Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C)
April 02, 2007
Citibank Launches Citi MobileSM Technology, Making Everyday Banking on Your Cell Phone Effortless
New York, NY – A push of a button on your cell phone is all it takes to check your balance, pay bills, transfer funds, find an ATM and more. Today, Citibank, the leader in banking innovation introduces Citi Mobile the first mobile banking application from a major U.S. bank that can be quickly downloaded onto cell phones, making mobile banking for Citibank clients as fast and effortless as banking online.
“Citi Mobile represents the next generation of technology that delivers a new level of service to our clients.” said Charles Prince, Chairman and CEO, Citigroup Inc. “Providing on-the-go banking through mobile phones that comes with all the protection our clients have become accustomed to represents a natural evolution for us.”
Citi Mobile combines the consumer need for convenient, on-the-go banking with advanced mobile technology that is compatible with more than 100 popular mobile devices, across major U.S. wireless carriers.
“Citibank prides itself on being at the forefront of technology and innovation and on providing a superior client experience,” said Maura Markus, President, Citibank North America. “Citi Mobile is an example of our commitment to providing our clients even more choices and convenience for their everyday banking, wherever they may be. For our clients, it’s like having Citibank Online in the palm of their hand.”
Consumers can also rest easy that their personal information is safe. Citi Mobile transactions are secure with 128-bit encryption, the same technology that’s used at Citibank.com. In addition, absolutely no personal information is stored on the phone and if a cell phone is lost or stolen, Citi Mobile can be deactivated instantly. For added security Citi Mobile only permits access to accounts from the phone that is registered with the service, and via a client’s 6-digit access code.
Citi Mobile is scheduled to launch in California this week and by mid year, all Citibank clients will be able to enroll in the service. Later this year, a Spanish language version of Citi Mobile will be released.
At launch, Citi Mobile clients will be able to sign up online and in the near future via Citibank branches and by phone. Once enrolled, one click is all it takes to download Citi Mobile – a small application that takes just a minute or two to install. Once installed, clients simply select the Citi icon on their phone to access their accounts. Through the Citi Mobile interface, clients will have immediate and highly secure access to their everyday banking and can navigate through menus to:
View real-time balances
See account activity
Pay bills
Set up future payments
Transfer money
Find a Financial Center or ATM
Direct connect to customer service representatives
Citi Mobile’s user-friendly interface is designed to run on typical mobile phones as well as on high-end devices such as the Blackberry. Clients will simply use the familiar up/down/left/right arrow keys found on all cell phones to navigate through Citi Mobile’s many features. When new features become available, the Citi Mobile application will be upgraded automatically, with no customer intervention required.
Citi is a long-time innovator in banking technology; pioneering ATMs in the seventies, PC banking in the eighties, and online banking in the nineties. Today, Citi continues to innovate around the globe and recently introduced the world's first biometric payment service for cardholders in Singapore and the first of its kind, biometric ATM for microfinance clients in India. In the U.K., Citi recently purchased Egg Banking, the world’s largest online bank, and launched a Vodafone-branded mobile-based international money transfer service. And in the United States, Citibank is conducting a pilot with MasterCard PayPass to offer clients a contactless payment tag for “tap-and-go” purchases at more than 46,000 U.S. retail outlets.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Clearwire IPO's Cool Reception Hasn't Swayed Sprint's WiMax Commitment
The Clearwire IPO's Cool Reception Hasn't Swayed Sprint's WiMax Commitment
Sprint Nextel is awarding contracts toward its $3 billion build-out of a WiMax network. By Richard Martin InformationWeek March 17, 2007 12:00 AM (From the March 19, 2007 issue)
Since its founding by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw in October 2003, Clearwire has been a darling of the high-tech investment community, attracting more than $1.1 billion in funding from Intel and Motorola. Since much of the interest in Clearwire is tied to its use of WiMax technology, the cold investor response to its public offering this month raises questions not just about Clearwire's prospects, but about the future of WiMax.
By March 16, Clearwire's share price had sunk to $20.02, almost 20% below its opening IPO price of $25. Clearwire raises concerns with its apparently insatiable need for cash and its long-term business prospects. The company has around 206,000 subscribers in about 375 cities and towns for the fixed version of WiMax, which competes with cable and DSL, and it plans to build a nationwide broadband network based on the 802.16e IEEE standard, known as mobile WiMax, as equipment becomes available. A Clearwire spokeswoman declined to comment for this story.
With the potential to offer broadband connections over long distances using licensed spectrum, WiMax has generated much hype. But it's competing with third-generation cellular networks and other technologies that also could blanket regions with wireless connectivity. WiMax also has some limitations, including the lack of consistent spectrum across national borders.
"What is WiMax really going to do that these other broadband mobile technologies in evolution won't be able to do?" asks Jane Zweig, head of the Shosteck Group, a telecom consulting firm. "The cable companies, the telcos, everybody is or will be offering the same type of service. The networks have to be ubiquitous, there have to be devices that run over them, ... you have to have interoperability with other mobile networks. There are just lots of questions about WiMax."
Besides Clearwire, no company is betting more heavily on WiMax than Sprint Nextel, which plans to spend $3 billion on a nationwide WiMax network. Dogged by slowing subscriber growth for its cellular voice service, Sprint essentially staked the company's future on WiMax. "We're more enthused today about the market opportunity than we ever have been," asserts Don Stroberg, VP for global broadband strategy at Sprint Nextel.
Indeed, Sprint, as the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier, enjoys many advantages a startup lacks: an existing customer base of about 53 million at the end of 2006, established relationships with device makers, an installed base of cell towers, and cash flow from its cellular business. What's more, Sprint has lined up major vendors (including Clearwire backers Intel and Motorola) to create the semiconductors, devices, and other infrastructure needed for people to use its network, laying off some of the risk of building a network on new technology.
Working with that ecosystem of partners will let Sprint revamp its business model, Stroberg says. "It comes down to our ability to offer WiMax with the support of Intel and Motorola and Nokia, and go after that embedded-device market that goes way beyond ordinary mobile phones," he says. "That means our customer-acquisition cost could be cut to a fraction of what it is today." That could let Sprint offer more flexible types of service than the typical cellular two-year contract with a "walled-garden" model that keeps users from surfing the wider Web.
Sprint last week said it awarded Nokia a network equipment contract to roll out WiMax services in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio by the first half of 2008. Sprint's Chicago network is being built by Motorola and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., market by Samsung, both slated for initial service late this year.
Wall Street seems, so far, to have more faith in Sprint's WiMax ambitions than Clearwire's: After a steep decline in 2006 as the company lost ground to Cingular (now AT&T) and Verizon, Sprint shares have increased 12% since mid-January.
Sprint Nextel is awarding contracts toward its $3 billion build-out of a WiMax network. By Richard Martin InformationWeek March 17, 2007 12:00 AM (From the March 19, 2007 issue)
Since its founding by wireless pioneer Craig McCaw in October 2003, Clearwire has been a darling of the high-tech investment community, attracting more than $1.1 billion in funding from Intel and Motorola. Since much of the interest in Clearwire is tied to its use of WiMax technology, the cold investor response to its public offering this month raises questions not just about Clearwire's prospects, but about the future of WiMax.
By March 16, Clearwire's share price had sunk to $20.02, almost 20% below its opening IPO price of $25. Clearwire raises concerns with its apparently insatiable need for cash and its long-term business prospects. The company has around 206,000 subscribers in about 375 cities and towns for the fixed version of WiMax, which competes with cable and DSL, and it plans to build a nationwide broadband network based on the 802.16e IEEE standard, known as mobile WiMax, as equipment becomes available. A Clearwire spokeswoman declined to comment for this story.
