Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Software-Defined Radio Goes To Trial

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2003 19:25:38 -0500

Software-Defined Radio Goes To Trial

By Mark Long
e-inSITE

2/6/2003

Vanu's software-defined radio (SDR) base station technology will
run the hurdles this summer in tests to be conducted by Mid-Tex
Cellular, Ltd. (For more on Software Defined Radio, visit
http://www.sdrforum.org/)

Mid-Tex Cellular, Ltd. (http://www.mid-texcellular.com/) has
agreed to trials of Vanu, Inc.'s (http://www.vanu.com) GSM
software-defined radio (SDR) basestation, which will be deployed
in the field, together with a GSM softswitch from Winphoria
Networks and ADC's Digivance radio-over-fiber system serving as
the digital interface. To be held this summer, the trials are
expected to demonstrate the potential of SDR technology to deliver
a more compelling cost model to cellular system operators while
offering rural mobile wireless providers more efficient use of the
available radio spectrum.

"We believe a wireless network based on Vanu Software Radio
represents the future for rural cellular providers," said Mid-Tex
Cellular president Toney Prather. "We have investigated innovative
ways of improving service to our customer base, while generating
additional sources of revenue for the company. Vanu, Inc. offers a
unique and compelling approach to our needs and we are eager to
see the results of this summer's trial."

The trial was announced earlier today at the Rural Cellular
Association's (http://www.rca-usa.org/) Network Interoperability
2003 Conference in Phoenix, AZ. In a presentation before
conference attendees, Vanu CEO Dr. Vanu Bose presented the trial's
concept and demonstrated Vanu Software Radio technology operating
with multiple mobile wireless standards, including AMPS, TDMA and
GSM, on a standard laptop. In addition, Dr. Bose demonstrated the
APCO 25 public safety standard and presented software radio
solutions that may be used to resolve the on-going problem of
interoperability faced by the nation's public safety agencies. PWF

"We believe that Vanu Software Radio will change the way carriers
deploy future wireless networks," stated Dr. Bose. "Our approach
to software radio design offers rural providers and other wireless
carriers unprecedented flexibility and cost-effective solutions
for their next-generation wireless services. We are looking
forward to demonstrating these concepts with Mid-Tex Cellular."

Dr. Bose also said that Vanu Software Radio has been designed to
facilitate software upgrades to the wireless infrastructure, so
that carriers can quickly deploy new standards, revenue-generating
services and spectrum-efficient technology.

The Vanu CEO says that the core strength of Vanu Software Radio is
the software's portability, which allows the technology to track
the rapid increases in processor speed that are driven by Moore's
Law. Software portability means that the technology can be quickly
moved onto new processors to take advantage of the faster
processing speeds to process more channels per chip. As processor
speed increases, claims Dr. Bose, the cost of software-defined
basestations will decrease.

"Software radio technology may allow rural wireless carriers to
rapidly migrate services to GSM, CDMA, 3G, 4G and beyond, through
software upgrades rather than more costly network overlays," said
Caressa Bennet, General Counsel to the Rural Telecommunications
Group. "We are talking about the ability to have one rural carrier
in its rural market support the technologies of all the nationwide
carriers. PWF

"This not only makes sense for rural carriers, but also frees
large carriers to focus the capex and opex dollars they would
spend building out rural highways on upgrading their networks for
mobile data services. It may also allow rural Americans access to
competitive technologies and services without the need for
government subsidization," Bennet added.

Vanu Software Radio is reportedly configurable and adaptable to
any type of wireless platform, including infrastructure, vehicular
and handheld. The company expects to conduct its first commercial
deployment of the technology in late 2003.

http://www.e-insite.net/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA275724

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