PTCL launches world's first EVO 3G Nitro

[SnIPeR Xr]

Tata Plans World's Largest Wimax Network
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Alcatel Lucent sees India, China 4G coming soon
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Motorola To Test 4G In India


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Mobilink Planned To Launch 4G in Pakistan


Mobilink has planned to launch 4G (fourth generation) technology in the near future in Pakistan with the belief that the market can leapfrog to accept the new technology.

Mobilink President Rashid Khan, in a statement issued here on Saturday, said there had been discussions on the launch of 3G technology in the country for some time. However, like some other countries, Mobilink could also go for 4G technology and it was in talks with the government in that regard.

He brushed aside the impression that some cellphone companies had formed a cartel in a bid to block the introduction of 3G technology in Pakistan, saying the telecom operators were in consultation with the Ministry of Information Technology and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority for bringing the new technology.

“A decision has to be taken by the government and we will follow its directions,” he added.

Rashid praised the government for a cut in taxes on the telecom sector, saying these had helped the industry boost its revenues. He said Mobilink had made investment of $2.5 billion in upgrading its communication infrastructure and other things.

“Only this year, Mobilink invested $150 million in Pakistan. Today, we have around 8,000 cell sites across the country, the biggest number by any operator. Besides, we have more than 2,000 touch points.”

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4G Wireless Evolution - Motorola Wins Pakistan WiMax Contract

Motorola (News - Alert), Inc. reportedly has won a multi-year WiMax contract with wi-tribe Pakistan limited, a new wireless broadband Internet provider, to enter the country.

Under the contract, Motorola would supply infrastructure and a comprehensive services package that will enable cost-effective, compelling wireless broadband services for wi-tribe’s customers.

It will also supply WAP 400 WiMax access point that includes diversity multiple-input multiple-output antenna capabilities for indoor penetration.

Motorola will begin deploying wi-tribe’s WiMax network this month in the 3.5GHz spectrum. Commercial launch is expected during 2009. Motorola will supply award-winning equipment from its WiMax portfolio including the WAP 400 WiMax access point, which features diversity MIMO antenna capabilities to enable strong indoor penetration.


“WiMax will become a driving force in Pakistan. This is why Motorola stands at the forefront of such an important industry standard that enables progressive service providers such as wi-tribe to launch high-speed, rich, yet affordable communications services,” said Ali Amer, vice president of sales in the Middle East, Africa and Pakistan region for Motorola Home & Networks Mobility.


Motorola is known around the world for innovation in communications. The company develops technologies, products and services that make the mobile experiences possible. The company’s portfolio includes communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. A Fortune 100 company with global presence and impact, Motorola had sales of $36.6 billion in 2007.

“WiMax is changing the way people are connecting and is opening doors to a new world of opportunities,” said Mohammad Sadiq, chief executive officer of wi-tribe Pakistan Ltd. “We will be offering high-speed Internet that is simple, affordable, and a portable alternative to fixed broadband. The Motorola WiMax solution frees customers from the fixed line services.”


Wi-tribe Pakistan Limited is a joint venture between Qatar Telecom and Saudi Arabia’s A.A. Turki Group of Companies.

Wi-tribe officials say theirs s both the easiest and funkiest online community to join and connect with the world. Across The Qtel (News - Alert) Group’s footprint that stretches from North Africa to the South Pacific, wi-tribe can deliver cost-effective Internet access to emerging markets: becoming a driver of growth in connectivity.

Ground-breaking WiMax technology allows instant connection to the Internet through satellite technology. Wi-tribe has its corporate office in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with Jordan becoming the first wi-tribe enabled market in 2008

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LTE vs. WiMAX: The 4G Wireless War

Remember when 3G was the future of wireless data? It’s not even universally available in the U.S. yet, and the race is already well underway to replace it. WiMAX, the 4G network technology that counts Sprint and Intel among its boosters, has a head start. But it’s losing ground to Long Term Evolution (LTE).

LTE’s promise of high-speed, two-way wireless data promises an “all-IP” mode of communications in which voice calls are handled via VoIP. It’s also designed to handle video well, and to permit roaming through multiple systems–from cellular to Wi-Fi and satellite.

