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What is UMTS ? |
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Standing for "Universal Mobile Telecommunications System", UMTS represents an evolution in terms of services and data speeds from today's "second generation" mobile networks. As a key member of the "global family" of third generation (3G) mobile technologies identified by the ITU, UMTS is the natural evolutionary choice for operators of GSM networks, currently representing a customer base of more than 850 million end users in 195 countries and representing over 70% of today's digital wireless market. |
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| Using fresh radio spectrum to support increased numbers of customers in line with industry forecasts of demand for data services over the next decade and beyond, "UMTS" is synonymous with a choice of WCDMA radio access technology that has already been selected by approaching 120 licensees worldwide. |
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UMTS is already a reality. Japan launched the world's first commercial WCDMA network in 2001, and WCDMA networks are now operating commercially in Austria, Italy, Sweden and the UK with more launches anticipated during 2003-2004. Several other pilot and pre-commercial trials are operational in the Isle of Man, Monaco and other European territories. Some 200 operators worldwide are also giving their customers a taste of faster data services with so-called "2.5G" systems based on GPRS technology - a natural evolutionary stepping-stone towards UMTS. Many operators are also advancing plans to deploy EDGE technology to increase the speed and capacity of mobile services offered in their current GSM frequency allocations. |
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| The world's leading equipment manufacturers are now presenting their first WCDMA/UMTS handset models, with many of them featuring in-built cameras. Most models in this first wave of UMTS terminal designs are multi-band and multi-mode, allowing users to switch seamlessly between UMTS, GPRS and GSM services in different frequency bands as they travel around the world. |
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| Today's mobile customers have already demonstrated a taste for "non-voice" and other new services. More than 24 billion text messages are sent every month, and now customers are embracing Mobile Multimedia Messaging (MMS), an evolution of text messaging that adds pictures and sound elements. UMTS will build on these first steps towards a mobile multimedia future, allowing operators to offer exciting new services to consumers as well as business users. |
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| With the 3G licensing process largely completed in many parts of the world, WCDMA networks at an advanced stage of construction in many countries and handsets becoming available from an increasing number of manufacturers, the stage is set for the worldwide deployment of UMTS systems (source : www.umts-forum.org). |
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PhD
