Showing posts with label UMA. Show all posts

How to Choose A Wireless Carrier

Choosing a wireless carrier can depend on several factors, including coverage, pricing, plans, customer service, and device compatibility. Here are some steps to help you choose a wireless carrier:

If you're experiencing poor cell phone coverage, there are several steps you can take to try and improve the situation. Here are some potential solutions:

Why Didn't Cox Try Femtocells Inside of DVR's or UMA WiFi Cell Service?

Cable operators can fix indoor wireless service through their own backhaul via femtocells or WiFi through their own networks. There are a handful of femtocell companies that Cox could have partnered with but the best might have been Kineto which offers UMA WiFi for cell phone calls. Will Cox change their marketing strategy as a new MVNO partner with Sprint selling Sprint femtocells?

Cox Communications, a major cable and internet service provider in the United States, entered the wireless market in 2009 with the launch of its own wireless service. However, Cox eventually decided to discontinue its wireless operations and shut down its wireless network. While the exact reasons for Cox's failure in the wireless market may involve a combination of factors, here are a few potential reasons:

Competitive Landscape: The wireless market in the United States is highly competitive, dominated by major nationwide carriers such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Sprint (now part of T-Mobile). These carriers have extensive infrastructure, large customer bases, and significant resources to invest in network expansion and marketing. Entering such a competitive market can be challenging for a new player like Cox.

Limited Network Coverage: Building and maintaining a robust wireless network requires significant investment in infrastructure, including cell towers, backhaul connections, and network equipment. Cox's wireless network had limited coverage compared to the nationwide networks of established carriers. Limited coverage can be a disadvantage, especially for customers who prioritize extensive coverage and network reliability.

Lack of Subscriber Base Synergy: Cox primarily focused on providing cable and internet services and did not have an existing subscriber base of wireless customers to leverage. Established carriers often bundle wireless services with other offerings, such as cable TV or home internet, to provide additional value to their customers. Without a substantial customer base in wireless, Cox may have faced challenges in attracting and retaining wireless subscribers.

Evolving Technological Landscape: The wireless industry is constantly evolving, with advancements in network technology and the introduction of new services and features. Keeping up with these advancements requires substantial investment and technical expertise. Cox may have faced difficulties in competing and adapting to the rapidly changing landscape of the wireless industry.

It's important to note that the specific internal factors that led to Cox's decision to exit the wireless market may not be publicly disclosed. The decision to discontinue wireless operations is often based on a combination of financial, strategic, and market considerations specific to the company.

Ultimately, each company's success or failure in the wireless market depends on various factors, including market dynamics, competitive positioning, network coverage, subscriber base, and overall business strategy.

VoLTE vs Wifi Calling

Wireless carrier voice revenues are declining almost to zero (many fees now include unlimited voice and SMS texts, charging only on the basis of data consumed). Not to mention the reliability of voice coverage is on the declines as well with carrier networks seeing congestion in many areas throughout the World.

Have carriers lost control of voice and messaging services with the onset of the mobile data tsunami? It appears to be that way seeing the growth of over the top messaging services. Many wireless consumers suffering from poor quality or non-existent voice service at home have three main technical solutions to consider.

Install a femtocell, (often termed residential small cell)
Use Wi-Fi calling
Install a repeater

The wireless industry seems uncertain of which direction to take for future voice delivery. VoLTE which stand for (Voice over LTE) seems the most popular choice and is considered by many to be the path of the future. However, the complexity of introducing the service late and alongside existing 2G/3G has delayed launch. Despite the hype at the last CTIA conference, few operators and few devices actively support it today. This could obviously change quickly over the coming year. Sprint's CTO advised they will wait until its more mature, offering HD Voice over 3G instead.

