Leading Wireless Vendors Form 3G Alliance

A group of multinational wireless communications companies have banded together to develop and promote high-bandwidth third-generation (3G) wireless technology.

The group, which will go by the name of 3G.IP, includes AT&T Wireless Services, British Telecom, Ericsson, Lucent, Nokia, Nortel, Telenor AS, and Telecom Italia Mobile. Noticeably missing from the group is Qualcomm, the leading U.S.-based vendor of wireless telephone hardware.

3G wireless technology with bandwidth up to 384Kbps is expected to start appearing in the next year, although most observers don't expect it to become common for at least 18 months. The first 3G operators already have been licensed in Finland.

The companies claim that banding together will help ensure compatibility among different carriers' 3G wireless communications systems. This, in turn, will allow users to roam internationally with their 3G Net devices.

The 3G.IP group will focus on developing technology around the W-CDMA and EDGE broadband air interfaces. These air interfaces, or "radio access techniques," determine how a signal is sent from the hand-held device to the base and how efficiently operators use the radio spectrum. The participating companies say they will propose standards that will will meet or exceed requirements for 3G services established by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and other regulatory bodies.