US : Cingular Wireless and Lucent Technologies announced that the two companies have successfully completed the first HSDPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) data calls on the third-generation (3G) UMTS trial network deployed by the two companies in the Atlanta market.

Inset is the Lucent OneBTS Node B (base station), which are being used to support UMTS/HSDPA.

In recent tests the HSDPA-enhanced network delivered sustained over-the-air data rates of more than three megabits per second (Mbps), and supported a wide variety of high-bandwidth multimedia services including high-quality streaming video, as well as fast downloads of high-resolution images and other large files.

Lucent and Cingular also demonstrated performance improvements that have been implemented in the trial network, including reductions in transmission delays that will enable Cingular to deliver interactive services and applications such as multi-player video gaming in the mobile environment. "The investments we're making in our network will enable our customers to receive the fastest mobile broadband services in the country," said Kris Rinne, Chief Technology Officer for Cingular Wireless. "UMTS/HSDPA delivers a host of operating efficiencies, which also equates to cost savings for our business."

These successful tests follow Cingular's recent announcement of plans to roll out a nationwide 3G UMTS/HSDPA network. HSDPA is an enhanced version of UMTS technology that will ultimately support theoretical maximum peak data speeds of up to 14.4 Mbps. Lucent was selected as one of Cingular's strategic suppliers, providing network equipment, software and services to support the deployment.

"The successful completion of these very high-speed mobile data calls is an important milestone that brings Cingular Wireless a step closer to delivering new, powerful revenue-generating multimedia services to their mobile customers," said Joe McCarthy, sales vice president, Lucent Technologies. "Lucent first demonstrated its HSDPA solution in 2003, and the achievement of this milestone in a commercial environment further validates Lucent's leadership in the development of HSDPA."

The calls were completed using Lucent's end-to-end commercial UMTS solution, including Lucent's Flexent® OneBTS® base stations (Node Bs) -- which support HSDPA -- Flexent Radio Network Controller (RNC), as well as UMTS packet core solution including Lucent's Flexent Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), and Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN), along with an HSDPA test terminal.

Cingular's UMTS/HSDPA network will initially support data speeds of up to 3.6 Mbps - the top speeds of the first generation of HSDPA-capable devices expected to become available next year. As more advanced end-user devices become available, Cingular's HSDPA system will ultimately deliver theoretical maximum peak data speeds of up to 14.4 Megabits per second (Mbps).