Several operators are introducing Voice over Wi-Fi including operators T-Mobile. This is quite independent of VoLTE and comes in several flavors - many operators offer a separate App that can be a bit clunky and inconvenient to use. Alternatively, the new iPhone iOS8 Wi-Fi calling feature is fully integrated as a seamless service - making it as easy to use as standard cellular calls. Most T-Mobile android phones offer built in Wifi calling as well. The iPhone could be a big trigger for greater take-up of Wifi calling and may affect sales of residential Femtocells. Approximately, 10 million residential Femtocells deployed worldwide.

List of T-Mobile Phones That Have UMA WiFi Calling

Right now T-Mobile is the only US carrier to offer UMA WiFi calling on Android phones. Here is a list of phones that currently support the Kineto application that is not currently available in the Android marketplace. The application is free but minutes are deducted from your total plan if you make calls over WiFi which is reasonable. Other carriers like AT&T, Verizon & Sprint have largely ignored this demand from consumers because of their growing femtocell businesses where they would like to sell you a piece of hardware for around $250 plus a monthly data plan. See: AT&T Microcell, Verizon femtocell & Sprint femtocell sales.

Kineto Wireless is an innovator and leading supplier of solutions that enable delivery of mobile services over broadband. They have deploy Smart Wi-Fi Application for Wi-Fi Calling to their customers for free improve indoor coverage through the use of existing Wi-Fi access points. This list is constantly being updated so please check back for further updates and and become a Facebook fan to stay informed.

After speaking with T-Mobile's customer service team we came up with a list of phones that currently have UMA on the device: G2, MyTouch Phones, Samsung Vibrant, Behold 2 Katalyst, Most Blackberry Phones, Nokia e73 and Nokia 6086, Motorola Cliq and Cliq XT

Does AT&T Have WiFi Calling?

Yes, AT&T offers Wi-Fi calling as a feature for its customers. Wi-Fi calling allows you to make and receive calls over a Wi-Fi network instead of using the cellular network. This feature can be particularly useful in areas with weak cellular coverage or when traveling internationally.

To use Wi-Fi calling on AT&T, you need a compatible device and an active AT&T wireless plan that supports Wi-Fi calling. Most recent smartphones and some older models are compatible with Wi-Fi calling on the AT&T network.

How to enable Wi-Fi calling on an iPhone:

Go to the Settings app.
Select "Phone" or "Cellular."
Look for the "Wi-Fi Calling" option and toggle it on.

To enable Wi-Fi calling on an Android device, the steps may vary depending on the device model and Android version. However, the general process involves:

Open the Phone app.
Access the settings or menu within the app.
Look for the "Wi-Fi Calling" or "Call Settings" option.
Enable Wi-Fi calling and follow any prompts to set it up.

It's worth noting that Wi-Fi calling uses your Wi-Fi network to establish the call, but it still uses your cellular plan minutes. If you have an unlimited talk and text plan, the calls made through Wi-Fi calling are typically included and do not incur additional charges. However, if you have a limited talk plan, the minutes used for Wi-Fi calling will be deducted from your plan's allotment.

If you're unsure about the availability of Wi-Fi calling on your specific device or plan, it's recommended to check with AT&T directly or visit their website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

T-Mobile WiFi Calling Works Great

So far I have used the T-Mobile WiFi calling feature a number of times inside homes and buildings and it works great on the G2. It appears that once you are registered on the network it minimizes the signal from HSPA+ or 3G to reduce interference. I am also able to send text messages as well over WiFi. So far I have not dropped a call and the connection is very clear. Once again congratulations to Kineto Wireless for making this happen. You will not likely see other US carriers following their lead because it is not a profit center for them and disrupts the growing femtocell business.

I still have two remaining business questions: Why is T-Mobile Wifi Not Free especially when you are overseas and will you be charged international calling rates if the call originates on a WiFi network in Europe for example?

