Japan‘s number one carrier offers 3G/VoIP Linux phone
2004-11-24
(in a few years we will be able to purchase a similar device to run on WCDMA/VoIP in the US....imagine the possibilities)
NTT DoCoMo and its regional subsidiaries are now offering business subscribers a dual-network 3G/VoIP handset that works as a 3G mobile phone, VoIP (voice-over-IP) terminal, or both simultaneously. The N900iL is based on a Linux-based 3G mobile phone software platform developed jointly by NEC and Panasonic.
NTT DoCoMo says the N900iL uses its "passage duple" system for dual-network operation. It can operate as a 3G mobile phone under NTT‘s W-CDMA 3G network, or as a VoIP phone with SIP (session initiation protocol) control under wireless 802.11b networks. Or, it can be set up for dual-mode operation under both kinds of network simultaneously, NTT DoCoMo says.
NTT DoCoMo markets its 3G wireless network services under the brandname "FOMA," or "Freedom of Mobile-multimedia Access." 3G network services provide Internet access at broadband speeds. Although NTT DoCoMo is Japan‘s largest mobile carrier, the company has lagged in 3G subscriber uptake, possibly due to the high cost of the Symbian-based phones it has previously offered. NTT DoCoMo announced in December of 2003 that it would adopt Linux for its future 3G phones.
NTT DoCoMo has also looked at using Linux on the other end of its FOMA network. It evaluated a Carrier Grade Linux switch developed by NEC in September.
When used in wireless LAN mode, the N900iL supports call hold, call transfer, and other standard phone functions, the company says. N900iL users on the same LAN can send instant text messages to one another, and check one another‘s status with a "callee status function." Status information includes whether the callee is on- or off-line, in a meeting, out of the office, on a business trip, etc. Users can also browse lists of other local users.
When used in FOMA mode, the phone can tunnel through firewalls to access enterprise applications, using VPN (virtual private network) technology.
Hydro_gen
