Broadband talk still reigns at CTIA

Broadband convergence and the emerging opportunities in the wireless industry are among the highlights at this year's CTIA-Wireless show in Florida, U.S., which runs from March 27-29.

During the event, non-profit Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA)-The Wireless Association announced the industry-wide Common Short Code (CSC) Auditing and Monitoring Initiative. The project aims to ensure that off-portal third party content providers are complying with the industry's consumer best practices (CBP) for wireless subscribers of mobile products and services.

"As the demand for third party off-portal content skyrocketed, so too did the supply of content providers, some of whom were ill-prepared to properly serve their rapidly expanding client base," said CTIA-The Wireless Association president and CEO Steve Largent. "The wireless industry quickly recognized there was a problem and stepped-up to plate in a pro-active and voluntary manner to address it."

According to Largent, majority of off-portal content providers comply with the wireless industry's CBP practices but there are still some who do not thus, the launch of the initiative. The wireless industry's existing CBP addresses consumer concerns regarding the purchase of off-portal third party content such as a subscriber's right to privacy, consistency of content with plan on file, advertising clarity, billing accuracy and subscription management functionality.

CTIA will tap the Telephia research firm for the CSC program auditing initiative, in which programs will also be regularly monitored to assess their on-going compliance with the CBP. Also in the auditing and monitoring program is a data collection system in which key information such as advertising and promotional materials, billing information and website screenshots will be electronically collected, stored and evaluated.

Technology demos
Different wireless solutions providers such as Nokia, Samsung and Alcatel-Lucent are showcasing their latest technologies at the show.

Nokia's demo includes the N800 Internet Tablet that supports municipal Wi-Fi and Intellisync Mobile Suite 8.0, which features a comprehensive business platform for wireless email, file synchronization and application synchronization.

Nokia's exhibit also consists of its line of business optimized devices, software and enhancements—Nokia E62, the second wave of Nokia Eseries business devices and mobile solutions such as business voice and VOIP over WLAN. Moreover, the company has an exhibit of its latest multimedia solutions for music, photography, video, blogging, GPS navigation and location-based services (LBS).

Meanwhile, Alcatel-Lucent's exhibit includes its wireless portfolio of W-CDMA, HSDPA/HSUPA, CDMA2000 and WiMAX technologies. The company demos converged multimedia experience via services such as CDMA-based Interactive Mobile TV, Unlimited Mobile TV seamlessly combining unicast and broadcast access, Mobile Advertising as well Multimedia Content Management and Subscriber Data Management solutions.

The demos from Alcatel-Lucent include advanced 3G and beyond broadband technologies, new CDMA2000 solutions, services based on IP multimedia subsystem, leading digital microwave, optical and IP/MPLS transport solutions for mobile backhaul and backbone and Project Evros, the latest innovation from Alcatel-Lucent's Bell Labs researchers in New Jersey, which enables enterprise IT personnel to track, monitor, troubleshoot and remotely manage laptops even when they are powered off and/or offline.

Meanwhile, Samsung Electronics introduces its small plug-and-play basestation, the UbiCell Solution. A CDMA Femtocell base station, it works with users' existing mobile phones and provides guaranteed, in-home cellular service over existing public broadband networks, providing cost-effective, easy to install and dependable wireless home solution.

The UbiCell Solution eliminates the need for a landline phone. According to Samsung, this technology is easy to install and adapts to its environment with automatic configuration, plug-and-play and remote operation and maintenance. To operate, the UbiCell Solution requires any broadband internet (xDSL or cable modem), Ethernet connection and 110V power. After installation, the UbiCell will locate and register with the management server to configure and begin service in minutes, explained the company.