T-Mobile 4G Phones: G2 & MyTouch Compared

The MyTouch 4G and Tmobile G2 are both supporting HSPA+ or 4G T-mobile's network. Both the MyTouch 4G and G2 both run on Android 2.2 and the new WiFi calling feature that allows customers who don't have coverage in the home to make and receive calls on WiFi. The G2 is slightly heavier than the MyTouch but feels more solid. I prefer the new G2 slide-out keyboard that has a hinge versus the MyTouch slide. The MyTouch is selling for $50 cheaper but I think it's worth it to pay up for the G2. Having a phone that is developed and integrated with Google applications will likely pay off in the long-run. The only reason you would likely prefer the MyTouch is likely the front-facing camera. However, if you look at the G2 phone there is a place on the front of the phone that looks a lot like a front-facing camera. A front-facing camera may not currently be available in the G2 software but I have a sneaky suspicion that it will have it as well soon. If you like this review see our review of the Samsung Vibrant vs HTC G2.

Why All Android Phones Are Not The Same

T-Mobile 4G HSPA+ Femtocell or Mobile Hotspot?

Is T-Mobile testing a 4G femtocell or mobile hotspot combination device that will connect to your home broadband line and route your voice and data traffic over this line? We might not have the right terminology for the device but it sounds a lot like a femtocell. Apparently, the device offers Wifi as well and we presume this will offload data from the network. This is designed to fill coverage gaps and/or relieve the macro network or outdoor network. A T-Mobile femtocell would be a major breakthrough for the company if they do roll this out to its customer base. T-Mobile has the reputation of having less than stellar coverage in many rural areas throughout the US and this would certainly help many of these customers fill in those gaps for their home or office.

Discovering this device has sparked our curiosity because T-Mobile has always maintained their stance that they don't believe in femtocells and will stick with a Wifi strategy. The Bandluxe device is priced at $249 which similar to Verizon who sells their femtocell for $250, AT&T sells their MicroCell for about the same and each comes with a monthly data subscription. We think it would be quite disruptive for T-Mobile to subsidize the costs of these devices made by BandRich and also offer them without a data subscription. The device is called HSPA+ WLAN Pocket Router. We would appreciate any clarification about the type of device, data subscription, and its functionality or launch date. Will this device work on T-Mobile's HSPA+ network today?

Why is T-Mobile WiFi Calling is Not Free?

Why is T-Mobile WiFi Calling Not Free

We just spoke with a friendly T-Mobile customer service representative who took the time to look up & read the actual billing policy. Wifi calling is be billed exactly like normal cell phone tower calls just like nights & weekends, my faves, & mobile-to-mobile. The Wifi usage minutes will be reflected on your bill, unfortunately. The question remains will this last forever as Google Voice and Skype start to steal revenue and minutes from the carrier. One of the benefits of making Wifi phone calls is to save money and not pay $1.25 per minute to make calls overseas. To do this most iPhone and Android users have used the Skype, Truphone or Google Voice apps to make cheap calls that range from .02-.05 cents per minute. Since you are not using T-Mobile's network and using free wifi, it doesn't make any sense to still pay the ridiculous rates of $1.25 per minute to make calls overseas and this will need to change.

T-Mobile has had a reputation for having an inferior network to Verizon, Sprint & AT&T in some areas. However, if you live in a major metropolitan area the coverage is pretty good. For many T-Mobile users who live in heavily wooded areas, the hills or simply where a cell phone tower signal does not reach into their home. Wifi is now an option to make and receive phone call.

Wifi phone calling endorsed by the carrier is a major industry breakthrough as all of the major carriers have been putting this development off for about a decade for fear of cannibalizing their overprice voice subscription business. For the millions of people who don't have a signal in their home or office all you have to is have an Android phone and it will update your system automatically to make calls.

T-Mobile has been the one US carrier that has not taken a femtocell strategy of fixing in-building coverage. Instead, they have partnered with Kineto app that allows Android phone users to make Wifi phone calls. This is interesting because Kineto was VC funded many years ago with a femtocell strategy and quickly changed course to adapt to the market that wasn't willing to pay $200+ for the network device.

