WiMax, 4G, Mobile, Broadband, Moscow, CEE: Golden Telecom has commissioned Nortel to provide a solution for launching a mobile WiMAX field trial in Moscow based on Nortel 4G technology.

Golden Telecom is a Russian operator which recognises the potential from satisfying the growing demand from private and corporate customers in Russia for anywhere, anytime Internet access and for fast mobile communications services such as VoIP, email and multimedia applications. As a plank in this highly commercialised strategy, it has commissioned Nortel to provide a solution for launching a mobile WiMAX field trial in Moscow based on Nortel 4G technology.

Mobile WiMAX is recognised as having a major part to play at the forefront of next-generation mobility, in the view of Nortel’s President for Eastern Europe, Sorin Lupu, who also believes that in a few years time all computers, PDAs and other mobile consumer devices will be wireless-enabled.

For the meantime, Golden Telecom’s mobile WiMAX trial is regarded as a significant step towards providing Moscow with always-on communications available when and where they are wanted, through whatever device. The Nortel Golden Telecom trial will provide a connection speed range of between 1Mb/s and 25Mb/s for each user, which means extremely fast - in seconds rather than minutes - content downloads.

Mobile WiMAX is described by Nortel as an efficient solution for metropolitan areas such as Moscow where population density of more than 9,000 per km2 makes it cost-efficient to install WiMAX base stations and equipment and each base station can potentially handle hundreds, even thousands, of users.

Mobile WiMAX based on 802.16-2005 standard is currently defined by WiMAX Forum in the 1.5, 2.3, 2.5, and 3.5GHz frequency band profiles with more expected to come: it can deliver speeds of 1Mb-10Mb and higher. Golden Telecom decided to trial the Nortel solution because of Nortel’s advanced multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM).

antenna technology, which is described as capable of making the most efficient use of available spectrum, boosting throughput, significantly reducing operating costs and enabling a better user experience.

In the longer term the experience from the Moscow trial and implementation can be used to speed delivery of mobile WiMAX into other cities where Golden Telecom has a presence.

* Nortel is a key player in 4G mobile broadband based on its development of OFDM and MIMO, and has been instrumental in driving standards in IEEE, WiMAX Forum, 3GPP and 3GPP2. Nortel has developed OFDM-MIMO expertise over the past eight years and holds key patents in the technology.

** Golden Telecom is a facilities-based provider of integrated telecommunications and Internet services in major population centres throughout Russia and other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It offers voice, data and Internet services to corporations, operators and consumers using its overlay network in major cities, including Moscow, Kiev, St Petersburg, Nizhniy Novgorod, Samara, Kaliningrad, Krasnoyarsk, Alma-Ata, and Tashkent.

more info:

• www.goldentelecom.com
• www.nortelnetworks.com