HONG KONG, 18 FEBRUARY 2009 – Hong Kong will soon have the world’s first large-scale all-IP network, offered by ZTE and CSL New World Mobility.
The two telecommunications providers today announced a collaboration to build the world’s first SDR (Software Defined Radio) based HSPA+ (Evolved High-Speed Packet Access) network.
ZTE is the China-based provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, while CSL New World Mobility (CSLNWM) is the Hong Kong-based mobile operator, a subsidiary of Australia’s Telstra Corporation.
HSPA+ network testing completed
Selected after a tender process, ZTE will upgrade CSLNWM’s existing infrastructure with a fully integrated second generation/third generation all-IP SDR-based network. In addition, ZTE and CSLNWM have successfully completed testing of the HSPA+ network capability in Hong Kong on 15 February 2009, delivering HSPA+ (64 quadrature amplitude modulation) services which can provide up to 21 megabytes per second download speed.
ZTE’s SDR technology provides CSLNWM’s network with increased flexibility by reducing equipment space and power requirements, and at same time enabling high speed, advanced traffic management and future-proof systems. SDR solutions enable operators to upgrade to next generation networks, including HSPA+, MIMO (multiple-input and multiple-output) and LTE (long term evolution).
Tarek Robbiati, chief executive officer of CSLNWM said Hong Kong was undoubtedly one of the most difficult places to deploy a network. “Skyscrapers and the dense population create a complicated wireless environment make the reconstruction of a converged all-IP second generation/third generation network a challenging task.”
Yin Yimin, chief executive officer of ZTE, said, “ZTE set up a special project team comprising more than 300 engineers and technical experts to work with CSL.”
First all-IP network
The dual-mode second generation/third generation SDR CSLNWM network will be the first large-scale all-IP network in the world, delivering superior services and user experience, while providing a smooth transition from the existing network to HSPA+. CSLNWM’s new network will include a single core network, RAN (radio access network) and network management system and operation systems and software.
Telstra was the world’s first operator to roll-out a nationwide third generation High-Speed Downlink Packet Access network. The network was commercially launched in Australia in 2006, covering an area larger than Western Europe, and the entire project was completed in the record time of 10 months. Telstra Australia’s next-generation network operates in the 850 MegaHertz range and is expected to reach speeds of 100 megabytes per second over the next few years.