With the potential to offer broadband connections over long distances using licensed spectrum, WiMax has generated much hype. But it's competing with third-generation cellular networks and other technologies that also could blanket regions with wireless connectivity. WiMax also has some limitations, including the lack of consistent spectrum across national borders.
"What is WiMax really going to do that these other broadband mobile technologies in evolution won't be able to do?" asks Jane Zweig, head of the Shosteck Group, a telecom consulting firm. "The cable companies, the telcos, everybody is or will be offering the same type of service. The networks have to be ubiquitous, there have to be devices that run over them, ... you have to have interoperability with other mobile networks. There are just lots of questions about WiMax."
Besides Clearwire, no company is betting more heavily on WiMax than Sprint Nextel, which plans to spend $3 billion on a nationwide WiMax network. Dogged by slowing subscriber growth for its cellular voice service, Sprint essentially staked the company's future on WiMax. "We're more enthused today about the market opportunity than we ever have been," asserts Don Stroberg, VP for global broadband strategy at Sprint Nextel.
Indeed, Sprint, as the No. 3 U.S. wireless carrier, enjoys many advantages a startup lacks: an existing customer base of about 53 million at the end of 2006, established relationships with device makers, an installed base of cell towers, and cash flow from its cellular business. What's more, Sprint has lined up major vendors (including Clearwire backers Intel and Motorola) to create the semiconductors, devices, and other infrastructure needed for people to use its network, laying off some of the risk of building a network on new technology.
Working with that ecosystem of partners will let Sprint revamp its business model, Stroberg says. "It comes down to our ability to offer WiMax with the support of Intel and Motorola and Nokia, and go after that embedded-device market that goes way beyond ordinary mobile phones," he says. "That means our customer-acquisition cost could be cut to a fraction of what it is today." That could let Sprint offer more flexible types of service than the typical cellular two-year contract with a "walled-garden" model that keeps users from surfing the wider Web.
Sprint last week said it awarded Nokia a network equipment contract to roll out WiMax services in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, and San Antonio by the first half of 2008. Sprint's Chicago network is being built by Motorola and the Baltimore-Washington, D.C., market by Samsung, both slated for initial service late this year.
Wall Street seems, so far, to have more faith in Sprint's WiMax ambitions than Clearwire's: After a steep decline in 2006 as the company lost ground to Cingular (now AT&T) and Verizon, Sprint shares have increased 12% since mid-January.
Sprint unveils WiMax plans
Story last modified Tue Mar 27 07:08:50 PDT 2007
ORLANDO, Fla.--Sprint Nextel is pushing forward with its plan to build a high-speed mobile WiMax network with the announcement of new device vendors, as well as additional markets where the network will be deployed.
Sprint, which is the third-largest mobile operator in the U.S., said in August that it would spend $3 billion in the next two years to build a network using the IP-based wireless technology known as WiMax. The company expects to build a network that can reach 100 million people by the end of 2008. Sprint is using its existing 2.5GHz spectrum, half of which it acquired from its merger with Nextel, to deliver the new service.
On the eve of the CTIA Wireless trade show, which begins here on Tuesday, Sprint said it had chosen Samsung to develop PC cards for its WiMax network. The cards will come in two different configurations. One will offer WiMax-only connectivity, while the other version will offer WiMax connectivity as well as access to Sprint's third-generation EV-DO network. Sprint also selected ZTE to supply WiMax devices based on the IEEE's 802.16e standard, including PC cards and modem solutions. Zyxel Communications of Anaheim, Calif., will also supply modem products.
To accelerate the pace of WiMax-embedded device development and have a wide variety of WiMax-enabled access devices available for customers, Sprint announced a new WiMax Device and Chipset Ecosystem program that will facilitate the dialog between chipset and device makers. It is designed to guide manufacturers on required specifications, features, functionality and product design.
Sprint also announced several new cities that will be part of the WiMax network when it launches in 2008, and listed which of its infrastructure partners would be developing which markets. Motorola will be developing Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis and Grand Rapids, Mich. Samsung will develop Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Providence, R.I. And Nokia will develop Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth metro area, Denver, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Seattle and Portland, Ore.
Sprint had previously announced that Chicago and the Baltimore/Washington, D.C., metro area would be the first two markets to get the service, by the end of 2007. And Nokia had also named four markets, in Texas, for deployment in early 2008: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio.
Top wimax stories from CTIA 2007 (VoWImax, Microsoft , E// no Wimax,
Verso and Navini rise to VoIP over WiMAX challenge
Voice is probably the only real 'killer application' that has ever been seen in wireless, and this has created one of the fundamental challenges for the industry - as networks evolve to support new data and media oriented functionality, how do operators simultaneously retain a profitable voice operation, even while introducing packet-based networks that have not been designed for voice? For operators with GSM networks, the answer, at least for the medium term, is likely to be hand-off between data-focused IP systems and super-efficient GSM-based voice networks. But maintaining ageing legacy networks and dual-mode devices will not be a strong option for the longer term, hence the huge investment being made in running VoIP effectively on all kinds of wireless systems, including CDMA and LTE.
\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/29399ace2f/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Microsoft leads internet industry bid to dominate vacated TV spectrum\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>It is clear that the mobile internet, once it becomes truly workable, will become a cornerstone of business and communications. What is less clear is which companies will control its evolution and so derive the maximum benefit, and this question has already resulted in an ongoing war for the driving seat, waged between the cellular community on one hand and the internet players, with their open IP, PC-oriented heritage, on the other - with the broadcast and media industries trying to carve out their own position. One of the most dramatic battles in this war could arise in the US from current lobbying over future use of the 'white space' spectrum (idle channels in the TV bands between 54MHz and 862MHz, set up to avoid interference, but now possibly to be used for internet access). A coalition led by Microsoft, and backed by most of the heavyweights of the internet industry, has submitted a device for use in this white space to the FCC for approval, signalling the determination of these players to make use of new spectrum availability to promote their own business model.\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/6a6b81605a/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Ericsson deals blow to unified 4G dream by pulling out of WiMAX\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>\u003cspan\>The pre-4G networks are evolving on such similar paths that they will be distinguished by brand and politics, rather than core technologies. But those differences may still be just as divisive and deeply ingrained as though the various factions - WiMAX, LTE and Qualcomm's Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) - had chosen entirely different physical designs. Against this backdrop, the WiMAX community is necessarily on the defensive because its technology lacks the advantage of a heritage in an installed base like UMTS or GSM. So Motorola and Nortel, the companies that failed to get rich on UMTS, are keen to stress the convergence potential between WiMAX and LTE - they say the R&D overlap could be over 85%; while those with most to lose by having a viable alternative to the HSPA/LTE route - Nokia and Ericsson - have been more inclined to stress the differences, and the lack of backwards integration. ",1]
);
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Microsoft leads internet industry bid to dominate vacated TV spectrum
It is clear that the mobile internet, once it becomes truly workable, will become a cornerstone of business and communications. What is less clear is which companies will control its evolution and so derive the maximum benefit, and this question has already resulted in an ongoing war for the driving seat, waged between the cellular community on one hand and the internet players, with their open IP, PC-oriented heritage, on the other - with the broadcast and media industries trying to carve out their own position. One of the most dramatic battles in this war could arise in the US from current lobbying over future use of the 'white space' spectrum (idle channels in the TV bands between 54MHz and 862MHz, set up to avoid interference, but now possibly to be used for internet access). A coalition led by Microsoft, and backed by most of the heavyweights of the internet industry, has submitted a device for use in this white space to the FCC for approval, signalling the determination of these players to make use of new spectrum availability to promote their own business model.
