Nortel Completes Industry’s First Call Over Ultra Mobile Broadband

TORONTO – Nortel* [NYSE/TSX: NT] has achieved the industry’s first live call over an Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) network delivering high-definition video and VoIP. With this demonstration, Nortel is the first in the industry to complete live calls using MIMO advanced antenna technology in each of the major 4G technologies - WiMAX, Long Term Evolution (LTE), and UMB.
The UMB call demonstrates Nortel’s ability to deliver a personal wireless broadband experience anywhere, anytime over 4G networks with high-quality services such as video-conferencing, live video-streaming, and VoIP. Using Nortel’s IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) and UMB technologies, crisp and clear voice conversations can be delivered with other high bandwidth applications running simultaneously on the network. Voice calls can also be maintained across multiple networks, meaning users can roam from UMB coverage to 2G without interruptions in their conversations using Nortel’s VoiceCall Continuity (VCC) based handover.

“Nortel’s development of 4G technologies is progressing with great momentum as we continually add new achievements in WiMAX, UMB, IMS and LTE to our long history of innovation,” said Richard Lowe, president, Carrier Networks, Nortel. “With the emerging consumer demand for highly mobile broadband devices, we’re focused on preparing our customers for a hyperconnected world. Whether they are moving at a measured pace to evolve their legacy network, or stepping boldly on stage with a disruptive 4G vision, Nortel has the solutions, services, and partners in place to help them succeed.”

As well as the accomplishment in UMB, Nortel has shown leadership across 4G by collaborating with world-class partners to deliver bandwidth-intensive applications over WiMAX and LTE:

-WiMAX: Nortel, Kyocera Wireless, and Runcom achieved the industry’s first live call over MIMO-powered WiMAX, streaming both voice and video over commercial spectrum.
-LTE: Nortel, in collaboration with LGE, completed the industry’s first live video call over LTE with Uplink Multi-user MIMO over commercial spectrum.
All of Nortel’s 4G technologies will be demonstrated in Nortel’s booth (# 2663 in Hall B1) at CTIA Wireless 2007 in Orlando, Florida, March 27–29.

In addition to the success in its labs, Nortel is also seeing success with WiMAX in the field, engaging in trials with trailblazing network operators such as TVA in Brazil and Golden Telecom in Russia. Nortel has also successfully completed a WiMAX trial in the northern Tohoku region of Japan, delivering high-bandwidth applications including video-streaming, video surveillance and video-conferencing. This trial was part of a Nortel and Toshiba Corporation initiative to work with the Japanese government on its “Next Generation Broadband Strategy 2010” through the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC).

“The Tohoku WiMAX trial was conducted in a rural area with obstacles to coverage that mimic the challenges that operators will face when delivering commercial wireless services around the world,” said Nick Vreugdenhil, president, Nortel Japan. “The success in Tohoku proves that Nortel’s innovative WiMAX solutions are able to deliver high quality, fast and reliable broadband services regardless of challenges posed by terrain or location.”

Nortel’s 4G strategy is anchored by industry-leading innovations in two key access technologies – OFDM and MIMO – and the development of an all IP core technology – IMS. OFDM and MIMO are the underlying technologies for WiMAX, LTE and UMB. Nortel has dedicated more than eight years to developing these technologies and holds intellectual property rights in OFDM and MIMO application in 4G.

MIMO is an advanced antenna technology that uses the OFDM modulation technique to carry heavy traffic across a wireless network even in surroundings where there are physical obstacles barring the way of the wireless signal, such as the clusters of tall buildings or mountainous terrain. These technologies can deliver fixed and mobile broadband services with minimal infrastructure.