Motorola Demonstrates First Packet-Switched Network Handoff
By Jayashree Adkoli, TMCnet Contributor
Motorola (News - Alert) demonstrated its first successful packet-switched network handoff between CDMA
EV-DO Rev-A and Long Term Evolution (LTE (News - Alert)) technologies. This handoff technique can step up next-generation network selection for CDMA carriers. The company will be showcasing the technology at CTIA (News - Alert) WIRELESS 2008.
Motorola develops technologies, products and services that make mobile experiences possible. The company deals with communications infrastructure, enterprise mobility solutions, digital set-tops, cable modems, mobile devices and Bluetooth accessories. The company is committed to delivering next generation communication solutions to people, businesses and governments.
Motorola’s packet-switched network handoff technique offers service providers using CDMA-based networks to smoothly integrate broadband OFDMA and IP packet-based wireless broadband technologies like LTE into their network, thereby enabling the roll-out of more interactive services like HD mobile blogging and broadcasting, HD video-on-demand and online gaming.
Motorola’s new lab innovation was demonstrated with VoIP calls and streaming video. The demonstration encouraged trials of high-performance mobile broadband networks. It also showed LTE’s potential to deliver multiple voice, video, data and wireless services with transparent mobility between LTE and legacy networks using multi-mode LTE/CDMA/EV-DO Rev-A enabled devices.
The demonstration also gives a clear picture for carriers who are interested in upgrading their networks, about the feasibility of deploying LTE while using their existing 3G network coverage and assets, without sacrificing service quality as consumers move between LTE and 3G network coverage zones.
"Technological enhancements such as the CDMA/EV-DO Rev-A to LTE handoff demonstration done by Motorola gives Alltel (News - Alert) confidence that LTE is progressing in the right direction,” said Chris Smith, executive vice president, Network Services, Alltel, in the press release, “It is going to be incredibly important for LTE to inter-operate with our existing technology as this is one of many key functionalities that will play a critical role in our final decision making."
The demonstration which made a thorough testing incorporated dual radio transceivers that support both CDMA/EV-DO Rev-A and LTE into laptops and mobile devices and checked for active status during the packet handoffs. As the devices lost LTE connectivity, the device automatically switches to EV-DO to ensure consistent streaming without dropping IP packets. The process was then reversed and checked whether devices switched back to LTE, when LTE connectivity is restored.
The packet-switched network handoff mechanisms employed in the demonstration leverages on concepts which are part of the non-optimized handover procedures in LTE core network SAE standard 3GPP TS 23.402.
The collaboration between Motorola mobile devices, networks product and advanced technology teams developed the necessary application software for the base station trial equipment and the mobile device which were used in the demonstration.
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