Nokia's Wired and Wireless Moves

Nokia's plans for wireless 3G and pan-European DSL access move forward.

by Patricia Fusco
of internetnews.com
[May 30, 2000]

Cable & Wireless HKT Ltd. and Nokia Corp. Tuesday achieved two milestones in high-speed mobile communications marking the completion of all 3rd Generation test trials, and the provision of Hong Kong's first commercially-available High Speed Circuit Switched Data service.

The completion of high-speed trials means the two companies are well positioned to provide 3G services in Hong Kong.

The first phase of basic functional trials was completed in February. The second phase 3G trials involved more intensive testing of wireless direct memory access to determine the experimental system's specifications, including power control and handover capabilities.

During the trials, data calls with bit rates up to 384 Kbps were successfully transmitted. These advancements in the high-speed wireless system help achieve call stability and reliability, two critical factors for transmitting large volumes of data over a mobile network in a high-density environment like Hong Kong.

Hong Kong's first HSCSD service functions at a speed of 43.2 Kbps using card phones connected to a designated dial-up number.

The testing milestones mean Cable & Wireless HKT Mobile Services is ready to offer General Packet Radio Service capabilities as powered by Nokia Networks. With the successful testing of the Nokia GPRS network, Cable & Wireless HKT Mobile Services may explore deploying innovative mobile applications that enable total IP mobility.

Jonathan Yip, Nokia Networks general manager, said the completion of the 3G trial marks a major step its migration toward next-generation mobile communications services in Hong Kong.

"Sharing the same vision to make the Internet a pervasive tool for everyone, Nokia and Cable & Wireless HKT Mobile Services will continue working hand-in-hand to bring the latest technology and quality services to local mobile users," Yip said.

Cable & Wireless HKT, a Cable & Wireless company, is one of Hong Kong's first full-service communications providers. It provides an array of voice and data telecom services over its fully digital fiber optic network, including basic and mobile telephony, fax and data products, and Internet access.

Pan-European DSL
In related news, Nokia and KPNQwest Tuesday signed a long-term contract to develop Pan-European Digital Subscriber Line access.

The Nokia and KPNQwest deal intends to deliver high-speed broadband access services using DSL technology later this year. KPNQwest is constructing one of the largest pan-European DSL footprints built, significantly expanding its service offering in broadband access to major European cities.

As part of the first phase of its European expansion plans, KPNQwest plans launch commercial services in Germany during the third quarter of this year. The first customers are scheduled to be connected in Dusseldorf before the end of the second quarter.

In the second phase of deployment, DSL services will be rolled out in all European countries when deregulation allows.

The ongoing telecom deregulation throughout Europe provides competitive opportunities for new entrants to gain access to the last mile delivery systems for both residential and business users, where Germany is clearly leading the way in unbundled access. Unbundled access allows companies like KPNQwest to deploy broadband connectivity over existing copper lines.

Paul van Doorn, KPNQwest managing director of DSL business, said deregulation is an integral part of its work toward establishing pan-European leadership in the business customer segment.

"We focus on selecting the best technology for the broadband paradigm and working with partners who will enable us to achieve our goal," van Doorn said. "Nokia is best placed to help us achieve this, with its position at the forefront of the DSL market and its outstanding global service offering."

Peter Kuhne, Nokia Networks senior vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, said the firm is delighted to work with KPNQwest to supply fast-access IP data services in Europe.

"We strongly believe this partnership will rewrite the rules of broadband access in Europe and be a key step in the Internet revolution," Kuhne said. "KPNQwest selected us because we are committed to realizing the fastest pan-European DSL roll-out and we have a future proof platform which will enable KPNQwest to offer the highest speeds available over a copper pair with ADSL and migrate to VDSL in the near future."

Headquartered in Finland, Nokia is paving the way to develop high-speed mobile data products and solutions. The company is one of the leading mobile phone suppliers worldwide, as well as an avid developer of its mobile, fixed and IP networks.

Nokia is also a world leader in the supplying DSL and IP based broadband solutions. The end-to-end solution from Nokia includes broadband IP access system components and network management. The Nokia solution not only enables operators like KPNQwest to provide end users fast access to the Internet but also to offer new services including remote data access, streaming media, and hosted applications.

KPNQwest is a facilities-based, pan-European data-centric service provider based on IP technology. It is deploying an advanced 19,000-km fiber optic network connecting 46 cities throughout Europe to develop a full portfolio of data-centric services.

KPNQwest is the one of the largest business ISPs in Europe with operations in 15 countries out of a dozen data centers. The firm announced plans to build an additional eighteen data centers across Europe to provide web-hosting, application sharing, and data storage services.

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