3G Networks are WLAN enabled by Transat

date: August 14, 2001

Southlake, Texas based Transat Technologies has announced a solution for integrating 3G services with WLAN technology. This revolutionary approach to 3G cuts network deployment cost by a factor of ten, and gives cellular operators an additional fast track route to building a 3G subscriber base.

Transat has demonstrated how a cellular data subscriber may access the Internet from locations such as airports, offices and cafes at very high speeds (up to 11 Mb/s), while being billed from his cellular account. The cellular operators need only provide inexpensive WLAN base stations on site. No proprietary hardware is used - the WLAN cards and base stations are open standard and vendor independent, as is the software interface, which is fully GSM compliant.

The novelty of Transat's approach lies in the use of full GSM protocols and security features, while replacing the standard GSM radio card with a Wireless LAN card (802.11b/WiFi, CDMA, or similar). The WLAN radio connection is made transparent to the GSM protocols, and is invisible to the GSM network. The authentication, authorization, encryption, mobility management and billing are all fully GSM compliant. The communication flows seamlessly into the core network because it is already using the right protocol.

In enhancing GSM to take advantage of the cost and performance benefits of WLAN, Transat has closed the gap between 2G, 3G and WLAN standards. With only a small modification, the same software can support 3G over WLAN. The same system can use any type of packet-based communications link, including CDMA.

"Here is a solution that combines the flexibility, security and seamless integration of GSM, with the low cost - and blistering performance - of 802.11," according to Transat CEO John Baker. "There's no fancy hardware - just some software, a WLAN card and a SIM card holder for the PC. We are offering cellular operators rapid deployment of WLAN services without any core network investment."

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