TELECOMS NEWS

Archive for the ‘Mobile Data’ Category

What is the situation with 4G services in the UK and what are we really waiting for?

UK users are going to have to wait a bit longer for 4G as the auctions for providing services is scheduled for late 2012 with first launch only possible in 2013 although this would appear impractical.

But what are we really waiting for?

3G services have rolled into 3.5G services and even 3.9G services, which are not standards as such but variations on the theme of the 3GPP (3^rd Generation Partnership Project) release schedule. These mid services primarily support HSDPA and HSUPA High Speed Download Packet Access and High Speed Upload Packet Access , The download offering promises speeds towards the terminal of 1.8, 3.6, 7.2 and 14.0Megabit/s. This is not a symmetrical offering and the upload speed is offering a new bearer of 384 kbit/s. The previous maximum bearer was 128 kbit/s. HSUPA or the HSPA offers up-link speeds of up to 5.76 Mbit/s. The name HSUPA was created incidentally by Nokia.

However, this is an ideal view of the world and in practice the speeds achieved are woefully short of this but let’s keep the view ‘blue sky’ for the moment.

In summary, 4G or 4^TH Generation services offer a Peak data rates of up to 100 Mbit/s for high mobility and up to approximately 1 Gbit/s for low mobility such as local wireless access. Then it starts to get really very technical as to how this quantum leap in speeds is achieved with super efficient frequency modulation and various advanced radio techniques but maybe we will come back to this at a later date to try to unravel what it is and why it can promise so much. Further analysis is also required of the industry politics the other challenges in providing these super fast access speeds which 10 years ago would have been unthinkable. The bottle neck is going to move out of the access interface and into the core network and that is going to be a considerable challenge to the mobile operators as up until now they could blame everything else for slow response. There is a way to go yet for terminal and network, but as we always say, it can only get better in the future and the future is….well yes, yet to be discovered.

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Mobile Broadband is booming in the UK.  With the increasing availability of high speed mobile broadband and the latest HSPA+ networks offering extra fast download speeds, more and more people are turing to mobile broadband to deliver high speed internet connectivity whilst on the go and increasingly to replace traditional wired ADSL broadband services in the home.

Mobile broadband users now have a wide choice of hardware solutions to enable them to connect single or multiple devices to a single mobile broadband SIM card, and one of the most popular of recent months has been the Travel Router.

The Travel Router can come in several forms, the first being a router with a USB port so that you can plug your 3G Modem, HSPA+ Modem or 4G Modem into the router and share your connection with several PC’s or wireless devices.  An example of this type of router is the Zoom 4501 Router.

The second type of travel router is a battery powered router that you insert the SIM card directly into.  This type of travel router, commonly known as a MiFi or Myfi router will provide wireless connectivity for several devices and usually has a battery life of 3-4 hours.  a battery powered travel router is great for travelling and products like the ZTE MF60 and Zoom 4506 travel Routers are great examples of this type of router.

Many Travel routers are now available using the lastest HSPA+ network technology offering download speeds of up to 21Mbps, and 4G routers that have the USB port for connection of a USB modem can utilise different modems so you could use your existing 3G Modem and then change the modem to a HSPA+ Modem or 4G Modem when you have access to the new high speed mobile broadband networks as they are rolled out in the UK.

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The LM Technologies LM021 3.8G HSPA+ USB modem is an unlocked 3G modem with a CRC9 Port providing worldwide roaming and connectivity, so there are no contract ties to worry about – you can use any sim card from any of the operators worldwide and switch between them.

The modem has an external antenna port. This enables the modem to connect to our 3 dBi external antenna (LM256). With this antenna attached, there is up to a 25% signal boost – meaning that the LM003 will stay connected in more remote or built up locations for longer.
Setup is easy as the software is installed directly from flash memory on the modem itself – no CD-Rom required. Offering a 21.6Mbps download rate and up to 5.6Mbps upload rate anywhere in the world via your 3G SIM Card.

A micro-SD slot on the LM021 4G modem now accepts a memory card for up to 16 GB (Gigabytes) of memory. A simple slide-in of a micro-SD memory card allows the modem to double as a flash drive to maximize the flexibility of available USB ports.

LM021 Features

• Unlocked High Speed Mobile Broadband Modem
• CRC9 port for external antenna usage – upto 25% signal boost with the LM256
• Quad-Band Class 12 GSM / GPRS / EDGE Wireless Mobile Broadband Modem
• High Speed Download – up to 21.6 Mbps and High Speed Upload up to 5.76 Mbps
• Supports – GSM bands 850Mhz / 900Mhz / 1800Mhz / 1900MHz
• Supports – HSUPA UMTS bands 2100MHz   - 3GPP TS 27.005 / 3GPP TS 27.007 supported
• Full USB v2.0 compatible device
• Micro SD Card Slot (16 GB max)
• Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Mac OS 10.4.9 -10.6

The LM Technologies LM021 4G Modemis a great value mobile broadband USB Modem from a reliable and trusted brand.  The LM021 4G Modem will be shipped with LM Technologies new Connection Manager Software. One of the features on the CM will be that the 4G dongle will turn the Laptop or PC into a Hotspot which will allow 5 other devices to share the internet from one dongle and one data SIM.

