Unlicensed Mobile Access system solution from NXP supports first nationwide U.S. commercial rollout of fixed-mobile convergence

Nexperia Cellular System Solution for EDGE enables seamless handset handover between cellular networks and Wi-Fi hotspots

Delivering the technology behind the next experience in wireless calling, NXP Semiconductors today announced that its Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) cell phone solution is being deployed as part of the first nationwide commercial rollout of a UMA-based service in North America – the T-Mobile HotSpot @Home service launched recently by T-Mobile USA, Inc. Leveraged by Samsung Electronics in its T409 dual-mode phone, one of two handsets currently available for T-Mobile’s service, NXP’s UMA-enabled Nexperia™ cellular system solution enables the Samsung phone to seamlessly switch between conventional cellular networks and home Wi-Fi networks.

“UMA truly allows users to simplify their telephony experience by using a single phone number both on-the-go and at home,” said Joongyeon Cho, vice president, Samsung. “In our efforts to be first to market with a UMA-enabled, dual-mode handset, we sought close collaborations with NXP to ensure an overall high-quality product for our customers. Our work with NXP in the very early stages of UMA development allowed them to deliver a leading-edge hardware solution that met our specific needs, as well as our accelerated development timeline.”

“UMA has the potential to revolutionize the way in which we all communicate, and we are proud to deliver the technology behind this next-generation calling capability,” said Dan Rabinovitsj, senior vice president and general manager, business line cellular systems, NXP Semiconductors. “Following successful UMA service launches in Europe, NXP’s involvement in the U.S.’s first nationwide launch of a UMA service reinforces NXP’s leadership in developing comprehensive and innovative cellular system solutions that offers best-in-class performance for range, battery life and most importantly, voice quality.”

NXP's UMA-enabled Nexperia cellular system solution delivers all the hardware, software validation, support and interoperability testing necessary for implementation of UMA functionality in today’s mobile handsets. The solution is an ARM9-based GSM/GPRS/EDGE multimedia platform, providing maximum product flexibility and easy differentiation for handset manufacturers. For WLAN functions, the solution uses the NXP low-power 802.11g WLAN system. The Bluetooth functionality is enabled by NXP’s first RFCMOS Bluetooth chip, BGB208, which consumes 44 percent less power when compared with competitive chips in the market. Combined with NXP’s coexistence algorithm for WLAN and Bluetooth, consumers can enjoy a UMA call on their Bluetooth headset, and an additional hour of talk time.

The UMA-enabled NXP Nexperia cellular system solution uses advanced processor technologies and packaging techniques to integrate the baseband/MAC, radio and power amplifier.

About UMA Technology

UMA technology is the standard for fixed-mobile convergence (FMC). UMA technology enables access to mobile voice, data and IMS services over IP broadband access and unlicensed spectrum technologies. By deploying UMA technology, service providers can enable subscribers to roam and handover between cellular networks and public and private unlicensed wireless networks using dual-mode mobile handsets. With UMA, subscribers receive a consistent user experience for their mobile voice, data and IMS services as they transition between networks.

The UMA specifications were created by Alcatel, AT&T Wireless, British Telecom, Cingular, Ericsson, Kineto Wireless, Motorola, Nokia, Nortel, O2, Research in Motion, Rogers Wireless, Siemens, Sony-Ericsson and T-Mobile US. The specifications are available for download at www.umatechnology.org.

Availability

The UMA-enabled NXP Nexperia cellular system solution is available and in mass production now.

About NXP

NXP is a top 10 semiconductor company founded by Philips more than 50 years ago. Headquartered in Europe, the company has 37,000 employees working in 26 countries across the world. NXP creates semiconductors, system solutions and software that deliver better sensory experiences in mobile phones, personal media players, TVs, set-top boxes, identification applications, cars and a wide range of other electronic devices. News from NXP is located at www.nxp.com.