(1 April 2006 5:00 pm)

MUMBAI: Nortel and Qualcomm have successfully achieved the industry's first 7.2 Mbps HSDPA mobile data calls. The tests achieved data downloads at speeds up to four times faster than most current fixed broadband connections, companies claimed in an official release.

According to the official communiqué, the companies completed the initial series of pre-commercial category 8 HSDPA data calls using test terminals based on Qualcomm's Mobile Station Modem (MSM), MSM6280 solution and HSDPA network equipment from Nortel.

The calls covered frequencies in all commercially available UMTS spectrum currently used by mobile operators throughout the world. The 2100MHz spectrum is the basis for most European 3G networks and the 850MHz spectrum is now in use for new UMTS networks in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. As spectrum at 900MHz is expanded for UMTS services, Nortel believes this can also become an important part of European HSDPA roll out.

"Nortel continues to be an industry leader in driving HSDPA technologies to faster, more cost-effective capabilities that will help power mobile communications to beyond 3G services such as high quality live TV and HD video on demand," said Jean-Luc Jezouin, vice-president, GSM/UMTS product line management, Nortel. "Together with Qualcomm, Nortel is an industry pioneer in advancing the potential of HSDPA to help wireless operators maximize their existing UMTS infrastructures by offering new and faster services for subscribers."

HSDPA is designed to boost network capacity for data transmissions up to four times and enables twice as many wireless users per cell site compared to current UMTS networks. By making more efficient use of existing network capabilities, HSDPA helps reduce operating costs while delivering a high quality end-user experience.

Nortel and Qualcomm will be demonstrating high-resolution video streaming enabled by HSDPA data calls at 7.2Mbps during CTIA Wireless 2006 in Las Vegas, 5 April to 7 April.