Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Controlled LTE trials have been going pretty well of late, but the first test “under everyday conditions” has just gone down in Germany. We’re pleased to say that everything went off without a hitch, as a connection using the next-generation (4G) mobile communications standard was maintained while inside a moving car traveling at around 42mph. Aside from the thrill of not dropping in and out of Pidgin at random, experimenters were able to pull downloads of up to 170Mbps and upload at up to 50Mbps. According to Hamid Akhavan, head of T-Mobile, it will still be 2010 (at the very earliest) before any of its markets go live with LTE, but at least we’re moving in the right direction, eh?

[Image courtesy of ChrisHarrison]

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Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

Although the press release issued to announce the settlement between Vonage and AT&T earlier this month is still the shortest we’ve seen in all of 2007, we’re pretty certain the one doled out to trumpet the truce between Vonage and Nortel is holding down the two-spot. In just five wee sentences, we learn that the two have agreed in principle to end the litigation pending between ‘em, and though no cash will be changing hands, the agreement does involve a limited cross license to three patents per firm. Way to put the past behind before entering into the new year, we say.

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Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Cellular / WiFi hopping handsets aren’t an entirely new concept, but Nortel and Qualcomm look to be giving the desirable technology a boost today, with them announcing that they’ve succesfully tested a handset that makes use of Nortel’s Voice Call Continuity network-based system and Qualcomm’s corresponding IMS/VCC-based chipset. That combo, the companies say, allows for seamless switching of voice calls between CDMA cellular networks and plain-old WiFi networks which should, in turn, save you some money on service charges. What’s more, the pair says their solution will allow companies to offer dual-mode mobile phones that are VCC-ready upon purchase, with no further software downloads or service configuration necessary. It also seems like that prospect may not be all that far off, as Nortel says it expects its network solution to be available in the first quarter of next year, while Qualcomm says its VCC-ready devices will be rolling out sometime in mid-2008.

[Via Phone Scoop]

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