The LM021 is due for launch in the UK in April 2012.

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With the roll out of 4G mobile broadband services in the UK using HSPA+ Network technology, mobile broadband providers have been able to offer high speed mobile internet services with download speeds up to 21Mbps.  To get the most out of these new super fast mobile broadband services you will need the new generation of 4G Modems and 4G Routers.

There are many 4G Modem products that offer a simple USB modem stick like the Option Icon 711 connection for a single user to connect to a USB port of their laptop for mobile data usage, but what if you need to connect your iPad, iPhone or other tablet or mobile phone?  You will need to use a travel router like the ZTE MF60 or the Zoom 4506 4G Travel Router.

You can continue to use your 4G USB Modem at home by connecting it into a 4G Router that will allow you to share your 4G USB Modem with multiple wired or wireless users, for example the Zoom 4501 4G Router will provide high speed wireless connectivity and 2 x 10/100 Ethernet ports for the connection of multiple PC’s, Tablets etc and by plugging in your 4G USB Modem they can all share the high speed mobile broadband connection.

The next step for 4G connectivity at home is the use of an embedded 4G router.  This means that the 4G SIM card is inserted directly into the router rather than plugging in a USB modem.  The advantage of this is that most 4G Routers have the option of connecting a 4G Antenna that can be mounted externally to provide a reliable 4G signal, especially when the router is positioned inside a building with poor signal reception.  4G Routers such as the Zalip CDG561WE and Option Globesurfer III+ are both available in the UK and can be used with impressive results on three mobile HSPA+ network.  There are sure to be many more embedded 4G routers available over the coming months as mobile operators start to roll out their 4G HSPA+ Networks.

Another option to consider in the future is the LTE Router – LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and includes 4G and HSPA+ technology but also includes things like WiMAX which offer high speed connectivity, but WiMAX networks are generally not available in the UK at present, but once the analogue TV spectrum gets sold then we can expect more WiMAX type services for delivery of mobile broadband offering speeds up tp 1000Mbps.  Other Euopean countries already offer WiMAX services and there are already WiMAX Routers and LTE Router products available.

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Funkwerk bintec RS120wu 3G Router

The bintec RS120wu UMTS router from Funkwerk is a multi-functional embedded 3G Router.  The bintec RS120wu features 4 x Gigabit Ethernet ports, high speed wireless, VPN and firewall.  The Funkwerk RS120wu is an ideal choice for a variety of applications that require a reliable high speed mobile broadband connection.

Funkwerk bintec RS120wu Features

• Integrated UMTS 3G modem
• WiFi Client mode for WLAN WAN
• HSxPA – 3G+ modem
• 5 x Gigabit Ethernet
• WiFi 802.11n abg (2.4/5 Ghz)
• USB port for addtional 3G UMTS stick
• SFP port (for Fibre SFP)
•  Inclusive 5 IPSec tunnels with hardware acceleration
• Funkwerk Configuration Interface with integrated assistants
• Stateful Inspection Firewall
• IGMP, GRE, L2TP, PPTP, QOS, Load Balancing, Bonding
• SIP Application Level Gateway

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What is the future for Close Circuit TV with Mobile Broadband speeds reaching Fixed Broadband speeds in the near future?

Video is such a major part of our lives that we tend to take it for granted when it is all around us from the TVs in our homes to Youtube on our PCs and Smart Phones. But the expansion in speed in the Mobile world, 3G, UMTS, HSPA and 4G services is starting to open up possibilities that have never before been practical or even feasible.

Security services for example – On every corner in most major European cities you will find CCTV cameras but it is not so practical to put these systems into certain areas that would seriously benefit from monitoring and surveillance. High risk or secluded areas such as bus stops, remote storage, public vehicles and rural locations where data network availability has been limited or not even present. Wide area Broadband services now open up the possibility of providing a host of security services to remote locations and to bring back live video capture. Often legacy systems require local storage and some form of manual intervention to recover recordings. If a theft or attack is recorded the owner or authorities need to play catch up after the event to piece together the evidence. Not withstanding that the mobile operators need to offer suitable data packages for these applications it is certainly an application waiting for the service and there is a plethora of High Speed 4G CPE waiting to connect these networks. Broadband is no longer the exclusive domain of the fixed operators! There a host of legacy systems awaiting retrofit and more new systems to install which, too date, have been impractical to deploy. 4G is going to be a major contributor to making these systems a success.

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What possibilities do 4G mobile services create in the field of remote video advertising?

