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IMT-Advanced (4G) Mobile wireless broadband on the anvil; New ITU radio interface standards to revolutionize mobile communication(M2 PressWIRE Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Geneva, -- ITU has received six candidate technology submissions for the global 4G mobile wireless broadband technology known as IMT-Advanced. The selected technologies are expected to be accorded the official designation of IMT-Advanced - to qualify as true 4G technologies - in October 2010. The submissions were made in Dresden, Germany at the meeting of ITU's Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R) Working Party 5D in response to an open invitation in March 2008. The meeting was held 14-21 October 2009. The six proposals aligned around the 3GPP LTE Release 10 and beyond (LTE Advanced) technology and the IEEE 802.16m technology, will be assessed against ITU-R requirements using a defined evaluation process. This rigorous assessment over the next year will be supported by the work of independent external evaluation groups that have been established around the world and will take place under the direction of ITU-R Working Party 5D. In conjunction with the Dresden meeting, the third Workshop on IMT-Advanced provided an opportunity to technology proponents and evaluation groups to interact. As a jump-start to the assessment phase, fourteen evaluation groups registered with ITU-R, representing the whole gamut of stakeholders, including equipment manufacturers, technology developers, network operators and service providers, market and user organizations, universities, research institutions and national administrations. ITU Secretary-General, Hamadoun Toure, expressed his appreciation for this worldwide effort. "We note with excitement that the technology developments in wireless communication continue to expand their reach and application to enrich the lives of people around the world," Toure said. "ITU has a rich history of more than 25 years in coordinating and advancing global broadband multimedia international mobile telecommunications systems. IMT-Advanced continues this tradition by not only leading with a strategic vision, but also in translating the vision into practical reality in this challenging ICT environment." Valery Timofeev, Director of ITU Radiocommunication Bureau congratulated all the players from government, regulators and industry who have been actively involved in the evaluation process of IMT-Advanced for successfully reaching this important milestone in the choice of radio interface technology. Stephen Blust, Director of Radio Standards, AT&T and Chairman of Working Party 5D, offers this viewpoint: "In 2002 when the strategic vision for 4G - which we designated as IMT-Advanced - was laid out in anticipation of the longer term future needs of the marketplace, it established a new level of expectation for the capabilities and performance of global mobile wireless broadband systems that many thought at the time was something that could not be reached in this decade. When ITU-R established the detailed performance requirements of IMT-Advanced in 2008, it truly raised the bar for mobile wireless. It is gratifying to note that the stakeholders in the mobile wireless industry have risen to the challenge. And we have every expectation that with these proposals the vision can indeed be achieved in the near term." The close partnership between the ITU-R members and the global wireless industry in the work on IMT-Advanced builds upon the success of the ITU-defined IMT-2000 system (3G) that continues to be enhanced following the demands of the marketplace. A layman's perspective of the IMT-Advanced process and plan can be found at www.itu.int/itunews/manager/display.asp?lang=en&year=2008&issue=10&ipage=39&ext=html. For more information, please see www.itu.int/itu-r/go/rsg5-imt-advanced/or contact: Sanjay Acharya Chief, Media Relations and Public Information ITU Tel: +41 22 730 5046 Mobile: +41 79 249 4861 E-mail: [email protected] About ITU ITU is the leading United Nations agency for information and communication technology issues, and the global focal point for governments and the private sector in developing networks and services. For nearly 145 years, ITU has coordinated the shared global use of the radio spectrum, promoted international cooperation in assigning satellite orbits, worked to improve telecommunication infrastructure in the developing world, established the worldwide standards that foster seamless interconnection of a vast range of communications systems and addressed the global challenges of our times, such as mitigating climate change and strengthening cybersecurity. ITU also organizes worldwide and regional exhibitions and forums, such as ITU TELECOM WORLD, bringing together the most influential representatives of government and the telecommunications and ICT industry to exchange ideas, knowledge and technology for the benefit of the global community, and in particular the developing world. From broadband Internet to latest-generation wireless technologies, from aeronautical and maritime navigation to radio astronomy and satellite-based meteorology, from convergence in fixed-mobile phone, Internet access, data, voice and TV broadcasting to next-generation networks, ITU is committed to connecting the world. Visit our Web site at http://www.itu.int/newsroom ((Comments on this story may be sent to [email protected])) (c) 2009 M2 COMMUNICATIONS |