SPRING 2009
UMA TODAY
07
UMA/GAN technology is growing up quickly, and its
innovators look on proudly as it continues to develop. It
seems like just yesterday 3GPP ratified the Generic Access
Network (GAN) specification into Release 6. In fact, it was
three years ago. Oh, how time flies.
In the past three years, the technology has passed a
number of major developmental milestones. Several key
global mobile operators have made UMA the foundation of
their overall fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) strategies.
More than 30 UMA handsets have been introduced into
the market. UMA is being used to support a number
of additional FMC services, including fixed terminal
adaptors and even softmobiles. The standard itself has
also continued to evolve within 3GPP, adding support for
3G handsets and 3G core network interfaces.
UMA/GAn TUrns 3G
Despite this tremendous
progress, many in the mobile industry still think of UMA/
GAN as a 2G technology. With mobile operators rapidly
deploying 3G networks and pushing 3G handsets and
services, this has presented a bit of a perception challenge
for the UMA industry.
However, with the recent announcement from Orange
about adding 3G support to its UMA deployment, as well as
the announcements from Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson
about their new 3G UMA handsets, this perception issue is
set to be quickly addressed.
Back in September 2008, Orange announced it had
extended its industry-leading Unik service to become the
world's first UMA service to also support 3G handsets.
"With the launch of the world's first 3G UMA service,
we are making life as simple as possible for our customers,
whilst helping them get more from their mobile phones,"
says Georges Penalver, senior EVP of Group Strategic
Marketing at Orange. "Orange was one of the first to
bring the benefits of UMA technology to our customers
in 2006 with the launch of our Unik service. Today, with
our new 3G UMA platform, our Unik customers will be
able to take advantage of 3G's capabilities delivering
exciting multimedia services, such as Orange Music,
Downloads, TV and Video. We have increased the benefits
of this innovative technology, delivering a simple and cost-
effective solution to meet our customers' needs. Orange
is now able to extend the benefits of improved coverage,
high-speed data access and the Unik home zone service
to subscribers with 3G services. That's why UMA is at the
heart of our convergence strategy."
Orange is now able to extend the benefits of improved
coverage, high-speed data access and Unik home zone
services to subscribers with 3G handsets.
3G UMA PHOnEs COMInG rAPIDLY
Coincident with the Orange 3G UMA service
announcement, Samsung, LG and Sony Ericsson all
announced their first three 3G UMA handsets.
Samsung announced the P270, an extension to its
successful portfolio of UMA-enabled handsets. Sony
Ericsson, the latest (and last) of the major handset
vendors to support UMA, announced the G705u, a
multimedia powerhouse providing cutting-edge music,
video and photo capabilities, along with advanced 3G/
UMA capabilities. LG's newest offer is a 3G UMA handset
called the Secret (KF 757). In addition to UMA, the LG
Secret features a large 2.4" LCD FT touch screen, a
5 megapixel camera, and powerful new multimedia
capabilities designed to take advantage of high-speed,
low-cost broadband access.
John Delaney, research director with IDC Research,
stated: "Users of such [3G/UMA] phones are taking
advantage of Wi-Fi to stream and download multimedia
to their phones more quickly and more cheaply than they
can over cellular."
3G sErVICEs
Orange, however, is not only the first
operator to support 3G UMA handsets. It is also the first
to begin leveraging the true performance advantages of
UMA when delivering mobile data services. In conjunction
with its 3G UMA announcement, Orange announced its
high-definition TV (HDTV) service for Unik handsets.
With more than 60 mobile HDTV channels and an on-
screen program guide, 3G Unik subscribers have access
to a cutting-edge mobile TV experience when on Wi-Fi at
home, the office or on the road.
According to Roaul Roverato, Orange's executive vice
president in charge of new growth businesses: "Our
proximity to the customer and our understanding of their
That's why UMA is
at the heart of our
convergence strategy.
Georges Penalver, Senior EVP,
Group Strategic Marketing, Orange