First TD-SCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE Automatic Handover Achieved by T3G and NXP

(Top News, 6 Jun 2007)

Beijing T3G Technology Co. Ltd and NXP Semiconductors made a joint announcement of the world's first voice automatic handover of multi-mode TD-SCDMA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE in a handset. This breakthrough handset enables seamless usage for end-users by providing bi-directional on-the-fly automatic handover between TD-SCDMA and GSM networks. NXP and T3G powered multi-mode handsets can automatically scan for available networks and smoothly switch to between TD-SCDMA and GSM networks ensuring the best quality of service and high user satisfaction.

The automatic handover feature has been achieved and validated successfully on T3G's TD-SCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE dual mode handset reference design platform in multiple network environments built by all major Chinese infrastructure vendors including Datang Mobile, ZTE and TD-Tech. Seamless automatic handover of voice calls between 3G TD-SCDMA R4 wireless network and 2.5G GSM/GPRS/EDGE mobile networks are supported.

Even while a call is being placed, a TD-SCDMA/GSM phone equipped with the automatic handover feature moving out of TD-SCDMA network coverage will automatically switch the user onto the existing GSM network, without any adverse effects such as call drop. Because the network selection and transition are done by the phone automatically, TD-SCDMA subscribers will not have to make any manual selection of service, and thus will be able to enjoy a true "seamless" multi-mode experience.

Currently, TD-SCDMA networks are being rolled out in 10 Chinese cities including six host cities of Beijing Olympics by China Mobile and other Chinese operators. Automatic handover TD-SCDMA phones not only facilitate the provision of advanced TD-SCDMA 3G services to interested audiences at these Olympic host cities, but also allow the continued use of existing 2.5G network infrastructure.

Daijun Zhang, CTO of T3G commented: "With the realization of TD-SCDMA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE automatic handover feature thus ensuring great backward compatibility with 2.5G networks, the most challenging technological hurdle facing the TD-SCDMA handsets at the initial commercial stage has been cleared. The addition of the TD-SCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE automatic handover feature to the T3G reference design platform will give our handset maker customers an advantage in creating a rich variety of competitive TD-SCDMA mobile handsets that meet the demands of the China market."

Dan Rabinovitsj, Senior Vice President for Cellular Systems of NXP, said: "NXP has been cooperating closely with T3G and has made substantial investment in the China 3G standard from the very start. By leveraging NXP's EDGE leadership and system maturity and T3G's cutting-edge R&D capabilities, NXP and T3G achieved the first TD-SCDMA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE automatic handover. Working closely with local handset manufacturers, NXP and T3G have contributed substantially to creating a local ecosystem driving towards wide deployment of next generation 3G services in China. The industry's first achievement of automatic handover is testimony of our preemptive strategy to gain a leading position in the Chinese market."

This automatic handover is enabled by the Nexperia cellular system solution T3G 7208 GSM/GPRS/EDGE/TD-SCDMA reference design. Based on NXP's leading EDGE system solution, the design full meets China major operators' plan to upgrade theirs 2G network to EDGE to offer fallback of data services. By keeping the same baseband, 2G chipset and application software interfaces for both standards, the reference design enables handset manufactures to maximize their R&D investment in both TD-SCDMA and WCDMA.

T3G and NXP have been providing comprehensive technical support and key technology and products to its customers in order to promote the speedy ramp-up of the TD-SCDMA handset market.

T3G Technology
NXP Semiconductors