An Unlikely, Yet Powerful Marriage of Networks

Posted on October 6, 2011 by

Vodafone, one of the world’s largest GSM operators, has partnered with much smaller CDMA operators to improve its business.

So far, Vodafone has paired up with two CDMA2000® 1X/EV-DO Rev. A network operators, one in the Czech Republic and the other in India.

In September 2010, Vodafone partnered with MobilKom (Ufon) to extend its high-speed mobile broadband coverage to 80 percent of the Czech Republic. Vodafone’s goal is to offer the fastest Internet possible, and to that end they are using MobilKom’s CDMA450 network and multimode EDGE/HSPA+/EV-DO devices that enable their customers to use their services across the entire nation, www.vodafone.cz/about_en/press/press_news.htm?lang=en&id=722&year=2010.

The next match has occurred in India, where Vodafone is working with Sistema Shyam (MTS India) to sell CDMA-based data services across the nation on a revenue-sharing basis.  Under the franchise agreement, Vodafone will market their high-speed broadband EV-DO dongles under the brand, NetCruise, to broaden its customer base.  NetCruise mobile broadband devices will leverage Sistema Shyam’s spectrum and network infrastructure and Vodafone’s brand and distribution experience, www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/info-tech/article2415619.ece?homepage=truehttp://telecomtalk.info/vodafone-netcruise-data-services/71140/comment-page-4/.

Market analysts are expecting an increase in these types of multi-network technology deals as the demand for mobile broadband and machine-to-machine (M2M) service grows and spectrum becomes scarce.  Operators in other countries, such as Indonesia and Sweden, are already working on similar agreements.

Posted in CDMA2000 1X, EV-DO Rev. A, M2M, MobilKom (Ufon), Sistema Shyam (MTS India), Uncategorized, Vodafone | Leave a comment

World’s Smallest Wireless Module

Posted on August 17, 2011 by

When it comes to Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communications, the CDMA2000 industry is playing a leading role.  With more than 120 companies providing CDMA-based M2M products and services, the CDMA2000 industry has been actively expanding this segment of the wireless industry for the past ten years.  One of those companies is the AnyDATA Corporation, www.anydata.com.

AnyDATA, a member of the CDG and its M2M special interest group (SIG), recently announced the delivery of the “world’s smallest wireless module” to Sprint’s M2M Collaboration Center, http://www.anydata.com/Press_7_12_11.html.  The two wearable wireless modules are the DTW-200D (CDMA2000 1X) and DTW-500D (EVDO Rev A).

To learn more about these tiny modules, visit www.anydata.com.

If you know of anything smaller on the horizon, let us know.

These ultra-small form factor modules are designed to enable new M2M products within verticals such as : Asset & People Tracking, ATM/Point-of-Sale, Digital Signage, Fleet & Telematics, Healthcare, Insurance, Manufacturing & Logistics, Public Safety, Remote Monitoring & Control, Security, SmartGrid/Utilities and Wireless Routers & Modems.  They operate in the 800 and 1900 MHz frequency bands, weigh 4 grams and offer low power consumption, an affordable price, 3-Axis Accelerometer for precise tracking and movement monitoring, GPS/AGPS/gpsOneXTRA for accurate GPS connectivity and tracking, Bluetooth connectivity and a standardized USB interface.

If you missed the CDG webcast on M2M featuring Sprint, Huawei and Ericsson, you can view it at: www.cdg.org/news/events/webcast/110310_smart_devices_service/index.asp.

Posted in 3G CDMA, AnyData, CDMA2000 1X, EV-DO Rev. A, M2M | Leave a comment

The Perceived Value of Simultaneous Voice and Data (SVDO) Transmissions

Posted on July 6, 2011 by

The jury is out.  How many people launch a data session or transmit data while simultaneously conversing on their mobile phone?   Do you?

It doesn’t matter, when in the “mind” of the consumer it’s considered a compelling feature.  Just like the need to have a high-resolution camera built into the phone.  Just in case.

But how did Simultaneous Voice and Data (SVDO) become such a desirable feature?  It boils down to the “battle of perceptions.”  In other words, marketing.

Just prior to Verizon launching its version of the iPhone 4 in February 2011, the competition knew they would be susceptible to losing market share.  So they grabbed on to the first thing that could differentiate their offering from Verizon’s new product launch – the simultaneous transmission of voice and data.   The TV commercials were effective.  The consumers got it.   A few months later, so did Verizon.

