UMTS TDD Alliance Applauds Japanese 2-GHz Spectrum Allocation

The Global UMTS TDD Alliance has applauded last week's announcement by the Japanese government to allocate the 2-GHz spectrum band for IMT-2000 TDD technologies. The Alliance believes that the ruling will lead to greater competition and new services for the Japanese market.

Last week, the Japanese Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications announced that Japan's 2010 - 2025 MHz spectrum would be allocated solely to IMT-2000 TDD technologies. This paves the way for broadband wireless networks using UMTS TDD, also known as TD-CDMA in Japan; the first commercially deployed IMT-2000 technology for unpaired spectrum. Optimized for high-speed data, UMTS TDD is already used by operators and manufacturers worldwide and has emerged as a leading standard for Broadband Wireless Access.

The Ministry's Guidelines also stipulate that the spectrum be allocated to a new service provider - increasing competition in Japan's wireless market.

IPMobile, one of the founding members of the Global UMTS TDD Alliance, plans to offer the first commercially available mobile data communication services to start in the year 2006. IPMobile, whose UMTS TDD trial network in Tokyo has been active for over two years, contributed to Japanese study groups and telecom councils held by the Ministry."

Posted to the site on 3rd August 2005