China Unicom Using Spatial Mobile Switching Center

Spatial Wireless has announced that its Spatial Atrium Distributed Mobile Switching Center (DMSC) product was used as the switching element in China Unicom's GSM1x phase one technology trial. The GSM1x solution enables China Unicom to introduce enhanced CDMA2000 1X services to its GSM subscribers in China.

Spatial Wireless has collaborated with Qualcomm since 2001 to introduce a DMSC product that enables the convergence of GSM-MAP core networks with CDMA2000 radio networks. Spatial Atrium -- a versatile and full-featured MSC that supports GSM and CDMA2000 radio networks -- underwent rigorous testing during the trial and is now certified by the Research Institute of Telecommunications Standards (RITT). The Spatial Atrium product bridges the best of both worlds -- the spectral efficiency and data services of CDMA2000 with GSM's SIM-based distribution model, roaming framework and back-office operations. The Spatial Atrium product enables a GSM carrier to maximize its existing GSM-MAP core network investments and maintain all of its key GSM services while also differentiating through the inclusion of next-generation CDMA2000 1X services and data capabilities.

"As one of the driving forces to help develop solutions for this trial, Spatial Wireless and its Atrium product were the clear choice for introducing this technology to GSM carriers worldwide," said George Mansho, senior vice president of business development for Qualcomm.

The multi-stage China Unicom trial was conducted in the city of Suzhou in the Chinese province of Jiangsu which began in June 2003. The trial demonstrated CDMA2000 1X service with a GSM-MAP core network and provided an environment to perform testing of multi-mode GSM/CDMA2000 1X handsets, including various roaming scenarios between CDMA and GSM networks."

Posted to the site on 25th September 2003