Ericsson opens 3G system in Canada
Ericsson opens 3G system in Canada Ericsson will start a 3G experimental facility in Canada for further testing of third-generation (3G) wireless communications. This is the latest of several experimental systems that Ericsson has launched around the world to give operators the possibility to further explore 3G solutions. Ericsson will implement a 3G Edge system at its R&D Center in Montreal, Quebec. This 3G system will allow Ericsson, TDMA operators and developers to evaluate 3G wireless services, and to research and build practical and efficient solutions. The system will be operational in June. The Ericsson demonstration facility will showcase IP and other datacom services over wireless wide area networks at speeds up to 384 kbps enabled by Edge technology. Services evaluated will include video conferencing, telemedicine, telebanking, e-commerce, etc. The facility will evaluate other 3G technologies with anticipated data speeds beyond 2 Mbps and the latest in wireless connectivity through Bluetooth. The demonstration facility is intended to allow real-life testing of the global 3G Edge proposal to ITU from industry organization UWC. The proposal, called UWC-136, is a pure TDMA proposal that Ericsson fully supports, together with the UWCC, a consortium of over 100 telecommunications carriers and vendors of wireless products and services. Edge technology is the wide area component of the proposal for evolving current TDMA networks to fully handle the speed of 3G service (UWC's name of the wide area component is 136HS). Edge and GPRS technology are both part of a common 3G evolution path Ericsson is offering TDMA and GSM operators. "We're developing next-generation software for future TDMA networks, to handle voice, IP and other datacom services," said Mark Henderson, General Manager, Rogers Account at Ericsson's local company in Canada. The new test facility will connect Ericsson's 3G Edge demo facility in Texas, and its Cyberlabs in New York and Silicon Valley, allowing Ericsson to create a networked application-sharing environment utilizing all IP-related technologies. Ericsson recently completed the world-first live demonstrations of public wideband wireless multimedia, with an international video link from the WCDMA Center in the UK to Ericsson's WCDMA system in operation in Sweden. Ericsson has similar experimental systems in Japan, Sweden, UK, Italy and Germany. Ericsson Communications Inc. is Ericsson's operating company in Canada. Its R&D center in Montreal with the worldwide responsibility for software development for the global wireless standards TDMA/AMPS. Ericsson employs some 1,500 people across Canada, with offices in Montreal, Mississauga, Burnaby, Ottawa, Calgary, Fort McMurray and Waterloo. For more information about Ericsson Canada, visit http://www.ericsson.com/CA 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 Kathy Egan, Vice President, Communications, Ericsson Inc. Phone: +1 212 685 4030; E-mail: kathy.egan@eus.ericsson.com Eric Österberg, Communications Director Ericsson Corporate Communications Phone: +46 70 590 0599; E-mail: eric.osterberg@lme.ericsson.se Additional information: The UWCC (Universal Wireless Communications Consortium) is a consortium of over 100 telecommunications carriers and vendors of wireless products and services. The consortium is dedicated to support TDMA, a digital wireless air interface complemented by the Wireless Intelligent Network (ANSI-41). The UWCC is a limited liability company formed in Washington State in 1996. The UWCC Board Members include: Alcatel USA, Argentina TDMA Association, AT&T Wireless Services (USA), BellSouth Cellular Corp. (USA), Cellcom (Israel), Celumovil (Colombia), Compaq Computers Corporation, Ericsson Radio Systems, HongKong Telecom CSL (China), Hughes Network Systems, Industar Digital PCS (USA), Lucent Technologies, Mobikom SDN BHD (Malaysia), Motorola, Movilnet (Venezuela), Nokia Mobile Phones, Nortel Networks, Rogers Cantel (Canada), Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems (USA), Telecom New Zealand, VimpelCom (Russia). Edge is referred to as 136HS in the UWC standard. It has both a wide area and an indoor component to provide data rates of 384 kbps and 2 Mbps respectively. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/02/24/19990224BIT00580/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1999/02/24/19990224BIT00580/bit0002.pdf