Motorola, Avaya, Proxim team up to merge cellular and Wi-Fi networks

Motorola, Avaya and Proxim today said they are partnering to build converged cellular and wireless LAN network technology using IP telephony technology. The goal of the venture is to produce seamless roaming between enterprise and public networks for both voice and data.

Motorola is kicking in its cellular expertise, agreeing to develop Wi-Fi/cellular dual-band/dual-technology handsets. Avaya will contribute its Session Initiation Protocol IP Telephony Software. And Proxim will supply its voice-enabled WLAN infrastructure. These standards-based solutions will support contiguous voice and data services over public PCS and cellular, hotspots and private Wi-Fi networks, said Bo Pyskir, senior director of business development for Motorola.

“Our vision is to connect all the various spaces, whether they are public hotspots, private hotspots at work and even personal hotspots at home,” Pyskir said.

Trials of the joint offering will begin in 2003. Motorola said it would develop the cellular aspects of the platform for both CDMA and GSM technologies, but it would not say which technology it would launch first.