Ericsson deals blow to unified 4G dream by pulling out of WiMAX
The pre-4G networks are evolving on such similar paths that they will be distinguished by brand and politics, rather than core technologies. But those differences may still be just as divisive and deeply ingrained as though the various factions - WiMAX, LTE and Qualcomm's Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) - had chosen entirely different physical designs. Against this backdrop, the WiMAX community is necessarily on the defensive because its technology lacks the advantage of a heritage in an installed base like UMTS or GSM. So Motorola and Nortel, the companies that failed to get rich on UMTS, are keen to stress the convergence potential between WiMAX and LTE - they say the R&D overlap could be over 85%; while those with most to lose by having a viable alternative to the HSPA/LTE route - Nokia and Ericsson - have been more inclined to stress the differences, and the lack of backwards integration.
\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/b0f1a8cc77/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>China Unicom starts work on WiMAX\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>China Unicom, which has been testing WiMAX for about a year, has now formally begun the construction of its network\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/d88b9bbddc/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Ofcom report takes dim view of wireless' 'Broadband 2.0' ambitions \u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>Broadband wireless has traditionally been regarded as a last resort in the last mile, to be used where DSL and cable are impractical, but delivering less reliable performance. Advances in technology, particularly in the OFDM-based systems like WiMAX, has narrowed the performance gap and added the non-line of sight element that supports nomadic usage, the one area where wireline options, of course, cannot compete. This has placed huge expectations on broadband wireless networks, WiMAX in particular, to deliver a full fixed/mobile convergence platform that will combine, at least in the next generation of the technologies, DSL or fiber grade fixed delivery plus full mobility.\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/c427fd827f/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Sprint and Clearwire jitters show danger of short term thinking in wireless\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>Outside Korea , Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have been the biggest early flag wavers for WiMAX in the operator community, and almost inevitably, the over-excitement surrounding such early stage projects was bound to wear off somewhat as the realities of commercial deployment and return on investment pressures take over from the initial euphoria. So Sprint is rumored to be facing delays already to its aggressive roll-out schedule, and possibly seeking additional vendor support (for which read, flexible financing too) amid its current financial setbacks. And Clearwire, while launching its Nasdaq IPO last week, failed to make the spectacular impact some had predicted.",1]
);
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IBM's promotion of metrozone WiMAX leads to Texas deal
IBM has shown an increasingly keen interest, over the past few years, in the potential for its integration business in the metrozone market, and now it is set to take advantage of this sector's evolution from focusing on best effort, socially oriented networks, to providing carrier class services.ption
Voice is probably the only real 'killer application' that has ever been seen in wireless, and this has created one of the fundamental challenges for the industry - as networks evolve to support new data and media oriented functionality, how do operators simultaneously retain a profitable voice operation, even while introducing packet-based networks that have not been designed for voice? For operators with GSM networks, the answer, at least for the medium term, is likely to be hand-off between data-focused IP systems and super-efficient GSM-based voice networks. But maintaining ageing legacy networks and dual-mode devices will not be a strong option for the longer term, hence the huge investment being made in running VoIP effectively on all kinds of wireless systems, including CDMA and LTE.
\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/29399ace2f/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Microsoft leads internet industry bid to dominate vacated TV spectrum\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>It is clear that the mobile internet, once it becomes truly workable, will become a cornerstone of business and communications. What is less clear is which companies will control its evolution and so derive the maximum benefit, and this question has already resulted in an ongoing war for the driving seat, waged between the cellular community on one hand and the internet players, with their open IP, PC-oriented heritage, on the other - with the broadcast and media industries trying to carve out their own position. One of the most dramatic battles in this war could arise in the US from current lobbying over future use of the 'white space' spectrum (idle channels in the TV bands between 54MHz and 862MHz, set up to avoid interference, but now possibly to be used for internet access). A coalition led by Microsoft, and backed by most of the heavyweights of the internet industry, has submitted a device for use in this white space to the FCC for approval, signalling the determination of these players to make use of new spectrum availability to promote their own business model.\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/6a6b81605a/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Ericsson deals blow to unified 4G dream by pulling out of WiMAX\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>\u003cspan\>The pre-4G networks are evolving on such similar paths that they will be distinguished by brand and politics, rather than core technologies. But those differences may still be just as divisive and deeply ingrained as though the various factions - WiMAX, LTE and Qualcomm's Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) - had chosen entirely different physical designs. Against this backdrop, the WiMAX community is necessarily on the defensive because its technology lacks the advantage of a heritage in an installed base like UMTS or GSM. So Motorola and Nortel, the companies that failed to get rich on UMTS, are keen to stress the convergence potential between WiMAX and LTE - they say the R&D overlap could be over 85%; while those with most to lose by having a viable alternative to the HSPA/LTE route - Nokia and Ericsson - have been more inclined to stress the differences, and the lack of backwards integration. ",1]
);
//-->
Microsoft leads internet industry bid to dominate vacated TV spectrum
It is clear that the mobile internet, once it becomes truly workable, will become a cornerstone of business and communications. What is less clear is which companies will control its evolution and so derive the maximum benefit, and this question has already resulted in an ongoing war for the driving seat, waged between the cellular community on one hand and the internet players, with their open IP, PC-oriented heritage, on the other - with the broadcast and media industries trying to carve out their own position. One of the most dramatic battles in this war could arise in the US from current lobbying over future use of the 'white space' spectrum (idle channels in the TV bands between 54MHz and 862MHz, set up to avoid interference, but now possibly to be used for internet access). A coalition led by Microsoft, and backed by most of the heavyweights of the internet industry, has submitted a device for use in this white space to the FCC for approval, signalling the determination of these players to make use of new spectrum availability to promote their own business model.
Ericsson deals blow to unified 4G dream by pulling out of WiMAX
The pre-4G networks are evolving on such similar paths that they will be distinguished by brand and politics, rather than core technologies. But those differences may still be just as divisive and deeply ingrained as though the various factions - WiMAX, LTE and Qualcomm's Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) - had chosen entirely different physical designs. Against this backdrop, the WiMAX community is necessarily on the defensive because its technology lacks the advantage of a heritage in an installed base like UMTS or GSM. So Motorola and Nortel, the companies that failed to get rich on UMTS, are keen to stress the convergence potential between WiMAX and LTE - they say the R&D overlap could be over 85%; while those with most to lose by having a viable alternative to the HSPA/LTE route - Nokia and Ericsson - have been more inclined to stress the differences, and the lack of backwards integration.
\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/b0f1a8cc77/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>China Unicom starts work on WiMAX\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>China Unicom, which has been testing WiMAX for about a year, has now formally begun the construction of its network\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/d88b9bbddc/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Ofcom report takes dim view of wireless' 'Broadband 2.0' ambitions \u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>Broadband wireless has traditionally been regarded as a last resort in the last mile, to be used where DSL and cable are impractical, but delivering less reliable performance. Advances in technology, particularly in the OFDM-based systems like WiMAX, has narrowed the performance gap and added the non-line of sight element that supports nomadic usage, the one area where wireline options, of course, cannot compete. This has placed huge expectations on broadband wireless networks, WiMAX in particular, to deliver a full fixed/mobile convergence platform that will combine, at least in the next generation of the technologies, DSL or fiber grade fixed delivery plus full mobility.\u003c/span\> \u003c/p\> \u003cp\>\u003cspan\>\u003ca href\u003d\"http://r.vresp.com/?Trendsmedia/c427fd827f/901356/404f44ff39/c97cd5e\" target\u003d\"_blank\" onclick\u003d\"return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)\"\>Sprint and Clearwire jitters show danger of short term thinking in wireless\u003c/a\>\u003c/span\>\u003cbr\> \n \u003cspan\>Outside Korea , Sprint Nextel and Clearwire have been the biggest early flag wavers for WiMAX in the operator community, and almost inevitably, the over-excitement surrounding such early stage projects was bound to wear off somewhat as the realities of commercial deployment and return on investment pressures take over from the initial euphoria. So Sprint is rumored to be facing delays already to its aggressive roll-out schedule, and possibly seeking additional vendor support (for which read, flexible financing too) amid its current financial setbacks. And Clearwire, while launching its Nasdaq IPO last week, failed to make the spectacular impact some had predicted.",1]
);
//-->
IBM's promotion of metrozone WiMAX leads to Texas deal
IBM has shown an increasingly keen interest, over the past few years, in the potential for its integration business in the metrozone market, and now it is set to take advantage of this sector's evolution from focusing on best effort, socially oriented networks, to providing carrier class services.ption
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Sling box
The Slingbox is a TV streaming device that enables consumers to remotely view their cable, satellite, or personal video recorder (PVR) programming from an Internet-enabled computer with a broadband Internet connection. It is produced by Sling Media of San Mateo, California.
