3GSM: "Fastest" cellular technology gets alliance

Backers of an alternative version of UMTS have joined together to form a far-reaching alliance with the aim of spreading the use of "the fastest [cellular data] service around".

The Global UMTS TDD Alliance is backed by 18 alternative operators in five continents. UMTS TDD uses time-division duplexing (TDD) as opposed to the far more common W-CDMA flavour of UMTS, which uses frequency division (FDD).

One of TDD's main proponent is IPWireless, a UK start-up with a major base in the US. It is touting its technology as the fastest cellular offering at this week's 3GSM World Congress conference in Cannes.

A spokesman said: "At 4Mbps it's currently the fastest around."

At least one operator in Scandinavia is considering using it as the backhaul for a Wi-Fi hotspot, as it should barely act as a bottleneck for the faster local area standard. Most Wi-Fi networks currently operate at a maximum of 11Mbps.

More commonly, TDD will be used as a local loop substitute, competing against cable or DSL or being offered in areas where those two technologies aren't available.

Woosh Wireless in New Zealand is one of the 18 founders of the alliance. Its GM of sales and marketing, Barry Hastings, said that at the time of his company's launch no other network technologies were viable alternatives.

End users typically connect PCs or PDAs to a small modem via USB, which includes the IPWireless radio technology, a SIM card and a small battery. There is the potential for operators to overlay W-CDMA equipment with TDD technology, sharing cell sites and antennas. However, as yet no tier-one mobile operators have made a TDD move, even though they have the spectrum to use the technology, which is a standardised variant of the better-known 3G.

The theme at this year's 3GSM show has been very much about GSM operators finally commercialising W-CDMA 3G networks. Any talk about faster data rates has typically focused on an upcoming technology extension to W-CDMA called HSDPA, which stands for High Speed Downlink Packet Access and promises speeds of up to 8-10Mbps. (But remember, W-CDMA is theoretically capable of 2Mbps plus but won't be commonly available at more than 384Kbps.)

Members of the Global UMTS TDD Alliance - from as far afield as Australia, Ireland, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Portugal, the US and of course New Zealand - say they will share technical and marketing insights, and work with the growing list of vendors supplying equipment.