T-Mobile Wifi Phone Calls on Android Phones

T-Mobile has announced Wi-Fi Calling technology with the upcoming availability of built-in Wi-Fi Calling solutions planned for a wide selection of Android powered smartphones, including the recently announced new T-Mobile myTouch and Motorola DEFY with MOTOBLUR. All have the Android 2.2 operating system named Froyo. Hopefully, this Smart Wifi app will become available on future G2 updates.

Kineto offers the wireless industry's only combined Wi-Fi-based Smart Offload solution. Kineto’s Wi-Fi-based Smart Offload application enables mobile phone users to turn any standard Wi-Fi access point into a seamless extension of the T-Mobile network, allowing subscribers to receive all their mobile services when connected via Wi-Fi. This application helps solve the Capacity Crunch. Resolves the 3G Indoor Coverage Challenge. Addresses the perceived mobile VoIP threat Helps improve battery performance by enabling handsets to transmit at lower power when attached to a Wi-Fi access point, and thereby increase handsets' talk and standby times.

Wi-Fi Calling for Android is built upon the same technology as UMA, but is a different implementation from T-Mobile's past offerings. T-Mobile’s current Wi-Fi Calling solution which operates on BlackBerry smartphones, for instance, seamlessly hands off calls from T-Mobile’s network to Wi-Fi networks, Wi-Fi Calling for Android does not. T-Mobile Wi-Fi Calling for Android increases coverage and but unfortunately still uses voice minutes on your plan.

WiMAX Operators Fined For Poor Coverage

WiMAX operators fined for failure to reach the coverage target of 25% the population by March of 2009 stipulated by their concessions.

Three of Malaysia's WiMAX operators have been hit with fines relating to failures in rolling out their networks on time, the Star Online reports.

Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, head of the YTL Group, which owns Y-Max, saying: ‘We believe in having an extensive network up and running as we don’t see the point in having incremental coverage. We take this business seriously. We will have 60% coverage (more than the needed 40%) by the next deadline.’ Additionally, unnamed sources at one of the operators claimed that the delays in achieving the coverage target stemmed from a number of issues including long waits for approval to install the base stations. REDtone meanwhile blamed technical issues with its spectrum allocation for its delays. According to reports, the country’s telecoms watchdog, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), advised REDtone, Asiaspace, and Y-Max Networks that they had failed to reach the 25% population coverage stipulated by their concessions by March 2009. The three operators all face differing levels of financial penalty, with Y-Max looking at an MYR1.9 million (USD559,000) penalty, while Asiaspace and REDtone will be required to pay MYR1.7 million and MYR200,000 respectively.

We promise to provide you coverage just look at our maps. Where have we heard this story before? I guess its much easier to audit coverage in a smaller country like Malaysia than the U.S. Good to see some accountability coming to the telecom industry which notoriously over-promises and under-delivers. If the FCC wanted to enforce rules it also could become a profit center of fines itself. All they have to do is levy a fine against the carriers for over-promising coverage and the Deadcellzones.com community of users can assist in the audit.

Jon Stewart & Rachel Maddow Take On Net Neutrality

Jon Stewart Takes On "Net Neutrality"

Jon Stewart took up the issue of 'net neutrality' and Senator John McCain's efforts to create one of those ironically named pieces of legislation that sounds like it is going to deliver something good -- in this case 'Internet Freedom' -- but would actually make the Internet suck out loud, forever and ever. As Stewart explains, everything on the Internet moves through what former Alaska Senator Ted Stevens famously called the 'series of tubes... at the same rate.' As Stewart explains, 'If you've got a packet of information from a major corporation like Google, that information gets exactly the same treatment as a packet from a little start-up company like

All of which makes sense -- even the part where people would want to see John Stewart's head on Mario Lopez's body carnally impaled by an onrushing unicorn. That's what 'net neutrality' allows for. But telecoms have been lobbying for changes in those rules so that Internet service providers would have the leeway to privilege their own content over the content of other sources by slowing or blocking access. In this cause, telecom lobbyists have found a friend in John McCain, author of the 'Internet Freedom Act.'

