MONTE CARLO, France-Nine global wireless communications companies formed a focus group to promote an Internet protocol-based wireless system for third-generation mobile communications technology.
The group, called 3G.IP, consists of AT&T Wireless Services Inc., British Telecommunications plc, Rogers Cantel Inc., L.M. Ericsson, Lucent Technologies Inc., Nokia Corp., Nortel Networks, Telenor AS and Telecom Italia Mobile.
The companies said they have committed to support the development of next-generation wireless services like voice, high-speed data and Internet access, imaging and video conferencing on an all IP-based network architecture using a common core network based on the General Packet Radio System protocol.
The group also said it plans to establish the direction and requirements for developing an IP-based system for other 3G technologies, like wideband Code Division Multiple Access and EDGE. They also will propose corresponding standards for multimedia handsets operating on the various access technologies.
The members said they will cooperate and share information in the development of standards to meet or exceed the 3G requirements of the International Telecommunication Union and other regulatory bodies. In addition, with such industry names behind the IP-effort, it is expected the group will command greater economies of scale resulting in less-expensive equipment needed to construct this new network architecture.
“The combined effort of these companies will assist in bringing our vision of providing customers with seamless multimedia services around the world,” said Sohail Qadri, BT’s director of mobility.
The announcement was made at the UMTS Congress meeting.
