RF&WirelessBlog

OneVoice wins GSMA backing

The GSMA has announced today at Mobile World Congress that it has adopted the work of the One Voice Initiative in order to move towards a standard way of delivering voice and messaging services for LTE. The GSMA's Voice over LTE (VoLTE) initiative has the backing of more than 40 organisations, including many leading mobile operators, handset manufacturers and equipment vendors, who all support the principle of a single, IMS-based voice solution for next-generation networks. The GSMA has also said it will lead the development of the specifications enabling interconnection and roaming between LTE networks, which it expects to be complete by Q1 2011.

Wireless moves into a new decade

The first week of a new year may seem a rather unsociable time to hold a major trade show, but the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has become established as a showcase for the new product developments that will shape the immediate future of the consumer electronics market. In recent years wireless technology, and wireless-enabled IT products, have increased to become a dominant part of this market. The first days of a new year are also the traditional time for looking forward to what the future will bring, so the conjunction is timely.

So what will the new decade bring for the wireless and RF industry?

VoLGA and One Voice rev up competition for voice over LTE networks

One of the most talked-about topics of the year has been how to enable voice and SMS services over LTE. With the launch of the first LTE networks now imminent the pressure to finalise the solution is escalating. This week alone there have been a number of announcements related to VoLGA (Voice over LTE via Generic Access), one of the three options open to operators who will not be satisfied to offer a data-only service. Firstly, Deutsche Telekom announced that it had made an LTE voice call using two independent VoLGA-based systems from Kineto Wireless and Alcatel-Lucent respectively. Now Kineto Wireless has announced a new release of software for its access gateway, which now supports the VoLGA Forum's specification for extending voice and SMS services over LTE networks. VoLGA controllers connect to existing mobile switching centres (MSC) through standard network interfaces to enable delivery of the full range of basic telephony and intelligent network services expected by both operators and subscribers. Kineto also recently premiered a combined, field-upgradeable VoLGA/IMS voice client for LTE handsets.

Ruckus Wireless managed Wi-Fi system challenges WiMAX business model

In a move that appears to strengthen the case for supporters of Wi-Fi as a means of offloading the traffic from hard-pressed 3G networks, Ruckus Wireless has today introduced an end-to-end managed, wireless broadband access (WBA) solution based on IEEE 802.11n, which it says will give service providers a cost-effective, expandable model for offering broadband data services in developing urban environments. The Ruckus WBA solution includes outdoor mesh access points (AP), customer premises equipment (CPE), a new line of smart Wi-Fi backhaul systems and system-wide remote management.