Note: This is company of Malhar's mom's cousin
Note: This is company of Malhar's mom's cousin
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Wireless May Boost Pseudowire - LR
Wireless May Boost Pseudowire
JANUARY 12, 2006
The growing backhaul demands of mobile operators have at last given specialist pseudowire vendors such as Axerra Networks Inc. and RAD Data Communications Ltd. something to shout about.
Pseudowire technology, which enables legacy services to be transported over IP-based networks, is being touted as a potential cost saver and revenue generator for carriers by a number of vendors, but the takeup has been patchy at best. (See Pseudowires and How Far Can MPLS Go?)
But the benefits of transporting growing volumes of voice and data traffic across IP networks, rather than via costly E1 and T1 lines, is starting to appeal to mobile operators.
Evidence of this comes from Axerra and RAD, which have both been promoting pseudowire's possibilities in the wireless world, and now have the deployments to show for it: RAD at Time Warner Cable Inc. , which is backhauling at least one wireless carrier's traffic across its network; and Axerra at Hong Kong Broadband Network Ltd. (HKBN) , which is carrying backhaul traffic for several of Hong Kong's six mobile operators across its Ethernet infrastructure. (See Time Warner Gets RAD, Axerra Gets Pseudo-Wireless, and HKBN Uses Axerra for Backhaul.)
Axerra says the Hong Kong operator isn't its only customer using pseudowire to carry wireless backhaul traffic. The vendor's VP of marketing, Steve Byars, says KT Powertel, a subsidiary of Korean incumbent KT Corp. that specializes in business mobile services, is using Axerra's kit for the same purpose, and he cites other deployments in Africa, Europe, and the U.S. with carriers that can't yet be named. (See KT Powertel Picks Axerra.)
Axerra, which recently announced a new round of funding, also benefits from an OEM deal with the No. 1 GSM network equipment vendor, Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC - message board). (See Ericsson: Every Vendor's Best Friend and Axerra Scores Extra Funding.)
RAD, meanwhile, is taking its pseudowire campaign to the 3GSM World Congress, to be held this year in Barcelona in mid-February. (See RAD Previews 3GSM Exhibits.)
And with 3G starting to take off around the world, carriers will be looking for ways to keep their costs in check as data traffic volumes rise.
"When operators move to 3G, backhaul costs can be huge, especially if it means adding multiple E1/T1s to every cell tower and expanding optical or microwave backhaul links within the radio access network," says Heavy Reading chief analyst Scott Clavenna, who identified wireless backhaul services as one of the key potential uses of pseudowire technology in his report Pseudowires and the Future of Transport and Access Networks.
"Add to that, some of the backhaul links will be carrying data only, others voice. Pseudowire is a way to glom voice and data together over a single connection, usually Ethernet. Since it packetizes all services, you can perform statistical multiplexing and improve backhaul efficiencies."
But while that's the upside, there's naturally a downside, too.
"Pseudowire is a new technology with immature standards," says Clavenna. "Pseudowire solutions typically require fiber-based backhaul, and so, at present, they can most often only be used in aggregation points in the radio access network [RAN], not all the way out to cell towers.
"That's what confuses a lot of people about pseudowires and backhaul -- they immediately think it means the connection all the way to the cell tower. Where it will be most prominent is in the links from aggregation points in the RAN to large POPs in the metro or regional network. In that area you have plenty of fiber, so pseudowire is a way to converge all traffic onto a common link. In that case, it is just replacing what ATM is already doing in those networks today. There is a ton of ATM in radio access networks today. Pseudowire is really just part of the ATM-to-MPLS migration in the network."
And then there's the fear of the unknown. "TDM emulation over pseudowire works, but most mobile operators are afraid of using it widely because of performance concerns, for example, issues with unmanageable jitter and wander. Plus, depending on the network, circuit emulation can add considerable overhead, which negates the value of backhaul efficiency."
So despite some initial successes, "I don't think 2006 will be a big year for pseudowire in mobile operators, but just one where they start to test it more widely in the RAN and take some toddler steps in deployment."
Other vendors with pseudowire solutions looking to get a piece of that slowly emerging action include Alcatel (NYSE: ALA - message board; Paris: CGEP:PA), Corrigent Systems Inc. , Hammerhead Systems Inc. , Mangrove Systems Inc. , Overture Networks Inc. , and Telco Systems (BATM) . (See Alcatel Taps Layer 2, Corrigent in HR Pseudowire Report, Mangrove Releases Piranha, and Telco Rides T-Metro .)
And it's not as if the pseudowire approach is the only alternative to traditional ATM-based backhaul. Aperto Networks Inc. , for example, is touting its WiMax technology as suitable for the backhaul of cellular voice and data traffic. (See Aperto Offers TDM Wireless B'band.)
— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading
JANUARY 12, 2006
The growing backhaul demands of mobile operators have at last given specialist pseudowire vendors such as Axerra Networks Inc. and RAD Data Communications Ltd. something to shout about.
Pseudowire technology, which enables legacy services to be transported over IP-based networks, is being touted as a potential cost saver and revenue generator for carriers by a number of vendors, but the takeup has been patchy at best. (See Pseudowires and How Far Can MPLS Go?)
But the benefits of transporting growing volumes of voice and data traffic across IP networks, rather than via costly E1 and T1 lines, is starting to appeal to mobile operators.
Evidence of this comes from Axerra and RAD, which have both been promoting pseudowire's possibilities in the wireless world, and now have the deployments to show for it: RAD at Time Warner Cable Inc. , which is backhauling at least one wireless carrier's traffic across its network; and Axerra at Hong Kong Broadband Network Ltd. (HKBN) , which is carrying backhaul traffic for several of Hong Kong's six mobile operators across its Ethernet infrastructure. (See Time Warner Gets RAD, Axerra Gets Pseudo-Wireless, and HKBN Uses Axerra for Backhaul.)
Axerra says the Hong Kong operator isn't its only customer using pseudowire to carry wireless backhaul traffic. The vendor's VP of marketing, Steve Byars, says KT Powertel, a subsidiary of Korean incumbent KT Corp. that specializes in business mobile services, is using Axerra's kit for the same purpose, and he cites other deployments in Africa, Europe, and the U.S. with carriers that can't yet be named. (See KT Powertel Picks Axerra.)
Axerra, which recently announced a new round of funding, also benefits from an OEM deal with the No. 1 GSM network equipment vendor, Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC - message board). (See Ericsson: Every Vendor's Best Friend and Axerra Scores Extra Funding.)
RAD, meanwhile, is taking its pseudowire campaign to the 3GSM World Congress, to be held this year in Barcelona in mid-February. (See RAD Previews 3GSM Exhibits.)
And with 3G starting to take off around the world, carriers will be looking for ways to keep their costs in check as data traffic volumes rise.