LTE is considered by many to be the obvious successor to current-generation 3G technologies, based on WCDMA, HSDPA, HSUPA and HSPA, in part because it updates UMTS technology to provide significantly faster data rates for both uploading and downloading, while preserving backwards compatibility with existing handsets based on older standards. Verizon Wireless, has already said that it will support LTE as its 4G technology of choice, abandoning its current CDMA based network.


Speed, theoretically superior to WiMAX, would give LTE an edge for bandwidth-hungry applications such as live TV and video downloads. LTE handsets are also expected to embrace automatic roaming to non-cellular systems, such as Wi-Fi and satellite.

It’s true that WiMAX, unlike LTE, is available today–but it’s only in the early stages of rollout. (Sprint-backed Clearwire, the only company to roll out WiMAX in the U.. to date, offers service only in scattered areas in sixteen states.) Analysts express doubts that phone manufacturers, networking companies, app developers, operators, and carriers will ever make WiMAX a popular replacement for 2G or 2.75G facilities and services.

Still, WiMAX may endure–Clearwire has vowed to build a nationwide network. But the leisurely pace of its rollout indicates extra caution about the necessary investments. And Clearwire is controlled by Sprint, widely considered the weakest of the major U.S wireless carriers.

Whether they bet on LTE, WiMAX, or some combination of the two, major carriers, hardware companies, and other telecommunications players cannot postpone decisions about their 4G plans–even though it’s not yet clear how the competing technologies will sort themselves out. Investing mammoth amounts of money on building out what may be a temporary technology is high risk–especially during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression–but they can’t leave the market open to their competitors.

The matter of superiority, WiMAX vs. LTE, is mind-boggling to industry observers, even if it might not be to a genius, or to electrical and wireless engineers. Innovation advocates might see LTE as a natural evolution of technology. Yet some technology writers have described it as unusual, in the logical sequence of technological advancement. At least, the adoption of LTE shows that the best decision, in the acceleration of wireless-connectivity technology, is not to wait for the economic recession to hit rock bottom or reverse.

The CTIA Wireless trade show in Las Vegas last month made the industry’s 4G road map a bit clearer. Most players, including Motorola and Verizon, said that they would go straight to LTE without touching WiMAX. Nokia, went further: According to a Financial Times report, Anssi Vanjoki, Nokia’s head of sales and manufacturing, compared WiMAX’s prospects to those of Betamax.

Worldwide, LTE’s prospects look promising. Some observers say that China will go directly to LTE, bypassing WiMAX. Major Chinese telecommunications players, including China Mobile and Huawei, are believed to be working hard to step up to LTE in a year or two.

My home, Pakistan, would also benefit from LTE. Currently, almost all the mobile operators, including the formerly state-owned landline monopoly Pakistan Telecommunication Company (PTCL), have flooded the consumer market with phones, cameras, music players, and USB modems that use a form of connectivity that’s similar to WiMAX but slower. These devices in Pakistan offer Internet connectivity of 300-kbs. Companies such as Wateen Telecom of the United Arab Emirates have tried to offer WiMAX, but without much success; but hardly succeeded; PTCL has tried a package of cellular connectivity, satellite TV, and broadband Internet that is also far from a success so far. China Mobile is one of the five major mobile operators in Pakistan, and other Chinese companies such as ZTE and Huawei are major players, so Pakistan’s 4G future will likely mirror that of China.
Countries such as Sweden and Finland, which are small but well-developed and technology-rich can benefit from this transitional period of wireless technologies, during which 3G, WiMAX, and LTE will coexists. Examples could be Sweden, with rich file-sharing experience, and Finland, with Nokia having early experimentation on real time interactive videos. Next in line are rapidly developing countries, including China, India, and Pakistan.

The U.S., a traditional leader in innovation and technological advancement, may struggle to adopt 4G as rapidly as other countries. Why? One reason is the difficulty of ramping up LTE during a period of recession. Another is the indecisiveness of U.S. industry heavyweights about next-generation standards. But even if the U.S.’s 4G future is somewhat murky, wireless connectivity is bound to evolve towards higher speed, great traffic capacity and more reliable connections.