Proponents of ultrawideband (UWB) and WiMAX are showing interest in getting their wireless products incorporated into unlicensed mobile access (UMA) technology.
“We’ve had very early interest from the UWB people - they’ve been sniffing around,” says Steve Shaw, director of marketing at California-based UMA specialist Kineto Wireless. “Even the WiMAX people - we’ve had Intel ask about how this could work for WiMAX as well, because really it’s just an IP-based protocol.”
UMA allows a mobile handset to use various technologies, typically GSM and Wi-Fi, to make calls. The handset automatically switches between the different networks, the aim being to offer the user the cheapest connection.
In the UK, BT is already holding trials of its version of UMA, which uses Bluetooth to connect to the fixed line in the home and GSM outside. Shaw believes Wi-Fi and GSM will be the main UMA technology combination with UWB and WiMAX coming later, “if at all”.
Motorola and TeliaSonera Denmark announced the completion of a six-month technical trial of UMA technology using Bluetooth last week.
Motorola is now moving to making calls over a 3GPP-compliant UMA system in an operational network environment using Wi-Fi. The company said 10 European operators are trialling UMA.
“For mobile operators it’s a way to extend services over the IP network, whatever that extension technology happens to be,” says Shaw. “The operators’ eyes are now open to the potential.”
Shaw believes UMA handsets will arrive in the second quarter of 2006.