"When operators move to 3G, backhaul costs can be huge, especially if it means adding multiple E1/T1s to every cell tower and expanding optical or microwave backhaul links within the radio access network," says Heavy Reading chief analyst Scott Clavenna, who identified wireless backhaul services as one of the key potential uses of pseudowire technology in his report Pseudowires and the Future of Transport and Access Networks.
"Add to that, some of the backhaul links will be carrying data only, others voice. Pseudowire is a way to glom voice and data together over a single connection, usually Ethernet. Since it packetizes all services, you can perform statistical multiplexing and improve backhaul efficiencies."
But while that's the upside, there's naturally a downside, too.
"Pseudowire is a new technology with immature standards," says Clavenna. "Pseudowire solutions typically require fiber-based backhaul, and so, at present, they can most often only be used in aggregation points in the radio access network [RAN], not all the way out to cell towers.
"That's what confuses a lot of people about pseudowires and backhaul -- they immediately think it means the connection all the way to the cell tower. Where it will be most prominent is in the links from aggregation points in the RAN to large POPs in the metro or regional network. In that area you have plenty of fiber, so pseudowire is a way to converge all traffic onto a common link. In that case, it is just replacing what ATM is already doing in those networks today. There is a ton of ATM in radio access networks today. Pseudowire is really just part of the ATM-to-MPLS migration in the network."
And then there's the fear of the unknown. "TDM emulation over pseudowire works, but most mobile operators are afraid of using it widely because of performance concerns, for example, issues with unmanageable jitter and wander. Plus, depending on the network, circuit emulation can add considerable overhead, which negates the value of backhaul efficiency."
So despite some initial successes, "I don't think 2006 will be a big year for pseudowire in mobile operators, but just one where they start to test it more widely in the RAN and take some toddler steps in deployment."
Other vendors with pseudowire solutions looking to get a piece of that slowly emerging action include Alcatel (NYSE: ALA - message board; Paris: CGEP:PA), Corrigent Systems Inc. , Hammerhead Systems Inc. , Mangrove Systems Inc. , Overture Networks Inc. , and Telco Systems (BATM) . (See Alcatel Taps Layer 2, Corrigent in HR Pseudowire Report, Mangrove Releases Piranha, and Telco Rides T-Metro .)
And it's not as if the pseudowire approach is the only alternative to traditional ATM-based backhaul. Aperto Networks Inc. , for example, is touting its WiMax technology as suitable for the backhaul of cellular voice and data traffic. (See Aperto Offers TDM Wireless B'band.)
— Ray Le Maistre, International News Editor, Light Reading
RAN Backhaul Axerra Steve Byrters ARTICLE
http://www.convergedigest.com/bp-me/bp1.asp?ID=312&ctgy=
Using Pseudo-Wires for Mobile Wireless Backhaul over Carrier Ethernet by Steve Byars, Vice President of Marketing
2/13/2006
The ongoing evolution of 3G services includes technologies such as HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) and DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting)/ DAB(Digital Audio Broadcasting). Capital investment to support each new generation of technology represents only a part of the cost of doing business for operators.
Each new generation provides new capabilities, but also requires more bandwidth – both for the air interface and in the radio access network (RAN), sometimes referred to as the backhaul network. So, each new generation of services, especially new data services like HSDPA and HSUPA, also involves additional backhaul expenses. Whereas capital equipment and spectrum licenses are one-time expenses or fixed costs, ongoing backhaul expense in the RAN is a wholly different matter – a constant and increasing expense. As more services and more subscribers are added, bandwidth requirements increase and so do the backhaul costs. Optimizing RANs to address the growing and dynamic nature of today’s traffic, while simultaneously reducing backhaul expenses, is becoming more important than ever before.
The Need to Reduce Backhaul Expenses Backhaul has always been a source of high recurrent costs for wireless operators. According to The Yankee Group, wireless operators annually spend approximately $22 billion globally to lease transmission backhaul. It has also been estimated that backhaul transmission costs can amount to as much as 40% of network OpEx in 2G networks, and 60% or more in 3G. Today’s RAN backhaul network is made up of TDM-based leased lines for the backhaul of traffic from base stations to the base station controller (BSC), which then connect to the mobile switching center (MSC) and PSTN. Traditionally, mobile operators have leased T1/E1 lines from the incumbent PTT or LEC. The cost for these T1/E1 lines varies greatly, but is always a significant component of total OpEx. A single T1/E1 typically costs between $200 and $800 per month, but can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors. In fact, in some rural areas, incumbent carriers are charging as much as $2,500 a month for a T1 line. Base station backhaul capacity requirements today are typically in the 1-4 T1/E1 range and will grow to 4-8 T1/E1 in the very near future. At many base stations, the bandwidth requirements of HSDPA are pushing beyond what can realistically be achieved using today’s T1/E1 leased lines. Operating costs in the RAN are also impacted by the expense of overlay networks. Mergers and acquisitions within the service provider industry, together with multiple standards and multiple, often incompatible, vendor equipment, have all resulted in overlay networks. There are as many as three different base stations that have been deployed at some cell sites: GSM to provide voice and low-speed data, EDGE to provide high-speed data, and UMTS to provide very high-speed data. Not only are different generations of equipment used in these overlay networks, but different generations of 2G, 2.5G, and 3G traffic each utilize their own T1/E1 leased lines. Consequently, each of these T1/E1s is often partially filled, resulting in expensive inefficiencies. These inefficiencies are a direct result of the static-mapping nature of TDM transport – there is no way to dynamically move capacity from one base station to another (i.e. voice to high-speed data) even within the same cell site. What’s more, the TDM bandwidth is dedicated on a point-to-point basis from each base station all the way back to the BSC/RNC. Additional backhaul expense results from unused bandwidth that is often stranded in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” The Emergence of Packet Access TechnologiesThe need in the RAN for modern transport technologies that are better suited to bandwidth-hungry data services and that can furnish better flexibility and economies of scale has started to be recognized. In the GSM architecture, the R4 version of the UMTS standard already incorporates ATM with IMA as an interface for the NodeB (the UMTS equivalent of the BTS). However, traffic from these ATM interfaces is typically backhauled over point-to-point E1 leased lines. In both Europe and North America, ATM transport networks are occasionally used for backhaul transport.
But the continued evolution of mobile wireless services is toward technologies that are intrinsically packet-oriented, such as HSDPA and USDPA, and indicative that packet access networks, rather than TDM-based T1s and E1s, are the logical transport for backhaul in the RAN. A number of new technologies that are cost-effective and provide flexible, high-capacity backhaul transport are emerging as the frontrunners for next-generation packet access networks These new technologies include Carrier Ethernet (also known as Metro Ethernet or Optical Ethernet), xDSL, cable HFC, EPON/GPON, and broadband packet radio (including WiMAX) The Case for RAN over Packet AccessThe savings in operating expense are readily seen in a typical example. In this example, the mobile operator needs to deploy HSDPA in 500 cell sites of a medium-sized metropolitan area. The table below shows the current cost structure with only 4 E1s per site. However, these operating costs are likely to double with HSDPA, which can easily require 8 E1 lines or more. With E1 lines typically costing between $200 and $800 per month, this example assumes an average cost of $300 per E1. In comparison, a typical Carrier Ethernet service costs just $40 per Mbps each month. So, a monthly charge for the capacity equivalent of four E1s (8 Mbps) only amounts to $320 rather than $1200.
