3G Network Sharing in UK

T-Mobile and O2 have agreed to share their 3G network infrastructure such as 3G masts, power provision and base stations. This has been ratified by the EU Commission today. The ratification of the agreement by the European Commission opens the floodgates for other similar network sharing arrangements in Europe.

However, the deal excluded the top 10 British cities from the "roaming" deal between the two 3G operators. Roaming would allow 3G mobile phone users to switch automatically from one network to another ( e.g. 3G to GPRS ).

In, November, 2002 The European Commission granted antitrust clearance to a set of agreements that is aimed at giving third generation ("3G") mobile equipment manufacturers better access to patents. Improved access to patents is essential for a rapid introduction of 3G mobile services in Europe. As in the case of 3G network sharing, the Commission welcomes industry initiatives that accelerate the introduction of 3G mobile services for European customers, provided that such initiatives do not distort competition with respect to different 3G mobile technologies. In the present case, it appears unlikely that the proposed agreements will restrict competition between different 3G mobile technologies. However, given the novelty of the different 3G technologies involved, any significant change in the factual or legal situation would require re-assessment of the arrangements under the competition rules.

In order to safeguard competition between potentially competing essential 3G patents for 3G different technologies, the parties have agreed to modify the initial structure of the agreements and establish five separate sets of arrangements, one for each technology, instead of combining all essential patents in one single platform.

TODAY'S PRESS RELEASES

Tele2 AB announced that Tele2’s mobile operator in Luxembourg, Tango, has launched its 3G (UMTS) network. Tango is the largest mobile provider in Luxembourg and Tele2 was awarded a UMTS license in Luxembourg in May 2002.

NTT DoCoMo, Inc. announced today that it has sold more than 10 million camera phones since launching the first model, the SH251i, on June 1, 2002. The phones transmit photos via the i-shot™ photo messaging service available on DoCoMo's PDC network.

IIR, the conference event organiser, is concerned with the current SARS situation in Hong Kong. Altough the situation could improve over the next few weeks, IIR felt it prudent to postpone the 3G World Congress that was scheduled for 9 – 13 June.

By the end of 2003, H3G Italy is expected to make Euro 200M says Vincenzo Novari - Head of H3G.

Hutchison 3G and Vodafone face more residents objecting to the erection of 3G masts. This time in Lewisham, UK. The residents have won backing from Lewisham Coucil's planning department who object to two new masts in the sub-distric of Ladwell.

-FUSIO announced that it has secured the licence for COMEDY CENTRAL's hit animated series, South Park.

Monet Mobile Networks, a high-speed wireless Internet service provider, announced the availability of Monet Broadband, a high-speed, mobile Internet service in Bismarck, N.D.

Telia's mobile customers first in world to be able to use MMS via GPRS throughout Western Europe and the U.S.

The solution also translates between a wide variety of video signaling protocols, enabling IT managers to integrate WM end points into a larger videoconferencing network that might include end points that use IP (H.323), legacy ISDN (H.320), and/or emerging 3G video phones (3G-324M).

fter 9 months of fruitless negotiations to derive a solution for implementing Mobile Number Portability (MNP), Hutchison 3G is initiating a proceeding with the Austrian regulatory authority against T-Mobile, One, Telering, Telekom Austria and UTA.

Software vendors see an opportunity to sell CSPs order-management systems for new service offerings, including IP data, long distance, VoIP, and 2.5G and 3G wireless data services.

Kyocera will offer versions of its Phantom, Blade and Rave Series phones that support BREW 2.0 to carriers who wish to extend their BREW-based content offerings to the mass-market segment of wireless customers.

WiseBand Communications Ltd., a leading innovator in the field of RF power amplifier linearization technology, announced the introduction of Wise-DPD, a breakthrough linearization technology for multi-carrier power amplifiers (MCPA) for UMTS/CDMA2000 base-stations.

he call is fully compliant to 3GPP standards and test cases as an end-to-end WCDMA FDD voice call. It was made from a standard Ubinetics Test Mobile (TM100) to a Node B basestation implemented on picoArrays, to a controller and core network.