Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Leaders Band For PTT Interoperability- (Timmy Is In Trouble Again!)

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Mar 2004 15:25:10 -0500

Wireless Leaders Band For PTT Interoperability- (Timmy Is In Trouble
Again!)
BY SUSAN RUSH
MARCH 16, 2004

With the push to talk over cellular (PoC) standard still in development,
wireless industry heavyweights are taking different paths for
pre-standardization and interoperability. Some wireless companies,
namely Siemens, Motorola and Ericsson, have joined forces, while Nokia
is taking its own path with a pre-standard interoperability initiative
of its own.

In a joint announcement, Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens are conducting
interoperability tests for PoC technology to ensure their technologies
will be compatible with one another. Interoperability will enable PTT
users to communicate with one another even if their service is provided
by different operators. Nextel Communications made its splash in the PTT
market a decade ago, but as of late, competition has begun to creep up.
Verizon Wireless was the first to challenge Nextel, but since then
Sprint and Alltel also have jumped in the fray.

The companies are working on pre-standard activities that are geared
toward an actual standard coming to fruition. "Our customers want
interoperable products.  Ericsson, Siemens, Motorola and Nokia have
worked together on the specification for the PTT standard and
interoperability testing is the next logical step," says Sanjay Gupta,
fellow of technical staff at Motorola. "In a mobile world,
interoperability is important: an operator can be guaranteed choice,"
says Gupta.  "The consumer also will benefit by having the ability to
roam with his handset onto different networks."

The first interoperable products to come out of this alliance are
expected to be introduced during the second quarter, according to Gupta.

Although Nokia was not included in the Siemens, Ericsson and Motorola
announcement, the No. 1 handset manufacturer said it also is doing some
interoperability work. The company has unveiled an initiative that will
enable operators to use leading manufacturers’ push to talk terminals
with Nokia’s push to talk infrastructure.

Nokia said its interoperability and standard efforts are being fueled by
the Open Mobile Alliance’s expected standardization. Its push to talk
offerings will be fully compliant with the OMA standard once it is
finalized, Nokia spokeswoman Laurie Armstrong tells news@2.

It is important to note, Armstrong says, that a standard doesn’t exist
yet. "We are committed to open standards," she says. Gupta agrees,
saying, "We are working as a part of a pre-standard consortium, things
will continue to evolve."
Armstrong says Nokia has not joined forces with Siemens, Motorola and
Ericsson right now because "Nokia has a slightly different pre-standard
push to talk implementation for early market entry. We feel that our
technology is proven and working now and provides operators with a
credible path forward." Nokia said it currently has more than 30
operator trials under way, with its first push to talk over cellular
terminal available commercially in the second quarter.

Although some reports are circulating that Nokia’s PTT handsets will not
be compatible with other suppliers’ network software, Armstrong says
they will. Nokia says its push to talk network servers will, in addition
its own pre-standard protocol, also support the alternative pre-standard
protocol suggested by the other members of the PoC technology
cooperation group, including Ericsson, Motorola and Siemens. "We are
very much at the pre-standard point. We are running along somewhat
common paths. The disagreements are in the pre-standard product
implementation. Two pre-standards will be out there and both will need
to be updated to support the final OMA standard," Armstrong says. "All
the companies have a common goal of supporting the OMA standard."

Motorola’s Gupta agrees, saying PTT will not take off in the mass market
until interoperability is available.

http://www.wirelessweek.com/index.asp?layout=newsat2direct&starting=1&pubdate=03/16/04

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