12th Feb 2008 07:01
Vodafone Group Plc12 February 2008 12 February 2008 VODAFONE EYES HSPA+ AS A KEY TECHNOLOGY TO HEAD THE MOBILE BROADBAND RACE Vodafone is to trial HSPA+, an evolution of today's radio access HSPAtechnology, to assess its potential to deliver even higher data rates throughthe upgrade of existing network equipment. Vodafone will work alongside Ericsson, Huawei and Qualcomm to trial Release 7HSPA+ (also known as HSPA Evolution) which has the potential to handle data evenmore efficiently than today's HSPA technology. The initiative will help to establish whether HSPA+ is capable of deliveringdata throughput rates of up to 28.8 Mbps compared to the 14.4 Mbps maximumoffered by today's HSPA networks. If successful, the technology has thepotential to extend the life of today's HSPA infrastructure still further. HSPA+ technology is designed to offer higher throughput than HSPA through itsuse of multiple antennae on both base stations and handsets (Multiple InputMultiple Output) as well as the deployment of a complex modulation techniquecalled 64-QAM HSDPA. Both features will require new advanced devices compliantto 3GPP Release7 standard. The project builds on early technical assessments that Vodafone has alreadycarried out where the MIMO version of HSPA+ recorded high data throughput ratesfor users in a simulated urban macrocellular network. Last year Vodafone launched a 3G broadband service based on High Speed PacketAccess (HSPA) with downlink peak rates of up to 7.2Mbps in selected hotspotswithin some key markets. Vodafone plans to carry out software upgrades to moreof these selected hotspots to deliver up to14.4Mbps from the end of the year aspart of the existing HSPA roadmap subject to device availability. "These trials will help us to ascertain whether HSPA+ voice and data capacityenhancements will be able to leverage existing UMTS assets, including radiospectrum, to prolong the lifespan of current UMTS networks still further," saidSteve Pusey, Global CTO of Vodafone. "It will complement the exploratory work weare carrying out into more long-term next generation wireless technologies suchas LTE." - ends - For further information: Vodafone Group Investor RelationsTel: +44 (0) 1635 664447 Media RelationsTel: +44 (0) 1635 664444 Notes to Editors HSPA+ technology (HSPA Evolution) refers to a new set of features predominantlydriven by the 3GPP Release 7 standard that support the evolution of HSPA towardshigher user throughput and improved support of packet services. The two flagship HSPA+ features are 64QAM (higher order modulation) and MIMO(Multiple Input Multiple Output) which raise the possibility of supporting highpeak data rates of up to 28.8 Mbps on the downlink. The quoted theoretical maximum rates include capacity set aside for technicaladministration which could reduce the net theoretical maximum rate available tothe end user About Vodafone Vodafone is the world's leading international mobile communications group withoperations in 25 countries across five continents and over 252 millionproportionate customers at 31 December 2007, as well as 40 partner networks. Forfurther information, please visit www.vodafone.com This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
Vodafone