A Primer on LTE – link on wikipedia

Our post on “A Primer on LTE” is now referenced on wikipedia on the main LTE page :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Term_Evolution

Let us know your feedback. Thanks for the excellent feedback on a similar post on “Primer on WiMAX” and referenced on wikipedia on the main WiMAX page.

BSNL Plans Broadband Services For Rural Users

NEW DELHI — Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd. plans to offer broadband connectivity to users of its wired-line telecom services in India’s rural areas in a bid to retain and attract more such subscribers, an official of the state-run company said.

India had 362.30 million mobile phone users at the end of January, the second largest in the world. But the number of wired-line users in the country has been falling due to the cheaper calling rates and convenience of mobile phones.

“We are sitting on a goldmine of 40 million copper lines, and we want to reverse the trend in the next (financial) year,” Anil Jain, deputy director-general of broadband services at BSNL, told Dow Jones Newswires in a recent interview.

BSNL is India’s largest wired-line operator, but the number of its landline subscribers fell to 29.29 million at the end of January, from 29.5 million at the end of December.

The total number of wired-line users in the country has also seen a sharp drop to 37.75 million in January from 39.25 million a year earlier, and from 37.90 million at the end of December.

The company plans to reduce its broadband tariff charges for rural areas. “Modems will be given free of charge to rural consumers,” Mr. Jain said.

(Excerpts from The Wall Street Journal)

Wait for Vi-Fi from Microsoft

Microsoft  is working on this technology in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts and the University of Washington.

Microsoft is developing a new technology dubbed Vi-Fi, which means Wi-Fi in vehicles.

This system will enable users to use Internet while on the move, and will cost less than existing cellular broadband systems.

 

The software giant is working on this technology in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts and the University of Washington.

 

This new technology promises to offer a steady signal unlike Wi-Fi networks, where each signal station (base station) only broadcasts so far, so users have to hop between stations. During these transitions, known as “hard handoffs”, the signal strength typically drops.

 

Today’s Wi-Fi handoff protocols are incredibly fragile in outdoor environments and mobile environments artificially limited to talking to only one access point, or only one base station at a time, even though there may be other base stations in the area.

 

Therefore, Vi-Fi is being designed to send and receive signals from more than one base station and the strongest strength gets designated as anchor, while others are also used as auxiliary systems.

 

Researchers with Microsoft, University of Washington and Massachusetts believe they are the first to suggest such a solution, which may finally make vehicle Wi-Fi workable. They have already tested the system on Microsoft’s campus in Washington and further planning to conduct the test on a bigger scale in the area surrounding the campus.

 

Source: Techtree.com

Vishal