STEWART: The "Internet Freedom Act of 2009." Now I know it sounds like that bill is the opposite of what its name implies in the way that, say, George Bush's "Clear Skies Act" gutted environmental regulations or Larry Craig's "No Handjobs For Me, Thanks Act" -- which oddly enough allocated a million dollars in federal funding for... and I'm quoting here, "handjobs for Larry Craig." But it's not! What McCain is proposing is that AT&T and Verizon be given "freedom" to control what information passes through the Internet. Information like: John McCain is the number one recipient of donations from the telecom industry and its lobbyists for the past three years, that I looked up on Google, and it loaded pretty fast!

As Stewart points out, there's a hidden motive behind everyone who promotes net neutrality! And that is, naturally, advancing a radical socialist agenda by controlling the Internet! Set the telecoms free! Surely we can trust them!

Rachel Maddow, Boing Boing Editor On McCain And Net Neutrality

Cell Phone Reception Through Wifi

Cell phones can use your home's wireless internet connection to make and receive calls. It's a handy technology if the cell phone coverage in and around your house is in a dead zone. Phones will automatically select Wifi if it's there but will require a compromise between economy and mobility. For example, Voice over Wifi offers potentially free service but is only available within the coverage area of a Wifi Access Point and currently will not allow you to hop between networks.

VoIP mobile applications that may be compatible with your phone's operating system.

Skype - iPhone, Windows Mobile, Nokia
Line2 - iPhone, Android

Truphone - Nokia-Symbian, iPhone, Android, Blackberry

Jajah - Windows Mobile, Symbian OS

fring - Symbian 8.x and 9.x, Windows Mobile 5 and 6, iPhone, Maemo

Nimbuzz!- J2ME, S60, Windows Mobile, iPhone

Gizmo5 - Windows Mobile, Motorola, Nokia, Blackberry, Java PDA, Sony-Ericsson, Samsung

Windows Mobile 6 - Windows Mobile 6 Professional/Standard

3 Mobile VoIP Protocols The Applications Above Are Built On

Skype - closed proprietary peer to peer network and working on video mobile phones

SIP - the standard used by most VoIP services

UMA - the Unlicensed Mobile Access Generic Access Network, designed in response to Skype by a group of carriers to allow VoIP to run over the GSM cellular backbone.

See Wikipedia VoIP software platforms for more details. The challenge for the mobile operator industry is to deliver the benefits and innovations of IP without losing control of the network service. Users like the Internet to be free and high speed without extra charges for browsing the internet. VoIP services challenges the most valuable service in the telecommunications industry — voice — and threatens to change the nature of the global communications industry. Net neutrality is an important issue with the FCC for these reasons.

Related article: UMA Phone + Wi-Fi = Home Cell Coverage

End Data Discrimination

As expected, the FCC voted to move forward with a proposal to codify its four net neutrality principles and add non-discrimination and transparency rules to the regulations that will govern both wireless and wired broadband networks.

The first of the new principles would prevent Internet access providers from discriminating against particular Internet content or applications while allowing for reasonable network management. The second would ensure that Internet access providers are transparent about the network management practices they implement. The other four are:

To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to connect their choice of legal devices that do not harm the network.
To encourage broadband deployment and preserve and promote the open and interconnected nature of the public Internet, consumers are entitled to competition among network providers, application and service providers, and content providers.

FCC votes for the net neutrality rule-making process

The commission voted 5-0 to begin the rule-making process. The next steps will likely involve months of debate now that the FCC is asked for comments on the proposal. Initial comments are due on Jan. 14. Hours later, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) introduced legislation aimed at prohibiting the FCC from enacting rules that would regulate access to the Internet. The legislation, called 'The Internet Freedom Act of 2009,' aimed at keeping the Internet from being regulated by the government. 'Keeping businesses free from oppressive regulations is the best stimulus for the current economy,' he said. The two Republican FCC commissioners, Robert McDowell and Meredith Attwell Baker dissented in part on last week's vote, arguing that the commission should proceed with its eyes open to the unintended consequences of the new regulations. They said they were unsure that there was enough of a problem to warrant new regulations, and questioned whether the FCC had the authority to impose the new rules. The GOP commissioners' dissent essentially signals that they intend to move forward with the action, but disagree with the current language in the proposal.