Since then, manufacturers such as HTC and Samsung have introduced powerful CDMA2000-based smartphones that support SVDO, the HTC Thunderbolt and Droid Charge, respectively.

So now the playing field is level again.   But it still begs the question; “Do you simultaneously carry on a conversation while conducting a data session on your mobile phone?”   Or, is it just a nice to have feature?

Posted in 3G CDMA, Devices, Evolution, SVDO, Verizon Wireless | Leave a comment

How Much Longer Will CDMA Exist?

Posted on June 27, 2011 by

Tracy Ford, editor of RCR Wireless had the following to say on CDMA’s longevity:

“At the CDMA Development Group’s CDMA World Forum, in Guangzhou, China, the ugly “how much longer will CDMA exist” question reared its head a time or two. I tend to agree with James Person, COO of the CDG, who said he expects to be at a world forum in 10 years answering the same question. Machine-to-machine is getting a strong push globally from operators, and those long-term contracts will force carriers to maintain the networks, especially if the predicted M2M explosion occurs.”

Ever since CDMA was first introduced, its commercial viability has been challenged.  Twenty years later, the technology continues on a growth trajectory and is now serving more than 575 million subscribers in a 123 countries and territories.  Popular devices, such as the iPhone, iPad2 and Galaxy Tab, are making their way into the expanding product portfolios of many CDMA operators.  Global revenues from CDMA infrastructure equipment increased by 22% in the first quarter of 2011, as compared to a year ago, with most of the growth coming from North America where revenues jumped by 65%.  And for the past ten years, CDMA2000-based wireless networks have been at the forefront of delivering affordable and reliable M2M services which are expected to remain in place for well into the next decade.

Posted in 3G CDMA, James Person, M2M, RCR Wireless | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Dell’Oro Group: Surprise Strength in CDMA Market as Verizon and Others Amplify 3G Networks

Posted on June 2, 2011 by

The Dell’Oro Group recently reported that mobile infrastructure market revenues increased 22% during the first quarter of 2011 versus the year ago quarter, to $9.6 billion. Sales of CDMA/EV-DO comprised almost one-third of the market’s gain, with most of the strength coming from North America, where revenues jumped 65% versus the year-ago quarter, the strongest increase in the region since the inception of CDMA.

“This is not a one-quarter surge in CDMA investment,” commented Stefan Pongratz, Analyst of Mobile Infrastructure research at Dell’Oro Group. “North American operators depend heavily on their 3G networks to support mobile data traffic, and they are fortifying their footprints. The growth in CDMA/EV-DO came from many operators such as Verizon, followed by Sprint, Metro PCS, and Leap, to name a few. 3G infrastructure paves the continent, reaching the most remote locations and it will be the backbone of mobile services for several years while operators build out their LTE networks,” added Pongratz.

The full press release and link to the report can be found here:  http://www.delloro.com/news/2011/Mob052611.htm

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Increased Data Roaming Brings New Challenges, and New Revenue Opportunities

Posted on May 19, 2011 by

During an April meeting hosted by China Telecom in Nanjing, China, industry experts of the CDMA Development Group’s International Roaming Team (IRT) examined how to address the challenges and capture the opportunities associated with increased data roaming demand.

Customers are relying upon applications which require increased access to mobile data, and they want these applications available ubiquitously at a price that allows them to utilize the applications at will. As Vodafone observed, demand created by the explosion of smart phone and mobile broadband adoption opens up a huge data roaming opportunity for operators.

However, industry-leader MACH noted that the current state of data roaming is one filled with fear about bill shock. According to ZDNet, 80% of consumers said they had received a data-roaming bill they thought was excessive. Consumers want a fixed price and fear accidental usage, so they are often inclined to use hotel Wi-Fi when traveling. Enterprises install restrictive corporate travel usage policies to prevent costly business and personal usage; 40% of corporations turn off data roaming on company-issued mobile devices.

Vodafone agrees, stating that for data roaming key customer concerns are bill shock, coverage and connectivity. Yet data roaming pricing remains the main usage barrier. ZTE supported that statement, noting that the high price of roaming may become an obstacle for developing more roaming users. Furthermore, growing support of Wi-Fi on mobile devices poses a threat to international data roaming.

