Cingular Wireless and Lucent Technologies Inc. said they completed the first High-Speed Downlink Packet Access data calls using a trial UMTS network deployed by the two companies in the Atlanta area.
The companies noted the HSDPA tests delivered sustained over-the-air data rates of more than 3 megabits per second and supported a number of high-bandwidth multimedia services, including streaming video and downloads of high-resolution images and other large files.
In addition, the companies said they demonstrated performance improvements that have been implemented in the trial network, including reductions in transmission delays that Cingular said would allow it to provide interactive services and applications such as multi-player video gaming to mobile customers. Cingular added that it expects the UMTS/HSDPA network will initially support data speeds of up to 3.6 mbps, which will be the top speeds available from the first generation of HSDPA devices expected to be delivered next year.
Lucent noted the network trial was completed using its end-to-end commercial UMTS solution, including its Flexent OneBTS base stations and Flexent Radio Network Controller, as well as UMTS packet core solution, including its Flexent Serving GPRS Support Node and Gateway GPRS Support Node, and an HSDPA test terminal.
Cingular announced last year plans to begin trialing an UMTS/HSDPA network in its Atlanta market with plans to commercially launch up to 20 markets by the end of this year. The carrier reported infrastructure deals with a number of companies late last year in support of the launch plans and said it expected the service would provide network speeds of between 400 and 700 kilobits per second.
Cingular currently offers UMTS-based services in six markets that it inherited when it acquired AT&T Wireless Services Inc. last October.
