Bangkok--4 Apr--GM of Farh Agency HSPA is a proven mobile broadband technology that is already deployed in over 150 commercial networks. It is built on the firm foundation of the 3GPP family, offering the carrier-grade voice services users expect and the broadband speeds they desire. HSPA can be built out using the existing GSM radio network sites and is a software upgrade of the installed WCDMA networks. Together with dual-mode terminals, this ensures nationwide coverage both for voice (GSM/WCDMA) and data (HSPA/EDGE).HSPA: The Leading Mobile Broadband Technology While there are a host of technologies competing to deliver commercial mobile broadband services — the most recent being Mobile WiMAX — 3G networks based on well established WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) and HSPA (High Speed Packet Access) technologies offer the best way forward in terms of global acceptance, economies of scale and spectrum efficiency.HSPA is the undisputed leader in mobile broadband services, as it provides: ? An ecosystem of unrivalled breadth and depth, covering both traditional mobile terminals and personal consumer devices such as notebooks, ultra mobile PCs, cameras, portable game consoles and music players ? Unmatched economies of scale that benefit all players in the ecosystem, which are uniquely available to a technology that is part of the 3GPP family of standards, currently serving over two billion subscribers ? Ever-improving performance, with commercially-proven transmission bit-rates of up to 14Mbps today and up to 42Mbps in the near future ? Highly economic urban and rural coverage, with up to 200km cell range and measured speeds in excess of 2Mbps at the cell border ? A clearly defined and easily adopted evolution path.Mobile WiMAX does not offer any technology advantage over HSPA. HSPA low cost embedded modules are already available and with over 150 commercial networks in operation, HSPA is the clear and undisputed choice for mobile broadband services.Variety and Full range User Devices The complexity and cost of including mobile broadband connectivity in consumer devices is comparable for all wide-area wireless technologies. However, low cost embedded modules are already available for HSPA and the global success of the GSM/WCDMA/HSPA family has created unmatchable volumes and economies of scale for HSPA.Another advantage of using HSPA as the mobile broadband connection is the seamless service between GPRS, EDGE, WCDMA and HSPA — which provides unprecedented global service coverage. Mobile broadband enabled devices, with GSM/WCDMA/HSPA multi-access capability, ensure that the user is always connected to the best available service, and can seamlessly move between them while on the move. With mobile broadband connectivity based on HSPA available worldwide, HSPA is the natural choice for personal devices like notebooks or ultramobile PCs.HSPA: Advantage to Total Cost of Ownership The performance of HSPA and Mobile WiMAX technologies is comparable: Mobile WiMAX does not offer any technology advantage over HSPA. Both technologies offer similar peak data rates, spectral efficiency and network complexity. However, Mobile WiMAX does require more sites to offer the same coverage and capacity as HPSA. This is an important conclusion when calculating the total cost of ownership for a radio access network.Overall HSPA requires fewer sites than Mobile WiMAX — leading to a radio access network with much lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).HSPA best choice for operators From a technological and market scale perspective, HSPA is, in all aspects, better or equal.Looking at the scale of the 3G/GSM market, HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) would be the natural mobile-broadband choice for operators, says H?kan Eriksson, CTO and head of Group Function Technology, Ericsson."HSPA, launched commercially at the end of 2005, has a lead of at least two years," Eriksson says. "This means a lot because the technology that takes the lead gets the volumes, which usually decides the race. In this case HSPA also builds on the GSM footprint. "We, Ericsson, predict, as do other analysts, that by 2011, HSPA - which is a software upgrade of the global GSM/WCDMA standards - will have over 700 million users and WiMAX will have less than 30 million. Scale makes the difference. This means 95 percent market share for 3G technologies." The technological advantages can be summarized as higher bit rate and spectral efficiency, higher capacity, and coverage (WiMAX requires more sites), as well as cost advantages thanks to economies of scale. Moreover, HSPA offers global roaming based on GSM/WCDMA as it is, and is a well-established and proven open standard. However, there is a basic difference between the two technologies that may affect the operators' choice: 3G/HSPA uses FDD (Frequency-Division Duplex) spectrum for uplink and downlink, while WiMAX uses TDD (Time-Division Duplex). "Today, up to 90 percent of the mobile spectrum is for FDD, but there is considerable pressure from the TDD side to convert FDD spectrum to TDD, especially in the IMT 2000 extension band on 2.5-2.69GHz," Eriksson says. "Here we have to safeguard our interests." It is also in regulators' interests to keep as much FDD band as possible, since FDD utilizes the spectrum more efficiently. One aspect that has been cited as an advantage for WiMAX is the fact that it will be integrated into laptops. This is also true for HSPA, which has already been built into several laptop models and is picking up speed, while WiMAX is not yet commercially available. Eriksson also wants to correct some misunderstandings about the technologies. For example, WiMAX is not just a "stronger" WiFi (WLAN); WiMAX is an access technology, like HSPA, while WiFi is a cordless technology using, for example, fixed ADSL as the access technology.Conclusion For operators, technology choices made today will influence operations for many years to come. 3GSM technologies are the future-proof choice — from an initial investment standpoint, economies of scale and the ability to extend and continuously enhance the solution. HSPA is the clear and undisputed choice for mobile broadband services.From a technological and market scale perspective, HSPA is, in all aspects, the clear and undisputed choice for mobile broadband services. For further information, please contact: Mrs. Voraparn Eua-arporn (coco) GM of Farh Agency, Tel: 0 26160991-2, Fax: 0 2616 0993, MB: 08 9144 4014