Siemens Telecommunications is paving the way for the seamless migration from GSM mobile technology to third generation wireless (3G) or UMTS technology.
In preparation for the issuing of licenses for 3G transmissions in South Africa next year, Siemens has launched, internationally, the world's first live public 3G (UMTS) transmission over a TD-CDMA (TDD) air interface. The UMTS transmission - based on the UTRA (Universal Terrestrial Radio Access) air interface which provides two radio modes for connecting mobile handsets and base stations - took the form of an ISDN video conference that took place across the TDD demonstration set-up.
Based on a new high-efficient radio-frequency access linked to a convergent network of fixed, cellular and satellite applications, UMTS provides the platform for broadband mobile communications. Making use of two radio modes (paired W-CDMA and unpaired TD-CDMA), which are controlled within a single network, UMTS makes it possible to construct highly flexible services, facilitates the provision of powerful combined voice, multimedia and data applications and paves the way for seamless global radio coverage.
The live video conference conducted was held between two PCs connected, 'over the air' via a TDD Base Station and a TDD terminal prototype. With a transmission speed of 2x64 kBit/s (ISDN) the demonstration represented only a fraction of the potential bandwidth that will be available with the TDD air interface, which allows transmission speeds of up to 2 Mbit/s.
"The successful demonstration of UMTS transmission is significant locally as it will soon allow other mobile network operators to begin evaluating the TDD component of UMTS, allowing for the flexible use of both symmetrical applications such as voice and video as well as asymmetrical applications like Internet access," says Siemens Telecommunications SA Marketing Manager, Peter Holford.
"With technology already moving to General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), an enhancement of GSM and part of the evolutionary process towards UMTS technology, the possibilities for mobile communication are virtually endless. Siemens Telecommunications SA has the technology ready for a smooth migration to 3G mobile communications, as and when the necessary structures are in place.
"UMTS will take users into the future Information Society by delivering voice, data and multimedia services, as required, directly to the end-user in any environment," says Holford.
"Siemens' vision is that UMTS will integrate currently separate worlds of fixed and mobile telecommunications services in a digital data environment to serve the user as a comprehensive personal tool for unlimited communications," Holford concludes.
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