As promised by Chairman Julius Genachowski, the proposed rules governing wireless networks took into account that wireless networks have different network architectures, market structures, patterns of consumer usage, and regulatory history than wired networks. The draft rules will seek comment on how in what time frames and to what extent the rules should apply to wireless. Moreover, another point of debate will likely center on what "reasonable network management" means as it pertains to an operator's ability to manage network traffic (based on tiered access?). The draft rules say that such management includes practices that reduce or mitigate network congestion, address traffic that is unlawful, unwanted by users, or deemed harmful. The commission staff also noted that nothing in the rules will prohibit service providers from delivering emergency communications. Additionally, the notice seeks comment on how to define managed services, such as subscription video services, telemedicine, or smart grids, and how the new policies should apply to them. The commission also is going to form a technical outreach group to discuss network management issues and all other issues that have technical ramifications.

Instances of data discrimination listed on Wikipedia from 2004-2007, unfortunately, cause hardship for other applications that get grouped into the same categories and get blocked.

In 2004, a small North Carolina telecom company, Madison River Communications, blocked their DSL customers from using the Vonage VoIP service. Service was restored after the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) intervened and entered into a consent decree that had Madison River pay a fine of $15,000.^[6]
In 2005, Canadian telephone giant Telus blocked access to voices-for-change.ca, a website supporting the company's labor union during a labor dispute, as well as over 600 other websites, for about sixteen hours after pictures were posted on the website of employees crossing the picket line.^[7]
In April 2006, Time Warner's AOL (America On-Line) blocked all e-mails that mentioned dearaol.com, an advocacy campaign opposing the company's pay-to-send e-mail scheme. An AOL spokesman called the issue an unintentional glitch.
In February 2006, some of Cox Cable's customers were unable to access Craig's List because of a confluence of a software bug in the Authentium personal firewall distributed by Cox Cable to improve customers' security and the way that Craigslist had their servers misconfigured. Save the Internet said this was an intentional act on the part of Cox Cable to protect classified ad services offered by its partners. The issue was resolved by the correction of the software as well as a change in the network configuration used by Craig's List. Craig's List founder Craig Newmark stated that he believed the blocking was unintentional.
In September 2007, Verizon Wireless prevented a pro-choice organization from sending text messages to its members coordinating a public demonstration, despite the fact that the intended recipients had explicitly signed up to receive such messages.
In October 2007, Comcast was found to be preventing or at least severely delaying uploads on BitTorrent.

COMMENTARY: All this seems great in theory but it still seems to indicate that tiered network access is coming and carriers are still going to largely be able to control and discriminate packets across their network. Is that good for companies who want open access like Skype, Google, Slingbox who don't control the pipes? I suppose it depends upon which tier of access they end up on. Hopefully its the top tier.

Wireless Powered Cell Phones

Gigaom: Wireless Power Is Still Pretty Useless:

Your cell phone uses a lot more power when connecting a call than when it is has a low cell signal. Often, your battery can be strong enough to attempt a call, but not strong enough to find a signal. Bad cellular signals are a big contributor to battery drain problems. The weaker the signal the more battery drain. The stronger the cellular signal the less battery drain. It's amazing to me how many iPhone users tolerate their poor battery life and purchase external batteries.

The technology industry has invested a lot of marketing energy and dollars into getting consumers excited about wireless power, the promise is that it will free us from the size and feature constraints imposed by batteries. There’s a consortium of bigwigs from Nokia to Dell trying to advance a standard called Qi, and Intel and WiTricity are trying to develop an even more compelling technology that will transfer power over the air. But we’re still a long way from cutting the cord.

