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Significant step made towards realizing the goals of Digital Britain and enabling access to spectrum for mobile wireless broadband
The WiMAX Forum announced its strong support for the position taken by Rt. Hon Stephen Timms, Minister for Digital Britain, and the UK government directing Ofcom to release the 800 MHz, “Digital Dividend” and 2.6 GHz bands.
The WiMAX Forum believes that it is in the best interest of the UK to release part of the 2.6 GHz spectrum ahead and separately from any combined 800 MHz / 2.6 GHz award, as previously planned. Currently, the UK government intends to direct Ofcom to auction the 2.6 GHz 50MHz TDD part of the band, as a single block, in advance of the combined auction for the remaining spectrum.
“The auction of new spectrum will speed up the deployment of next generation mobile broadband, benefiting consumers across the country," said Ron Resnick, president and chairman of the WiMAX Forum. “Following years of uncertainty and deliberations leading to the publication of the Digital Britain Report and the Independent Spectrum Broker’s Report, we congratulate the government in establishing what we believe to be the best possible compromise meeting the needs of government, industry and most importantly the people.”
The WiMAX Forum® is hopeful that Parliament will expedite approval to allow Ofcom to release the 2.6 GHz TDD spectrum in 2010.
Today, more than 115 million people in Europe are covered by 153 WiMAX deployments and adoption of WiMAX continues to grow thanks to an increase in spectrum allocations made in 2009. WiMAX networks can be deployed quickly and more cost effectively compared to wired alternatives.
Currently, WiMAX Forum tracks more than 559 WiMAX network deployments in 147 countries. A complete detail of WiMAX networks is available at Internet. • 22-3-10
The WiMAX Forum is an industry-led, not-for-profit organization formed to certify and promote the compatibility and interoperability of broadband wireless products based upon the harmonized IEEE 802.16e/ETSI HiperMAN standard. A WiMAX Forum goal is to accelerate the introduction of these systems into the marketplace. WiMAX Forum Certified products are interoperable and support broadband fixed, nomadic, portable and mobile services.
The GSMA, which represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry, today presented His Excellency Mr. Samuel Poghisio, Minister for Information and Communications for Kenya, with the mobile industry’s prestigious annual Government Leadership Award. The Award recognises the leadership role played by Kenya in extending the benefits of mobile technology to more consumers by cutting tax on mobile phones and information communication technology (ICT) equipment and promoting the early roll-out of mobile broadband.
During 2009, Kenya eliminated both import duty and sales taxes on mobile phones and other ICT equipment, making access for consumers more affordable. The Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) has also demonstrated an established and ongoing programme of modernisation of the telecoms sector. The CCK facilitated the landing of two fibre optic cables, TEAMs and SEACOM, heralding a new era of abundant broadband capacity for Kenya and the East African region. The CCK also enabled the development of a vibrant mobile broadband market by licensing new spectrum and by launching a number of ICT/mobile projects aimed at promoting education and health in rural communities. This programme of initiatives will boost the Kenyan economy and improve the well-being and future prosperity of its citizens.
"This award acknowledges the pioneering leadership of the Kenyan government and its determination to improve the lives of Kenyans by making access to mobile broadband and ICT more available and more affordable," said Rob Conway, CEO and Member of the Board of the GSMA. "Mobile broadband is a great enabler, and it is imperative that government and industry work together to realise its potential to positively transform society.”
“I am delighted that the great efforts and progressive policies of the Kenyan Government have been recognised by the presentation of this award, which I accept on behalf of all those involved in our programme,” said His Excellency Mr. Samuel Poghisio, Minister for Information and Communications of Kenya. “Kenya is developing and investing in the mobile and ICT technology tools that we need to deliver modern and innovative social and economic improvements for all our citizens.”
The GSMA hopes that other African countries will follow Kenya’s lead, especially by acknowledging the importance of:
The Government Leadership Award was presented during the Ministerial Programme, which has now become an integral part of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and this year attracted approximately 300 government delegates from over 80 nations, including many Communications Ministers. This distinguished programme offers an invaluable opportunity for policy makers and industry leaders to discuss strategies for shaping the future of the mobile industry and its potential to accelerate economic growth and advance social development around the world.
This year, the programme also hosted a CEOs & Ministers Roundtable, co-chaired by Rob Conway, CEO GSMA, and Francisco Ros, Spain’s Secretary of State for Telecommunications and the Information Society, in the year of its European Union Presidency. At the meeting, ministers and CEOs discussed a common vision for ‘the internet of things’ that will link both people and machines and will help transfer the economic productivity and efficiency gains associated with mobile penetration to key sectors such as health care, education, transport, the environment and government services. • 16-2-10
The GSMA represents the interests of the worldwide mobile communications industry. Spanning 219 countries, the GSMA unites nearly 800 of the world's mobile operators, as well as more than 200 companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset makers, software companies, equipment providers, Internet companies, and media and entertainment organisations. The GSMA is focused on innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for its membership, all with the end goal of driving the growth of the mobile communications industry.
Telecom markets – South Pacific
TCC Tonga & Altobridge to investigate further remote communications opportunities
Altobridge has signed a frame agreement for wireless network solutions and managed services with Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC), Tonga’s leading provider of complete end-to-end telephony and Internet services.
Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Altobridge will provide TCC with its industry-leading wireless network solution to improve the island nation’s macro-GSM coverage, together with the Altobridge award-winning remote communications solution that will help connect Tonga’s unconnected. The first phase, expected to be complete within six months, will see the upgrade and/or replacement of the existing macro-GSM network providing service across the three main island groups of Tongatapu, Vava’u and Ha’apai.
TCC Managing Director, Timote Katoanga, said, “Altobridge presented a compelling network solution addressing the specific requirements of our customer base. Providing reliable, high-speed data access and coverage, coupled with cost-effective connectivity, particularly for remote parts of our network throughout our island nation, is critical to our strategy.”
Altobridge CEO, Mike Fitzgerald, said, “Mobile network operators are increasingly demanding network solutions with lower operating costs. Lower transmission and power consumption costs, combined with innovative means of providing low-cost wireless broadband connectivity, have become a prerequisite. Altobridge is looking forward to a long-term working relationship with TCC.” • 11-5-10
Headquartered at Kerry Technology Park, Ireland, with further R&D, service and sales offices in San Jose (USA), Shenzhen (China), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Altobridge is a leading provider of telecommunications solutions that cut the cost of communications to, from and between wireless devices. Altobridge sells wireless network solutions and can provide Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), Government Organisations & NGOs with a Fully Managed Service, working hand-in-hand with local, in-country service partners. At the heart of the company’s offering lie the patented and patent-pending technologies: Local ConnectivityTM, Split ArchitectureTM and Data at the Edge™, which drive down backhaul costs, reduce power consumption and offer MNOs new incremental revenue from the broad, untapped, global remote community subscriber base. Following the strategic acquisition of the ADC Mobile Network Solutions business in December 2009, Altobridge can now offer customers a broader portfolio of products and services. Altobridge’s wireless network solutions are deployed and operational in more than 20 countries across the globe.
Further information about Altobridge’s network offerings is available to MNOs.
Like many telecommunications service providers, Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) began life as part of the island nation’s Post & Telegraph Department. This later went on to become the Telephone & Telegraph Department. In July 1978 the Telephone & Telegraph department split the business into international and domestic. The International business was taken over by Cable & Wireless Plc of the UK and the domestic business was re-christened Tonga Telecommunication Commission (TTC). In July 2000, Cable & Wireless Plc exited Tonga and the company was then merged with the domestic business to form Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) as we are known today.
Today’s TCC is a 100% Tongan-owned company and Tonga’s only full service communications company offering total communication solutions. TCC is a public enterprise and falls under the Ministry of Public Enterprises of the Government of Tonga.
TCC employs more than 300 people spread over seven operating divisions, namely: Administration & HR, Sales and Marketing, Finance, Corporate and Finance Operations, Internal Audit, Engineering, Settlement & Roaming.
NEC Corporation (NEC) announced at the Mobile World Congress (Booth 8A125, Hall 8) that it is supporting Telefónica O2 in its trial of LTE (Long-Term Evolution) 4G next-generation mobile services in the UK.
O2 deployed NEC’s flagship microwave backhaul solution, PASOLINK, to provide a high-capacity, resilient transmission link to one of O2's key LTE trial sites in the Slough area, Berkshire, UK. NEC’s PASOLINK is used to carry high-definition video streaming, mobile gaming, high-speed file transfer and video conferencing.
"NEC provided us with the high performance and flexible access link to trial our next generation LTE mobile service," said Nigel Purdy, Head of Networks, Telefónica O2 UK Limited.
Building on its market leadership in microwave backhaul, NEC is continuing to invest in and develop its solutions for network operators. Also at MWC, NEC announced its “Intelligent Converged Platform” for mobile backhaul which comprises the evolution of NEC’s mobile backhaul solutions and services to plan, build and operate next-generation mobile broadband for mobile operators.
"The massive demand for smartphones and data, along with plans for next-generation mobile network technologies such as LTE, has brought network quality and time to deployment right to the heart of a successful strategy for mobile operators," said Richard Hanscott, vice president, NEC Europe. "Our backhaul solution, PASOLINK, has led the industry in high-quality network provision and we continue to lead the way with an insight and understanding of the evolving requirements and challenges faced by mobile operators."
Since the launch of PASOLINK in the early 1980s, NEC has actively promoted the system's research, development and sales. Following in step with the rapid growth of worldwide mobile markets, PASOLINK has enjoyed increasing sales as a communications system that links the base stations of mobile communications carriers, and has been shipped to customers throughout 136 countries. The shipments of PASOLINK have surpassed more than 1 million total units. Most recently, shipments to mobile telephone carriers in such markets as Asia and the Middle East, where rapid economic expansion has taken place, have contributed significantly to PASOLINK breaking through the 1 million total shipments mark.
It is widely anticipated that demand for PASOLINK's advanced technologies will continue as the need for base station access grows in response to the rapid global growth of mobile phone subscribers, the spread of mobile Internet services and the creation of new broadband markets. Accordingly, NEC will continue the proactive development and marketing of these versatile systems, as a business leader among ultra-compact microwave communications innovation. • 16-2-10
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