Network Technology
Network Technology

Network Technology

NTT Com Enters MVNO Market

NTT Com announced today that it has begun accepting subscriptions to its new flat-rate billing plans for “Mobile/Remote Access DOCOMO Model,” a service for secure broadband access, including via NTT DOCOMO’s 3.5G HSDPA network, to NTT Com-provided VPN. NTT Com also announced that connection to the service is now possible via wireless routers, and that the service is compatible with telemetering systems for machine-to-machine transmission of data. The service, which NTT Com will provide as an MVNO, will be expanded through partnerships in a number of fields for increased compatibility with telemetering systems. NTT Com also plans to expand the lineup of compatible mobile handsets by releasing original models or introducing lower-priced models.

Kyocera Demos iBurst at CTIA

Kyocera Communications, a sales, marketing and service organization for Kyocera and Sanyo-branded products in the Americas, presented their technology portfolio of four broadband wireless devices at the CTIA trade show in Las Vegas. Along with its full line of mobile phones, the company showed a prototype all-in-one LTE base station along with three iBurst terminal devices in its booth at this years event.

Fujitsu HIts 120Mbps Field Testing LTE

Fujitsu Laboratories has announced that they have conducted successful field testing for LTE using 4×4 MIMO. The trials, in collaboration with DoCoMo, took place in Hokkaido and resulted in wireless data transmissions in the range of 120 Mbps (using 10 MHz bandwidth) in Sapporo’s urban environment. This would be equivalent to 240 Mbps throughput using the 20 MHz maximum bandwidth that LTE allows.

HotSpot on the Bullet Train

NTT Com is now accepting applications for it’s new HOTSPOT Express product, a WLAN service for the bullet train between Tokyo and Osaka, which will start March 14. Touted as the first wireless Internet access offering on any Shinkansen line in Japan, although UQ Wi-Fi recently announced availability for select corporate customers as of March as well, the service will offer maximum downlinks of 2Mbps on each 16-coach bullet train for any IEEE 802.11b/g-compatible device for a monthly charge of 819 yen (approx. $8 usd). According to the announcement, connectivity will also be available in the waiting lounges of all 17 stations along the route.

NEC Announces Global Deal with IQ

NEC Corp. and Carrier IQ confirmed that they have formed a global partnership agreement. The companies have integrated Carrier IQ’s multi-vendor compatible Mobile Service Intelligence technology alongside NEC’s leading Device Management products for mobile OEMs and carriers, and will jointly promote the integrated products world-wide.

NEC Does Softbank Femto Deal

NEC Corp. and its partner Ubiquisys Ltd. have won a key battle today with the announcement of a femto contract from Japan’s Softbank Mobile. According to Unstrung, Softbank plans to launch commercial services with the 3G home base stations in January next year, which is the first commercial launch date that an operator has set for 3G femtos anywhere and is well ahead of the industry expectations that femto services will launch in the 2010 time-range.

WiMAX License for Japanese CATV Firm

A Japanese government panel has apparently approved a plan to grant Reinan Cable Network Co. a license to provide WiMAX services on a regional basis. The Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture-based cable television company is expected to get the license from a local bureau of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as early as next Monday.

Fujitsu Building WiMAX from Taiwan

Fujitsu Global Mobile Platform Inc., a joint venture established based on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) tied between Fujitsu Limited’s former LSI business, and the Institute for Information Industry of Taiwan, have announced the commencement of operations, according to this press release. FMPI will develop reference designs – designs which improve design efficiencies – for WiMAX-related products for Taiwan-based ODM vendors, in addition to providing technical support.

Is Mobile WiMax Ready to Compete

The Nikkei Electronics Asia monthly magazine for June has an interesting article focused on the future potential, and challanges, for mobile WiMax. One of the key areas of consideration is the so-called power added efficiency (PAE) of this new platform, which is deemed a serious concern. There are several major players gearing up for launch with the 802.16e standard, in Japan and elsewhere, so the equipment makers would certainly seem to have their hands full in order to increase performance.

Google Android GPS Application

Rafael Spring, and his partner, Max Braun, were thoughtful enough to ping us here at WWJ with an interesting tip. They have created a 3d-navigation and location targeting system, code named Enkin, as a submission for the first round of the Google Android Developer Challenge. The pair are students of Computational Visualistics in Koblenz, Germany and started this project when they were in Japan for robotics research. See their video and very detailed .pdf after the jump.