DUBLIN, Ireland-The GSM MoU Association is interested in creating a multiband WorldPhone that operates at 900 MHz, 1800 MHz and 1900 MHz.
“Global roaming is the cornerstone of GSM’s success,” said Gretel Holcomb Hoffman, chairperson of the association.
Global System for Mobile communications technology has been deployed in wireless systems in Europe and the United States. European cellular networks operate at 900 MHz, and personal communications spectrum is at 1800 MHz in Europe and 1900 MHz in the United States.
Cellular service in the United States operates in the 800 MHz range, but no U.S. cellular operator has selected GSM for its technology upgrade from analog to digital.
“It has become evident that our members wish to make a joint effort to assess the size, timing and potential of this market,” Hoffman said. They will “then convey the result to the manufacturers in the industry to encourage them to produce the phones that we believe the market needs.”
The objectives of the GSM WorldPhone project are to produce a common technical and service description for the handset, specify maximum limits for size and weight, assess market size projections for such a handset for 1997-1999 and to obtain a timeframe, volume and price matrix from handset manufacturers.
The group recently held a meeting in Hong Kong, where a U.S. operator demonstrated roaming with a call between its PCS 1900 network and the 900 MHz cellular GSM network of Hong Kong Telecom.
This was accomplished by swapping a subscriber identity module between the two phones, the association said. The group’s next meeting will be in Salzburg, Germany.