Flat screen Displays are becoming common place in many public places: Shopping centres, Train stations, bus shelters, football grounds and they are becoming ever more prevalent as large panel display technologies become cheaper and more reliable. The majority of remote sineage technology currently deployed relies primarily on local storage of media which plays a number of advertisements on a loop. New media is typically downloaded over night or out of hours via a remote modem typically low speed via a landline or mobile connection. Both of these options are limited technically and economically. But, imagine if all of these remote assets could be networked wherever they were by a high speed mobile connection wirelessly! The possibilities for maximizing the value of these assets starts to get very exciting! These assets rely on playing contracted advertisements in set locations based on the viewing potential and even though the advertisements are, as far as possible, targeted geographically and demographically, they are limited.

4G high Speed Wireless connections enables real time video content to be distributed in an almost ‘broadcast’ type approach to targeted locations based on event, time of day or to support local promotions such as special offers in the vicinity which shops and retailers can take advantage of. If you think you have seen everything when it comes to advertising think again! There will be an increase in targeted media to set locations which will open up many commercial opportunities for deployment of new media platforms powered by 4G connectivity.

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The new ZTE MF60 WiFi Hotspot router is a 21Mbps High Speed wireless broadband WiFi Hotspot enabling up to eight users to share a single 3G mobile broadband connection.  When used in conjunction with the latest HSPA+ network from 3 mobile in the UK, the ZTE MF60 should provide a reliable, high speed wireless connection for multiple users and the long battery life means that it will be a convenient solution for many mobile broadband users that have come to rely on MiFi type wireless broadband routers.

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Business and consumer demand for high speed mobile broadband has spiked a demand for 4G Routers and LTE Routers in the UK.  Popular products such as the Option Globesurfer 3+ and the Zalip CDG561WE 4G Routers thats provide higher download speeds than traditional HSPA Routers have seen a dramatic increase in sales.  The Option Globesurfer III+ is a HSPA+ Router with a maximum download speed of 14.4Mbps and the Zalip CDG561WE is a 4G Router with maximum download speeds of up to 21Mbps.

Many users of these high speed mobile broadband routers aare using them on the new 3 mobile HSPA+ Network and in our own tests we got 11Mbps download speed which is pretty impressive.

With the new wave of wireless network technologies around the corner with the auction of the old analogue television spectrum later this year there are exciting times ahead in the UK for high speed mobile broadband access for both 4G mobile phone users as well as home and office mobile broadband solutions using the next generation of 4G Router, LTE Router, WiMAX Router and HSPA+ Routers.

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New devices and international expansion boost Mobile Fun’s Christmas trading figures

Record orders for the festive period and the company has its first “million month” with sales of over £1.1m in December

Birmingham, 16 January 2012 – Mobile Fun, (www.MobileFun.co.uk) the leading online retailer of accessories for mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices, has reported another strong Christmas trading period with orders for the quarter up by 21% and sales up by 13% compared with the same period in 2010.

The company, with UK, German, French, Dutch and Spanish websites, received a record 122,861 orders over the final quarter of 2011. December was a particularly strong month, with sales of over £1.1 million and orders up by 32% on December 2010, offsetting a slight weakness in UK trading in the build up to Christmas.

Strong growth at Mobile Fun’s European websites, MobileFun.de, MobileFun.fr and the more recently launched MobileFun.es and MobileFun.nl, increased orders placed on these websites by 93% and sales by 86%.

Mohammed Hussain, Managing Director of Mobile Fun, comments: “Our teams across Europe have delivered a strong performance over the festive period – and we’re thrilled that sales exceeded £1 million in December.  The continued growth of the smartphone and tablet markets has made this an incredible Christmas for Mobile Fun. Our customers especially appreciated fast delivery for last-minute shopping – this year, we were able to ship orders placed up to 7pm on 23rd December for pre-Christmas delivery.”

“Despite a weak retail environment in the UK, our outlook for 2012 is positive: we believe that our strong product proposition, combined with our successful international expansion strategy will enable us to continue to capitalise on the opportunity offered by the growth of the smartphone and tablet markets. We are particularly excited about the opportunity presented by forthcoming new devices from major manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung and Nokia – as these will ensure strong demand for our products,” concluded Hussain.

About Mobile Fun

Mobile Fun is the UK’s leading Internet retailer offering a market leading range of accessories for mobile phones, tablets and other mobile devices from its growing portfolio of websites in the UK and in Europe.

With a product range of over 8,000 globally-sourced mobile accessories and tens of thousands of mobile downloads available on its websites, Mobile Fun has successfully established a market-leading position within the competitive mobile, smartphone and tablet sectors.

Mobile Fun has offices in the UK, Germany and France and delivers products to over 50 countries worldwide.

Mobile Fun was ranked as the UK’s 7th ‘Fastest Growing Technology Based Company’ in the Sunday Times 2006 Microsoft Tech Track 100, was awarded the ‘Online Retailer of the Year’ title at the Mobile News Awards 2011 and won the Online Retail Awards 2011 ‘Computers and Telecommunications’ category.

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