While this is only one example, it vividly illustrates the fact that using packet access in the RAN can reduce an operator’s backhaul charges by over 70%. Put into context, with backhaul accounting for 50% to 60% of all OpEx costs, a 70% reduction in backhaul charges represents a 40% decrease in overall OpEx, which is very significant indeed. In absolute numbers, the quantity of dollars saved (which flows straight to the bottom line) continues to increase as the bandwidth requirements of each cell site increase. The quantity saved also will increase as more cell sites are added to support UMTS and HSDPA because 3G base stations cover a smaller footprint than 2G base stations.In addition to providing lower operating expense while furnishing flexible, high-capacity transport, these packet access technologies offer a number of other benefits: Equipment costs are significantly lower than legacy equipment costs. Significant economies of scale can be achieved with a unified network, not only for mobile voice and data services, but also wireline business services. In addition, provisioning costs are less and do not require equipment upgrades. While continuing to add E1s to furnish projected requirements of 25-30 Mbps is an unsustainable paradigm, Carrier Ethernet, for example, offers a wide range of speeds up to 1 Gbps, in increments as small as 1Mbps, that can be provisioned on-demand or even by the operator through a web-based tool. Optimizing Radio Access Networks & Reducing OpExThe challenge has been how to support the continuing migration to 2.5 and 3G architectures and beyond by transporting both voice and data traffic over packet-access networks. Pseudo-Wires are the powerful enabling technology that meets this challenge. Pseudo-Wire solutions meet the demanding quality, latency, and clocking/synchronization requirements needed for reliable backhaul of mobile services. This technology has now been proven in field trials and live deployments on four continents. Pseudo-Wire solutions not only enable wireless operators to use new packet networks, they also give operators a wide choice among the multiple packet-access network technologies that are available – Carrier Ethernet, xDSL, PON, cable HFC, and even WiMAX. Finally, Pseudo-Wire solutions uniquely combine circuit emulation and service emulation (TDM plus HDLC, Frame Relay, and the ATM needed for 3G UMTS) to enable backhaul of any combination of 2G, 2.5G, and 3G voice and data traffic, all over a single packet RAN. Pseudo-Wire Capabilities in the RANThe term “Pseudo-Wire” comes from the IETF’s Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) working group, which is defining various types of Pseudo-Wires to emulate traditional and emerging services over packet networks.
The various types of Pseudo-Wires can be divided into two broad categories: circuit emulation and service emulation. Circuit Emulation Pseudo-Wires (CE-PWs) furnish transparent emulation of TDM services, including both payload and synchronization. Service emulation furnishes transport for frame-based and cell-based traffic, offering network capacity gains provided by statistical multiplexing.
Figure 2. Typical AXN deployment in the RAN.
Figure 2 shows a typical Pseudo-Wire deployment in the RAN. Pseudo-Wire Access Devices are deployed at the cell sites where they perform Pseudo-Wire adaptation (circuit emulation and/or service emulation) of mobile voice and data traffic for transport over the packet network to the BSC/RNC site. Pseudo-Wire Gateways are deployed at the BSC/RNC or MSC, where they terminate the Pseudo-Wire services and function as gateways to existing voice switches, the PSTN, and FR/ATM or IP data networks. At the cell sites, the Pseudo-Wire Access Devices interface with the existing BTS/NodeB equipment using T1/E1 ports. Each port can be soft-configured for circuit emulation for voice transport or service emulation to transport frame-based data services or frame-based voice. In addition, Pseudo-Wire Access Devices can offer unique T1/E1 interfaces that support the ATM traffic used in today’s UMTS deployments. Some Pseudo-Wire Access Devices also provide customer-facing Ethernet interfaces for future services and connectivity needs, such as those specified for the R5 NodeB.At the BSC/RNC site, the Pseudo-Wire Gateways offer not only T1/E1 ports for interfacing to legacy equipment, but also channelized DS3 and OC-3/STM-1 interfaces to connect with existing TDM-based voice switches. In UMTS applications, the ATM Pseudo-Wires (that originated as T1/E1s from the NodeB) are transported across the packet network and then consolidated in the Pseudo-Wire Gateway into ATM streams on OC-3c/STM-1 or DS3/E3 interfaces to connect with the BSC/RNC. The Pseudo-Wire Gateway also furnishes Gigabit Ethernet interfaces to hand-off data services at the RNC. Benefits of Pseudo-Wires for Mobile Wireless Operators
Any Packet Network
Pseudo-Wire is the enabling technology for transporting both mobile voice and data traffic over new high-capacity, lower-cost packet networks in the RAN. Pseudo-Wire solutions not only enable mobile wireless operators to use new packet access networks, they also give operators a choice among multiple packet network technologies in the RAN, including Carrier Ethernet, xDSL, cable HFC, and even broadband packet radio. In fact, Pseudo-Wire solutions are deployed and carrying live, revenue-generating mobile traffic over Carrier Ethernet, xDSL and broadband packet radio (pre-WiMAX). All Types of Mobile Wireless TrafficPseudo-Wires also provide support for all generations of mobile wireless services. Pseudo-Wire solutions are currently carrying live, revenue-generating voice and data for CDMA, 1x-EVDO, GSM, and UMTS services. The proven capability to support all of these services ensures a smooth transition from one generation of service to the next. It allows the operator to combine voice and data services from multiple generations of services and even from both TDMA and GSM architectures – all onto a unified packet-access network. As users transition from one architecture or service to the next, network capacity is not stranded. In fact, adding incremental network capacity is only needed to support actual growth in user traffic, not just to enable migration from one service to the next. A final benefit in this scenario is that, with a unified packet-access network, adding network capacity is simply a point-and-click provisioning process. Latency and Clocking
Latency is often an issue of paramount importance in wireless networks, not only due to its impact on voice quality, but because some signaling and control protocols cannot tolerate additional delay. End-to-end delay must be minimized while accommodating delay variations in the packet network. Pseudo-Wire solutions allow network operators to control a number of parameters that affect end-to-end delay, including frame/packet size, jitter buffer size, queuing priority, and frame/packet priority marking via 802.1q/p and DiffServ.
Another requirement for reliable backhaul of mobile services is synchronization or clocking. Cell sites must utilize a clock source that is synchronized with the overall network clock. While some CDMA deployments use GPS receivers at the cell site to furnish this clock, most implementations rely on clocking to be distributed by the RAN together with the voice and data traffic. This clock must not only be very accurate, but must meet strenuous jitter and wander requirements. The delay variations inherent to packet networks induce jitter; this jitter must be filtered out of clocks derived from Pseudo-Wire services. Extensive testing by service providers confirms that Pseudo-Wire solutions are able to deliver the low latency that meets the rigorous requirements of wireless signaling and control protocols. Pseudo-Wire solutions have also been tested and certified, meeting G.823 and G.824 clocking specifications for traffic interfaces. Some solutions even meet the more stringent clocking specifications required in GSM/UMTS applications, with accuracy measured to within 16 parts per billion.
Full-Service Solution
In addition to maintaining the quality and reliability of mobile services, any new technology must retain the native features and advanced services from which operators derive value. Pseudo-Wire solutions can be fully interoperable with the equipment already installed in the BTS, the NodeB, the BSC/RNC, and/or the MSC. They can preserve complete transparency for signaling and control-plane protocols, even the proprietary extensions to mobile protocols employed by some vendors. Operators can easily add Pseudo-Wire solutions to their existing architectures without changing the configurations of equipment already installed.
ConclusionThe exponential growth of the mobile wireless market is fueled by increased voice usage, a growing reliance on mobile phones, and bandwidth hungry voice and data applications. Mobile wireless providers need to expand their coverage and increase their capacity to handle the demand for services. In today’s difficult economic times, mobile wireless providers are concerned not only about meeting the growing demand for services, but also about the return on investment of their capital expenditures and the need to reduce operational costs, particularly in the RAN, as they expand and upgrade their networks from existing 2G technology to 2.5G and 3G.
By enabling the backhaul of all generations of voice and data traffic over a single packet-based RAN, a pseudo-wire solution offers mobile wireless operators a full-service alternative to TDM access and a means to substantially reduce backhaul expenses and enhance profitability.