The CDMA community, led by the IRT, is seizing the opportunity not only to deliver data where customers want to use it, but to also revolutionize data roaming pricing models and strengthen customer communications to avoid bill shock.

For example, operators are using pre-paid or pay-as-you-go roaming models to educate users about the availability of limited, trackable roaming costs. Mobile device users are notified of these fixed-price data roaming packages as soon as they roam onto another operator’s network. Customers who utilize these options know exactly how much data they have to use within their budgets, enabling informed usage, a more satisfying user experience and no lost revenues due to bill shock.

Roaming vendors are examining new ways to provide customers with more visibility to and control of data roaming spending by creating additional options to offer prepaid roaming to postpaid subscribers while roaming internationally.

Representatives from China Telecom, LG U+ and Sprint shared their experiences and advice about how to streamline EV-DO roaming implementations and expand data roaming coverage.

A few images from the Nanjing meeting are below. The complete presentations and findings are available for CDG members to download at http://www.cdg.org/roaming/irt/irt_recent_meetings.asp

Mr. Zeng Hongjian, Deputy Managing Director of China Telecom, delivers the keynote address in Nanjing

  

China Telecom, IUSACELL, KDDI and Sprint present about Data Roaming pricing models

 

Attendees of the IRT Meeting in Nanjing, China pose for a picture

Posted in CDMA2000 1X, China Telecom, EV-DO Rev. A, LG Telecom, Sprint Nextel | Leave a comment

China Telecom Becomes the World’s Largest CDMA Operator

Posted on April 28, 2011 by

China Telecom announced its Q1-2011 financials today, reaching a major milestone in the CDMA community.  The operator has now surpassed 100 million subscribers on its CDMA2000 1X and EV-DO networks, making it the largest CDMA operator in the world in terms of subscribers.

The milestone highlights tremendous growth since the beginning of 2009, when China Telecom began commercial operation of the country’s only CDMA2000 network.  Over that period, subscriber growth has risen from under 2 million per month to over 3 million per month.  The operator added over 28 million customers in 2009 and over 34 million subscribers in 2010.

In March 2009, China Telecom launched EV-DO Rev. A services under its “e-surfing” brand, offering nationwide 3G mobile broadband services.  Today, 16.4 million customers are using EV-DO for high-speed Internet services, making China Telecom’s percentage of 3G customers (to total customers) the highest amongst the country’s three main operators.

This growth has been supported by an expansive device ecosystem.  China Telecom offered over 800 CDMA2000 device models in 2010, as handset sales rose 50 percent to more than 45 million units.  That number is expected to surpass 60 million this year, with over half of those devices being 3G-enabled.

China’s mobile market is showing no signs of slowing down, as traditional fixed-line and PHS subscribers continue to decline and fuel the growth of mobile voice and data services.  According to China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), there are now over 890 million mobile subscribers in the country.

The CDG and China Telecom are co-hosting the 2011 CDMA World Forum, which will be held June 16-17 in Guangzhou, China.  China Telecom will provide the opening keynote address for the forum, which will also coincide with the company’s annual device fair.  More information about CDMA World Forum is at http://www.beaconevents.com/2011/cdma-world2011/en/Home/index.jsp

Posted in 3G CDMA, China Telecom | 1 Comment

M2M in Transportation: American Trash Management

Posted on April 26, 2011 by

Rising gas prices and heightened awareness about energy conservation have made transportation a hot issue of late, as consumers and corporations search for ways to minimize the use of fossil fuels to help both the planet and the bottom line. Enter machine-to-machine (M2M) communications, which are enabling fleet management companies to optimize operations while reducing environmental impact and costs. 

One example is American Trash Management’s (ATM) SmartTrash solution, which is using CDMA2000®  to transform the waste management business. ATM installs its SmartTrash device in the trash compactors and balers of supermarkets, retailers, hospitals, schools and manufacturing facilities. The device time-stamps, records and analyzes compactor data including information about how full the compactor is and its energy use.

This data is then transmitted across CDMA2000 networks to ATM’s data center, where technicians analyze the data and optimize pickup times. When a compactor requires pickup, ATM contacts the customer’s hauling company via phone, fax or email and schedules a pickup. Customers can also access compactor data from anywhere in the world via a web browser.

