Alcatel-Lucent eyes 3G for data services

Database News - Wednesday December 19, 2007

WIRELESS / 3G TO OFFER DSL-LIKE CONNECTIONS

Alcatel-Lucent eyes 3G for data services

DON SAMBANDARAKSA

Mobile 3G technology will play a major role in developing countries in getting people online and connected to the Internet and is mature enough today to be rolled out now, according to Alcatel-Lucent.

Speaking at the recent ICT Forum in Bangkok, Laurent Perche, solutions leader for Alcatel-Lucent Thailand, said that today people are used to living in a connected world and do not understand why they can watch YouTube on a home DSL connection but not on a mobile phone. The challenge is to provide voice, data, multimedia and video all together at a competitive price.

At the same time, networks face the challenge of connecting the next billion users who need barebone connectivity and voice, but typically have an average revenue per user under US$5 per month.

"Internet users, this is the key to economic growth. Basic Internet connectivity, access to community services, e-care, e-health and e-education type of services," he said.

Alcadel-Lucent believes that the technology to provide this is 3G. Worldwide there are over 155 UMTS networks, of which 110 are already upgraded to 3.5G HSDPA. Alcatel-Lucent gear is in over 40 networks in 35 countries.

Persche said that Uruguay, Cambodia and Tunisia are three countries where 3G has been chosen not only to provide voice but also Internet connectivity.

Maxis in Malaysia offers a DSL type of service with over 150,000 users accessing the Internet via a 3G datacard or dongle. Mymeg in South Africa also has around the same number of data users on its 3G network.

Persche also showed off the Femto converged personal communication hub, which includes a DSL Modem and 3G HSDPA device along with a WiFi hub. The idea is for a converged box offering all the services of today's coverged operators. For the network operator, because the box will be priced at a similar price point to a home access point, it can be sold with zero capital expenditure for the telco.

"After HSUPA, we are extremely committed to LTE (3G Long Term Evolution). We are starting trials the end of this year and will have a commercially available solution by 2009," he said.

Asked how software defined radio will affect the market, Persche said that the technology is already in Alcatel-Lucent's labs and he expects it to be rolled out commercially by 2009. The main impact will be freeing the operator from having to commit to any technology choice.

This is because with software defined radio, implementing a new protocol is as simple as a software upgrade.

However, Perche was more controversial when asked how he felt about Skype's tie-up with Hutchinson in many markets and the potential for operator bypass with VoIP over 3G.

"My personal opinion is that they are a dead horse and they will disappear fairly soon. It was a great idea, a great brand, but the truth is that many operators are now offering packages with at least the same prices or even lower. In France, every operator now offers free national calls and you can buy bulk packages of international minutes. Skype cannot keep up on the cost and they cannot keep up on the quality. The big telcos are in a much better situation for service and price," he said.

Bangkok Post