About the Author
Steve Byars has worked in the voice and data communications industry for over 20 years. Prior to joining Axerra Networks, Steve was Director of Carrier Infrastructure at competitive intelligence firm Current Analysis. He was previously the CTO at Netrix Corporation, where he was responsible for the company’s VoIP business strategy. His experience also includes product development for Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, and GTE Communications Systems in Reston, Virginia. Steve holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and currently has two patents pending for implementations of bus arbitration mechanisms.
About Axerra
Axerra Networks is the leading provider of circuit emulation and service emulation solutions over packet access networks. Axerra’s Pseudo-Wire solutions enable mobile wireless operators, cable MSOs, competitive service providers, and incumbent carriers to extend IP + legacy voice and data services in native format over Ethernet, IP, and MPLS networks. The result is greater operational efficiency, new revenue opportunities, and a smooth migration strategy to a single converged network, without stranding any revenue streams from profitable legacy services. With Axerra’s Pseudo-Wire solutions, service providers can convert any packet access network (Carrier Ethernet, broadband wireless including WiMAX, cable HFC, xDSL, PON, etc.) into a full-service alternative to TDM access. For more information, please visit: http://www.axerra.com/.
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Using Pseudo-Wires for Mobile Wireless Backhaul over Carrier Ethernet by Steve Byars, Vice President of Marketing
2/13/2006
The ongoing evolution of 3G services includes technologies such as HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access), HSUPA (High Speed Uplink Packet Access) and DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting)/ DAB(Digital Audio Broadcasting). Capital investment to support each new generation of technology represents only a part of the cost of doing business for operators.
Each new generation provides new capabilities, but also requires more bandwidth – both for the air interface and in the radio access network (RAN), sometimes referred to as the backhaul network. So, each new generation of services, especially new data services like HSDPA and HSUPA, also involves additional backhaul expenses. Whereas capital equipment and spectrum licenses are one-time expenses or fixed costs, ongoing backhaul expense in the RAN is a wholly different matter – a constant and increasing expense. As more services and more subscribers are added, bandwidth requirements increase and so do the backhaul costs. Optimizing RANs to address the growing and dynamic nature of today’s traffic, while simultaneously reducing backhaul expenses, is becoming more important than ever before.
The Need to Reduce Backhaul Expenses Backhaul has always been a source of high recurrent costs for wireless operators. According to The Yankee Group, wireless operators annually spend approximately $22 billion globally to lease transmission backhaul. It has also been estimated that backhaul transmission costs can amount to as much as 40% of network OpEx in 2G networks, and 60% or more in 3G. Today’s RAN backhaul network is made up of TDM-based leased lines for the backhaul of traffic from base stations to the base station controller (BSC), which then connect to the mobile switching center (MSC) and PSTN. Traditionally, mobile operators have leased T1/E1 lines from the incumbent PTT or LEC. The cost for these T1/E1 lines varies greatly, but is always a significant component of total OpEx. A single T1/E1 typically costs between $200 and $800 per month, but can vary greatly depending on a variety of factors. In fact, in some rural areas, incumbent carriers are charging as much as $2,500 a month for a T1 line. Base station backhaul capacity requirements today are typically in the 1-4 T1/E1 range and will grow to 4-8 T1/E1 in the very near future. At many base stations, the bandwidth requirements of HSDPA are pushing beyond what can realistically be achieved using today’s T1/E1 leased lines. Operating costs in the RAN are also impacted by the expense of overlay networks. Mergers and acquisitions within the service provider industry, together with multiple standards and multiple, often incompatible, vendor equipment, have all resulted in overlay networks. There are as many as three different base stations that have been deployed at some cell sites: GSM to provide voice and low-speed data, EDGE to provide high-speed data, and UMTS to provide very high-speed data. Not only are different generations of equipment used in these overlay networks, but different generations of 2G, 2.5G, and 3G traffic each utilize their own T1/E1 leased lines. Consequently, each of these T1/E1s is often partially filled, resulting in expensive inefficiencies. These inefficiencies are a direct result of the static-mapping nature of TDM transport – there is no way to dynamically move capacity from one base station to another (i.e. voice to high-speed data) even within the same cell site. What’s more, the TDM bandwidth is dedicated on a point-to-point basis from each base station all the way back to the BSC/RNC. Additional backhaul expense results from unused bandwidth that is often stranded in the “wrong place at the wrong time.” The Emergence of Packet Access TechnologiesThe need in the RAN for modern transport technologies that are better suited to bandwidth-hungry data services and that can furnish better flexibility and economies of scale has started to be recognized. In the GSM architecture, the R4 version of the UMTS standard already incorporates ATM with IMA as an interface for the NodeB (the UMTS equivalent of the BTS). However, traffic from these ATM interfaces is typically backhauled over point-to-point E1 leased lines. In both Europe and North America, ATM transport networks are occasionally used for backhaul transport.
But the continued evolution of mobile wireless services is toward technologies that are intrinsically packet-oriented, such as HSDPA and USDPA, and indicative that packet access networks, rather than TDM-based T1s and E1s, are the logical transport for backhaul in the RAN. A number of new technologies that are cost-effective and provide flexible, high-capacity backhaul transport are emerging as the frontrunners for next-generation packet access networks These new technologies include Carrier Ethernet (also known as Metro Ethernet or Optical Ethernet), xDSL, cable HFC, EPON/GPON, and broadband packet radio (including WiMAX) The Case for RAN over Packet AccessThe savings in operating expense are readily seen in a typical example. In this example, the mobile operator needs to deploy HSDPA in 500 cell sites of a medium-sized metropolitan area. The table below shows the current cost structure with only 4 E1s per site. However, these operating costs are likely to double with HSDPA, which can easily require 8 E1 lines or more. With E1 lines typically costing between $200 and $800 per month, this example assumes an average cost of $300 per E1. In comparison, a typical Carrier Ethernet service costs just $40 per Mbps each month. So, a monthly charge for the capacity equivalent of four E1s (8 Mbps) only amounts to $320 rather than $1200.
While this is only one example, it vividly illustrates the fact that using packet access in the RAN can reduce an operator’s backhaul charges by over 70%. Put into context, with backhaul accounting for 50% to 60% of all OpEx costs, a 70% reduction in backhaul charges represents a 40% decrease in overall OpEx, which is very significant indeed. In absolute numbers, the quantity of dollars saved (which flows straight to the bottom line) continues to increase as the bandwidth requirements of each cell site increase. The quantity saved also will increase as more cell sites are added to support UMTS and HSDPA because 3G base stations cover a smaller footprint than 2G base stations.In addition to providing lower operating expense while furnishing flexible, high-capacity transport, these packet access technologies offer a number of other benefits: Equipment costs are significantly lower than legacy equipment costs. Significant economies of scale can be achieved with a unified network, not only for mobile voice and data services, but also wireline business services. In addition, provisioning costs are less and do not require equipment upgrades. While continuing to add E1s to furnish projected requirements of 25-30 Mbps is an unsustainable paradigm, Carrier Ethernet, for example, offers a wide range of speeds up to 1 Gbps, in increments as small as 1Mbps, that can be provisioned on-demand or even by the operator through a web-based tool. Optimizing Radio Access Networks & Reducing OpExThe challenge has been how to support the continuing migration to 2.5 and 3G architectures and beyond by transporting both voice and data traffic over packet-access networks. Pseudo-Wires are the powerful enabling technology that meets this challenge. Pseudo-Wire solutions meet the demanding quality, latency, and clocking/synchronization requirements needed for reliable backhaul of mobile services. This technology has now been proven in field trials and live deployments on four continents. Pseudo-Wire solutions not only enable wireless operators to use new packet networks, they also give operators a wide choice among the multiple packet-access network technologies that are available – Carrier Ethernet, xDSL, PON, cable HFC, and even WiMAX. Finally, Pseudo-Wire solutions uniquely combine circuit emulation and service emulation (TDM plus HDLC, Frame Relay, and the ATM needed for 3G UMTS) to enable backhaul of any combination of 2G, 2.5G, and 3G voice and data traffic, all over a single packet RAN. Pseudo-Wire Capabilities in the RANThe term “Pseudo-Wire” comes from the IETF’s Pseudo Wire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) working group, which is defining various types of Pseudo-Wires to emulate traditional and emerging services over packet networks.
