On-Line

W-CDMA TRIALS ADVANCEBoth Ericsson and Nortel Networks announced successful tests of wireless multimedia calls using W-CDMA technology in February.

Ericsson demonstrated its video calls, including links to its W-CDMA system in Sweden, at the opening of its W-CDMA Center outside London.

Nortel's announcement came from its laboratory in France with its completion of packet-switched mobile video conference calls and high-speed web browsing at rates up to 384kb/s.

Doug McGregor, Nortel Networks vice president, IMT-2000 Systems, said Nortel entered into an agreement with Matsushita (Panasonic) to combine its expertise in launching experimental systems, services and terminals using W-CDMA technology.

The first agreement was with Microcell in Canada on behalf of the North American GSM Alliance, which will deploy an experimental W-CDMA network in Montreal.

"We're providing a place where we can demonstrate the viability of 3G technology and begin to identify more clearly the benefits of 3G services," said Don Warkentin, GSM Alliance chairman and Aerial Communications president & CEO.

Nortel's second agreement was with British Telecom; these tests already are under way. Other agreements are under negotiation.

Nortel's McGregor said potential 3G operators in Europe come in a variety of "business flavors."

"In the context of the U.K. alone (which will auction 3G spectrum later this year), there were some 40 plus applicants for information on licenses, a mixture of GSM people and others completely new to the telecom business," he said. The potential operators don't look like conventional phone companies or cellular carriers, and they tend to have different strategies in going after the market.

These operators have an obvious interest in the business customers, McGregor said.

"But most of us are anxious to make sure this provides cost-effective solutions for the broader consumer base as well," he added. Panasonic is providing test mobiles for the experimental systems that look like cutting-edge GSM mobiles and are close to the final consumer product.

Commercial W-CDMA service should be available in Europe on Jan. 1, 2002. Nortel expects its commercial product to hit the market in 2001 so the systems can be built out.

Ericsson has announced experimental W-CDMA systems in Germany, Italy and Japan as well as Sweden, with all systems to run at speeds up to 384kb/s, according to Paula Wagstaff, Ericsson media relations director in London.

Ericsson is using terminals with built-in test equipment including digital signal processors that can be adapted easily as the new standards progress.

"These will form the technical input for the future miniaturized mobiles that will be launched at the same time as the W-CDMA networks are being launched," Wagstaff said.

Wagstaff said Ericsson's commercial equipment would be available around fall of 2001.

Europe will be ahead of North America in deployment of W-CDMA services. Although a portion of the IMT-2000 spectrum still is available in Canada, in the United States, it is gone, auctioned as PCS spectrum.