Nokia Pushes Cellular-WiFi Convergence At 3GSM

BARCELONA — Nokia announced a host of initiatives in seamless connectivity between cellular and WiFi networks as well as cooperation with other handset makers on interoperability of DVB-H compliant handsets and networks on the opening day of the 3GSM World Congress here.

The company also announced Monday (Feb.3) that it is working even closer with Vodafone than previously to spread the uptake of Platform S60 based handsets and launched additional frequency variants of its Flexi W-CDMA compliant base stations.

“The global device market is continuing to show amazing growth, and there are huge opportunities for those able to innovate quickly,” said Jorma Ollila, chairman and CEO of the Finnish company.

Nokia also previewed what a “seamless solution” for Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) convergence including both network equipment and new handsets for what is becoming the talking point of the huge 3GSM Congress.

“We are taking a complete approach for this technology that offers seamless handover of voice and data between GSM cellular and WLAN networks, as well as being a useful approach to extending GSM indoor coverage,” said Ollila.Its second generation UMA compliant handset, the 6136, incorporates a host of voice and data enhancements and network operators Orange is to be the lead customer for the converged phone, which should be available during the second quarter of the year.

On the handsets side, the Nokia chairman offered some optimistic forecasts for the prospects for 3G. “We expect to ship about 40 million 3G/W-CDMA devices globally this year, and capture 40 percent of the total market. We also plan to ship close to 80 million devices with integrated music players, and nearly double that for devices with integrated FM radio.”

The co-operation with Sony Ericsson on interoperability in DVB-H enabled devices would significantly boost the prospects for mobile TV, said Ollila. “The feedback from all the trials the industry is doing, including the ones we have been involved in, suggests people really will to take to this, and perhaps we should start referring to its as Personal TV,” he suggested.

Ollila acknowledged there will be a multitude of technologies suitable for accessing different types of content over mobile phones, and suggested DVB-H will be the preferred option for terrestrial digital broadcast.

As a staring point to secure interoperability with multi-vendor mobile TV pilots, the companies will use the Open Air Interface implementation guidelines that Nokia outlined and made publicly available last August.The company’s networks division has started pushing to operators new frequency variants of its small and modular Flexi W-CDMA base stations. Versions for the IMT-2000 frequencies 2100MHz, 1700 MHz, 18OO MHz and 1700/2100 MHz will be available from the second half of the year, with variants for 850MHz, 900 MHz and 1900 MHz appearing in the first half of 2007.