Friday, 15 February 2008

Qualcomm Announces Multiple HSPA+ Trials to Take Place in 2008

Multiple network operators have committed to try HSPA+ technology this year.

Qualcomm Incorporated, a developer and innovator of advanced wireless technologies and data solutions, announced that multiple network operators have committed to try HSPA+ technology this year. To be conducted with operators including Hutchison 3G, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, and Telstra, the Company’s HSPA+ trials bring the technology another step closer to commercialization.  HSPA+ is a seamless upgrade from HSPA, delivering up to 28 Mbps mobile broadband and dramatic increases in network capacity without the need for new spectrum.

Steve Mollenkopf, senior vice president of product management for Qualcomm CDMA Technologies said, with trials this year, they are on track for commercialization in 2009 and giving network operators the added benefit of time-to-market advantage in addition to advanced broadband capabilities.

With Qualcomm, 3 is committed to deliver a compelling experience to their customers. Christian Salbaing, managing director of European telecommunications at Hutchison 3G Europe said that HSPA+ provides a clear path for them to evolve the existing high-speed networks to provide the best wireless broadband services through increased network capacity and the highest data speeds.

Beside 3, Telecom Italia relies on HSPA technology to provide the most advanced services to its customers. "We look forward to work with Qualcomm to validate and optimize HSPA+ technology this year, and to see the benefits it can enable for our subscriber base," said Stefano Nocentini, head of Telecom Italia Lab. 

The HSPA+ trials are expected to take place this year, enabling commercialization of the technology as early as 2009. The trials will use Qualcomm’s Mobile Data Modem ™ (MDM™) MDM8200™ chipset. Key features being trialed include 64-QAM HSDPA for 21 Mbps downlink data rates and 2x2 downlink MIMO for 28 Mbps downlink data rates.