TOKYO-An NTT laboratory is gearing up its efforts to develop Advanced Wireless Access (AWA), a next-generation wireless system that will enable users to access data at a speed of up to 36 Megabits per second (Mbps).
NTT Network Service Systems Laboratories in Yokosuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture, is scheduled to launch a demonstration for AWA in the third quarter of this year.
The NTT Group plans to launch commercial-based services in 2001 if the experiment is successful.
According to Akinori Hirukawa, a research engineer for the NTT laboratories, AWA is a 3.5-generation wireless system. NTT DoCoMo is currently scheduled to launch 3G services in second-quarter 2001.
“The AWA has higher data transmission speed than the present PHS services and has better mobility than the current fixed wireless services,” he said.
To clarify the capabilities of AWA, NTT Corp. will launch a demonstration later this year using the 5.15-5.25 GHz band. Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. will develop base stations and terminals for the experiments. Other carriers plan to join the experiment, which will be organized by the Multimedia Mobile Access Communications (MMAC), a Japanese association of carriers, vendors and professors.
Hirukawa said AWA has a variety of possible applications: Users can get information from a kiosk at an airport, on streets or at a theme park, as well as from their homes and offices.
Still, some issues must be cleared.
Since the 5.15-5.25 GHz band is limited to indoor use, the experiment will be conducted only indoors. However, Hirukawa said NTT is considering implementing the technology outdoors at some point.
The Telecommunications Technology Council, an advisory body for the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, is examining the possibility of allocating another part of the 5 GHz band (5.25-5.35 GHz) for outdoor use.
Due to the frequency limitations, carriers initially will limit AWA services to indoor applications. But Hirukawa said they may able to expand their services outdoors, first in specific areas, and eventually nationwide like present commercial PHS services.
In addition, the 5 GHz spectrum currently is being used for weather observation radar and satellite mobile phone services. Therefore, the new services may cause interference with conventional users. In addition, the coverage area of an AWA base station is limited to 100 meters.
On the other hand, AWA could have several user benefits. AWA terminals are expected to be as small as current PHS terminals. The prototype base stations and terminals are both about 30 x 30 x 30 centimeters.
Hirukawa said NTT is making efforts to develop inexpensive equipment to allow the service to take off. “We plan to push down prices for base stations at around 200,000 yen (US$1,808) per unit and terminals at around 50,000 yen (US$452) per unit. Still, they are (priced) higher than the present system, and we need to make more efforts to push down these prices further,” he said.
In Japan, PHS terminals often are given away free to customers to expand carriers’ customer bases.
DDI Pocket General Manager Hiroki Hirasawa said, however, that it is difficult to implement AWA technology for public services. “The coverage area of AWA is small. If a carrier tries to provide public services, the carrier has to construct a great number of base stations around the nation. It must cost a lot,” he said.
