Cellular chip enables UMA service rollout

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Jul 12, 2007

Nexperia cellular system solution delivers all the hardware, software validation, support and interoperability testing necessary for implementation of UMA functionality.

NXP's Unlicensed Mobile Access (UMA) cellphone silicon is being deployed in the very first nationwide commercial rollout of a UMA-based service in North America - the T-Mobile HotSpot @HomeSM service launched last month by T-Mobile USA.

Leveraged by Samsung Electronics in its exclusive T409 dual-mode handset for T-Mobile, NXP's UMA-enabled Nexperia cellular system solution enables the Samsung phone to seamlessly switch between conventional cellular networks and Wi-Fi hotspots at home, in the office and other public areas for voice, data and multimedia calls.

"UMA truly allows users to simplify their telephony experience by using a single phone number both on-the-go and at home", says 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 solution that met our specific needs, as well as our accelerated development timeline".

"UMA has the potential to revolutionise 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 USA'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 device uses advanced process technologies and packaging techniques to integrate the baseband/MAC, radio and power amplifier.