The various types of Pseudo-Wires can be divided into two broad categories: circuit emulation and service emulation. Circuit Emulation Pseudo-Wires (CE-PWs) furnish transparent emulation of TDM services, including both payload and synchronization. Service emulation furnishes transport for frame-based and cell-based traffic, offering network capacity gains provided by statistical multiplexing.
Figure 2. Typical AXN deployment in the RAN.
Figure 2 shows a typical Pseudo-Wire deployment in the RAN. Pseudo-Wire Access Devices are deployed at the cell sites where they perform Pseudo-Wire adaptation (circuit emulation and/or service emulation) of mobile voice and data traffic for transport over the packet network to the BSC/RNC site. Pseudo-Wire Gateways are deployed at the BSC/RNC or MSC, where they terminate the Pseudo-Wire services and function as gateways to existing voice switches, the PSTN, and FR/ATM or IP data networks. At the cell sites, the Pseudo-Wire Access Devices interface with the existing BTS/NodeB equipment using T1/E1 ports. Each port can be soft-configured for circuit emulation for voice transport or service emulation to transport frame-based data services or frame-based voice. In addition, Pseudo-Wire Access Devices can offer unique T1/E1 interfaces that support the ATM traffic used in today’s UMTS deployments. Some Pseudo-Wire Access Devices also provide customer-facing Ethernet interfaces for future services and connectivity needs, such as those specified for the R5 NodeB.At the BSC/RNC site, the Pseudo-Wire Gateways offer not only T1/E1 ports for interfacing to legacy equipment, but also channelized DS3 and OC-3/STM-1 interfaces to connect with existing TDM-based voice switches. In UMTS applications, the ATM Pseudo-Wires (that originated as T1/E1s from the NodeB) are transported across the packet network and then consolidated in the Pseudo-Wire Gateway into ATM streams on OC-3c/STM-1 or DS3/E3 interfaces to connect with the BSC/RNC. The Pseudo-Wire Gateway also furnishes Gigabit Ethernet interfaces to hand-off data services at the RNC. Benefits of Pseudo-Wires for Mobile Wireless Operators
Any Packet Network
Pseudo-Wire is the enabling technology for transporting both mobile voice and data traffic over new high-capacity, lower-cost packet networks in the RAN. Pseudo-Wire solutions not only enable mobile wireless operators to use new packet access networks, they also give operators a choice among multiple packet network technologies in the RAN, including Carrier Ethernet, xDSL, cable HFC, and even broadband packet radio. In fact, Pseudo-Wire solutions are deployed and carrying live, revenue-generating mobile traffic over Carrier Ethernet, xDSL and broadband packet radio (pre-WiMAX). All Types of Mobile Wireless TrafficPseudo-Wires also provide support for all generations of mobile wireless services. Pseudo-Wire solutions are currently carrying live, revenue-generating voice and data for CDMA, 1x-EVDO, GSM, and UMTS services. The proven capability to support all of these services ensures a smooth transition from one generation of service to the next. It allows the operator to combine voice and data services from multiple generations of services and even from both TDMA and GSM architectures – all onto a unified packet-access network. As users transition from one architecture or service to the next, network capacity is not stranded. In fact, adding incremental network capacity is only needed to support actual growth in user traffic, not just to enable migration from one service to the next. A final benefit in this scenario is that, with a unified packet-access network, adding network capacity is simply a point-and-click provisioning process. Latency and Clocking
Latency is often an issue of paramount importance in wireless networks, not only due to its impact on voice quality, but because some signaling and control protocols cannot tolerate additional delay. End-to-end delay must be minimized while accommodating delay variations in the packet network. Pseudo-Wire solutions allow network operators to control a number of parameters that affect end-to-end delay, including frame/packet size, jitter buffer size, queuing priority, and frame/packet priority marking via 802.1q/p and DiffServ.
Another requirement for reliable backhaul of mobile services is synchronization or clocking. Cell sites must utilize a clock source that is synchronized with the overall network clock. While some CDMA deployments use GPS receivers at the cell site to furnish this clock, most implementations rely on clocking to be distributed by the RAN together with the voice and data traffic. This clock must not only be very accurate, but must meet strenuous jitter and wander requirements. The delay variations inherent to packet networks induce jitter; this jitter must be filtered out of clocks derived from Pseudo-Wire services. Extensive testing by service providers confirms that Pseudo-Wire solutions are able to deliver the low latency that meets the rigorous requirements of wireless signaling and control protocols. Pseudo-Wire solutions have also been tested and certified, meeting G.823 and G.824 clocking specifications for traffic interfaces. Some solutions even meet the more stringent clocking specifications required in GSM/UMTS applications, with accuracy measured to within 16 parts per billion.
Full-Service Solution
In addition to maintaining the quality and reliability of mobile services, any new technology must retain the native features and advanced services from which operators derive value. Pseudo-Wire solutions can be fully interoperable with the equipment already installed in the BTS, the NodeB, the BSC/RNC, and/or the MSC. They can preserve complete transparency for signaling and control-plane protocols, even the proprietary extensions to mobile protocols employed by some vendors. Operators can easily add Pseudo-Wire solutions to their existing architectures without changing the configurations of equipment already installed.
ConclusionThe exponential growth of the mobile wireless market is fueled by increased voice usage, a growing reliance on mobile phones, and bandwidth hungry voice and data applications. Mobile wireless providers need to expand their coverage and increase their capacity to handle the demand for services. In today’s difficult economic times, mobile wireless providers are concerned not only about meeting the growing demand for services, but also about the return on investment of their capital expenditures and the need to reduce operational costs, particularly in the RAN, as they expand and upgrade their networks from existing 2G technology to 2.5G and 3G.
By enabling the backhaul of all generations of voice and data traffic over a single packet-based RAN, a pseudo-wire solution offers mobile wireless operators a full-service alternative to TDM access and a means to substantially reduce backhaul expenses and enhance profitability.
About the Author
Steve Byars has worked in the voice and data communications industry for over 20 years. Prior to joining Axerra Networks, Steve was Director of Carrier Infrastructure at competitive intelligence firm Current Analysis. He was previously the CTO at Netrix Corporation, where he was responsible for the company’s VoIP business strategy. His experience also includes product development for Bell Laboratories in Holmdel, New Jersey, and GTE Communications Systems in Reston, Virginia. Steve holds a Masters Degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, and currently has two patents pending for implementations of bus arbitration mechanisms.
About Axerra
Axerra Networks is the leading provider of circuit emulation and service emulation solutions over packet access networks. Axerra’s Pseudo-Wire solutions enable mobile wireless operators, cable MSOs, competitive service providers, and incumbent carriers to extend IP + legacy voice and data services in native format over Ethernet, IP, and MPLS networks. The result is greater operational efficiency, new revenue opportunities, and a smooth migration strategy to a single converged network, without stranding any revenue streams from profitable legacy services. With Axerra’s Pseudo-Wire solutions, service providers can convert any packet access network (Carrier Ethernet, broadband wireless including WiMAX, cable HFC, xDSL, PON, etc.) into a full-service alternative to TDM access. For more information, please visit: http://www.axerra.com/.
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