Wireless Asia articles from January 1 2009

Wireless Asia archives from January 1 2009

RF chips for LTE and low-cost 3G.(WIRELESS GEAR)
January 1, 2009... Infineon Technologies has released two new RF chips called SMARTi LU and SMARTi Uemicro for LTE and 3G networks, respectively. The SMARTi LU is a single-chip 65nm CMOS RF transceiver that provides 2G/3G/LTE functionality with a DigRF...

LTE cell planning and optimization.(WIRELESS GEAR)
January 1, 2009... Actix has unveiled its Radioplan 4G automatic cell planning and optimization solution for LTE network planning and deployment, which will be available in time with the official launch of the Actix AO Platform 5.0. Actix AO Platform 5.0...

Andrew upgrades drive-test system.(WIRELESS GEAR)
January 1, 2009... Andrew, a division of CommScope, has rolled out a digital scanning receiver called i.Scan which features the evolved Invex.NxG wireless drive-test system, formerly called Invex3G. The Invex.NxG system enables wireless operators to view...

Wimax video surveillance terminal.(TECHNOLOGY SECTION)
January 1, 2009... ZTE has unveiled the Mi100--billed as the world's first Wimax Mobile Video Surveillance Terminal. The new 802.16e product supports high-speed mobile remote surveillance of up to a maximum speed of 100km/h. With a compact and portable size...

700-MHz Wimax gear.(TECHNOLOGY SECTION)
January 1, 2009... Airspan Networks has released its 700-MHz Wimax product suite targeted at rural areas in the US and around the world. This solution is especially attractive for areas with low population density or for long-range coverage requirements,...

Touch-screen LTE test set.(TECHNOLOGY SECTION)
January 1, 2009... AT4 wireless has launched its new E2010 Broadband Wireless Test Set, the basis of its LTE test products line. The new LTE E2010 test set incorporates flexible eNodeB emulation capabilities plus parametric measurements in one box, supporting...

RF remote control.(TECHNOLOGY SECTION)
January 1, 2009... GreenPeak has rolled out a new reference design for home remote control devices based on RF technology. Unlike traditional infra red-based remote controls, RF remote controls provide two-way, high-speed communication and do not require...

802.11n access point with PoE.(WIRELESS GEAR)
January 1, 2009... Cisco has launched the industry's first next-generation wireless access point that combines full 802.11 n performance with security while using standard Power over Ethernet. The Cisco Aironet 1140 Series Access Point combines a sleek design...

Motorola misses high ground on wireless broadband.(TECH VIEW)
January 1, 2009... In late 2008, Motorola announced that, based on its belief that multimedia and video will drive demand for both broadband networks and wireless networks, it is committed to continued development and deployment of pre-4G network capabilities and...

Smart Energy networking comes home: ZigBee's Smart Energy profile can streamline development of products that can help consumers create home networks to monitor energy usage--and save money on their utility bills.(TECH PERSPECTIVE)
January 1, 2009... Homeowners must find new ways to conserve energy, and utilities need to deliver enhanced services and manage peak demand. Wouldn't it be helpful if utility companies and consumer devices could carry on a continuous background dialog about...

Smart shopping tips for wireless mesh: want to build a wireless mesh network? There are plenty of technologies to choose from, but one size does not fit all. Here's the roster of mesh protocols on the market, and what criteria you should use to rate them.(TECH SPOTLIGHT)
January 1, 2009... Over the past few years, mesh networks have become more popular, following the trend to create more wireless things. As with other technology trends, as mesh networking has developed, so has a plethora of different mesh networking technologies...

GPS spoofing threat: GPS receivers are vulnerable to attacks like spoofing, in which they can be tricked into tracking fake GPS signals. Here's how the bad guys do it--and how to stop them.(TECH FOCUS)
January 1, 2009... All forms of communications networks have security issues, and GPS is no different. A report from the US Transportation Department's Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in 2001 identified spoofing as a potential threat to civil GPS...

Waiting for mobile TV: broadcast mobile TV was slated to be the next big thing in 2008, but so far, it's either still in trials or losing money. The good news: users still want mobile video. The bad news: they want it for free.(Cover story)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Broadcast video has always been one of the classic no-brainers of mobile content. Can't be home to watch the big game? Watch it on the go. The concept sells itself, right? Well, not exactly. To be sure,...

Android, LTE take center stage in Barcelona.(RESEARCH NOTE)
January 1, 2009... With the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona looming, even pressurized device makers are determined to look their best, and patterns are emerging for the strongest trends of 2009. While Nokia will spend most of the year getting its open source...

Gaming Partners International secures two orders worth $8 million total to supply casino chips and RFID technology to the City of Dreams casino in Macau and Newport City in Manila.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Gaming Partners International secures two orders worth $8 million total to supply casino chips and RFID technology to the City of Dreams casino in Macau and Newport City in Manila, each due to open in the middle of 2009.

