Lucent's GPRS system enters commercial phase

Murray Hill

Lucent Technologies has announced that it has completed the integration of its end-to-end General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offer and has begun commercial system testing of the `always-on' Mobile Internet solution with key customers like One.Tel of Australia and Celcom of Malaysia.

Lucent's GPRS offer is the culmination of integration of systems and software from Lucent, Symmetry Communications Systems, Inc and Sun Microsystems. Lucent's GPRS solution enables existing GSM (Global System for Mobile communications) operators to deliver high-speed Mobile Internet services to subscribers. 

Lucent and One.Tel have been successfully using Lucent's GPRS to perform Web browsing and sending and receiving of data files and accessing e-mail at high speed. Similarly, Lucent and Malaysian operator Celcom performed the first live GPRS call in that country.

Lucent's commercial GPRS strides follow the successful launch of the world's first nationwide GPRS network by the leading German mobile operator T-Mobil in June, in which Lucent played a leading role. This success confirmed Lucent's ability to deploy new technology rapidly, while ensuring no disruption to the network and existing services.

The Symmetry collaboration complements Lucent's strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems for a Mobile Internet offer that integrates Sun's carrier-grade Netra servers with Lucent's GPRS backbone network. 

The Lucent/Sun/Symmetry solution is designed as a turnkey system, compatible with Internet Protocols (IP), and affording GSM network operators a ready-made Mobile Internet service capability. This will enable wireless operators to become Internet Service Providers or become hosts for ISPs wishing to extend services to their customers on the move. Symmetry is supplying GPRS Service Nodes (GSN) built to Lucent specifications as part of Lucent's GPRS solution for wireless packet data applications.

"We are very excited to be announcing this relationship with Lucent", said Dr. Chiiming Kao, CEO, Symmetry Communications Systems Inc. 

In addition to the underlying network packet technology, Lucent offers operators a broad solution for rapid time to market and revenue generation. For example, its wireless applications environment (WAE) has been designed to support a variety of Intelligent Network and Internet-based user applications that take advantage of the higher data rates available with GPRS. Bundled as mobile office and lifestyle solutions, these include:

• Unified messaging, e-mail, schedule management, file and database access and route planning.

• Information services, shopping, audio, video, banking and share trading.

Lucent's end-to-end GPRS solution includes comprehensive professional services in business planning and network deployment. This is enhanced further through its Arbor billing and customer care software, which supports per-packet billing. In addition, operators will be able to count on compatible GPRS handsets and devices from Samsung, as a result of a Lucent Microelectronics Group relationship with Samsung involving Lucent Sceptre GPRS chips and Optimay GmbH software, as well as a network interoperability testing agreement. 

Lucent is also able to offer operators Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP) and M-Portal solutions resulting from an agreement with
Logica.