Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Enhancements Extend iDEN Lifespan- With Smoke & Mirrors, Smoke & Mirrors.

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 15 Jan 2003 19:42:54 -0500

Smoke & Mirrors, Smoke and Mirrors. iDEN is no Match for CDMA period.........

132 kbps sure sound good but-

Anyone can seize multiple times slots to acheive faster data rates, the trick is to
acheive these rates using ONE time slot.
GSM operators could do the samething. Advantage NOT Nextel.

Vocoder?

Bob Dawson (SoCo) echos my privously posted sentiments on "Bugs"

"Dawson says the new vocoder technology won't be available until late in the third
quarter or fourth quarter of this year. "We take a longer time testing handsets
than other people do," Dawson says. "Once it's in our customers' handset, we
want the bugs out of our new products."

=====================================================================================
Enhancements Extend iDEN Lifespan
BY SUE MAREK
JANUARY 15, 2003
WIRELESS WEEK

Once thought to be a dead-end technology because it didn't have the capability
of handling next-generation network services nor allow an easy migration to
other network technologies such as 1XRTT, Motorola-developed iDEN technology
is getting a new lease on life.

Network enhancements–including 6-to-1 vocoders and a wideband-iDEN
technology option–mean that iDEN networks soon may be able to double their
voice capacity and increase data speeds from an average of 15 kilobits per
second to 132 Kbps.

Encouraged by these network developments, iDEN operators say that by updating
their existing iDEN network, they can extend the life of their existing networks
without having to migrate to another technology. For Nextel Communications, the
largest and most high-profile iDEN operator, this means the company will be able
to continue to focus on its differentiated approach to the market while keeping a
close check on its capital expenditures. "The key to our success has been our
focus on differentiation," says Barry West, Nextel's executive vice president and
chief technology officer. "iDEN is a competitive technology that enables us to
have industry-leading capital efficiencies."

The company is in the process of updating its network with the 6-to-1 vocoder
technology, which company executives estimate will double interconnect capacity.
According to Limond Grindstaff, Nextel's senior vice president of engineering, the
infrastructure update will require the new vocoders plus a software load. On the
handset side, new handsets with the vocoder technology will be seeded in the
market in the fourth quarter of this year. Grindstaff expects to see huge benefits
from the 6-to-1 vocoder by year-end 2004.

Nextel Partners, an affiliate operator to Nextel, also plans to implement the new
6-to-1 vocoders, but according to David Thaler, vice president of business
development, the company initially will deploy the vocoders in markets where it
believes it will get the most advantage from the increased capacity. "We look to
roll out the technology in 2004 in certain markets," Thaler says. "We'll also be
seeding the market with handsets based upon the nature of the handset
platform roadmap."

Likewise, regional iDEN operator Southern LINC, a subsidiary of Southern
Company, will be implementing the new 6-to-1 vocoders as part of the
company's network upgrade this year. "The new vocoder is a big lift in the
network," says Bob Dawson, president and CEO of Southern LINC. "But our
capacity lift is smaller on the 6-to-1 interconnect because we are more
dispatch-centric than Nextel."

Dawson says the new vocoder technology won't be available until late in the third
quarter or fourth quarter of this year. "We take a longer time testing handsets
than other people do," Dawson says. "Once it's in our customers' handset, we
want the bugs out of our new products."

Besides expanding voice capacity, Nextel also is in the midst of optimizing its
Direct Connect service so that customers can use Direct Connect to communicate
with other subscribers anywhere on Nextel's digital network, regardless of their
location. The service is being rolled out in two phases, but the company
anticipates being nationwide with Direct Connect by mid-2003. In addition, West
alluded to the possibility that Direct Connect could even become an international
service if the same software upgrade is installed in Canadian and Mexican iDEN
networks.

On the data front, iDEN always has been praised for its ability to deliver packet
data over an IP network. But the technology also received some criticism for its
inability to deliver data at speeds higher than 15 Kbps. Motorola has been
working on that issue and now says that it has developed a wideband version of
iDEN technology that will be available in 2004.

According to Fred Wright, vice president and general manager of Motorola's
global telecommunications sector, the company has quad-based radios available
that can increase data bandwidth. Wright estimates these new radios will increase
data rates to about 132 Kbps, effectively making iDEN data rates comparable to
1XRTT data rates. In addition, Wright says existing data users and existing voice
users can use and share the same broadband channel. "We believe it produces a
competitive experience with CDMA and GSM," Wright says.

Wright adds that going forward, all Nextel's base station radios will be replaced
with the new quad-based radios; however, the company has not yet committed to
the wideband-iDEN upgrade.

Though early in the development stage, w-iDEN is generating a lot of excitement
for iDEN operators. Thaler says that while it's relatively early in the w-iDEN
development phase, the technology holds great potential because it is so cost
effective. However, he believes that Nextel Partners remains cautious of w-iDEN
primarily because there still isn't a proven business case for high-speed wireless
data. "If there's a business case for higher speed wireless data products, then I
think Nextel will be the first to put it out there."

Thaler also notes that while data is a growing portion of the company's business,
the heavy data users are those that use specialized vertical applications such as
sales automation. The company expects its data usage will grow, especially with
the introduction of RIM's BlackBerry device early this year.

However, fellow iDEN operator Southern LINC remains cautious about the w-iDEN
upgrade, particularly because the quad-base station radios developed by
Motorola won't work with their network. They require four contiguous frequencies
and Southern LINC has interleaved frequencies. Dawson says if the company is
able to secure more contiguous spectrum, it would consider w-iDEN. However, he
also cautions that for Southern LINC's customers, data speed is not an issue.
"There still needs to be a business case for the end user," Dawson says.

Beyond increased voice capacity and wideband data speeds, Motorola also is
looking ahead to other iDEN upgrades, including incorporating Wi-Fi and iDEN
technology regardless of whether the iDEN operator owns or doesn't own the Wi-Fi
equipment. Wright says that access can be provided in either situation should
the operator want to investigate that type of scenario.

For Nextel Partners, Wi-Fi holds a lot of promise, particularly in the government
sector where Thaler envisions being able to outfit large parts of a state capital
with Wi-Fi technology. "It offers a tremendous opportunity for ourselves and
Nextel to move seamlessly from Wi-Fi to the general network. Add in w-iDEN and
that provides a lot of power when you think of overall ubiquity of coverage."

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=story&articleid=CA270761&spacedesc=Departments&stt=000

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