Ericsson combines core strengths in datacom & mobility in breakthrough live demo

Ericsson combines core strengths in datacom and mobility in breakthrough live demo - Multiple multimedia services at 472 kbps while on the move Ericsson once again combines its core strengths in datacom and mobility in breakthrough live demonstrations, which put third generation mobile communications ever closer to being in the hands of users. Visitors at a recent trade show in Stockholm experienced first-hand what third generation (3G) mobile communications will be like. Passengers in Ericsson's 3G demo vehicle could surf the web, listen to streamed music, send e-mails with large attachments, and play interactive multimedia games, all while moving around in the WCDMA wide area network. The demo system can handle all these different kinds of services, including IP-based services, simultaneously. This is the first-ever live demonstration of packet-switched services at speeds up to 472 kbps in a vehicle moving about in a 3G wide area network. "Doing this kind of demo in a controlled environment like a laboratory has been done before. Providing multimedia services live, while moving about a wide area outdoors, is the real breakthrough we're demonstrating," says Håkan Djuphammar, Director of WCDMA Product Strategy at Ericsson. "This live demo as well as others with operators around the world are significant proof of Ericsson's advanced 3G development and a further strong signal to operators that commercial services can quickly be brought to the market when they get licenses," Håkan Djuphammar continues. Users' response to increased system capabilities shown in the WCDMA demo rides in Stockholm are yet further confirmation that they find IP-based services such as intranet access, e-mail, mobile e-commerce, and entertainment such as downloading real-time music and movie clips to be very attractive when offered in a mobile environment. This user interest is consistent with the on going feedback from Ericsson's other 3G experimental systems on three continents. Other Ericsson breakthroughs in wireless datacoms during 1998 included the first live demos of GPRS and its evolution into third generation, EDGE. During the fist quarter Ericsson captured more than half of all contracts for GPRS systems. This gives Ericsson a head start as a partner for leading-edge operators to bring wireless Internet services to the market. 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 Eric Österberg, Communications Director Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 590 0599; E-mail: eric.osterberg@lme.ericsson.se Håkan Djuphammar, Director, WCDMA Product Strategy Ericsson WCDMA Systems Phone: +46 8 757 0384; E-mail: hakan.djuphammar@era.ericsson.se Ericsson's leading position in 3G Ericsson is ideally positioned to support any operator anywhere to migrate to 3G systems - regardless of technology heritage or technology choice. Ericsson will be offering 3G systems based on WCDMA, cdma2000, and EDGE - being the only supplier with a complete portfolio for second and third generation systems. Ericsson is leading the 3G development and has set up experimental systems on three continents: in Canada, China, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Germany, Sweden, UK and US. These full-fledged systems are used to experiment with delivery of new services, leveraging Ericsson's more than 10 years of research in 3G technologies. Ericsson is also leading with experimental systems for multiple technologies, like the first systems focusing on EDGE for existing spectrum. Among its many pioneering 3G achievements, Ericsson completed the world's first WCDMA voice call in April last year. In January 1999, international WCDMA video calls were made over the public ISDN network between Ericsson's WCDMA experimental systems in Italy and Germany. In February Ericsson made another breakthrough with WCDMA multimedia calls from its WCDMA Center in the UK through international public fixed networks to Sweden. In April 1999, Ericsson was selected by NTT DoCoMo to deliver the world's first commercial WCDMA mobile phones and base station systems, to Japan. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/06/07/19990607BIT00140/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/06/07/19990607BIT00140/bit0002.pdf