InterDigital Inc (IDCC)

[revlis]

The future is all IP, says Ericsson

SWEDISH telecommunications giant Ericsson believes the time is ripe to embark on the next big thing in the telecoms world – the implementation of an all-Internet Protocol (IP) network.

Its chief executive officer, Carl-Henric Svanberg, said most 3G (third-generation) networks would be upgraded to HSDPA (High-speed downlink packet access) this year as 3G is now in steady growth.

“IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) and an all-IP network is the next step to fully leverage the opportunities of mobile broadband,” he said in a press statement at the 3GSM World Congress in Barcelona recently.

“While HSDPA takes the access network to a new level, IMS and an all-IP will take the core network to a new level.”

HSDPA is a new protocol and is designed to increase the available 3G data rate from a theoretical maximum of 2Mbps to 14Mpbs, while IMS is a standardised architecture for telecoms operators that want to provide mobile and fixed multimedia services.

Svanberg said the importance of IMS would become even more evident this year when Ericsson rolls out of services beyond voice and starts to really tap into the potential of HSDPA.

Besides the evolution of the mobile access network, Svanberg also said that as mobile broadband capabilities are made available, new channels for distributing content would also be created.

“Mobile broadband opens up plenty of business opportunities and attracts new entrants to our industry.

“A new telecom ecosystem is emerging and partnerships will be crucial going forward and operators will play a key role materialising the opportunities with mobile broadband,” he said.

“Ericsson is in a unique position to make this telecoms ecosystem work and make our customers even more successful,” he added.

Meanwhile, Ericsson also announced that Telenor R&D has agreed to run tests using its IMS solution for convergent services.

Telenor said Ericsson’s IMS solution would offer a seamless customer experience with personalised, context-aware services and applications independent of location, network, platform, media type and device.

The system also includes Ericsson’s triple-play-enabled IP-based broadband system, home gateways and base stations for public WiFi.

Hans-Christian Haugli, chief executive of Telenor, said that with these activities the company would build valuable insight and technical experience based on various network configurations and scenarios.

“As the distinction between fixed and mobile services will disappear, it is important for us to test convergent services and how this will enhance the experience of our customers,” he said.
http://star-techcentral.com/tech/story.asp?file=/2006/3/9/corpit/13595315&sec=corpit