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InterDigital Study Outlines 50% Cost Savings for Operators Deploying
WTDD
February 18, 2003
InterDigital Communications Corporation, an architect, designer
and provider of wireless technology and product platforms announced
at the 3GSM Congress in Cannes, France the results of a 3G wireless
economic and performance study conducted with the U.S.-based research
firm Arthur D. Little (ADL). The joint, year-long study found significant
capital, operating and total cost of ownership savings for operators
that deploy Wideband TDD (WTDD) as part of a complete WCDMA wireless
solution. The study also determined that WTDD deployed in a single
5MHz unpaired band provided higher capacity for data-intensive applications
like video, internet access or multi-media messaging than FDD similarly
deployed in two 5MHz paired bands of wireless spectrum.
WTDD is WCDMA for the unpaired spectrum and is fully harmonized
with FDD technology in the paired spectrum. Together they form a
complete WCDMA solution, the 3G evolution from GSM wireless. Standards-based
WTDD will enable WCDMA-based networks and products to deliver voice,
data and multimedia applications efficiently and cost effectively
worldwide with full mobility and security.
Based on research conducted by the International Telecommunications
Union (ITU), the UMTS Forum and other publicly available industry
analyses, the InterDigital/ADL study evaluated potential applications
of WTDD in urban and suburban area deployments. The deployment of
WTDD was further evaluated from three operational scenarios where
fully mobile voice and data services, packet and circuit switch
connections are essential: wide area broadband coverage; capacity
enhancement and "hotzone" coverage for heavy mobile and nomadic
traffic usage.
The joint study concluded that WTDD deployed for capacity enhancement
can provide approximately 50% savings for operators in projected
network capital and operating costs over a ten year period; and
25 to 35% savings in wide-area broadband data deployment scenarios.
An additional 15% cost savings over the same period of time can
be achieved by deploying WTDD in 10MHz of spectrum, rather than
5MHz.
"There is a growing appetite in the global consumer market for
wireless data on the go, as reflected in the increasing demand for
camera phones, other mobile data devices and the applications that
support them," said Dr. Alain Briancon, InterDigital's Chief Technology
Officer. "This consumer demand is matched by an obvious expectation
and desire on the part of operators for higher revenues per user,
lower costs of deployment and the capability to adapt deployments
to their unique marketing and operational needs.
"We see tremendous opportunities to simultaneously meet operator
requirements, drive higher operator revenue and margins, and exceed
end user customer expectations through the deployment of WTDD as
part of a complete WCDMA solution. The findings of this study, validated
by the independent participation of Arthur D. Little, confirm the
singular advantages offered through fully leveraging the unpaired
spectrum already available to the vast majority of operators as
a result of their WCDMA spectrum purchases or allocations," concluded
Briancon.
"Today, operators are focused on maximizing the revenue opportunities
in 3G while at the same time reducing their costs. The only way
that can happen is to maximize the spectrum available to them,"
said Dr. Martyn Roetter, Vice President, Communications and Information
Technology at Arthur D. Little. "In comparing spectrum utilization
for asymmetric data applications, it became very clear that standards-based
WTDD is a technology path to accomplishing both objectives. It offers
significant performance and economic advantages over FDD in very
critical deployments."
The study also found that WTDD deployed in a single, unpaired 5MHz
band -- utilizing InterDigital's multi-user detectors (MUD) receivers
and SmartRRM(SM) radio network controller -- could support over
70% more users per cell at 384 kbps data transmission than 10MHz
of FDD comparably deployed. Capacity improvements also were seen
at data speeds of 64 and 144 kbps.
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3G Motorola A920