Constant connectivity is crucial for this type of waste management solution, as downtime can cause major problems for customers. ATM found CDMA2000 to be a reliable enabler and was able to quickly deploy its solution given CDMA2000’s “packet-based” architecture. 

ATM’s solution produces measurable benefits for its customers in terms of cost savings, increased efficiency and lower environmental impact. Depending on waste output, ATM’s customers realize cost-recovery relatively quickly by saving an average of 25% on waste management costs.  Optimized pickups mean fewer trucks need to be dispatched – for example, every 1.7 days rather than every day at 7:30am – and help ATM decrease waste management costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The SmartTrash solution transforms waste management from a business based on regular, scheduled pickups to one which incorporates real-time intelligence to offer pickups on an “as needed” basis. Reducing the number of trucks dispatched is a major objective for M2M applications as companies look to cut costs and reduce their environmental impact.

More information about this case study and how CDMA2000-enabled M2M applications are assisting other industries can be found in Harbor Research’s white paper, “Smart Devices and Services Connected by CDMA2000.”

Posted in M2M | Tagged | Leave a comment

CDMA M2M Modules Market “Characterized by Falling Prices”

Posted on April 11, 2011 by

At the end of September 2010, Harbor Research released a white paper titled, “Smart Devices and Services Connected by CDMA2000.”

The paper explores the application opportunities, technology requirements and business benefits arising from machine-to-machine (M2M) communication.  Specifically, it highlights how CDMA2000-based wireless networks are at the forefront of a transition from “dumb” products to smart devices, enabling customer value-creation and smart services.

In addition to providing case studies of how CDMA2000 M2M capabilities are transforming the way a wide variety of industries do business, the paper also provides empirical research into the pricing of M2M models.  Harbor Research found that the market for CDMA2000 modules is “characterized by falling prices,” and that trend is expected to continue.  CDMA2000 1X (a 3G technology, as defined by the ITU) module pricing will be reduced by 60 percent in 2014, making it price competitive with EDGE modules (which are being replaced by UMTS modules to lower the economic cost structure for M2M applications).  Furthermore, EV-DO Rev. A modules will match the pricing trend of UMTS, while staying well below HSPA+ and LTE modules.

Modules and connectivity components are the fundamental building blocks of most M2M applications, providing connectivity for any device or machine that requires networking. In the past few years, the market for CDMA2000 modules has been characterized by falling prices. Technology innovation, economies of scale and the increasing number of component and module suppliers are driving prices lower, while adding more functionality. This has been a boon to customers deploying CDMA2000-based M2M applications. Lower module and component costs combined with the low cost per byte data rates that CDMA2000 enables further decreases the total cost of ownership for M2M solutions.

A complete comparison of Module Pricing from the white paper is below:

For more information, please download the Harbor Research white paper at http://www.harborresearch.com/cdma2000m2m.html.

Posted in 3G CDMA, CDMA2000 1X, EV-DO Rev. A, Harbor Research, M2M | Tagged | Leave a comment

Brazil May Open 450 MHz Band for Private Operators

Posted on April 1, 2011 by

Good news coming from Brazil today, as Next Wireless LATAM is reporting that Brazil’s Ministry of Communications may open the 450 MHz frequency band to private operators, enabling them to offer voice and broadband services using CDMA450 to both urban and rural areas. According to the article, “Anatel’s attorney generalship authorized to grant such bands to private operators with the purpose of fulfilling universalization goals provided other private entities should not be interested.”

This would be a positive step forward for the country’s efforts to bridge the digital divide and open up communications access across the largest South American country.  Additionally, with the spectrum made available for free, the operators will have more capital available to invest in network deployments for both fixed and mobile voice, data and multimedia services.

The CDG has been actively involved with regulators in Brazil regarding its efforts to open up the 450 MHz frequency band for IMT services.  Part of those efforts have been to build awareness of the propagation characteristics of 450 MHz, other successful CDMA450 deployments worldwide and of the devices available to support the technology’s use in Brazil, including multi-mode, multi-band devices running CDMA and GSM in the 450, 900 and 1800 MHz frequency bands used in the country.

The complete Next Wireless LATAM article is available at http://www.nextwirelesslatam.com/index.php/6-cross-wireless/brasil-podria-abrir-la-banda-de-450-mhz-a-los-operadores-privados

Posted in 3G CDMA | Leave a comment