Top Global and Lucent Technologies today announced an agreement to provide wireless service providers in the Asia-Pacific and EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) regions with a solution that integrates third-generation (3G) mobile networks and Wi-Fi networks. This enables operators to leverage wide-area 3G CDMA2000® and UMTS/W-CDMA mobile networks to carry the data traffic generated by Wi-Fi hot spots. Top Global's hot spot solution, called 3G MobileBridge(TM), serves as a gateway that links the Wi-Fi and 3G networks, enabling business users and consumers to use their Wi-Fi-enabled devices in truly mobile environments such as trains, buses and other vehicles.
Under the agreement, Top Global and Lucent will collaborate to ensure the compatibility of Top Global's 3G MobileBridge(TM) solution with Lucent's 3G CDMA2000 and UMTS/W-CDMA mobile networking equipment. The two companies also will work together on joint-marketing and sales activities.
This week, Top Global and Lucent are conducting live demonstrations of CDMA2000 1xEV-DO and UMTS/W-CDMA networks carrying the data traffic of a Wi-Fi hot spot by leveraging Top Global's 3G MobileBridge(TM) solution in Lucent's booth (#8C01) at the PT/Wireless & Networks Comm China 2003 tradeshow taking place at the China International Exhibition Center.
Last March, Lucent highlighted the concept of how Wi-Fi hot spots can be connected to the Internet via high-speed 3G mobile networks through its first "Wi-Fi on the Move" demonstration, which was completed at a major North American wireless trade show. The prototype mobile hotspot gateway used for this initial demonstration was developed by Bell Labs researchers and incorporated all of the necessary Wi-Fi and 3G CDMA2000 1xEV-DO networking components required for a public deployment into a single box -- an industry first.
"By working with Top Global, we are demonstrating the complementary nature of Wi-Fi and 3G and leveraging the benefits of both technologies to help mobile operators deliver productivity-enhancing high-speed data services to business users and consumers," said Mike Iandolo, vice president of CDMA product management for Lucent's Mobility Solutions Group. "For example, this solution enables operators to deploy a Wi-Fi hot spot on a commuter train using a wide-area CDMA2000 network to transport the data traffic, so that passengers can use their Wi-Fi-enabled devices while traveling."
By seamless integration of the Wi-Fi and 3G hardware, software, and network protocol stacks, Top Global's solution supports authentication, authorization, and the needed accounting features so that operators can simplify network architecture and reduce overall investment. Its plug-and-play simplicity reduces installation cost and its rich networking features simplify network management and reduce maintenance costs. It overcomes many hurdles that can prevent or delay an operator from offering service in a popular hot spot.
"Top Global is a leading wireless systems design company dedicated to offering last-mile wireless products and solutions to customers worldwide," said Top Global President & CTO, Dr. Alan Zhen Zhou. "Our innovative 3G hot spot solution clearly demonstrates our capability and experience with Wi-Fi and leverages Lucent's 3G mobile network expertise. We are looking forward to working with Lucent to deploy this solution around the world so that more people can get easy access to the Internet anywhere at any time with no strings attached. We are looking to partner with hot spot and mobile operators to field trial the solution with support from selected channel partners, and systems integrators."
