Europe strengthens global links in software radio
London (ots) - In the current economic climate an important research focus for the telecoms industry continues to be the future evolution of wireless communications. The reason is not hard to see when you look beyond the present market uncertainties - Korea is already beginning to roll out wideband wireless Internet access, whilst estimates of potential revenue in Japan alone from 'Mobile IT' are forecast at more than 42 trillion Yen over the decade 2001-2011 [reference 1]. European and US-based companies cannot afford to ignore such developments.
At a major international wireless conference to be held in California this week Europe and North America will be strengthening research links in mobile communications, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK-based Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile & Personal Communications (Mobile VCE) and the US-based Software Defined Radio (SDR) Forum. Both organisations have a global membership and undertake complementary but related activities supporting the wireless industry.
The SDR Forum is an international industry association dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of software defined radio systems that enable flexible and adaptable architectures in advanced wireless systems. Mobile VCE is an industry-steered international research organization developing innovative concepts and technological solutions relating to mobile and personal communications. Walter Tuttlebee, Executive Director of Mobile VCE, and Allan Margulies, Chief Operating Officer of the SDR Forum, will represent their organisations at a signing ceremony to be held on Tuesday 12th November, after the close of the SDR '02 Conference, at the Marriott Mission Valley Hotel, San Diego.
The new agreement will facilitate mutual cooperation between the two organisations with a view to increasing joint activities relating to research, marketing of technologies, events, public relations and business introductions in the field of software radio research.
About SDR Technology
With SDR, functions traditionally performed by hardware via analogue circuits, such as the generation of the transmitted radio signal and the tuning and detection of the received radio signal, instead are performed by software residing in high-speed digital processors. Because these functions are carried out in software, the radio can be easily programmed to transmit and receive over a wide range of frequencies using a variety of transmission formats used around the world. In addition, the operating parameters of a software defined radio can be easily changed in the field by a simple software change.
SDR provides an efficient and comparatively inexpensive mechanism for the design and implementation of multi-mode, multi-band, multi-functional wireless devices that can be enhanced using software upgrades, thus addressing many of the most challenging issues confronting the wireless industry.
Mobile VCE and SDR
Mobile VCE is a not-for-profit company, with a mission of industry-led, long-term, high-quality innovation, aimed at facilitating the growth of the mobile communications business. With an international reputation for its research is available for exploitation royalty free by its industrial members. Its research programmes - in strategic areas of wireless industry development, including wireless access, internetworking and security, inter alia - are overseen by Industrial Steering Groups. Mobile VCE has been actively cooperating with the SDR Forum for the past 2-3 years, with significant achievements from its research programme in the field of software radio having been included in a recent SDR Forum report. Mobile VCE's membership is open to small and large companies from all parts of the value chain and all countries.
About The Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile & Personal Communications (Mobile VCE)
Mobile VCE operates at the interface between the wireless telecommunications industry and academia. Reflecting the nature of its industrial members, the vision of Mobile VCE is global and its research internationally recognised.
Mobile VCE's membership is open to small and large companies from all parts of the value chain and all countries and includes mobile operators (Hutchison 3G, Orange, O2, SK Telecom, T-Mobile, Vodafone), infrastructure manufacturers (Fujitsu, Lucent, Nortel, Siemens) and handset manufacturers (Matsushita, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba), as well as players from adjacent industries such as broadcasting (BBC, Crown Castle, NTL) and satellite communications (Inmarsat). Other members include Degree2 Innovations, Tality, Texas Instruments, Thales and two of the UK's regulatory organisations, the Independent Television Commission and Radiocommunications Agency. Its academic members include the universities of Bradford, Bristol, Edinburgh, Kings College London, Royal Holloway College, Southampton, Strathclyde and Surrey.
About the Software Defined Radio Forum
The Software Defined Radio Forum is an international industry association dedicated to supporting the development and deployment of software defined radio systems that enable flexible and adaptable architectures in advanced wireless systems. The membership of the SDR Forum spans commercial, defence, and civil government organizations, and includes wireless service providers, network operators, component and equipment manufacturers, hardware and software developers, regulatory agencies, and academia. Presently numbering more than 100 organizations, the SDR Forum's membership includes major commercial wireless players from Asia, Europe, and North America. The SDR Forum's administrative office is headquartered in New Hartford, N.Y. Additional information is available on the SDR Forum Web site at www.sdrforum.org.
[Reference 1] Report from the Committee of Future Mobile Communications Systems of the Telecommunications Council, Japan, June 25th 2001, page 11.
ots Original Text Service: Mobile VCE
Internet: http://www.presseportal.de
For further information, please contact:
Mobile VCE:
Dr. Walter Tuttlebee
Executive Director, Mobile VCE
TEL +44 (0)1256 338604
E-mail: jennyj@mobilevce.com
SDR Forum
Allan Margulies
Chief Operating Officer, SDR Forum
TEL +1 (0)315 736-2433
E-mail: asm@sdrforum.org
Web: http@://www.sdrforum.org
The Virtual Centre of Excellence in Mobile & Personal Communications