The much-touted seamless cloud of wireless connectivity is one step closer to reality, with Nokia’s announcement that it completed calls with Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) technology. With UMA, mobile operators can deliver services to subscribers over Wi-Fi access networks. Thus, end users could use one device to roam painlessly and without loss of connection across mobile and Wi-Fi networks.
UMA, a 3rd Generation Partnership Program (3GPP) standard, is an access technology that allows seamless handover of mobile voice and data from a cellular network to a WLAN powered by Wi-Fi. Essentially, UMA would allow mobile operators to turn home, office and public WLANs into seamless extensions of their mobile footprint, bolstering revenue opportunities.
The test was conducted in a Nokia Solutions Experience Center in the United States. Voice calls were conducted from a live cellular network to WLAN, and from WLAN to cellular. Also, a data call was conducted from cellular to WLAN. All calls were completed using a Nokia test phone.
The successful test call inches the industry closer to a converged, access- and device-agnostic world in which applications and services are the focus for operators.
“This milestone is an excellent example of Nokia's unique ability to offer service providers with true end-to-end solutions, from our industry-leading Release 4 core architecture to our devices equipped with both cellular and WLAN connectivity," says Mark Louison, senior vice president of Networks, North America, at Nokia. “UMA is poised to open up a number of new opportunities and choices for operators and their end users. We're one step closer to simplifying the end-user mobile experience to access voice, personal information, and multimedia services on one device irrespective of their location, whether at work, at home, or on the go."