Wi-Fi chipset sales jumped 25% in 2008, fueled by demand for Wi-Fi chips in mobile phones and stationary consumer electronic devices.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Wi-Fi chipset sales jumped 25% in 2008, fueled by demand for Wi-Fi chips in mobile phones and stationary consumer electronic devices, says research from the Wi-Fi Alliance and In-Stat.

The Auckland City Council, Kordia, and Wi-Fi services provider Tomizone launch Wi-Fi services.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... The Auckland City Council, Kordia, and Wi-Fi services provider Tomizone launch Wi-Fi services in seven key zones of the CBD.

Chunghwa Telecom selects Alcatel-Lucent to install Taiwan's first femtocell network.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Chunghwa Telecom selects Alcatel-Lucent to install Taiwan's first femtocell network. Alca-Lu will also provide project management and end-to-end network integration for the project.

Samsung and Alvarion win separate contract with VMAX Telecom.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Samsung and Alvarion win separate contract with VMAX Telecom to deploy mobile Wimax base stations in Taiwan.

The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) says it will allow KT to provide VolP-based mobile phone services over WiBro.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... The Korea Communications Commission (KCC) says it will allow KT to provide VolP-based mobile phone services over WiBro, according to the Yonhap news agency.

Okinawa Telemessage launches a Wimax network in Nanjo City.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Okinawa Telemessage launches a Wimax network in Nanjo City using gear from Airspan.

NEC and ArrayComm collaborate to develop new Wimax products that include ArrayComm's multi-antenna signal processing software.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... NEC and ArrayComm collaborate to develop new Wimax products that include ArrayComm's multi-antenna signal processing software, with the first products due in mid-2009.

SmarTone-Vodafone and Ericsson implement what they say is the world's first MIMO pilot.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... SmarTone-Vodafone and Ericsson implement what they say is the world's first MIMO pilot. Commercial deployment of MIMO is expected to be ready by mid-2009.

NextWave sells off its majority stake in its IPWireless subsidiary for $1 million to IPW Holdings.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... NextWave sells off its majority stake in its IPWireless subsidiary for $1 million to IPW Holdings, which is made up of the senior management team of IPWireless.

Nokia.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... Nokia has ceased production of its only Wimax device, the N810 Wimax Edition tablet, claiming it "has reached the end of its life cycle".

China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL and Genius Brand pay $193m for 90MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum in Hong Kong.(SHORT BURSTS)
January 1, 2009... China Mobile Hong Kong, CSL and Genius Brand pay $193m for 90MHz of 2.6GHz spectrum in Hong Kong. Bidders SmarTone-Vodafone and HKBN dropped out due to high pricing.

iBurst done in Australia as Telstra buys spectrum.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
January 1, 2009... The fate of Personal Broadband Australia's 1.9-GHz spectrum is now in the hands of Telstra. Whatever happens next, it may spell the beginning of the end for iBurst wireless broadband technology--at least in Australia. The Australian...

LTE standard on track for March completion.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
January 1, 2009... The 3GPP has confirmed that it has completed the majority of specifications for LTE technology, meaning the full Release 8 standard is on track for completion for March. Adrian Scrase, vice president of international partnership projects...

China's 3G licenses could spur vendor price war.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
January 1, 2009... China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) kicked off the year by formally issuing the long-awaited 3G licenses to the country's three mobile carriers. The results themselves weren't surprising. As expected, China...

Enterprise apps increasingly on the run.(NEWS ANALYSIS)
January 1, 2009... Despite the obvious synergy potential between mobile and the enterprise (BlackBerry being the obvious entry-level example), 3G has been primarily a consumer play, But that's changing as enterprises learn to embrace mobile more fully into their...

Wimax on the ropes but still punching.(THE SIGNAL)
January 1, 2009... This time last year, Wimax was poised for greatness. The Wimax Forum stormed the Mobile World Congress with commercial gear for 802.16e and 240 live networks, while its closest competitor, LTE, was at least a few years off. One year later...

Sprint should consult itself on Wimax.(ANALYST VIEW)
January 1, 2009... Sprint recently announced that it is considering developing a business unit to expand its Wimax consulting to companies in India. Sprint wants to make the most of the technology consulting capabilities it has gained in its attempts at new...

Invisible antennas.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
January 1, 2009... In the ongoing quest to turn science fiction into reality, researchers from China and the US have developed a material that bends light to make objects invisible. And while the objective is to create a cloaking device, the same technology could...

Double capacity.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
January 1, 2009... GSM operators in saturated markets may be able to milk more voice capacity out of their base stations some time next year via technology from Nokia Siemens Networks, which claims to have successfully completed four voice calls in a single time...

Terabyte capacity for smartphones.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
January 1, 2009... Most handsets rely on flash memory cards for extra capacity, with current-generation SDHC cards maxing out at 32GB. The SD Association--the industrial standards body for SD cards--has a new spec coming out later this year that will push card...

Live drive-by GPS updates.(WIRELESS HORIZON)
January 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Wireless Horizon reported last year that Japanese vendor Oki Electric Industry was working on wireless technology that would allow GPS navigation systems to detect nearby pedestrians. The same technology is now set...