Month: January 2012

Official "4G" – LTE-Advanced and WiMAX 2.0 (IEEE 802.16m) Approved by ITU-R as IMT Advanced specifications

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The ITU-R (Radiocommunication Assembly) approved both LTE Advanced and WiMAX Release 2.0 as IMT Advanced standards this week at their plenary meeting in Geneva.  The ITU-R had previously referred to IMT Advanced  “4G” but then changed its definition to accomodate all the mobile operators who were calling LTE and WiMAX 1.0 “4G”  (they are actually 3G+ RAN technologies.
 The new IMT Advanced specifications (LTE Advanced and WiMAX 2.0) will deliver “a much higher quality and a much higher bit rate, typically of the order of 100 megabits per second.”

“This means absolutely no time to get a page open,” claims Francois Rance, head of the ITU-R.  Mr. Rancey says that speeds will be so fast that a web page will open in less than 10ms, and users will be able to stream high-definition video at very high bit rates.   “IMT-Advanced would be like putting a fibre optic broadband connection on your mobile phone, making your phone at least 500 times faster than today’s 3G smart phones,” explains Rancy. “But it’s not only about speed; it’s about efficiency. IMT-Advanced will use radio-frequency spectrum much more efficiently making higher data transfers possible on lesser bandwidth. This will enable mobile networks to face the dramatic increase in data traffic that is expected in the coming years”

From IEEE 802.16 WG Chair Roger Marks:
This week, the ITU-R (in the ITU Radiocommunication Assembly) concluded its approval of the IMT-Advanced specification. This means that the WirelessMAN-Advanced air interface is now officially accorded the official designation of IMT-Advanced. Please see the ITU’s announcement:  http://www.itu.int/net/pressoffice/press_releases/2012/02.aspx
The WirelessMAN-Advanced air interface was first specified in IEEE Std 802.16m and is currently being developed into the standalone IEEE Std 802.16.1. The standard has also been adopted by ARIB, TTA, and the WiMAX Forum.
The ITU-R notes that approval followed “a detailed evaluation against stringent technical and operational criteria.” The ITU Secretary-General called the announcement “a landmark development in mobile technology.”
AW Comment:  We wonder if LTE Advanced and WiMAX 2.0 – “true” 4G RAMs- will now be called “5G” by mobile operators. Else, how can they be distinguished from LTE and WiMAX 1.0 which were incorrectly referred to as 3G?  Neither technology is expected to be available for a least a couple of years.

Important Criteria for Procurement of Wireline Telecom Services

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What are the most important factors in procuring telecom services for a small or medium size business?  Many companies just do a price comparison, but that neglects many other important attributes.  Wireline telecom services include:  private line, IP MPLS VPN, wavelength, Internet access, VoIP, and even circuit switched voice/data.   

In telecommunications, the most important aspects of service quality include  availability, reliability, security, flexibility or choice, simplicity and assurance. All of these are affected by innovations in technology, the development of a competitive
market structure, and interconnection of the competitors in a network of networks.

Here’s a checklist of important attributes to consider when procuring a new telecom service for your organization:

-Competitive price for service requested, considering distance between endpoints or from premises to carrier POP

-Quick order processing and rapid provisioning after order is completed

-Service Quality/ Functionality/ Performance/ SLA compliance

-Availability and Reliability – not all services need 5 9’s uptime (but mission critical applications certainly do)

-Customer service/ support/trouble shooting problems

-Fast restoration of service after an outage

-Security (very relevent for a shared network, e.g. MPLS VPN

-Rapid re-provisioning to accomodate moves and changes and to add/delete end points

-Reputation of telco/ brand name recognition

Reference:

An interesting Oct 2011 Google study of attitudes of “wireline users” includes Wireline Purchase drivers.  The study found that customer service was a key driver for many purchases.  In particular, Google found that the customer’s desire for personal interaction prevails.
• 60% research telecom solutions online but still prefer to interact directly with a salesperson
• Wireline service shoppers were willing to pay 11% more for great customer service from an Internet provider
• Over 25% of tele-sales originate as a customer service inquiry

www.thinkwithgoogle.com/insights/uploads/131352.pdf

For more information, please contact me:  [email protected]

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