Lucent Technologies announced another significant milestone in the rollout of third-generation (3G) wireless networks by being among the first vendors worldwide to announce the commercial availability of third-generation (3G) CDMA2000™ 1xEV-DO equipment. This base station and core network hardware and software will enable mobile operators to provide high-speed mobile data services, such as secure access to enterprise applications, at speeds of up to 2.4 megabits per second.

The equipment is designed initially to support mobile service providers employing 1900 MHz or PCS (Personal Communications Services) spectrum. Verizon Wireless is currently conducting trials of Lucent's 1xEV-DO solution in the Washington, D.C. area.

"There is a significant pent-up demand for high-speed mobile data services among the enterprise community and the availability of 1xEV-DO equipment can help our CDMA service provider customers meet this need," said Mike Iandolo, vice president of product management, Lucent's Mobility Solutions Group. "Our customers can cost-effectively introduce 1xEV-DO, while at the same time realizing the benefits of an all-IP network for mobile data."

Mobile operators can upgrade their second-generation CDMA (code division multiple access) networks or 3G CDMA2000 1X networks to support CDMA2000 1xEV-DO technology and the high-speed mobile data capabilities it provides. Lucent's CDMA customers simply add channel cards and make additional hardware and software upgrades to existing Lucent base stations to enable these advanced 3G capabilities. To provide customers with a comprehensive CDMA2000 1xEV-DO solution, Lucent also provides the additional network infrastructure mobile operators need.

1xEV-DO is a data-optimized evolution of CDMA2000 1X technology now being used in Verizon Wireless' national Express Network. As mobile data traffic increases on 1X networks, 1xEV-DO enables mobile operators to increase data capacity and provide higher data transmission speeds to customers.

For the first time, Lucent is making available the Flexent® Radio Network Controller (RNC) for CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networks, a powerful network element designed by Lucent's Bell Labs that performs call processing, implements the packet control function, terminates the radio link protocol, and provides an interface to the packet data serving node (PDSN), such as the Lucent Flexent PDSN based on the SpringTide® 7000 Wireless IP Service Switch platform.

The channel card and software upgrades are available for the Flexent CDMA Modular Cell indoor and outdoor base station platforms for 1900 MHz spectrum. Support for 1xEV-DO on other Lucent base station platforms, including anticipated availability in international markets, will follow.

"We are leveraging our development expertise in spread-spectrum technology to deliver commercial 3G high-speed data solutions now," said Mary Chan, vice president of research and development, Lucent's Mobility Solutions Group. "Our ability to rapidly bring these 3G solutions to market is a direct result of our wealth of experience developing and deploying spread-spectrum systems."

CDMA2000 is an advanced and efficient wireless technology being introduced worldwide and an international 3G standard established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). 3G CDMA2000 evolves existing CDMA networks, in existing spectrum, while it continues to serve existing subscribers.