The joint effort is part of a trial of the first 1900 MHz UMTS/WCDMA system in the Americas, which will have more than 100 cell sites in the Dallas area by the end of the year. Ericsson is providing the complete WCDMA/UMTS network -- the core network, the radio access network and mobile terminals. The small-sized Sony Ericsson test units used are based on technology developed by Ericsson Mobile Platforms.

"We will continue moving forward in our quest to provide customers with the most advanced wireless services in the world," said Rod Nelson, chief technology officer for AT&T Wireless. "There is a tremendous level of support by vendors, carriers and developers in bringing true 3G service to the United States."

 

"It's really exciting to take what we've learned from our laboratory trials and apply those lessons to a live network environment," said Angel Ruiz, president and chief executive officer, Ericsson Inc. "In other parts of the world, we've seen live tests before in the 2 GHz band. But this is a landmark in the development of UMTS/WCDMA in the 1900 MHz frequencies and its progress in the Americas."

AT&T Wireless and Ericsson are leading the path to 3G capabilities in the U.S. market today by deploying EDGE-ready GSM/GPRS systems. This path ensures a smooth evolution to EDGE, then UMTS, a wideband radio technology that provides mobile users with data rates up to 2Mbit/s. The efficient use of radio spectrum enables simultaneous access to everything from regular voice telephony to a range of content-rich, multimedia services. For example, users will be able to watch a video clip while receiving an e-mail. The UMTS solution also enables a mix of circuit and packet services, with varying bandwidths to be delivered at the same time.