WCDMA gets another lift as U.S. telecom giant AT&T Wireless and NTT DoCoMo ready rollout of a 3G network in four major cities in the U.S. - to be operational by December 2004.
AT&T Wireless and NTT DoCoMo recently announced the four major U.S. markets in which the companies will first deploy and launch WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple band Access) networks, employing the standard favored by European operators. Should promises hold true, fully operational WCDMA networks will be up and running in four major U.S. cities by the end of 2004.
According to the two companies, the deployment of the 3G network - which meets the criteria of the IMT-2000 specification to be called 3G - will be the first WCDMA network to be launched in the Western Hemisphere. Currently, the CDMA Development Group is also eager to classify existing CDMA2000 1xRTT networks such as those belonging to Verizon Wireless and Sprint PCS as 3G, despite these failing to meet the requirements stated in the IMT-2000 specification to be designated as such.
As part of a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission made in December 2002, AT&T Wireless and DoCoMo said they plan to launch the communications cores of San Francisco, San Diego, Seattle and Dallas as the first four U.S. markets for W-CDMA deployment. The announced 3G build and launch will follow a planned deployment of high data speed EDGE technology (enhanced data rates evolution) by AT&T Wireless later next year, representing the next step in AT&T Wireless' planned network evolution, progressing from GSM and GPRS technology to EDGE and then finally to WCDMA.
Having already begun testing WCDMA technology in Dallas after successfully placing the first 3G call between New York City and Tokyo using WCDMA technology, the operator plans to deploy EDGE technology in its network in 2003, boosting peak network speed to approximately 384 Kbps. At the time its WCDMA network is introduced, AT&T Wireless expects to be able to offer customers peak network speeds of approximately two megabits per second.
To provide initial WCDMA customers with global coverage, AT&T Wireless said the WCDMA devices it introduces in its initial U.S. markets will be able to operate on the company's GSM/GPRS/EDGE network, and will have GSM international roaming capabilities.
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