NEW YORK-Calling it “a first step toward demonstrating fully open standards in General Packet Radio Services,” Symmetry Communications Systems Inc. said it will collaborate with Lucent Technologies Inc. on interoperability testing of 2.5 generation wireless network elements.
Venture-backed Symmetry, based in San Jose, Calif., came into existence several years ago “to focus 100 percent on high-speed wireless data, GPRS and [Enhanced GPRS Data Rate] services,” said John Baker, president.
The tests between the Lucent base station subsystem and Symmetry’s SGSN and GGSN routing nodes will test two-way transfer of packet data.
Baker said Symmetry has developed two elements that “provide a backbone for the data path.” The first is a serving node, whose functions include connecting the base station, assigning Internet Protocol addresses and allowing mobile devices to communicate with each other. The second performs as an interface between the Internet and mobile phones and handles tasks that include security.
“We are a software company, primarily working with Sun (Microsystems Inc.) on computing technology to provide switching nodes,” Baker said.
“We are in the bidding process with all carriers and (original equipment manufacturers).”
Symmetry expects GPRS services to become commercially available in telecommunications networks by the third quarter of this year.
“This will require the availability of multi-time slot mobiles, a technology leap,” Baker said.
“A number of the handset vendors have new models of circuit-switched terminals out there, so this is a good opportunity for new players like Kyocera (Corp.) to break into the market.”
Asked about concerns that GPRS has not yet proven itself significantly faster than circuit-switched wireless data, Baker responded, “There is a lot of smoke and mirrors going on, so we need to be careful.”
Some of those concerns arise from the fact that GPRS promises a total data rate of 115 kilobytes per second but only if all eight time slots are available.
“Initially, carriers are giving one-to-two time slots to data to test the market,” Baker said.
“Everyone is frightened by what happened with [Cellular Digital Packet Data] in the early days.”
Even if GPRS debuts at circuit-switched data speeds, it still offers two distinct advantages, he added. Packet data will allow carriers to use their spectrum far more efficiently. It also will provide end users with an “always on” data connection, as opposed to the log-on/log-off requirement imposed by circuit-switched wireless data.
As a small, independent company, Symmetry has positioned itself to complement the systems that major network infrastructure vendors have installed, Baker said. Products it expects to make available for customer trials later this year are designed to enable wireless landline replacement in remote locations and virtual private networks permitting mobile workers to connect with the enterprise network.
“The major stumbling block has always been the switch. We can do it with three compact PCI (Peripheral Component Interconnect) cards,” Baker said.
“The fact that you can suddenly remove the cost of the switch out of the network removes almost half the cost. We are pushing the Holy Grail of $500.”
