Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo Inc. will delay its High-Speed Downlink Packet Access network launch until sometime later next year, a move that puts Cingular Wireless L.L.C. at the world’s bleeding edge of wireless innovation. DoCoMo’s news also serves to add an extra layer of caution around the as-yet-unproven technology.
DoCoMo now plans to introduce HSDPA network technology sometime during its 2006 fiscal year, which begins April 2006 and runs through March 2007. The carrier had previously targeted an HSDPA launch by the end of its 2005 fiscal year.
Cingular, on the other hand, plans to launch W-CDMA/HSDPA services in 15 to 20 markets by the end of this year, and said it will have several HSDPA-capable PC cards and one HSDPA handset available at that time. The carrier has not named its PC card and handset suppliers.
DoCoMo spokeswoman Karen Lurker said the Japanese carrier will test HSDPA services this year. She said the launch delay was not due to technical or handset issues, but instead was because the carrier could not find suitable content and services for an HSDPA network.
“It’s not so much technology issues-it’s what kinds of content and services” to offer, she said. “The details are still being worked out.”
By delaying its HSDPA plans, DoCoMo is essentially relinquishing its position at the forefront of the wireless industry to Cingular. DoCoMo has long been the worldwide leader in wireless technology. It was the first to offer a revenue-sharing business model for wireless data services, the first to launch Java-based application download services, and the first to launch an extensive W-CDMA network and video calling.
However, DoCoMo has faced its share of rough waters. At its launch in 2001, the carrier suffered criticism over its bulky, power-hungry, third-generation FOMA handsets and relatively small coverage area. However, the carrier appears to have largely addressed those issues; it now counts around 11 million FOMA subscribers.
Cingular’s insistence on HSDPA brings the United States to the forefront of wireless innovation. Speedy wireless networks and innovative services typically crop up in Asia or Western Europe sometimes years before hitting U.S. shores. However, if Cingular launches its W-CDMA/HSDPA network as scheduled, the United States could be home to the world’s-fastest wide area wireless network.
However, European carrier MmO2 may beat Cingular to the punch. The carrier is planning an HSDPA launch on the Isle of Man this summer. The carrier generally uses the Isle of Man as a proving ground for advanced wireless technologies before launching them in its broader European footprint.
HSDPA will support average transmission speeds of between 550 kilobits per second and 1.1 megabits per second, according to Merrill Lynch. W-CDMA boasts speeds of 220 to 320 kbps, and CDMA EV-DO networks offer data speeds at 400 to 700 kbps.
Cingular’s HSDPA push is due to several factors. First, the carrier recently acquired AT&T Wireless Services Inc.-giving it the spectrum position to launch 3G services. Second, rival Verizon Wireless is in the process of installing EV-DO technology across its footprint-giving it the current lead in terms of network speeds.
However, as with any new technology, Cingular could see some bumps in the road. The launch of W-CDMA technology in Europe was rife with delays in both network launches and handset availability. Such issues took several years to work out. Indeed, no handset maker has yet announced an HSDPA-capable phone. However, Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Co. Ltd. have shown off prototype HSDPA handsets. Further, a variety of wireless modem makers have promised to offer HSDPA PC cards by the end of this year.
“After having to repeatedly delay the full commercial launch of their W-CDMA networks in 2003 and 2004 due to a shortage of handsets, these same operators are going to endure an exact repeat of the situation when it comes to HSDPA,” said John Everington, a senior research analyst with Informa Telecoms and Media.
