2000
Orange and Ubinetics sign strategic partnership
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12 May 2000
Jointly develop dual mode high-speed internet access cards
Orange, the UK’s most advanced digital mobile phone network, today announced a multi-million dollar strategic partnership with wireless technology specialist UbiNetics to undertake joint development of a range of high-speed data and internet access products.
The first stage of the partnership will be a US$7 million agreement to develop the Orange UbiNetics Type II PCMCIA radio card, a dual mode HSCSD/GPRS (High Speed Circuit Switched Data / General Packet Radio Service) wireless modem to support this standard. The card will support mobile data rates of up to 57.6kbps – more than five times faster than existing mobile data speeds – and launch later this year. Other products that the two companies will work on include a range of clip-on modem devices for PDAs (personal digital assistants), including the Palm V; and a range of embedded telemetry modules based on HSCSD and GPRS technologies, which will support applications from the automotive to the medical world.
Bob Fuller, COO of Orange, explained: "Few people would challenge the assertion that wirefree communications has fundamentally changed the way we live and do business. The ability to communicate wherever, whenever and however we need to, is nothing short of a revolution. With the advent of next generation technologies we will see the arrival of a dazzling array of high-speed, multi-media data services.
"The UbiNetics partnership will ensure that Orange customers do not have to concern themselves with the different available technologies, but rather they will simply choose an application and the device will transparently select the best platform for that particular operation. As a result of this partnership, Orange customers will be offered a solution that further extends the way they communicate and access information."
Ali Pourtaheri, chief executive officer of UbiNetics, said: "This is a highly significant endorsement of UbiNetics’ leading edge GSM technology by one of the world’s most innovative mobile network operators."
"Partnerships between leading wireless infrastructure providers like Orange and innovative technology suppliers like UbiNetics will help drive the opportunities for new and advanced network services and higher revenue streams."
Background information
The mobile industry is currently looking to two major 2.5G stepping stone technologies to provide high speed data services: High Speed Circuit Switched Data (HSCSD) and General Packet Radio Services (GPRS). Each technology has different strengths and will offer different but ultimately complementary services. HSCSD will be available in early 2000, while GPRS will arrive around towards the end of 2000. Orange will be the only UK network able to offer both services and hence will be able to offer its customers access to a richer set of services and applications.
High Speed Circuit Switched Data is, as the name suggests, based on a dedicated circuit model. In essence this means that the user has a dedicated circuit, or circuits, assigned to the data call being made. This ensures that the user has a predictable data rate to support whatever application he or she is using. Uniquely, this feature makes the technology ideal for supporting both applications like high speed mobile internet and LAN access and real-time data applications like video conferencing. HSCSD currently provides data speeds of up to 28.8kbps, with the potential later this year to increase the speed to 43.2kpbs and 57.6kpbs.
The deployment of GPRS will see GSM take its first step away from a pure circuit-switched architecture into the world of packet technology. Instead of maintaining a dedicated link as with HSCSD, GPRS encapsulates the data into individual packets and transmits them over the network, interleaving the packets of different users to maximise the amount of traffic that can pass through the cell
The use of a packet-based model brings mobile technology much closer to the computing world by using the widely adopted Internet Protocol. This closeness means that GPRS will be an ideal service for carrying Internet data, and in particular e-mail traffic. Looking into the more distant future, the combination of GPRS’s affinity with the internet and location based technology, mobile devices could enable a user’s handset to display the nearest cash point, restaurant or cinema showing a particular film.
For more information, please contact:
Liz Attenburrow
Companycare Communications
Tel: +44 118 939 5900
E-mail: liza@companycare.com
www.companycare.com
Notes to editors
About Ubinetics
Based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, UbiNetics Limited founded in 1999 as a subsidiary of PA Consulting Group, is a next generation technology group developing innovative 3G and 2G wireless data communication solutions. UbiNetics employs more than 100 staff at its Cambridge Technology Centre, working closely with an impressive list of blue-chip accounts intent on delivering to its customers a range of advanced wireless data solutions. UbiNetics’ specific market leadership includes, design and manufacture of 2G and 3G data modules, GSM PC cards, test and measurement equipment and reference designs.
UbiNetics products are used, among others, by cellular network infrastructure, handset terminal and PC/PDA manufacturers. Our technologies enable manufacturers to embed GSM connectivity into products serving a broad range of industries, including utilities, pharmaceuticals, automotive, chemicals, financial services, manufacturing and oil/gas.
About Orange
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Orange and wirefree are trademarks of Orange plc group.
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Orange provides a broad range of personal communications services. As well as Orange GSM 1800 services, this includes other digital cellular telephone and paging services.
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As at 5 April 2000, Orange has over 6 million customers.
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Prices shown are resale prices currently recommended by Orange. Resellers are free to set their own terms, so prices and offers available to customers may vary.
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Orange provides high quality coverage to 99% of the UK population and over 80% of the geographic area. Coverage is based on hand portable, unlike some other operators which choose to base their coverage on boosted car kits.
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Orange is the largest and fastest-growing digital mobile phone network in the UK, with over 6,700 base stations, and more than 10,000 sites targeted by 2001.
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The third annual J.D. Power and Associates UK Mobile Customer Satisfaction Study, published on 9 May 2000, showed that "Orange maintains its dominance in customer satisfaction for the third consecutive year in the UK mobile market due to industry-leading performances in both the pre-pay and contract segments.
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In October 1999, OFTEL, the UK’s telecommunications industry regulator, published the results of surveys carried out by the four UK GSM mobile communications networks to assess their relative performance. Orange was shown to be the best performing network, with an average call success rate of 97.3%.
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In November 1999, the Consumers’ Association’s Which? magazine published a survey of its members and concluded: ‘‘Orange was easily the best all round. It consistently came first, or very near the top, for both the quality of its network and customer service.’‘
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Orange was the first network operator to introduce Enhanced Full Rate in February 1998. EFR provides fixed line call quality across the entire Orange network to all customers at no extra charge.
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Orange now offers roaming on 207 networks in 98 countries.
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