Alcatel
announced today that it has conducted the first voice, data and
video communications on the end-to-end UMTS trial system installed in
Kuala
Lumpur by Alcatel. For the very first time in Malaysia, a UMTS
infrastructure network carries not only voice communications in circuit
mode but also allows the transfer of data and high-speed video images
in
packet mode, in full compliance with W-CDMA 3GPP standards. These calls
were demonstrated to the media in Kuala Lumpur today.
Numerous tests have
confirmed the Alcatel Evolium(TM) UMTS infrastructure's
quality in the area of high-speed data and video transfers. Whether
for
videophony calls between two 3G handsets, surfing the Internet (Web
Browsing), having on-line access to information, images or videos (Video
Streaming and Downloading), or for transmitting video images from a
remote
Webcam. The Alcatel 3G/UMTS pilot network provides data rates of up
to 384
kbit/s.
Alcatel installed
in Kuala Lumpur its complete Evolium(TM) solution
including the UTRAN (UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network) radio systems,
the Core network; as well as the associated Radio Network Controller
(RNC)
and a dedicated Application Service platform. The radio systems, which
include the UMTS base stations (Node B) are developed and produced by
Evoium SAS, the joint venture between Alcatel and Fujitsu.
"In 2000, Alcatel
provided Malaysia with the first end-to-end GPRS
solution. Today, we are proud to bring the real 3G age to Malaysia by
conducting the first mobile multimedia call here,’’ said John
Quaeyhaegens,
Country Senior Officer of Alcatel Malaysia. ‘’3G offers great
potential
for end-users because of the high bandwidths available for wireless
multimedia applications in addition to voice calls. Today’s call
proves
that Alcatel is the only vendor to have 3G networks already operational,
which can support the full range of 3G applications."
"A recent study
by Pyramid Research concluded that there are already
350,000 subscribers in Malaysia that can afford mobile data applications
costing between US$10-$20 a month (RM40-75). This makes Malaysia one
of
the most attractive markets for high-bandwidth services in South East
Asia.
3G operators will certainly be looking to the kinds of applications
Alcatel
has demonstrated today to lure those subscribers and capture that
potential," said John Barrett, Asia Pacific Senior Analyst with
Pyramid
Research.
