Wireless Networks

Zain Bahrain has showcased the MENA region’s first LTE call, achieving a download data speed of 70 Mb/s. In a trial to demonstrate its LTE readiness, Zain Bahrain “proved its preparedness and commitment” to mass-scale deployment of this advanced technology just six months after announcing the Middle East’s first LTE contract with Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN)...

VocalTec Communications, which provides carrier-class VoIP and convergence solutions for fixed and wireless service providers, has announced that Smart Mobile, a mobile service provider in Cambodia, has selected and deployed VocalTec’s Class-4 International Gateway solution to enable seamless VoIP termination and network economies allowing for improved end-user pricing strategies...

Alvarion customer Feira De Santana Municipality has won the Prêmio Anuário TI & Governo award for Best Digital City Deployment in Brazil. Its Feira Digital project brings 300,000 people together wirelessly as well as providing public services to the municipality...

GSM subscriber growth is slowly grinding to a halt. According to forecasts from ABI Research, growth is expected to flatline by mid-2011. Asia-Pacific makes up 45% of the global cellular market compared to 29% in 2000...

Nine players have expressed their intention to bid in India’s lengthy, much postponed 3G process, and yet despite all the publicity, there are no new entrants. Foreign companies are giving an apparently lucrative opportunity a miss....

Guam’s communications network will see improvements costing US$10 million this year. The aim is to set the stage for more competition in wireless, digital TV and broadband...

Recent findings by ABI Research analyse the impending battle for market share, not to say domination, between WiMAX and LTE. Both systems are progressing steadily and, according to ABI, will co-exist for some time to come...

This summer, Alcatel-Lucent will conduct an LTE trial for mobile operator MTS-Ukraine. The aim is an end-to-end solutions incorporating LTE base-stations and IP service routing as well as basic operational systems...

Andrew Solutions has unveiled a multi-operator coverage and capacity solution in Istanbul’s SG Airport. The Distributed Antenna System (DAS) will allow Vodafone, Turkcell and AVEA to provide 2G and 3G services to users throughout the airport...

Jordan is to benefit from an MVNO supplied to Friendi Group by Sysmsoft, which specialises in real-time mobile data, charging and messaging solutions. Friendi’s Jordanian launch follows its Omani deployment, believed to be the first MVNO in the Middle East...

The Dominican Republic will soon benefit from a new mobile WiMAX network, which is to be constructed by Samsung...

This month, BSNL will roll out WiMAX services in Dhakor of Greater Noida, which is located in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The area is under the remit of the Indian National Capital Region...

Alcatel-Lucent and Bulgarian telco Vivacom have signed a five-year partnership focusing on the end-to-end strategic transformation of Vivacom’s fixed and mobile network throughout the country. Vivacom is outsourcing end-to-end network operations to Alcatel-Lucent as of March 1, 2010...

A new contract signed by Trace Systems will be supporting US Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), including the Joint Network Operations Control Centre. Valued at over US$55 million, the contract will involve more than 40 IT experts supporting the Joint Network Operations Control Center in Afghanistan...

With demand increasing for super-fast, dynamic broadband services and applications regardless of location, ADC claims that traditional methods to provide mobile coverage cannot scale up to offer mobile operators the coverage, capacity and return on invested capital necessary to deliver 4G services...

Qtel International has concluded a major framework agreement with Nokia Siemens Networks to support its long-term development strategy across international markets...

NEC Corporation (NEC) announced today the addition of a new femtocell access point from Ubiquisys, to its end-to-end femtocell solution.  The NEC FP810 femtocell access point will be available to mobile operators in April 2010...

NEC Corporation will showcase the world’s smallest, all-in-one compact LTE (Long Term Evolution) base station at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2010 next week...

Altair Semiconductor, a 4G chip company developing advanced mobile semiconductors for handheld devices, and SkyCross, a global antenna designer and manufacturer, have announced cooperation on high-performance LTE product solutions...

Rwanda has acquired its third mobile licencee, now that Millicom has commenced operations. The newcomer covers 50% of the country, including 3G in Rwanda’s capital Kigali. Operations will be branded Tigo...

Next month in Barcelona Rohde & Schwarz will put on display its complete product portfolio for new mobile radio and wireless technologies. The company will focus on LTE in the FDD and TDD modes of operation; highlights include the R&S CMW500 wideband radio communication tester with signaling functionality and handover capabilities...

Improved 3G services for Beijing Mobile subscribers will be possible this year as Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) technology and services have been engaged to provide a “future proof” TD-SCDMA network...

Altobridge, a provider of solutions for mobile network operators with a particular focus on emerging markets, has acquired ADC’s portfolio of GSM base station and switching products...

Commitment to doubling tele-density in India’s rural areas formed a recent keynote speech in India. Meanwhile, although 3G has reached Goa, India’s government has still to assign a date for the latest round of 3G licensing. That saga continues. Michael Schwartz summarises...

The Croatian Academic and Research Network has now connected 1,300 schools with the use of Cisco Technology. Its E-Islands project is addressing the Digital Divide between Mainland Croatia and its archipelago...

Nicaragua is set to benefit from a new WiMAX broadband network which will be deployed by Yota, a Russian internet access services provider...

The Czech Republic is to witness an LTE trial, associated with a series of trials that Telefonica is to carry out in both Europe and Latin America. The aim for customers is mobile data with faster response times and rates of up to 58 Mb/s...

Zain is streamlining its operations in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. A strategic five-year plan vested in NSN is intended to modernise a network which must be ready to serve a customer base now at 9 million...

Beijing Mobile will become the first operator in the region to implement direct tunnel technology commercially. Provided by Nokia Siemens Networks, the solution improves packet core network efficiency, allowing increased data speeds and reliable wireless broadband services while providing a platform for future Long Term Evolution deployment...

Wavion, a company which claims it is “transforming the metro and rural wi-fi market” with a new category of wi-fi base station, along with BHU, Wavion’s distributor in China, have announced the selection of Wavion’s Wi-Fi base stations by a leading carrier for the broadband access coverage of 1,000 villages in West China...

Zain’s One Network has gained its 2nd member, Egypt. In the Arab World alone, 27 million customers in Bahrain, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Sudan can now enjoy a single telecoms market...

ABI Research’s new report looks at preparations for the introduction of 4G. While ABI anticipates that LTE is only expected to roll out in late 2010, it is encouraged by the interest shown in LTE trials: 100 mobile networks showing interest, and more than 40 from the Asia-Pacific region...

Kazakhtelecom is now able to offer internet protocol-based services to business and residential customers in Almaty, thanks to a new next-generation network which is pioneering IP over Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing in the CIS...