open GPRS systems. The company`s GPRS system is an open standard solution, enabling multi-operator and vendor interoperability.
Share