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Japan, China talking about tie-up for 3G and LTE networks
China's still thrashing between selecting a global standard and its homegrown TD-SCDMA tech for 3G data, but new talks between China and Japan -- at the very highest levels of government, no less -- could help resolve that. A summit between the nations' prime ministers last week had the subject of network co-development on the docket, with both 3G and 3.9G (one of the many, many names used to describe NTT DoCoMo's early flavor of LTE) technologies up for discussion. Japan plays second fiddle to its European, South Korean, and American rivals when it comes to penetrating the gargantuan Chinese mobile market, and we've no doubt they'd like to make some inroads; getting the country to ultimately abandon TD-SCDMA altogether, though, might be a challenge.
NTT DoCoMo's CTIA 2008 booth tour, hello Super 3G
NTT DoCoMo had a pretty lavish setup here at CTIA, though no new product caught our eye. However, they did have the results from the Super 3G / LTE shenanigans they've been up to in Japan, and the results show serious speed. They're touting Super 3G / LTE as 3.9G -- wow, that extra .4G seems to be making a huge diff -- with theoretical downlink and uplink speeds listed as 70Mbps and 300Mbps. Compared to current HSPA speeds this is a monstrous leap, can you say kiss your cable goodbye? Hit the gallery below for more pics.%Gallery-19778%
Super 3G hits 250Mbps downlink in NTT DoCoMo field test
Just think -- this time next year, we'll all look back at this milestone and wonder how on Earth we thought it was impressive. For now, however, we wouldn't blame you for high-fiving everyone around, as NTT DoCoMo has stretched the boundaries again with a recent Super 3G field test. Reportedly, the outfit was able to record "a downlink transmission rate of 250Mbps over a high-speed wireless network in an outdoor test of an experimental Super 3G system," and while it's not quite the 300Mbps we'd heard about before, you won't find us kvetching. If all goes to plan, the firm is hoping to "complete development of the technologies required for the eventual launch of a Super 3G network" by 2009, but who knows how long we Americans will have to wait to indulge after that.
NTT DoCoMo, Fujitsu show off Super 3G base station
Remember that Super 3G network you tried to forget about after realizing it'd likely never leave Japan? Yeah, well NTT DoCoMo and Fujitsu were busy showcasing a prototype base station that supports the specification at CEATEC. Reportedly, the device "marked a download rate as high as 900Mbps" when utilizing MIMO. Sadly, there was no mention of this technology (nor the base station) going commercial anytime soon, but we'll take every demonstration we can get in the meanwhile.
Verizon dumps CDMA for GSM-based LTE in 4G networks
Just a few months removed from rumors that Vodafone would offload its stake in Verizon Wireless altogether, the two networks have announced that they'll share a common selection for their fourth-generation data networks: Long-Term Evolution. Endorsed by the 3GPP as the official way to burn wireless rubber in the next few years, LTE is a progression of GSM's UMTS platform, making it an ironic choice for CDMA stalwart Verizon and a huge blow for the CDMA Development Group's competing UMB standard. It seems that the unusual move was influenced by the fact that the sister networks -- two of the world's largest -- should probably enjoy some semblance of technological synergy if they're going to carry on their blissful matrimony for the foreseeable future, with Verizon CEO Ivan Seidenberg saying the company has been looking for "stability" in the relationship. Whatever the case, don't throw away that brand spanking new VX8550 or anything rash like that -- the companies aren't looking to roll anything out for another three or four years.
NTT DoCoMo cooks up low-power chip for Super 3G
In technology, speed is almost universally the enemy of power, and that rule certainly holds true in the world of cellular data standards. You heard it from His Steveness himself -- one of the main reasons we don't have a 3G iPhone on store shelves is because he isn't happy with battery life on HSDPA chipsets yet (consumers' opinions be damned, apparently), and in general, runtimes on 3G handsets large and small flag their 2G cousins, sometimes by a significant margin. Happily, the wiz kids at NTT DoCoMo are on the case, crafting Super 3G / LTE chipsets on 65nm dies capable of burning through 200Mbps at "sufficiently low power consumption" for mobile use. There's still no word on when NTT DoCoMo (or anyone else, for that matter) will be launching a commercial network at LTE speeds, but the company's hailing this latest batch of chips as a "milestone" on that journey -- and let's be honest, odds are good that Japan's gonna be rocking this stuff years before the rest of us anyhow.[Via PhoneMag]
NTT DoCoMo tests speedy Super 3G
It's a bird, it's a plane, no, its just Japan's NTT DoCoMo blowing the rest of the world away with yet more steroid-loaded 3G action, or Super 3G in this case. Blending advanced HSDPA and HSUPA technologies, Super 3G is touted as having downlink speeds as quick as 300Mbps -- a fair bit quicker than earlier reports -- to your handset. The indoor tests will begin with only one transmitting and receiving antenna, but switch up to the four Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna system that would be used if deployed. Test are expected to wrap up in 2009, so in the interim we'll all just sit back and cry a little knowing we'll never see this type of tech on these shores.[Via Unwired View]
NTT DoCoMo taps NEC for Super 3G equipment
3.6Mbps downstream data is all well and good, but we've gotta keep looking forward to the next big thing, right? Don't worry, the good folks at NTT DoCoMo have you covered (surprise, surprise). The Japanese powerhouse carrier has teamed up with NEC to deliver so-called "Super 3G" handsets, operating as high as 100Mbps down and 30-50Mbps up, in 2010. It's not quite the 2.5Gbps NTT DoCoMo mustered earlier this year, but hey, we're all about stop-gap solutions if it means downloading YouTube vids just a smidge faster.
Voda first to UK market with HSDPA
Brits feeling left behind in the HSDPA game are about to get their day in the spotlight. Vodafone is prepping its UMTS follow-on for a Thursday launch, offering their Mobile Connect HSDPA data card for laptop users seeking a little extra WWAN oomph. Availability is initially limited to London, Glasgow, Sheffield, Greater Manchester and Tyneside with a nationwide rollout scheduled for summer 2007, but if neither the limited coverage nor the £45 monthly price tag for unlimited data scare you, get ready to whip out £49 for your card come tomorrow.[Via The Register]