Consumers intent on living a wireless life have two new options this holiday season — both of which are getting a lot of attention: mats on which they can wirelessly charge their mobile devices. Unfortunately, this sounds far cooler than it really is. The two products — the Powermat, which goes on sale Sunday at Amazon, and the Duracell MyGrid, which went on sale earlier this month — use different techniques to charge a device, but both require the mat to be plugged into an outlet, which eliminates the wire to the device, but not the one to the wall.

After years of hope (and no little amount of hype), wireless power is finally getting into consumer's hands. However, the technology that is showing up on trade show floors and store shelves is a far cry from the truly disruptive promise of wireless power. As we cram more computing power into our mobile phones and use them to deliver the web, take photos and shoot video (as well as talk), a key limitation has become the battery. Anyone who has experienced a three-hour battery life after surfing on a Wi-Fi network knows first-hand that battery life can impede the enjoyment of a full-featured mobile device. And that problem is the one that wireless power will one day solve.

Below is a comparison of total system efficiencies versus the transmitting range of the various technologies. Efficiency describes how much power is wasted and how much heat is dissipated during power transmission. Inductive systems have the highest system efficiencies of any wireless system.

UMA Phone + Wi-Fi = Home Cell Coverage

Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) provides access to cellular mobile voice and data services over unlicensed spectrum technologies, such Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (802.11). A UMA phone will use a cellular networks (GSM, CDMA, etc.) when out and about, and automatically switch to a UMA-enabled Bluetooth or Wi-Fi local network when in range, such as at home or in the office. UMA technology is the 3GPP global standard for fixed-mobile convergence. UMA enables secure, scalable access to mobile voice, data and IMS services over broadband IP access networks. By deploying UMA technology, mobile operators can deliver a number of compelling fixed-mobile convergence services. The most well-known applications of UMA include dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets and 3G femtocells access points.

Leading operators around the world have embraced UMA technology as the foundation for their fixed-mobile convergence strategy, including Orange/France Telecom, British Telecom, T-Mobile US, TeliaSonera, Netcom, Saunalahti and Cincinnati Bell. UMA enables secure, scalable access to mobile voice, data and IMS services over broadband IP access networks. By deploying UMA technology, mobile operators can deliver a number of compelling fixed-mobile convergence services. The most well-known applications of UMA include dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets and 3G femtocells access points. Leading operators around the world have embraced UMA technology as the foundation for their fixed-mobile convergence strategy, including Orange/France Telecom, British Telecom, T-Mobile US, TeliaSonera, Netcom, Saunalahti and Cincinnati Bell.

Improving coverage in areas where cellular signals are weak is an important issue for many organizations. UMA extends coverage to the workplace without forcing employees to change the way they use their cell phones. The only difference is that the phone will switch to Wi-Fi when it loses cellular coverage. To improve coverage with UMA, an organization sets up Wi-Fi access points in areas with poor cellular coverage to overcome coverage gaps and call dead zones. Companies with state-of-the-art, centrally managed wireless LANs (WLAN) can make a global configuration change to enable Wi-Fi UMA access from any location.

UMA-enabled Dual-Mode Wi-Fi Handsets: By far the most well-known UMA service is dual-mode cellular/Wi-Fi handsets (DMH), which enables operators to provide high-performance, low-cost mobile services to subscribers when in range of a home, office or public Wi-Fi network. With a UMA-enabled dual-mode Wi-Fi handset, subscribers can automatically roam and handover between cellular and Wi-Fi access, receiving a consistent set of services as they transition between networks.

UMA-enabled Femtocells: UMA-enabled femtocells represent a growing UMA service opportunity. The wireless industry has been searching for low-cost licensed indoor coverage solutions since the beginning of mobile networks. Unfortunately, the bulk of this opportunity (i.e. residential environments) has been beyond the addressable market for cost and operational reasons. To be successful, a residential licensed access point (i.e. femtocell) deployment must include low-cost femtocells (under €150), a reasonable approach for managing RF interference, and a standard, scalable, IP-based approach for core network integration.
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